Save Me - Lisa Scottoline [76]
“Ms. McKenna, excuse me,” said a woman’s voice in the SUV behind her, and Rose turned around. The passenger slid down the window to reveal Tanya Robertson, squinting so hard in the sunlight that her false eyelashes stuck together.
“What are you doing here? You’re not allowed on school property.”
“It’s about my ‘More on Moms’ feature. It’s very popular, and I’ve already interviewed Eileen—”
“Get off of school property before I call somebody.” Rose looked around for a teacher, but no one was close enough to see. “I told you, I’m not giving you any interviews.”
“I’m not asking for one, about Amanda, anyway. I’m trying to help you.”
“The hell you are.” Rose turned away and went to the front door, but Tanya stuck her hand outside the window, with her business card.
“Call me. We need to talk about Thomas Pelal.”
Rose stopped, stunned.
“Ms. McKenna? Do yourself a favor. Take my card. If I don’t hear from you by five o’clock today, I’m going with my story.”
Rose willed herself into action, got inside the car, closed the door, and twisted the ignition key with a shaking hand. She was being called to account, to atone. To explain, when there was no explanation. She had waited for it to catch up with her for years, and now, finally, it had.
“Mom?”
“What?” Rose hit the gas, aimed to the exit behind the other cars, and reached into her purse for her phone. “What, honey?”
“Do you think we should have Muenster cheese on the Kristenburgers or Swiss?”
“I don’t know.” Rose thumbed her rollerball in a panic.
“Mrs. Canton likes Muenster, and so do I. A kid in my class calls it monster. Monster cheese. I think that’s so funny and cute.”
“Me, too.” Rose swung the car out of the school parking lot onto Allen Road, trying to find Oliver’s office number in her phone. Her heart thundered in her chest. All hell was about to break loose.
“Mom, remember, you said the car is a no-phone zone.”
“This is important, honey.” Rose fed the car gas, thumbing to the phone function. Traffic flowed steadily, and she kept pace. Everybody but Reesburgh Elementary parents avoided Allen Road when school was dismissed. Her thoughts raced ahead. She wished she could reach Leo, but he’d be in court and wouldn’t pick up. She could have texted him, but it wasn’t the kind of message you left by text.
“You said, no phones, it’s a rule. You told me to yell at you if you did it, like being on a diet.”
“Well, this is an exception.” Rose fed the car gas. The rollerball was stuck for some reason, and she couldn’t get it to move to the phone function. Sunlight flooded through the car window, obliterating the small screen.
“Why is it an exception?”
“It’s okay, just this once. It’s a school zone, so don’t worry.” Rose finally got to the phone function and scrolled down to the call before last.
“So why does that matter, that it’s a school zone?”
“People drive more slowly in a school zone.” Rose rolled the rollerball to highlight the phone number, but it got sticky again.
“Mom, watch out!”
Rose slammed on the brake before they almost crashed into a minivan in front of them, its left turn signal blinking. They shuddered to a stop, the ABS stuttering and the tires screeching. The sudden movement tossed them all forward, then back into their seats.
“We almost hit that car!” Melly cried, her eyes agog, and in the backseat, John burst into tears.
Rose exhaled, coming to her senses. She set the phone down on the console and looked over. Melly looked bewildered, her frown deeper than any child’s should ever be. Rose prayed she’d never see that look on her daughter’s face again, but now she wasn’t so sure. “Mel, I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”
“Yes.” Melly nodded, still wide-eyed. “Are you?”
“Yes.” Rose smiled, touched. She loved Melly so much it hurt. She could have cried out loud at what was going to come, for all of them. She checked John in the rearview, and he was crying full-blast, his tiny features clustered and his pacifier gone. “Aww, Johnnie, I’m