Without Mercy - Lisa Jackson [104]
Her heart jolted.
Why was Lynch looking into Trent’s file? And hers? Had he noticed that her maiden name was Delaney, which was the same last name of Shay’s mother? No, no…Delaney was a common name, and she doubted that the parent application would have asked for maiden names. Maybe he’d connected her to her cousin Analise…
So many worries. Jules knew that, with a little digging, he could find the truth, and her lie that she wasn’t related to anyone connected to Blue Rock would be exposed.
It’s nothing. Just a coincidence. He has no idea you’re involved.
He waved her into a rocker tucked into a corner, then quickly slipped both files into a cabinet behind his desk. Before he settled into his leather chair, he lit the fire, turning on a gas jet that ignited the kindling and logs stacked in the grate. “There we go.” Once the fire was crackling to his satisfaction, he turned off the gas and slid into his chair. “Sorry…organization is one of my strong points, but it’s been difficult keeping up with the recent turn of events here.”
He did seem a little flustered. Off.
“I wanted to talk to you alone, to personally welcome you to the staff, to assure you that we’re all a team and you can feel free to ask me any questions.”
“So you said,” she reminded him.
“I know. Last evening at my home.” Meaning: with my wife around. “But I wanted to share something personal with you.”
Warning bells went off in Jules’s head. He leaned back in his chair and stroked his soul patch with a finger. A sensual, thoughtful gesture.
She forced herself to remain seated.
In brief, he shared his testimony, explaining how once he’d been on “the wrong path,” when his negligent actions had put him and two others in the hospital. He’d been unconscious when his Lord and savior had come to him, told him that this time he’d spare Tobias and his friends, but from that point forward, he was to spread the word of God.
And he had listened to the Lord, he told her soberly. His friends survived, though one had been confined to a wheelchair, and Tobias Lynch had turned his life around, accepting God into his life and dedicating himself to doing his will. It was his hope that this school, Blue Rock Academy, would survive him as an institution dedicated to helping troubled youth reclaim their lives.
“The purpose of this school—the academy’s mission—is a wonderful thing,” Jules said with forced conviction, and a part of her wanted to believe him. He seemed sincere. Even troubled. She looked down at her lap, thinking, The mission is good; the way you carry it out is what’s questionable.
“But? Do I detect a note of reticence?” He had a knack for reading between the lines. “You’ve been asking questions about Maris Howell.”
So Charla had already gotten to him. Word traveled fast.
“I’m taking over her classes. It’s natural to want more information.”
“Julia,” he said softly, his voice like an arctic chill against her skin. “It’s more than that, isn’t it?”
She felt like a trapped butterfly, alive and being pinned to a Peg-Board for observation. “Yes…,” she said slowly, thinking fast. “I wanted a better sense of what went on, who was affected. I want to be sensitive to the students’ needs. I couldn’t walk blindly into a situation where students had been hurt in some way.”
He was watching her carefully, his hands tented under his chin. “That’s rather insightful, but next time, come to me. Talk to me in person. We don’t want to stir up ill feelings on campus, do we?”
She nodded and he rose, signifying the meeting was over. “I hope you share our dedication and vision,” he said.
“I’m all about helping kids,” she said, which was the truth.
“Good, good. That’s what I want to hear.” Rounding the desk, he clasped her hand in both of his. “I’m just sorry that you had to come amid this trying time. But we will get through it with God’s help.” He gave her hands a squeeze. “Welcome,