“But others did?”
“Look, I know he hit on Jude Hadley. She told me, and she told me she met him for drinks. She’s divorced, and she was tempted. Then she decided no, it wasn’t something she wanted to get tangled up with. Especially since I saw Williams and Allika Straffo.”
“You saw them…?” Eve prompted.
“At the holiday party at the school? It was just a…” She shifted, obviously uncomfortable. “I saw how they looked at each other. And at one point, he touched her, just brushed his hand down her arm. But she pinked up. He wandered out, and a few seconds later, so did she. They came back separately, ten, fifteen minutes later. She had that look-you know, soft and loose. If they hadn’t had a quickie I’ll eat that damn droid pup.”
“Interesting,” Eve said as they stepped back into the chill of winter. “Allika Straffo, mother of one of the kids who finds the vic, is reputedly having quickies with Williams, who had the opportunity to kill Foster.”
“And Foster threatened to report Williams, which would involve Allika Straffo? Okay, but I tell you, I can’t see Williams getting worked up enough to poison Foster over the threat of being reported for having an affair with a student’s mother.”
“Straffo, on the other hand, is married, and married to a powerful man. She might’ve gotten worked up enough.”
“No record of her in the building on the day of.”
“Her kid was.”
“Her…Comeon, Dallas. You think she set her kid up as a hit man. Hit girl. Hit kid.”
“Maybe the kid was protecting Mommy.”
“Okay, wait.” Peabody climbed into the car. “First, let’s remember we’re talking about a ten-year-old girl.”
“Kids have been known to kill.” She’d only been eight when she’d killed her father. When she’d stabbed him over and over and over.
“Yeah, generally out of panic, fear, rage, impulse. But generally a nice, upper-class ten-year-old girl doesn’t spike the teacher’s go-cup with ricin. It’s a little extreme.”
“Yeah, it is. Maybe she didn’t know she was poisoning him. Mom says, ‘Hey, let’s play a game. Let’s trick Mr. Foster today.’”
“It’s pretty hard for me to swallow that a mother gets her kid to off a teacher because she’s been having private lessons from another.”
No, Eve decided, it didn’t bounce very well. Still. “It’s worth dropping by and chatting with her.”
The Straffos’ penthouse topped a sleek silver bullet of a building that afforded river views from its shimmering glass windows and wide terraces.
Both the doorman and building security were appropriately snooty, but also efficient enough to verify the police identification and clear them within moments.
The door of the penthouse was opened by a young woman with freckles dusting a wholesome face that was topped by carrot-red hair. Her brogue was as thick as a slice of brown bread.
It gave Eve a quick hitch in the belly to hear it, to think of Roarke.
“The missus will be right with you. She and Rayleen are just finishing breakfast. What would you like me to bring you then? Coffee, tea?”
“We’re good, thanks. What part of Ireland are you from?”
“I’m from Mayo. Do you know it?”
“Not really.”
“It’s lovely, so you’ll see if you have the chance to visit. I’ll take your coats, shall I?”
“That’s all right.” Eve followed her down the wide foyer-a sweep of steps to the right, open archways leading to open rooms with tall, tall windows. “How long have you worked for the Straffos?”
“That’d be six months now. Please make yourself at home.” She gestured toward the sleek twin sofas plumped with gel pillows. There was a fireplace, flush and white against the wall, the flames turned on in an eerie blue that matched the fabrics. Tables were clear cubes with lush flowers spiking and trailing inside them.
“Are you sure I can’t bring you something hot to drink? It’s a cold one out there today. Ah, here comes the missus now. And there’s our princess.”
Allika was blonde like her daughter, but with highlights expertly streaked through the short swing of hair. She had eyes the color of ripe blueberries and skin as white and soft as milk. She wore a trim sweater set to match her eyes, and stone-gray pants that showed off long legs.
She held her daughter’s hand.
Rayleen’s face was bright and eager. “Mom, these are the police who came to school. This is Lieutenant Dallas and Detective Peabody. Did you come to tell us you found out what happened to Mr. Foster?”
“We’re still working on that.”
“Rayleen, you need to go with Cora now and get your coat. You don’t want to be late for school.”
“Couldn’t I stay and talk, too? It would be an excused absence, like a doctor’s appointment, and wouldn’t count against my attendance.”
“Not today.”
“But I’m the one who found him. I’m a witness.” Even as Rayleen pouted, Allika took her daughter’s face in her hands, kissed both her cheeks.
“Be my good girl now and go with Cora. I’ll see you when you get home from school.”
Rayleen let out a heavy sigh. “I wish I could stay and talk,” she said to Eve, but went obediently with Cora.
“She’s handling this horrible thing so well, really. Still, she had nightmares last night. It’s terrible of me, I suppose, but all I keep wishing is that it had been another child to find him with Melodie. Is there anything more? Something you didn’t want to say in front of Rayleen?”
“Can you tell us if you, your daughter, or your husband had any trouble with Mr. Foster?’
“Trouble? No. He was Rayleen’s favorite teacher, really. Top marks across the board in his class. Rayleen’s an exceptional student. Craig made her class leader. She’s also class leader in her Literature class and in Computer Sciences. She loves school.”
“When was the last time you saw Mr. Foster?”
“At the last parent-teacher conference in, hmmm, November. No, no, I’m sorry, that’s wrong. It would’ve been at the holiday party in December. The school suspends the last two classes of the day, and the parents or guardians are invited. The school orchestra and choral group play, and that can be interesting,” she added with a quick laugh. “There’re refreshments after the program. I saw him there, spoke with him. Rayleen gave him a little gift. A coffee mug she’d made in pottery class. This is all so tragic. I wish I could keep her home.”
She kneaded her fingers on her thighs. “Ray’s determined not to miss school, and my husband’s very firm about her continuing classes, the normalcy. I’m outvoted,” she said with a quick smile. “I suppose they’re both right, but it’s hard to send her there after this.”
“Did Mr. Foster ever speak to you about Mr. Williams?”
“Mr. Williams?” There it was-that flicker over the face that was shock and guilt and a little bit of fear. “Not that I can recall. Why would he?”
“You and Mr. Williams are friendly.”
“I try to be friendly with all the staff at Sarah Child.”
“More friendly with some than others.”
“I don’t like your implication, and I don’t understand it.” She got to her feet, but the gesture was one of panic rather than authority. “I think you should go now.”
“Sure, we can do that. We’ll just go by your husband’s office, discuss this with him.”
“Wait.” Allika held up a hand as Eve started to rise. “Wait. I don’t know what you’ve heard or what you believe, but…” She glanced toward the foyer, took a quiet breath as she heard Rayleen chattering with Cora as they left for school. “It’s not your concern, it’s not your business.”
“Anything that touches on Craig Foster is our business.”
“My personal life…You have no reason to talk to Oliver about…about gossip.”
“Did Foster know about you and Reed Williams? Did he tell you, tell Williams he would report your affair?”