Asher’s Assignment (The Wagner Brigade #5)

Chapter 1

One

D ays like today were ones where Esther Campbell questioned her life choices. Rain pelted the window to her classroom, doing little to drown out the sounds of the twenty kindergartners busy at their desks. No one was screaming, so she took a moment to glare at the weather. She had to drive in it soon. And not to her house, which was only a few minutes away. No, she’d picked up a tutoring job and now she had to drive across the city in this weather.

At least it wasn’t snowing. She very much disliked driving in the rain, but she despised the snow more.

The shrill screech of one of her students turned her head. A moment later, Zoey stomped toward her. The girl held up two ends of a crayon, a fierce frown on her face. If kindergarteners could have a murder face, it would be the look on Zoey’s.

“Evan broked my favorite blue crayon.”

Esther glanced up, looking for the boy. He sat at his desk, tongue poked into the corner of his mouth while he concentrated on his work. He didn’t look like he’d been causing trouble. But with a classroom full of five- and six-year-olds, she didn’t always see everything.

“Let’s go talk to him.” She put two fingers on the girl’s shoulder and turned her around.

The little girl marched over to Evan’s desk and slammed the two pieces of crayon onto the tan surface. “You’re in trouble now!”

“Zoey.” Esther waited for the girl to look at her. “Let’s be calm and polite, okay?”

The frown on the little girl’s face deepened. “He broked my favorite blue crayon,” she said, like that explained it all.

“I didn’t do it on purpose!” Evan yelled. “It fell!”

Esther patted the air. “We need to keep our voices on the indoor setting. No one needs to yell.” She looked at Zoey. “Is that true? Did it fall off the table?”

She nodded. “It rolled off, then he stepped on it.”

“Not on purpose!” Evan glared at her, then looked up at Esther. “Zoey’s always tattling. I didn’t do nothing.”

Esther counted to ten. These two had been bickering all day.

“Zoey, I’m sure Evan is sorry he stepped on your crayon. Right, Evan?” She cast a quick look at the boy.

He nodded. “I didn’t mean to break it, Zoey.”

“See? Now, what do you need to say to Evan?”

The girl’s bottom lip popped out. “Sorry,” she grumbled, then held up the pieces of crayon. “What about this?” That bottom lip started to quiver. “I liked this one. It colored nice.”

“Come here.” She took Zoey’s hand and led her over to the cabinet, where she kept all the art supplies. Opening the door, she pulled out the bin that held all the blue crayons. “How about you pick a brand-new one?”

Zoey handed her the broken pieces of the one she held, drama forgotten, as her eyes widened at the sight of all the fresh crayons. She peered into the bin and picked one.

“You think that one will work?”

“Yep!” She scampered away. “Thanks, Miss Campbell!”

Esther sighed and put the bin back, shutting the cabinet door. Sometimes, all a girl needed was a sharp crayon.

The last thirty minutes of her day passed without incident. Once the kids were packed up, Esther led them down to the dismissal area, where they were split into car rider and bus rider groups. She was on car rider line duty today, so she stayed with those kids from her class.

“Yuck!”

Esther looked down at Zoey, who’d come up to her side. The girl stared out at the rain, her nose wrinkled.

“I agree, Zoey. I’m ready for some sunshine.” They’d had several days of rain. Sometimes it was no more than a drizzle. Other times, it was a deluge. But it hadn’t stopped since it started Monday morning. Right now, it was somewhere in between.

An image of a pristine beach, soft waves, and warm sunshine popped into her mind. It was hard to believe two months ago, she’d been sipping cocktails on a beach in Costa Rica with her sister, Edie, for Edie’s vow renewal. Her sister was living it up, surfing every day, and walking in the soft sand with her sexy husband. All while Esther was stuck here, mitigating arguments over broken crayons and contemplating how fast she could run to her car in her high-heeled boots.

The radio in Esther’s hand crackled to life, pulling her from her daydream. The teacher outside, reading off the names on the placards in the parents’ vehicles, called Zoey’s name.

“Bye, Miss Campbell!” The girl ran out the door before Esther could even lift a hand in farewell.

