little boy would probably have treatment for a hangover in the morning.
The pharmacist was the only one who complained. When Lukas personally ordered the alcohol drip, the man replied, âYou know you guys canât be drinking on the job.â
Chapter Three
E leven-year-old Tedi Zimmerman answered the final question on her test paper as the bell rang for afternoon recess. Yes! She pushed the page to the top of her desk and looked up at Mr. Walters to see if he noticed. He nodded and smiled. Heâd been watching.
She got up and started toward the door, but Abby Cuendetâher worst enemy last year, her best friend this yearâgrabbed her arm and stopped her.
Tedi turned back around. âHey, whatâre you doing?â
Abby pushed straight brown bangs out of her eyes, glanced out the window, then back at Tedi. âI thought you said your dad was locked up.â
âHe is. Heâs in detox up in Springfield.â
Abby scrunched up her face, pushed her glasses back up onto the bridge of her nose and turned to point out the window. âThat sure looks like him to me.â
Tedi caught her breath and stiffened, refusing to look. âThatâs not funny.â Mom and Grandma had both said Dad was supposed to be locked up for a long time.
âSo whoâs that?â
Feeling the darkness of an old nightmare, Tedi turned slowly and looked in the direction Abby pointed. A manstood in the shade beneath the trees that surrounded the playground. His hands were in his pockets. Looking down with his shoulders slumped, he didnât look as tall as Dad, and his clothes werenât silk and wool with ties and dress shoes. But the shape of his head and the line of his face, even at this distance, were too familiar. Abbyâs mom said Dad looked like a blond Pierce Brosnan, but Tedi had seen pictures of Pierce Brosnan, and he looked a lot nicer. He didnât look like the kind of man who would try to kill his own daughter.
For a minute Tedi thought she was going to throw up. She tightened her hands into fists and took some deep breaths. It couldnât be. Was she having another bad dream? She couldnât take her gaze from the intruder as he watched the kids spill out of the school building onto the grass. When they quit coming, he turned and looked directly toward the windows of Tediâs classroom, as if he knew she was there.
She gasped and stepped back. âWhatâs he doing here?â Her voice shook. Her whole body shook. âHeâs not supposed to be out ofââ
âGirls?â Mr. Walters called. âArenât you finished with your papers?â
Tedi turned and looked hard at her teacher, at his wide middle and thick shoulders. âYes, weâre finished.â He looked safe and calm as he gathered up papers and stacked them and turned to erase something from the chalkboard. One time he had stepped between a kid and an attacking dog and saved the kid from being bitten. He wasnât going to let anyone hurt his students. âGo out and enjoy the sunshine while you can,â he called over his shoulder. âThe rest of the week is supposed to be cloudy.â Which was another way of saying he wanted some time to de-stress and straighten the room. Heâd told Tedi that once when she stayed behind to help him collect papers.
Tedi almost asked if she could stay and help him withpapers again, but Abby nudged her. âWhy donât you just go and find out what your dad wants, dummy?â
Tedi shoved her friendâs arm away. âWhy should I? If he wants to talk to me he can go see the principal first. Heâs not even supposed to be here. No strangers on the playground, remember?â
âHeâs not a stranger. Heâs your dad. Come on, letâs at least get out of here.â She nudged Tedi again.
Tedi allowed herself to be pushed out the door and into the wide hallway. Together they walked to the side exit,
Cameron Harvey
Honor James
Susan Wright
Marie Force
Sabrina Morgan
Briana Gaitan
Augusten Burroughs
Paul Torday
Mindy Klasky
Duffy Brown