A Perfect Target (The Scarecrow Murders #5)

Chapter 1

Suzanna Michaels looked around her third-grade classroom with a sense of pride. The sounds of slamming desks, sniffling noses, shuffling feet and too-loud whispers were all absent as at the moment the classroom was empty.

Pictures the students had drawn in art class danced along one wall, while samples of penmanship and math tests hung on another. Last night and tonight the school belonged to the parents, who had appointments to meet with their children’s teachers and check on the students’ progress.

The evening before, the appointments had all gone fairly well, but she was dreading the last two she was about to have.

She took out her notes and quickly read through them.

She mentally reviewed what she wanted to convey.

She had just finished that when Eva Dayton swept into the room and greeted her with a faint, cool smile.

Eva’s short, stylish black hair emphasized her bold, attractive features. She was clad in brown slacks and a leopard-print blouse that showcased her great figure.

“Mrs. Michaels,” she said with a curt nod of her head as she sat in the chair provided on the opposite side of Suzanna’s small desk.

“Ms. Dayton, it’s nice to see you again,” Suzanna replied.

She had shared several town functions with her student Holly’s mother, but rarely was Eva particularly friendly to her.

But that was okay, Suzanna knew she wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea.

And as this meeting went on, she had a feeling Eva would like her even less.

“Now, tell me about Holly,” Eva said eagerly, obviously not caring about any pleasant small talk. She leaned forward in the chair.

“First of all, I’m sure you know that Holly is a very bright girl,” Suzanna replied. “She has good grades in almost all of her subjects.”

Eva smiled with obvious pleasure. “That’s wonderful to hear, but I know she is very bright…she has always excelled in her school work.”

“I only see one area of concern with Holly,” Suzanna said slowly, knowing she was about to share Eva’s daughter’s biggest weakness.

The smile on Eva’s face immediately fell away, and her dark brown eyes narrowed a bit. She reared back in the chair. “And what would that be?”

“Holly is struggling a bit with her social skills,” Suzanna said.

“And what exactly does that mean?” Eva asked as her frown deepened.

“To be honest, she’s more than a bit of a bully with the other students.”

“That’s utterly ridiculous. She isn’t a bully,” Eva scoffed. “I’ve seen her with some of her little friends. She’s a leader, that’s what she is. You’re confusing leadership with something negative, and that isn’t fair.”

The conversation didn’t last long after that. Suzanna explained some of the troubling behavior Holly exhibited with her peers, and Eva grew more and more defensive.

The meeting came to an end with Suzanna knowing that Eva had no intention of addressing any of the issues with her daughter. It was a real shame because Holly had a lot of potential, but her bullying and superior ways would make it difficult for her to make any real friends.

She was still thinking about Eva and Holly when Seth Daniels, father to Sammy, walked into the room.

Her heart skipped a beat as she stared up at the tall, dark-haired man.

Lordy, but the man was handsome. He definitely knew how to wear a pair of jeans, and the blue of his button-up dress shirt matched the brilliant blue of his eyes…

eyes that momentarily pinned her to her chair.

She drew in a deep breath and quickly re-centered herself.

She stood. “Mr. Daniels?” He nodded and she held out her hand. “I’m Suzanna Michaels, Sammy’s teacher.”

“I’m Seth Daniels, Sammy’s father, but I guess you already know that.” They shook hands, and then she gestured toward the chair in front of her desk.

He sank down and his gaze shot all around the room. He cleared his throat and raked a hand through his slightly shaggy, shiny black hair. It was obvious he was a bit uncomfortable in this setting.

She sat down and smiled at him. “I understand you are fairly new to Millsville.”

“Yes, we moved here a little over two months ago from the Kansas City area,” he replied.

“How are you enjoying our small town?” she asked.

“So far I like it just fine.” He smiled and a spark shot off inside her. Oh, he had a delicious smile that not only lit up his dark-lashed eyes, but also his bold, attractive features.

With the spark still fluttering warmth inside her, she quickly looked down at her notes and then gazed back up at Seth Daniels.

“Let’s talk about Sammy,” she said. The smile immediately fell off his features.

“I’m finding he can be quite a delight when he wants to be, but I’m having some discipline issues with him. He seems to be an angry little boy.”

