Save Me - Lisa Scottoline [62]
Rose hadn’t even thought of that. There was a lot to process, it was overwhelming.
“Look, Rose.” Tom’s expression softened. “You need to act, but you have a day or two. Think it over. Talk to Leo. If you want to get a second opinion, feel free to do that, too. Get back to us as soon as you can.”
Oliver rose slowly, buttoning his jacket. “You’re in a terrible bind. You don’t want to sue the school, but if you did, it would help your criminal case, too. It would make a statement that you’re not at fault. It could even deter the D.A. from charging you. The best defense is a good offense, to cite a cliché.”
Tom got to his feet. “This comes down to one thing. Them or you.”
Rose cuddled John and stood up. “Well, thanks so much, gentlemen. I do appreciate the time, and the advice.”
“Last word. Think about what you hold dear.” Tom gestured at John. “That little guy. Your daughter. Leo. Your home. That’s what you need to protect. Not the school.”
Rose heard the truth in his words, though it tore at her heart. She was remembering how kind Mr. Rodriguez and the staff had been to Melly this morning.
“Never hesitate to shoot.” Tom eyed Rose, hard. “It’s self-defense.”
Chapter Thirty-five
Rose hit the gas, keeping her eyes on the road, relieved she could find an excuse to avoid Melly’s gaze. The notion of being sued was bad enough, but she couldn’t begin to think about going to jail. Meeting with the lawyers had left her shaken, but letting it show would defeat the purpose of their lunch outing, so she put on a happy face. “Mel, how was your morning?”
“Fine.”
Rose braked for a yellow light, turning red. She’d picked Melly up at school without incident, and the other parents ignored them as they went to their car. The press stayed behind the cordon, and even though they snapped photos of the car as they drove past, nobody followed them. “What did you do in school?”
“More Flat Stanley.”
“Was it fun?”
“Ms. Canton wasn’t there. She’s not coming back.”
“I’m sorry.”
“She had to take care of her mom. She’s sick.”
“I see. Did Mrs. Nuru say when they’re getting a new gifted teacher?” Rose glanced over, and Melly kept her head to the window, which was open.
“No.”
“Did you spend much time with Mrs. Nuru?”
“No. Sammy and Seth got in a fight. They always do.”
“What happened at assembly?”
“Nothing. It was sad.”
“Mine was, too.” Rose thought back to the parents’ assembly. Aside from feeling like she had leprosy, it was an hour of boilerplate assurances that the school would return to business as usual, which was the best thing for the children. “We had a moment of silence. Did you?”
“Yes.”
“What else did they say? Anything?”
“That we shouldn’t be scared and there’s no more fire, and we’ll get a new cafeteria and still have the Halloween parade.” Melly looked over. “I want to be Hermione again, okay?”
“Sure.”
“Now I have the Hermione wand, it makes it better.”
“Perfect,” Rose said, though she was beginning to feel otherwise. As great as Harry Potter was, she was worrying that it was just another thing to set Melly apart.
“They said we should make get-well cards for Amanda, so we did. Mine was really good.”
“That was nice. I’m proud of you.” Rose smiled, meaning it. It couldn’t have been easy to make a card for your bully. “So, where should we eat?”
“I don’t know.”
“What do you feel like? I didn’t have time to make any sandwiches this morning.” Rose eyed the McDonald’s, Saladworks, and the other fast-food joints. This section of Allen Road was one strip mall after another, all with tan stucco façades and fake-English names like Reesburgh Mews, Reesburgh Commons, and Reesburgh Roundabout. Traffic was busy, with school dismissed early and the noontime rush. “Want a Happy Meal? Or chicken? Want a hamburger?”
“Ms. Canton doesn’t eat hamburgers. She eats veggie burgers. We ate together. It was really good.”
“When was that?” Rose hadn’t heard anything about Kristen and Melly eating together. The traffic light changed, and she hit the gas.
“She showed me