Her First Mistake by Carey Baldwin (books for 10th graders txt) 📕

had forged a special bond. Everyone, especially Ruth, knew that. “What do you mean that’s not good enough? Am I being let go?”

Pinkerman picked up a teddy bear snow globe she used as a paperweight, then put it down again. “No, not yet. I don’t think it would be good for morale at a time like this. The other teachers, the students, need stability. Change is hard, and you’ve never done anything remotely like this before, so I’m going to give you another chance.”

Not to mention the school was short-staffed without Celeste, but again, Mia didn’t speak her thoughts aloud. Instead, she sat.

Silent.

Deflated.

“You’re on probation. I’ll look in on your class often, and I’ll be keeping a close eye out for any untoward behavior.” She met Mia’s eyes. “I don’t know what got into you. You’re not a troublemaker.”

“No, I’m not. I promise you have nothing to worry about.”

Pinkerman nodded toward the door. “I’ll pop in on you before your noon break.”

Mia closed the door behind her, and then jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

“Are you doing okay?” Jane’s voice had never held more empathy.

Her concern nearly brought Mia to tears. She was unaccustomed to anyone, especially one of the other teachers, behaving as if her feelings mattered.

Taking her off guard yet again, Jane hooked her elbow through Mia’s, guided her into Mia’s empty classroom and shut the door. “I’m proud of you for giving hell to that reporter. Celeste would hate someone hounding her mother.”

Mia wanted to hug Jane. She’d surmised the truth of things without any explanation. “Thank you for not believing the worst of me.”

“Of course. I know you. You wouldn’t hurt a fly.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “But I’m not so sure about Ruth Hudson. I cannot believe she had the nerve to complain about you.”

“How did you know?”

“Pinkerman told me. She said Tennyson’s moving to my group, which is ridiculous because everyone knows that fragile boy of hers is blossoming under your tender care.”

What a nice surprise to find an ally in Jane. “I think so, too. But I understand why she’s uncomfortable. That news report made me look like a crazy person.”

“Anyone who knows you should’ve realized it wasn’t the whole story.”

“Still, I understand Ruth’s concern.”

“You’re being generous, Mia, as usual. But Ruth should focus her attention where it belongs—on the home front.”

A frisson of unease traveled up Mia’s back. “You mean the divorce?”

“I saw her holding hands with Paul at Pocket Park last Monday. I think she’s taking the jerk back.”

The consensus at school was that Paul was at fault, but… “I don’t know the story. Was he cheating on her?”

“Probably.” Jane continued to keep her voice low. “He was sure trying his damnedest to get with Celeste.”

Mia’s fingertips began to tingle. If that was true, that made Paul Hudson a suspect of sorts, at least someone the police should look into. She wasn’t one to buy into gossip, but it wasn’t gossip coming from Jane. Jane and Celeste were close confidantes. “Really?”

Even though the door was shut and they were already whispering, Jane cupped her hands around her mouth. “He wouldn’t leave Celeste alone. Kept showing up everywhere she went, leaving little gifts and notes. She told him he better stop or she was going to tell his wife. Celeste was supposed to meet Ruth for drinks on Saturday, and she was all set to fill her in on what a creep her husband was. She didn’t get the chance, of course, but I think Ruth already suspected something, the way she kept dropping hints to me, trying to get me to admit something about Paul and Celeste. It wouldn’t surprise me if Ruth asked you to dinner to find out if you knew anything. Not that she wouldn’t want to have dinner with you anyway.”

“It’s all right.” Mia shoulders sagged. “It does seem odd that she invited me out. But I thought, maybe…” A sudden thought occurred. “Jane, what did the police say when you told them about Paul Hudson stalking Celeste?”

“I never used the word stalking.”

“You said he kept turning up places, that he wouldn’t leave her alone. That’s stalking. So what did they say?”

“I haven’t told them yet.”

“Why not?” She was in no position to call out Jane, but she could hardly believe she’d kept such important information to herself. Unlike the keys, this was potentially important evidence.

“You don’t think Paul Hudson would hurt Celeste, do you? The news is saying this looks like a crime of opportunity, that a serial killer probably followed her into the alley.”

Hearing those words made Mia’s heart hurt all the more, but she didn’t have the luxury of wallowing in her guilt right now. “It was a stranger, right?” But then why had the police interviewed family members so many times. At dinner, Angelica had said she felt under suspicion.

“If you believe the news, yes,” Jane answered. “Still, I’ve been worrying myself sick over Hudson.”

“If you’re worried, why haven’t you told the police?” she asked again, in a tone she hoped wasn’t judgmental. She just wanted to understand Jane’s motive for keeping it under wraps.

“I’m scared,” Jane said.

“Of Paul?”

“Hudson’s on the board. He could make Pinkerman fire me, and I cannot lose my health insurance. I have diabetes. How would I afford my insulin?” She started to tear up.

Mia put an arm around her. “It’s okay. You don’t need to explain it to me. I understand.”

“You do?”

“Completely, but the police need to know about Paul and Celeste. If you can’t tell them, then I will.”

“But you’re already in trouble with Pinkerman. You’ll definitely get fired.”

“If I’m a dead woman walking, it might as well be me. I’ll phone Detective Samuels right after work.”

“You’d do that for me? But how can you? You don’t know the details.”

“I’ll just say I overheard some of the teachers. I’ll say I don’t even remember who was there or what day it was—just a vague memory. Then the police will do their