Seth released an audible sigh and frowned. “Yeah, he’s having a hard time adjusting since his mother walked out on us a little over eighteen months ago.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry that happened. Does he see his mother at all?”

“No. When my ex-wife walked out on me, she decided she no longer wanted to be a mother. She hasn’t tried to see or speak to Sammy since the day she left. In any case, my main concern is my son and his well-being. At this point, I recognize he can sometimes be a handful.”

“How do you discipline him at home?” she asked curiously.

“I send him to his room or take away his television and tablet time. But I don’t know how that helps you when he’s here in school.”

“I have an idea I’d like to try with him.

I have a cool, navy-blue beaded necklace with charms of things that boys like.

When Sammy has a good day, he gets to wear the necklace home.

Maybe you could reward him with extra television time or ice cream…

something special so he wants to earn the necklace every day.

On his bad days he doesn’t get the necklace and you take away television time or something else. What do you think?”

“Have you tried this before?” Seth asked curiously.

“Dozens of times,” she replied with a reassuring smile.

“And it’s worked?”

“It works, but only if I have the support of the parents.”

“Well, you have my support, so let’s give it a try.”

With the discipline issue addressed, she now had another troubling concern to bring to his attention.

At least he looked more relaxed now than he had when he’d first walked into the classroom. It was rare that a father came in alone for these meetings. It was usually a mother or a mother and father.

“My real concern with Sammy is that, academically, he’s way behind his peers. He isn’t reading up to grade level, and his math skills are lacking at best.”

Seth frowned once again. “I was afraid of that. Do you have any suggestions that might help?”

“I would recommend getting some tutoring for him to get him back up to speed,” she replied.

“I’d be more than willing to get him a tutor,” Seth said. “Can you give me the name of somebody?”

“Actually, I would love to tutor Sammy,” she replied.

“That would be great.” He leaned forward in the chair, and she caught his scent. It was one of clean male with a hint of woodsmoke and a spicy cologne…definitely appealing. “So, how does this tutoring work?”

“I would come to your home a couple evenings a week and tutor Sammy for about an hour or an hour and a half each session. Does that sound like it would be something that would work for you?”

“Definitely. My only question is when can you start?” he replied.

“Would Tuesdays and Thursdays work with your schedule?”

“I’ll make sure it works.” He leaned back in the chair and appeared much more relaxed.

“Then why don’t I start next Tuesday about five o’clock,” she replied.

“That sounds great. I appreciate you being the kind of teacher who obviously cares about your students. But won’t your husband be upset about you being gone two nights a week?”

“That won’t be a problem. I’m a widow.” Even though it had been two years since Davy’s sudden, unexpected death, her heart still ached with the loss of her very best friend and the love of her life.

“Oh… I’m so sorry for your loss,” Seth said.

“Thank you. And now I have one of Sammy’s drawings hanging on the wall if you would like to see it.”

“Sure, I’d love to take a look.”

She rose from her chair, and he also got up from his chair. She led him over to the wall holding artwork and pointed to the one drawn by Sammy. “This is one area he really excels in,” she said. “Not only does he like to draw, he shows a lot of talent.”

For the second time since arriving, Seth flashed a smile. “He does like drawing, especially pictures of dogs he wants to own when I tell him we can get a dog. I’ve got pictures of Great Danes and Chihuahuas next to bulldogs and poodles on my refrigerator.”

Suzanna laughed. “It sounds like he’s exploring his options.”

“Right, and the dog he’ll eventually want to get will be the one most fun to draw,” Seth added.

“With a little extra help, Sammy is going to be just fine,” she assured him, wrapping up the appointment. “I appreciate you taking the time to come in and meet with me this evening.”

“I appreciate the opportunity, and I appreciate everything you’re willing to do on Sammy’s behalf. He’s been through a lot.” Once again, he raked his hand through his shiny dark hair. “I just want what’s best for him. By the way, we haven’t talked about payment for your tutoring services.”

“I don’t charge when I’m tutoring a student of mine,” she replied.

“Are you sure? You’re giving up a lot of your time.”

“I’m positive there’s no charge, and I’m really looking forward to working with Sammy,” she replied.

Minutes later Seth left her classroom, and Suzanna returned to her chair behind the desk and gathered up her things to head home.

The handsome farmer had been her last appointment, and she was just glad all the meetings were over for now.

They would have another round of appointments in late January to check the students’ progress again.