“Kayla, here you are.”
Christine Evans. Principal and friend. A friend with secrets, however.
Kayla relaxed from her alert status. “Looking through a few more files.”
Christine nodded but didn’t meet Kayla’s gaze. “Have you spoken with Betsy?”
It was more the way she asked the question than the question itself. Like Betsy Stone, Christine was hiding something. Kayla narrowed her gaze and scrutinized the woman. She had known Christine for many years. No one could ask for a better school principal. As headmistress of Athena Academy since its inception more than twenty years ago, Christine had devoted herself completely to the school and its students.
What could she possibly be hiding?
“No,” Kayla said in answer to her question. “She always seems to be out of pocket when I come looking for her.”
Christine’s gaze did meet hers then. “Kayla, you must know how busy Nurse Stone is when the students are on campus. One nurse with two hundred adolescent girls. Surely you remember.”
Kayla nodded, acknowledging the point. “But what about now?” The girls were gone for winter break. “Why is it I can never nail her down now?”
Christine shrugged, her gaze scooting away once more. “There’s a lot of catching up to do at the end of a session. Just ask any of the teachers or other staff members.”
“She hasn’t left town as far as you know?”
“Not that I’m aware of. Why don’t I make it a point to have her call you?” The smile that made an appearance didn’t reach the principal’s eyes.
“Sure, why not?” Kayla started to leave the issue at that but the need to learn the truth wouldn’t let her. “Christine, do you think what happened to Rainy had anything to do with Dr. Bradford?”
Christine paled as she usually did whenever the subject of Rainy came up.
“I don’t see how it could.”
Kayla drew in a deep breath and released it as she settled onto the edge of Nurse Stone’s cluttered desk. “You told me that the two of you had parted ways on a sour note.” Kayla’s brow furrowed as if she’d lapsed into deep concentration. “I believe you said that he was harassing Nurse Stone and that you recommended he not be called back as a guest lecturer.” Athena Academy searched far and wide for ways to broaden the student learning experience. Guest lecturers from around the world were a regular feature of the curriculum.
“That’s correct,” Christine allowed, her tone, her entire demeanor closed, guarded. “When Nurse Stone reported to me that Dr. Bradford had behaved inappropriately toward her, I immediately sought action to see that he never returned.”
“If he behaved inappropriately toward a staff member, how can you be certain he didn’t do the same with students?” The notion made Kayla shiver with revulsion.
“Of course he didn’t harass any of the students!”
There was the reaction. Christine was incensed. Offended even.
“But his behavior wasn’t above reproach,” Kayla cut in. “Why else would you have asked that he not be allowed to return?”
For several seconds they stared at each other. Silent. Kayla was certain there was more. Then Christine broke. Vulnerability flashed in her good eye.
“All right.”
Christine turned away, clearly unable to look at Kayla as she uttered whatever confession she was about to make. “I wasn’t completely honest with you before, Kayla.” She spread her hands in defeat. “I didn’t want to tell you.”
Kayla pushed off the desk and went to her. Whatever she had to say it wasn’t going to be easy. She needed to know that Kayla was only trying to help.
“Just tell me the truth, Christine,” she said gently as she placed one hand on her arm. “I know you. Whatever it is it couldn’t have been your fault.”
Christine’s head came up, her suspiciously bright gaze collided with Kayla’s. “Well…yes it was. What happened to Rainy may have been entirely due to my foolishness.”
The earth shifted slightly beneath Kayla but she held herself steady, kept her touch light. “Tell me what happened.” It was all she could do to keep the shock out of her voice.
“Carl Bradford and I had an affair.” She closed her eyes and visibly fought to control her emotions. “I didn’t mean for it to happen. But I felt so alone. Changing careers, in charge of this whole, new school…I needed someone. He was a handsome man.” Her eyes opened, sought Kayla’s. “He knew all the right things to say and do to make me feel like a woman.”
Kayla nodded, genuinely understanding. Though she’d been much younger than Christine and her motives had clearly been different, she did understand. Hadn’t she sought solace in the arms of the man who’d fathered her child?
“Bradford never harassed Betsy. That was the story I told the board to save face. I caught them together one night.” She shook her head, her features going hard. “I’d been so stupid. We argued. I told him he could never come back.”
So Betsy Stone had been involved with Bradford. Yet she’d gone along with Christine’s story, saying he’d made a sexual move on her and she’d reported it to the principal to ensure he was sent away.
“I was jealous,” Christine admitted. “At that moment the only interest I had on my mind was my own.”
Kayla squeezed her arm reassuringly. “You made a mistake. We all do.” She, of all people, knew.
Christine was shaking her head again. “You don’t understand. Before I found them together, I had caught him going through the files. He said he was pulling together some information on the brightest students to use in a statistical paper about private schools.” She pressed her hands to her face, looking nothing like the tough former Army officer and strict taskmaster Kayla knew her to be. “I should have known better. I should have told someone.” She lifted her tear-filled gaze to Kayla’s. “What if I let this happen to Rainy? What if that’s what Bradford was looking for? An egg-mining candidate? Dear God!”
Kayla turned this new angle over in her mind. As much as Kayla didn’t want Christine to shoulder this burden alone, she suspected that Christine was right on at least one score. Bradford had been looking for something. Was he connected to Dr. Reagan? Like Reagan, Bradford had once run his own private practice in Phoenix, but it had closed years ago. And no one knew where Bradford had gone. But she damn sure intended to nail down Betsy Stone. She was the only link they had to Reagan and Bradford, whether she admitted knowing about any unethical dealings or not.
“Christine.” Kayla drew back, held the woman firmly by the shoulders. “I have to talk to Betsy. She may very well know what Bradford was doing and who he was working with.”
Christine nodded. “I understand.” She let go a shaky breath. “The way I see it, we’re going to have to trap her into a meeting.” Christine’s watery gaze leveled on Kayla’s. “I’ll help you. I’ll do anything you need me to do.”
Christine told Kayla what she could about Betsy Stone’s schedule. Betsy might not know anything that would help, but one way or another Kayla intended to find out.
When she would have left, Christine stopped her. “Kayla, I know you must have gotten Jazz’s invitation by now.”
Kayla turned back to her, unprepared to discuss the matter just now. “I did.”
Christine’s hands knotted together in front of her. “Whatever my past sins,” she urged, “please don’t hold them against this school. Jazz deserves this opportunity the same way you did. You know what attendance at this school could mean for her future.”
Kayla