gloom of twilight, the space behind the booth was dark, unlit by the carnival lights out front. Emily headed forward to investigate, flipping on the flashlight app on her phone. She'd taken only a step, though, when the phone fell from her hand, and she spun back to Gabby.
"What is it?" Gabby asked, panicked by the look of stark terror on Emily's face.
"The shoe," Emily gasped, pointing behind her.
"Shoe?" Gabby asked. She turned to see where Emily was pointing. Emily's phone had fallen face-up, casting a circle of light on the dark ground. Spotlighted in that circle was a gorgeous turquoise, patent leather stiletto. Not comprehending, Gabby reached for the phone. Emily smacked her hand away.
"Don't you see?" Emily's question was harsh, her voice unnaturally high. "Look at the bag."
Again, Gabby strained to see in the dark. Only this time, when she saw what had caused the color to drain from Emily's face, she gasped and fell back, clutching onto Emily. "Is that…?" was all she could manage to ask.
Emily nodded weakly. "It is. There's someone in that bag, and I think I know who."
Gabby turned terrified eyes on her. "You do? Who?"
With a gulp, Emily said, "It's Mayor McBain. Those where the very shoes I was lusting after when I saw her at the school this morning."
"We should go for help," Gabby whispered, too upset to move.
"We should make sure first," Emily told her. "I don't want to make a scene if this is some sick prank. There are kids everywhere." Gabby only nodded, so Emily moved forward alone. Grabbing the very edge of the sack, one she dimly recognized as coming from the sack race area, she gave it a furious tug. The bag slipped up far enough to reveal a sight Emily had prayed never to see again. Flashbacks of finding Coach Layton's lifeless body earlier that fall bombarded her as she stared down into the sightless eyes of the mayor's turned face. Blood soaked her white blouse and the ground beneath her, its obvious source, a small bullet hole between her shoulder blades.
CHAPTER TWO
Staggering backward, Emily fell to the ground. She could not believe this was happening again. The students could not see this. The kids at the carnival could not see this. She had to do something. She had to get help. Why wasn't she moving?
Whimpering, Gabby stepped around the body, leaving Emily's phone on the ground. Pulling frantically at Emily's arm, she dragged her to her feet. "We have to get help, Emily. We have to do something!" Snapping back to the present with its own harsh realities, Emily responded to the urgency in Gabby's voice by sprinting back into the crowd at the front of the booth. Her first thought was to get Tad, but he was with the girls. Her head felt light and colored dots that had nothing to do with the carnival lights swam before her eyes. Only Gabby's clawing grip kept her focused as she tried to catch sight of someone, anyone who could help.
Emily almost cried with relief when she saw the school resource officer, Ben Carson, patrolling the grounds. She threw herself in his direction, babbling out the gruesome news that a body had been found behind the English department's booth. Officer Carson's face was clouded with confusion, and Emily helplessly realized she wasn't making any sense. She turned to Gabby, but she was just nodding, tears rolling silently down her cheeks, her fingers still holding Emily's arm in a death grip. Rather than waste more time, Emily pulled on Officer Carson's uniform sleeve, dragging him with her and Gabby to the site of the crime.
The minute Officer Carson saw what Emily was yammering about, he grabbed his walkie-talkie and took charge of the scene. Emily vaguely felt him leading her and Gabby to a secluded spot beneath a tree. She seemed unable to tear her gaze from the mayor's lone shoe spotlighted in the circle of illumination her phone provided. She moved to sit down next to Gabby, but before she could get her legs to cooperate, her knees buckled, and her world
"What is it?" Gabby asked, panicked by the look of stark terror on Emily's face.
"The shoe," Emily gasped, pointing behind her.
"Shoe?" Gabby asked. She turned to see where Emily was pointing. Emily's phone had fallen face-up, casting a circle of light on the dark ground. Spotlighted in that circle was a gorgeous turquoise, patent leather stiletto. Not comprehending, Gabby reached for the phone. Emily smacked her hand away.
"Don't you see?" Emily's question was harsh, her voice unnaturally high. "Look at the bag."
Again, Gabby strained to see in the dark. Only this time, when she saw what had caused the color to drain from Emily's face, she gasped and fell back, clutching onto Emily. "Is that…?" was all she could manage to ask.
Emily nodded weakly. "It is. There's someone in that bag, and I think I know who."
Gabby turned terrified eyes on her. "You do? Who?"
With a gulp, Emily said, "It's Mayor McBain. Those where the very shoes I was lusting after when I saw her at the school this morning."
"We should go for help," Gabby whispered, too upset to move.
"We should make sure first," Emily told her. "I don't want to make a scene if this is some sick prank. There are kids everywhere." Gabby only nodded, so Emily moved forward alone. Grabbing the very edge of the sack, one she dimly recognized as coming from the sack race area, she gave it a furious tug. The bag slipped up far enough to reveal a sight Emily had prayed never to see again. Flashbacks of finding Coach Layton's lifeless body earlier that fall bombarded her as she stared down into the sightless eyes of the mayor's turned face. Blood soaked her white blouse and the ground beneath her, its obvious source, a small bullet hole between her shoulder blades.
CHAPTER TWO
Staggering backward, Emily fell to the ground. She could not believe this was happening again. The students could not see this. The kids at the carnival could not see this. She had to do something. She had to get help. Why wasn't she moving?
Whimpering, Gabby stepped around the body, leaving Emily's phone on the ground. Pulling frantically at Emily's arm, she dragged her to her feet. "We have to get help, Emily. We have to do something!" Snapping back to the present with its own harsh realities, Emily responded to the urgency in Gabby's voice by sprinting back into the crowd at the front of the booth. Her first thought was to get Tad, but he was with the girls. Her head felt light and colored dots that had nothing to do with the carnival lights swam before her eyes. Only Gabby's clawing grip kept her focused as she tried to catch sight of someone, anyone who could help.
Emily almost cried with relief when she saw the school resource officer, Ben Carson, patrolling the grounds. She threw herself in his direction, babbling out the gruesome news that a body had been found behind the English department's booth. Officer Carson's face was clouded with confusion, and Emily helplessly realized she wasn't making any sense. She turned to Gabby, but she was just nodding, tears rolling silently down her cheeks, her fingers still holding Emily's arm in a death grip. Rather than waste more time, Emily pulled on Officer Carson's uniform sleeve, dragging him with her and Gabby to the site of the crime.
The minute Officer Carson saw what Emily was yammering about, he grabbed his walkie-talkie and took charge of the scene. Emily vaguely felt him leading her and Gabby to a secluded spot beneath a tree. She seemed unable to tear her gaze from the mayor's lone shoe spotlighted in the circle of illumination her phone provided. She moved to sit down next to Gabby, but before she could get her legs to cooperate, her knees buckled, and her world
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