Page 86 of For Your Own Good

Fallon walks out the door and into the hallway. All clear. Not a single person around. The new security system isn’t working yet. Ms.Marsha told her they weren’t even testing it until this weekend.

Not luck. Fallon doesn’t believe in luck. This is karma. And that bitch is on her side.

First, she ruined Teddy’s marriage. Now, she’s going to get him fired.

53

TEDDY IS INthe lounge, eating his sandwich, when Louella comes in screaming. Well, she’s always screaming, but today her voice has an unbearably high pitch.

“Press conference!” she says. “The DA is having a press conference right now.”

Most of the teachers immediately follow her to the Porter Room, where the TV is still set up. Teddy takes his time. Finishes his lunch and makes himself a cup of coffee before he strolls down the hall, too.

He hopes the DA does what’s right and lets Courtney go.

One more problem solved.

Then he could concentrate on his other problems: Fallon and his missing plaque.

At first, Joe seemed like the likeliest one to steal the plaque. He has access, he has time, and he even has motive, given what Teddy told thepolice. But would an old man like Joe really risk his job stealing from a teacher? After all these years?

Silly. That would just be silly.

He’s still thinking about this as he walks into the Porter Room. The DA is on TV, his big stupid face filling up the whole screen.

“Late last night, we filed an emergency motion with the court in the case of Ingrid Ross’s murder. This morning, the judge heard our motion and ruled to postpone the trial for one month.

“I can’t say too much at this point. What I can say is that it no longer appears as if the defendant was working alone. We have a second person of interest in this case, as well as in the murder of Sonia Benjamin.”

Zach. He has to be the second person.

The DA actually thinks Zach and Courtney are in it together.

Another problem to fix.

If the world wasn’t filled with so many incompetent people, Teddy would have so much more time to concentrate on the important things. Like teaching.

EVERYTHING IS THEsame. Zach sits on the couch, and Ezekiel is by the fireplace, flanked by his parents.

Exactly the same as last night. Zach feels like his life is running in a loop.

“The press conference was strategic,” Ezekiel says. “The DA is trying to put pressure on Zach. By now, they probably have your phone records. Maybe even your internet searches. And they want us to know they have them.”

“Are they offering anything yet?” Mom says.

Zach tries to say something, but he’s cut off by Ezekiel. He and Mom continue talking like Zach isn’t there. “They want to talk,” Ezekiel says.

“So they’re fishing.”

“It appears that way.”

Dad makes an angry noise and looks at his phone.

“He’s not going to talk,” Mom says.

“That’s one option,” Ezekiel says. “But then they’ll move ahead with the felony bribery charge. They probably won’t make a deal.”

“Right, right,” Mom says.