Who'd have thought she would yearn for lesson plans? Or even a tour of bus duty? She would sacrifice almost anything for a stack of ungraded papers to take her mind off what happened in the yard with Carson. Had she really almost kissed him again? And why was he working so hard for her forgiveness now?
Nikki rounded the corner into the library where she would meet up with Billy Wade Watkins. The kid didn't seem particularly interested in learning, but he preferred school to home. A start. Hopefully he would realize that education was a means to a better life. Not that social services had been able to prove squat. He'd been removed and returned to his alcoholic parents twice over the years. She'd even tried to work some magic for the kid through the base since his father was retired military, but no luck.
She scanned rows of books lining the walls, more partitioning aisles and study stations until she spied the top of a masculine head in a computer booth, a dark-haired male like Billy Wade, apparently making use of the free Internet time. She rounded a large circular table on her way to the cubicle. Feet came into view—no ratty Nike runners, but rather leather loafers?
Not the standard student gear around this school. So where was Billy Wade?
The male stood, Special Agent David Reis emerging from behind the cubicle wall. The last person she expected to see here, and one guaranteed to scare the bejesus out of her.
Her stomach bolted up to her throat. What was he doing here? And on a Saturday?
Willing her nerves to settle, she dropped her grade book, papers and text on the table to give herself an extra second to regain her composure around the investigator. Thank God he didn't have handcuffs in sight.
"Is there something I can help you with, Agent Reis? Did you receive the e-mail I sent to your office with a list of all Gary's friends?" Babbling. Not good, but she couldn't stop the tumble of words from her mouth. "I also forwarded a copy of the post Gary sent me that night, inviting me to join him at Beachcombers."
"I got it, but that's not what I'm here for." Reaching back behind the cube wall, he lifted a paper bag. "Here is your purse back. I'm sorry to say we have to keep your clothes for evidence."
And why bring it here? Unease tickled up her spine in spite of the lack of handcuffs. She took the sack grateful they'd let her have her credit cards and license that first day. Her clothes, however, they could keep forever. "I could have come to the base to pick it up."
"Thought I would save you the trip since I already had business out this way." He shoved his hands in his pockets, fished out a pack of gum, offering her a piece—she shook her head—before folding a stick in his mouth. All the while, he never took his eyes off her.
She resisted the urge to fidget like a bug under a science lab microscope. But wait? He already had business out here? "You've been questioning people I work with?"
"That bothers you?"
"Of course it does." She tossed the sack onto the round table with such force it slid to a stop against her grade book. "I've already been put on a leave of absence at the junior high because of this mess. I need my work back—"
"I'm sorry for any financial inconvenience."
His expressionless stare reminded her of a circling shark peering through that microscope, and sheesh what a mixed-up image that was. She really needed to air out her brain before she returned to work full-time.
And to do that, she needed to help Agent Reis however she could. "It's not about the money. It's about my students who need consistency. It's about how much I love my job."
"It's also about a man who lost his life."
"I understand that better than most, wouldn't you think?"
"Then you'll appreciate why I'm here." His shark stare warmed with a hint of human compassion. "Actually, coming here could well clear you."
"Clear me? Gary never came here."
"As I told your major friend when he came to my office, I have to consider that someone may have gone after Owens because of you."
As much as she wanted to rejoice over any option that cleared her, she cringed to think that she could have caused Gary's death, even inadvertently. "Who? I can hardly wrap my head around this."
"I can't discuss details of an ongoing investigation."
Even being a suspect brought such a total lack of privacy she felt exposed. Her hands twitched to check her sapphire button-down shirt with her black slacks. She hated the vulnerable gesture, the near irrepressible need to be sure she was totally covered.
She forced her hands back to her sides and hoped Reis hadn't noticed—only to realize the shark-eyed investigator hadn't missed a thing. In fact his gaze was still locked on her clothes.
On her body?
Okay, now she was totally feeling exposed and completely freaked out. He couldn't be interested in her. Could he?
He was an intriguing man, no doubt, handsome in a dark and serious kind of way. Which made him completely not her type since apparently she had a real weak spot for fair-headed charmers. But how did she discourage this guy without embarrassing both of them? Provided she was even reading him right.
Thank God Billy Wade Watkins chose that moment to amble through the library entrance, silver chains on his baggy clothes jangling. "Ms. Price? Sorry I'm late. I had to drop off my dad at some church meeting thing so I could use the truck."