Esther chuckled. She might not be on a beach with a drop-dead gorgeous man, but she liked her life. Kids were great.

Once the car riders were all on their way home, Esther hurried back to her classroom to gather all her things and head to the Tylers’ house. She wished she could go home, but tickets to Costa Rica weren’t cheap, and she intended to visit Edie and Jordan as often as possible.

Hitting the lights, she looped her big purse over her shoulder and left the building. Water dripped down the sides of her face as she got into her little white compact SUV. Esther swiped at her face and started the car. Digging into her oversize purse, she unearthed her digital thermometer and took her temperature, checking to make sure she was safe to visit Leah. An illness could be deadly for the little girl.

The thermometer beeped and showed a temperature well within the normal range. Satisfied she was well, Esther stowed the thermometer, buckled her seatbelt, and put the car in gear. With her windshield wipers swishing away the rain, she rolled out of the parking lot.

The steady downpour gave way to a drizzle as she reached the other side of town. She was glad. This family was a little… judgmental, and she didn’t want to walk into their house looking like a drowned rat. They already didn’t like the fact that the state made them have a teacher come into their home every day. But their daughter couldn’t go to school. She’d had a heart transplant a couple of months prior and was still recuperating. Honestly, Esther didn’t understand why her parents didn’t submit the documentation to the district that would allow them to homeschool the girl. But until they did, she would continue to show up with a smile and keep Leah caught up so that one day she could return to school.

After parking at the curb, Esther walked up the crumbling porch steps, then knocked on the door. She heard the family’s Chiweenie set off a howl inside and smiled. The parents might be rude, but the dog was sweet. So was the kid.

The inner door opened and Leah’s father, Rob, frowned at her through the screen door.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Tyler.” She pasted a bright smile on her face.

He grunted and pushed open the storm door. “Leah’s in the kitchen.”

Esther stepped inside and hurried past him. She felt his eyes on her as she walked through the living room to the small kitchen at the back of the house. He wasn’t someone she’d want to be alone with. Everywhere she went, his twitchy gaze followed. The only respite she got was when she and Leah sat in the kitchen. Sometimes, though, he’d sit in on the couch, which gave him a direct line of sight through the kitchen doorway. Those days, she tried to turn her back to him or sit on the other side of the table, out of view. The moment she stepped out of the kitchen to leave, however, his gaze was on her, raking over her body and lingering on the places that made her the most uncomfortable. Today was no exception.

Buster, the family’s dog, ran over and sniffed her feet as she walked. She smiled and greeted the dog, but didn’t stop. Rob didn’t like it when she lingered.

The flooring changed from faded carpet to faded linoleum as she entered the kitchen. “Hi, Leah.” Esther’s smile turned genuine as she spotted Leah sitting at the small table pushed up against the cream-colored wall. At nine, the girl was the size of a six-year-old thanks to her long battle with myocarditis. She was a sharp cookie, though.

“Hi, Miss Campbell.” The girl’s voice came out quiet—quieter than usual.

Esther frowned and lowered herself into the chair next to Leah. “Everything okay?”

Leah pursed her lips and shrugged.

“Are you feeling all right? Should I get your dad?” She glanced over her shoulder toward the living room.

“No. I’m okay. My mom’s sick, so I’m not allowed to see her right now.”

“Oh. I’m sorry, honey.” Esther’s curiosity piqued. She’d never met Mrs. Tyler. She’d always been at work when Esther arrived. Rob Tyler was Leah’s caregiver. Leah said her mom’s job paid better and had better insurance, so her dad had quit his to take care of her.

“I hate this. I’m ready to be normal, but I know I’ll never be.”

“Eventually, you’ll get to a point where it won’t be so dangerous for you to get sick.” Esther hastily rethought her lesson plan for today. She’d brought some worksheets for them to go over for math, but she thought a game might be better. It might help lift Leah’s spirits.

“I know, but I miss my mom. She seemed fine last night, but dad said she’s running a fever. She hasn’t come out of her room all day.”

That didn’t sound good. “Well, how about we play a math game, then I’ll help you design a get-well card for her? Does that sound fun?”

