Page 33 of September Lessons
“Do you know where Dillon is right now?” Ms. Tichenor asked when Leigh-Ann finally ran out of breath.
“We didn’t actually see anybody before the fire started. We were inside, um… talking.”
Ms. Tichenor didn’t ask any further questions. She merely hopped down the front steps of Waterlily House and unlocked her car from five feet away. “Get in!”
Leigh-Ann had never ridden in a teacher’s car before, but now was not the time to think about how weird it was. Her classmates would want details about the smell, the music on the radio, and the charms hanging from the rearview mirror, but all Leigh-Ann could think about was getting to Carrie and helping her declare her innocence before she did somethingstupid.
“Wait, no…” Leigh-Ann watched as the turn-off toward the Connors’ farm disappeared in the other direction. “It’s that way.”
“We’re taking a detour.”
Leigh-Ann didn’t ask any questions. They looped around a back road that connected one end of Paradise Valley’s outer limits to the other, a convenient and scenic route to take if one didn’t want to be seen driving through town. It also dumped cars out at the base of Wolf’s Hill and the surrounding overlooks. A fun place for the more daring teenagers to park their cars in broad daylight, assuming how much exhibitionism they had been harboring through puberty.
“Don’t think we weren’t making out here when we were your age,” Ms. Tichenor muttered when they came upon Dillon’s old car at the far end of the overlook’s parking lot. The tiny river valley coursing through that part of the county made for a beautiful place to contemplate life, have a quiet chat with a friend, or to take picturesque photos as a tourist. It also provided a tiny semblance of privacy for teens looking to partake in one of life’s pleasures.
Ms. Tichenor left the car running as she snapped off her seatbelt and hopped out. Her knuckles rapped on Dillon’s driver side door, and the whole car shook as both occupants leaped out of their skins.
“Both of you out of there. Now!”
The only one espousing a sliver of fear – or guilt, for that matter – was Christina, who got out of the passenger side with her hands up. Dillon performed some creative swearing before finally relenting.
“The hell did you two do to the Connors’ barn?”
Christina’s mouth dropped, but it wasn’t the shriek that startled Leigh-Ann as much as it was how quickly Dillon took off running like an imbecile.He’s running right into highway traffic!Horns honked and tires screeched. More than one driver joined Dillon in the creative swearing, and Ms. Tichenor couldn’t look more annoyed.
“Christina,” she growled. “Something you wanna share?”
“I didn’t… I didn’t do any… we were… we were just making out…”
“I canseethat.” Ms. Tichenor didn’t reference whether it surprised her.Maybe she really knows more than most teachers let on.How many people knew that Christina Rath was dating Dillon Musgrave already? Was it more than the number of students? “I don’t care if you two are brother and sister or kissing cousins. Leigh-Ann here tells me that she was in that barn when the fire started, and now the police are thinking she and Carrie are doing things they’re not. Anything you want to say about that?”
“Why are you askingme?”
“Because your stupid boyfriend ran out in traffic without saying a damn thing to defend himself!”
Tears formed at the corners of Christina’s eyes as she looked between Ms. Tichenor and Leigh-Ann in the passenger seat. “I’m… I’m sorry…” Was she crying because she was in trouble? Or because looking at Leigh-Ann reminded her that they used to be so close that nothing could ever come between them? “I didn’t do it! I didn’t know he was gonna… I was … I told him not to!”
“In the car.” Ms. Tichenor pointed to the backseat of her car. “We’re off to fix this. You better thank your luckiest star that your mother is the mayor.”
“You can’t tell her!”
“I’m not the one who’s gonna tell her.” Ms. Tichenor child-locked the doors as soon as Christina was inside. “That will be the sheriff, I’m sure.”
Sure enough, Christina attempted to open the back door and escape.
***
Leigh-Ann could hardly believe how quickly the barn turned to ash. Water continued to spray and the firefighters complained about the arsonist clearly on the loose. Mr. Connor and his son Winston sat in the grass by the trees, talking to the sheriff. Winston kept craning his head around to stare at the sheriff’s cruiser. Soon, Leigh-Ann figured out why.
Carrie was sitting in the back, her despondent face accepting her unfortunate fate.
Ms. Tichenor didn’t waste any time, although everyone and their bosses wanted to know what the hell she was doing there. Winston nearly shat himself to see his English teacher barreling toward them with Leigh-Ann and Christina’s wrists in her hands.Yeah, here’s a sight you don’t see every day, kid.When the sheriff – whom Ms. Tichenor was apparently on a first-name basis with – asked what the hell was going on, she informed him that she had a very interesting lead regarding the arsonist spree.
The rest of the afternoon blew by in a blur. Leigh-Ann wasn’t allowed to talk to Carrie in the back of the cruiser, but as soon as an EMT looked at her and a firefighter glanced in her direction, she was swept up in a flurry of questioning that made her feel like she was a TV show. Half an hour in, her mom arrived in a panicked state. Carrie’s aunt and uncle weren’t far behind.
Nor was the mayor. As soon as Christina saw her mother arrive, her knees buckled and she clung to Leigh-Ann’s leg like she was some potential savior.
Nobody knew where Dillon was, although as soon as his parents heard about his possible involvement, the man flew into a rage and the woman looked to Carrie in the back of the cruiser. Carrie wasn’t surprised, but she turned her face away from the commotion.
