Page 3 of For Your Own Good

TEDDY’S OLD SAABis the only car left in the parking lot. Everyone else has cleared out, including the sports teams and the other teachers. Tonight, he’s the last one. He unlocks the door with his key—no electronic gizmos on this car—and sets his briefcase in the back seat.

“Mr.Crutcher?”

The voice makes Teddy jump. A second ago, the lot was empty, and now there’s a woman standing behind him.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you,” she says.

She is tall and curvy, with dark hair, cut at the chin, and plum-colored lips. She wears a simple blue dress, high heels, and what looks like an expensive handbag. He’s seen enough of them to know.

“Yes?” Teddy says.

“I’m Pamela Ward. Zach’s mother.”

“Oh, hello.” Teddy stands up a little straighter. “I don’t think we’ve met before.”

“No, we haven’t.” She steps forward to offer her hand, and Teddy gets a whiff of her. Gardenias.

“I’m afraid you missed your husband,” he says, shaking her hand. “He left about twenty minutes ago.”

“I know. He told me.”

“Yes, we—”

“I’m sorry I missed the meeting. I just wanted to stop by and make sure everything has been taken care of.” She looks him straight in the eye. No fear. Not of him or of being alone in a parking lot at night.

“Taken care of?” he says.

“That you’ll do what’s best for Zach.” It’s not a question.

“Absolutely. I always want the best for my students.”

“Thank you. I appreciate that,” she says. “Have a good evening.”

“And you as well. It was a pleasure to meet you.”

With a nod, she turns and walks away.

Now, he sees her car. It’s across the lot. A black crossover, which almost disappears in the night. So does she.

Teddy gets into his car and watches in the rearview mirror as she drives away.

Before this evening, he had never met James or Pamela Ward. Unusual, considering Zach is a junior. Teddy makes a point of attending every orientation, parents’ night, and fundraiser, as well as every sporting event. The big games, anyway. People know Teddy Crutcher, and most have also met his wife, Allison.

He was surprised when James emailed and said he wanted to meet. Teddy looked him up online and learned he worked in finance. Not surprising—half the Belmont parents work in finance. It made James a little less interesting, a little more pedestrian. A little more manageable.

Now, Teddy knows even more about James, and about his wife. Not that it matters. Not unless he can use it to his advantage.

FROM THE FRONT,Teddy’s house looks like it could be abandoned. Broken slats on the fence, overgrown garden, sagging porch. He and his wife had bought it as a fixer-upper and started with the electricity, the plumbing, and the roof. Everything had cost more than expected and took longer than it was supposed to. He still isn’t sure which one ran out first, the money or the desire, but they’d stopped renovating years ago.

The inside is a little better. The rooms were painted and the floors refinished before they moved in.

He almost calls out for his wife, Allison, but stops himself.

No reason to do that.

The good thing about having such a large house is having more than enough space for Teddy and his wife to have their own offices. Hers faces the back and was supposed to have a view of the garden and a pond. That never happened.

His office is in the front corner of the house. He had envisioned staring out at his lawn and a freshly painted fence around it. Instead, he keeps the drapes shut.