Denise Swanson - Murder of a Royal Pain

“I’ll drop both off this afternoon when I come back for the Promfest meeting.” Mrs. Idell stood. “I expect the matter of his suspension to be dismissed.”

“I’ll have to consult with the principal. We can’t make any decision until we evaluate all the information.”

“Now that we know he’s disabled,” Mrs. Idell said, ignoring Skye’s previous statement, “I want his entire disciplinary record expunged.”

“I’ll bring that to the principal’s attention.”

“You do that.” Mrs. Idell moved toward the door. “And remember, unfortunate things happen to despicable people. I’m guessing fate is about to pay you a visit.”

“Then he’d better bring chocolate,” Skye muttered under her breath as she escorted Mrs. Idell to the front office.

After making sure the woman received the correct paperwork, and watching as she exited the building, Skye left Homer a message. The principal would have a conniption fit when he heard about Mrs. Idell’s demands, but he needed to know ASAP. Mrs. Idell was probably already on the phone to the superintendent.

Skye asked Opal to make sure Homer got her note, then returned to her office. Shoot. What was Jackie doing there? They had agreed to a usage schedule, and the social worker was supposed to be at the junior high on Fridays.

Dang. Skye hadn’t had a chance to think how to tell Jackie that she was unhappy with her behavior without sounding like she was blowing the whole matter out of proportion. But the fact that Jackie had once again moved Skye’s chair behind her own desk and was sitting in it made Skye wonder if churlish wasn’t the way to go.

Skye counted to ten, then said as pleasantly as she could manage, “We need to talk.”

“Can it wait? I’m kind of busy right now.” Jackie didn’t look up from her computer screen—she had provided her own laptop, stating that she couldn’t work without it.

“No. Sorry, it can’t.” Skye moved closer to the other woman’s desk. “First of all, I’d like my chair back.”

“This is your chair?” Jackie’s brow puckered.

“Yes. That’s why it was behind my desk.” Skye folded her arms. “May I have it back, please?”

“Of course. I’m so sorry.” Jackie leapt up and halfheartedly shoved the chair in Skye’s direction. “I had no idea it was your personal property. It’s just that I’ve been having some back pain, and the folding chairs seem to make it worse.”

Skye opened her mouth to say that Jackie could keep the chair, but reconsidered. She didn’t quite buy the innocent act. Wheeling the chair back behind her desk, Skye said, “Thank you. Perhaps you could ask the custodian if there’s a more comfortable one in the storeroom. He’s got a lot of furniture back there.”

“That’s a great idea.” Jackie beamed. “But I’ll ask Gloria. She’s been such a sweetie.”

“I didn’t realize you’d met the night custodian.”

“I often work late. Mr. Knapik seems very pleased about that.”

“Oh.” Skye filed away that bit of knowledge. “I also wanted to ask you not to make changes without consulting me.”

“I don’t understand.” Jackie puckered her brow again. “What changes?”

“The new lock—which, by the way, you never gave me the key for—as well as rearranging the furniture, changing the table.”

“Gee. I’m so sorry.” Jackie reached into her pants pocket. “Here’s the key. I meant to give it to you yesterday at the grade school’s PPS meeting. Guess I forgot.”

Skye plucked the key from Jackie’s fingers. “It’s not only this. You had the locks changed without telling me.”

“I’m really putting my foot in it, aren’t I?” Jackie’s voice was husky. “I’ll rearrange the room back like it was and exchange the table.”

“Thank you.” Skye felt herself weakening. Maybe she was being too rigid. “I don’t mind change. I just want to have some input.”

“No, you’re right. I guess it’s because I’ve never shared an office before, and I didn’t think.”

“I understand.” Skye offered a smile. “Sharing isn’t one of my stronger traits either.”

Jackie hugged Skye. “I really want us to be friends.”

There was an awkward silence; then Skye said reluctantly, “Me, too.”

“Great.” Jackie hugged her again. “I knew the minute I met you that we’d be BFFs.”

“Oh.” Skye wasn’t sure she wanted to be Jackie’s best friend forever. In fact, she wasn’t even sure she wanted to be her best friend temporarily. Uncomfortable, she looked away, spotting the files piled on and around her desk. Should she mention the clutter? No. Just this once she’d take care of it. Next time Jackie could clean up her own mess.

Skye was moving the last pile of folders from her desktop onto the floor when Justin Boward stepped through the open door. Justin was one of Skye’s favorite students and the editor of the school newspaper, which Skye cosponsored with her best friend, Trixie Frayne, the high school librarian. He’d been a little down for the last few weeks since his girlfriend, Frannie Ryan, had gone off to college.

“Hi, Justin.” Skye took a tissue from her desk and blotted the perspiration from her face—the repairperson had fixed the furnace so well that the temperature was now hovering in the mid-nineties—and smiled at the young man. “What’s up?”

“Uh, well, nothing. I actually came to talk to Ms. Jennings.”

“Oh.” Skye had seen Justin for counseling from eighth grade until the end of his sophomore year, when she had decided he no longer required the service. If he needed to talk to someone, why was he seeking out the new social worker instead of her?

“What can I do for you?” Jackie gestured for Justin to sit down.

“Well, I’ll step out so you two can have some privacy.” It pained Skye to say those words, but she got them out without showing her distress.

“That’s okay, Ms. D.” Justin looked puzzled. “I just want to talk about the computer class. You can stay.”

“The one the school newspaper staff is funding with their prize money?”

“Yeah. Ms. Jennings is going to teach it.” Justin grinned. “Remember how we couldn’t find anyone for what we could pay?”

Skye nodded.

“Well, Ms. Jennings is doing it for free.”

“Wow. That’s terrific.” Skye smiled at Jackie. “That’s really nice of you.”

“It’s no big deal.” Jackie shrugged. “Everyone talks about how much extra you do for the school. I wanted to do my share.”

“I probably should take the class,” Skye mused. “When will it be?”

“After school on Wednesdays next quarter.”

“Darn. I’m signed up for water aerobics then.” Skye pursed her lips. “Maybe I can get my money back.”

“No. Don’t.” Jackie shook her head. “I mean, the class is full. All the computers are taken.”

Skye was silent while she swallowed her disappointment, then said, “Okay, water aerobics it is.” If the class was full, the class was full. So why did she feel left out?

Jackie finished her conversation with Justin, and as she was leaving for the junior high, she said, “I wanted to mention that you forgot to lock the office door. It was open when I arrived.”

“I don’t usually lock it if I’m not leaving the building.”

“Oh, well.” Jackie wrinkled her brow. “I really would like it locked anytime you’re not in the room. Confidentiality and all.”

“Usually I just make sure all the files are locked in my drawer or the cabinet,” Skye explained. “But I’ll try to remember.” It would be a hard habit to break.

Once Jackie was gone, although she was still agitated, Skye finished testing a student and wrote up the report on another. Her office was no longer a haven. Jackie hadn’t rearranged the room the way it had been, or gotten the old table back, and Skye hadn’t wanted to nag her about it. But now she wished she had insisted. Everything felt wrong.