Again, Leah shrugged. “I guess so.”

“Okay. I need to run back out to my car for a minute to get supplies for all of that.” She kept a supply tub in the cargo area of her vehicle with all the materials she thought she’d need for Leah’s home visits. That kit included a bag of candy. The girl loved M&M’s.

Esther pushed to her feet and retreated from the kitchen. Rob looked up from the motor sports magazine in his hands as she entered the living room.

“Where are you going?”

“I need something from my car. Leah’s a little upset she can’t see her mom right now, so I’m changing things up today.”

“Don’t baby the girl. She’s fine.”

Esther balled her fists but forced her voice to remain neutral. “It won’t hurt for her to have some fun.”

“You’re not here for fun. You’re here to teach her.”

“I know. And I promise she’ll learn from this.”

The skeptical arch to his eyebrow told her he thought otherwise, but he didn’t stop her as she left the house.

Outside, she opened her SUV’s rear hatch and popped the lid of the clear plastic tote. The candy was on top. She grabbed the bag and a few art supplies, then closed the car. Arms loaded, she turned to head inside.

Movement at the side of the house caught her attention. She paused and squinted through the drizzle that was rapidly turning to fog.

A shadow shifted, too tall to be an animal. Someone was there.

Not in the best neighborhood, she hurried up the walkway. She doubted Rob would help if someone tried to do something to her. He might give her the creeps, but being inside with him was preferable to being outside around someone with nefarious intent.

Heels clacking on the concrete as she slowly walked toward the door, she squinted into the fog to get a better look. She caught a glimpse of a figure, but nothing else.

Esther frowned, pausing at the base of the steps. Who was that? With the fog and the growing darkness, she couldn’t even tell if it was a man or a woman. Who would be walking up their driveway?

Rob pushed the door open. “You coming?”

Her gaze swung to his. “Huh? Oh. Yes. Yes, I’m coming.” She gave him a tight smile and stepped inside. “Thank you.”

His dark eyes latched onto her as she walked past him. Esther kept her gaze forward and said nothing else. She crossed the kitchen threshold and pasted on another smile for Leah’s benefit. “Okay, kiddo. Let’s have some fun.”

The next hour flew by while they played some fun multiplication games and made a pretty card for Leah’s mom. When their time was up, Leah had a smile on her face.

Esther gathered up all her supplies and picked up her bag. “I’ll see you tomorrow. I hope your mom feels better soon.”

“Me too. Thanks, Miss Campbell.” Some of the melancholy came back to Leah’s face.

It was all Esther could do not to hug the girl. Rob would not like that, though. Instead, she laid a hand on Leah’s shoulder for a moment. “You’re welcome. Have a good evening.” With a quick wave, she walked out of the kitchen.

Eyes followed her as she moved through the living room. “Have a good night, Mr. Tyler. I hope your wife feels better.”

He grunted from his chair, not bothering to get up and see her out. Esther opened the door and immediately breathed a sigh of relief when it closed behind her. She picked her way down the brittle stairs and hurried to her car. It beeped as she unlocked it.

A hooded figure emerged from the fog across the road, highlighted by the streetlamp. It was a man, about six feet tall, and thin. His baggy gray sweatshirt and dark jeans hung on his frame. He paused in the glow, facing her. She couldn’t see his face, but she could feel his eyes watching her every move.

Freaked out, Esther didn’t bother putting her things in the tote in the back. She yanked on the passenger door handle and tossed everything onto the seat. It could be sorted and put away when she got home. Where she felt safe.

Rounding the hood and keeping one eye on the stranger, she got in and pushed the lock button as soon as the door shut. From the corner of her eye, she could see the man still standing there. For the first time, she questioned whether the extra money was worth it. This was a rough neighborhood. The nights were growing darker sooner. Before long, she’d be leaving the Tylers’ home in total darkness.

But if she didn’t tutor Leah, who would? The girl’s education would lapse while the district tried to find someone to fill her place. Esther couldn’t let that happen. Maybe she’d talk to Edie about the best kind of pepper spray to buy. Or a taser. Something to help her feel safer.