A Flight of Fantasy (Sarah Woods Mystery 12) by Jennifer L. Jennings Page A
Authors: Jennifer L. Jennings
Ads: Link
had. I’d have been ready for him.”
“Remind me never to piss you off,” I said. “I can’t afford a new car right now.”
He laughed. “You haven’t pissed me off once in the two years I’ve known you.”
“Good. I hope it stays that way.”
When I looked over toward the high school, it appeared as though the crowd of students had dispersed. One by one, the cars left the parking lot.
By 2:45, most of the cars had vacated the lot, but the red Mazda remained. Finally, we saw Reece emerge from the side exit of the building, walking with a girl who looked pretty young, probably a freshman.
Rita had an arm wrapped around the girl who was wiping her eyes as if crying. They stopped in front of a beat up old Dodge pick-up. The girl turned away from Rita after the two hugged, and drove off in the truck. Rita stood there until the girl was out of site. Finally, Rita headed toward her Mazda and got in. She sat there for a while as if she’d forgotten how to start the engine. She didn’t appear to be on her cell phone. Maybe she was just taking a moment to decompress from her hectic day.
“She seems upset,” Carter said. “I wonder what happened to the girl, and why she was crying.”
“I don’t know,” I said. “Maybe she failed an exam.”
“Really?” Carter gave me a sideward glance. “Did you ever cry because you failed an exam?”
“As a matter of fact, I did.”
After a few minutes, Rita drove out of the parking lot and headed in the direction of her house.
Carter glanced down at the tracker locator on the tablet in my lap. The red dot on the screen’s map indicated Rita’s car. “She’s either heading home or going to pick up her daughter,” he said. “Unless she’s got an appointment with a John.”
“Well, first, she’d have to go home to change. Rita Hayworth dressed as a guidance counselor wouldn’t be much of a turn on.”
Carter started the engine and pulled out into the street behind her.
Chapter 13
After Rita had collected her daughter from the Hayward Private School, they stopped at a grocery store. When they came out a few minutes later, the girl had three brightly colored balloons, the strings tied to her wrist. The girl seemed so happy as they walked back to the car.
“Awe,” I said. “That’s sweet. I must say, Reece seems like a good mother. Look at the way she is with Amy. So gentle and patient. I give her all the credit in the world. As adorable as her daughter is, it can’t be easy.”
“Sounds like you’re beginning to like this woman. Let’s not forget she’s the subject of this investigation.”
We followed the red Mazda back to Lincoln Ave. where Carter pulled over to the opposite side of the street, several houses down from Reece’s. “She might not be planning to go anywhere tonight, but I’d like to stay close just in case she decides to go somewhere. Why don’t we get some dinner and keep an eye on the tracker.”
“Sounds good to me. I’m starving.”
We found a deli shop a few blocks away from Rita’s house and had a leisurely dinner of roast beef sandwiches, potato chips and ginger ale. At 6:45, we noticed Rita was on the move again.
“Maybe she’s taking her daughter out for ice-cream,” I said, although I had a feeling that wasn’t the case.
“I guess we’ll find out.” Carter grabbed the keys to the Buick and we hurried back to the car.
By the time we caught up to her, we were on the 95 turnpike heading south. She maintained the speed limit and stayed in the right hand lane, apparently in no big hurry to get to her destination, wherever that might be.
We continued to follow her for another ten minutes until she finally flashed her blinker to take exit 67 toward Fitch.
“Maybe she’s going back to the high school,” I said. “Maybe she forgot something.”
“Or maybe she’s meeting up with another guy.”
We continued to follow her through town and expected her to pull into the Fitch High School
“Remind me never to piss you off,” I said. “I can’t afford a new car right now.”
He laughed. “You haven’t pissed me off once in the two years I’ve known you.”
“Good. I hope it stays that way.”
When I looked over toward the high school, it appeared as though the crowd of students had dispersed. One by one, the cars left the parking lot.
By 2:45, most of the cars had vacated the lot, but the red Mazda remained. Finally, we saw Reece emerge from the side exit of the building, walking with a girl who looked pretty young, probably a freshman.
Rita had an arm wrapped around the girl who was wiping her eyes as if crying. They stopped in front of a beat up old Dodge pick-up. The girl turned away from Rita after the two hugged, and drove off in the truck. Rita stood there until the girl was out of site. Finally, Rita headed toward her Mazda and got in. She sat there for a while as if she’d forgotten how to start the engine. She didn’t appear to be on her cell phone. Maybe she was just taking a moment to decompress from her hectic day.
“She seems upset,” Carter said. “I wonder what happened to the girl, and why she was crying.”
“I don’t know,” I said. “Maybe she failed an exam.”
“Really?” Carter gave me a sideward glance. “Did you ever cry because you failed an exam?”
“As a matter of fact, I did.”
After a few minutes, Rita drove out of the parking lot and headed in the direction of her house.
Carter glanced down at the tracker locator on the tablet in my lap. The red dot on the screen’s map indicated Rita’s car. “She’s either heading home or going to pick up her daughter,” he said. “Unless she’s got an appointment with a John.”
“Well, first, she’d have to go home to change. Rita Hayworth dressed as a guidance counselor wouldn’t be much of a turn on.”
Carter started the engine and pulled out into the street behind her.
Chapter 13
After Rita had collected her daughter from the Hayward Private School, they stopped at a grocery store. When they came out a few minutes later, the girl had three brightly colored balloons, the strings tied to her wrist. The girl seemed so happy as they walked back to the car.
“Awe,” I said. “That’s sweet. I must say, Reece seems like a good mother. Look at the way she is with Amy. So gentle and patient. I give her all the credit in the world. As adorable as her daughter is, it can’t be easy.”
“Sounds like you’re beginning to like this woman. Let’s not forget she’s the subject of this investigation.”
We followed the red Mazda back to Lincoln Ave. where Carter pulled over to the opposite side of the street, several houses down from Reece’s. “She might not be planning to go anywhere tonight, but I’d like to stay close just in case she decides to go somewhere. Why don’t we get some dinner and keep an eye on the tracker.”
“Sounds good to me. I’m starving.”
We found a deli shop a few blocks away from Rita’s house and had a leisurely dinner of roast beef sandwiches, potato chips and ginger ale. At 6:45, we noticed Rita was on the move again.
“Maybe she’s taking her daughter out for ice-cream,” I said, although I had a feeling that wasn’t the case.
“I guess we’ll find out.” Carter grabbed the keys to the Buick and we hurried back to the car.
By the time we caught up to her, we were on the 95 turnpike heading south. She maintained the speed limit and stayed in the right hand lane, apparently in no big hurry to get to her destination, wherever that might be.
We continued to follow her for another ten minutes until she finally flashed her blinker to take exit 67 toward Fitch.
“Maybe she’s going back to the high school,” I said. “Maybe she forgot something.”
“Or maybe she’s meeting up with another guy.”
We continued to follow her through town and expected her to pull into the Fitch High School
Similar Books
