Bake Sale Murder by Leslie Meier Read Free Book Online

he said, grinning. “Bonnie’s in charge of the kids.”
    “Oh, you can never underestimate the importance of a strong father,” said Lucy, wondering how she’d become part of a mutual admiration society. She sat down and opened her notebook, determined to cut to the chase. “So tell me, what brought you to Tinker’s Cove?”
    Buck leaned back in his chair and propped his elbows on the desk, tenting his hands. “I saw the ad in a professional magazine and, well, it caught my interest. We’d been living in Lawrence, Massachusetts and we were beginning to think it wasn’t the best place to raise the girls. There’s a lot of drugs, a lot of crime. I found the work there very challenging, very interesting, don’t get me wrong, I felt I was doing a lot of good. But it was time to think of the family, of the girls, and what would be best for them.” He paused. “And when I came for the interview, well, I just fell in love with this town. It’s real small-town America, the kind of place where there’s a real community. You know what they say, ‘It takes a village to raise a child,’ and I felt that was what we’d find here in Tinker’s Cove.”
    Lucy didn’t want to burst his bubble; she figured he’d learn the truth soon enough. Tinker’s Cove was picture-perfect on the outside, but life was hardly idyllic. There was domestic violence and drug abuse and poverty and all the other problems that were part of modern life.
    “I understand that in addition to your job as a guidance counselor you’re also coaching the high school football team?”
    “That’s right. I love a challenge and I understand the Warriors haven’t had a winning season in fifteen years.”
    “Something like that.” She chuckled, then grew serious. “How do you plan to change that?”
    He leaned forward and fixed his eyes on hers. “Drills, drills, drills. I believe conditioning and preparation are the keys to winning. In sports and in life. That’s why I’m hoping to introduce an ambitious new career exploration program that will give students an opportunity to explore the world of work and the opportunities it affords. I’m going to set up mini-internships, job-shadowing, get the kids out of the classroom and into the workplace. And we’re going to bring the workplace into the school, too, with career days and speakers. Let them hear from a veterinarian or a newspaper reporter or a realtor what their job is all about. Let them ask questions.”
    “Those all sound like terrific ideas,” said Lucy, softening him up for the big question. “To get back to the football team, I’ve heard some rumors about hazing during training. Is that part of conditioning?”
    The question didn’t faze Buck in the least. “Absolutely not. That’s the sort of thing I simply will not tolerate. Who’s making these allegations?”
    “We don’t know. They’re anonymous letters.”
    Buck gave her a condescending smile. “I know you reporters are always after a juicy story, but don’t you think you should be ashamed of yourself? I mean, anonymous letters?”
    “The sender might have been afraid of repercussions.”
    “Now, that’s just ridiculous. If one of my players has a problem, I expect him to come to me and we’ll solve it together. That’s how my team operates. Teamwork. And that’s what we’re going to be doing in the guidance department, too. We’re going to develop teams that give the kids an opportunity to discuss issues like bullying, peer pressure, even drugs and alcohol. Open forums where the kids can discuss these things in a supportive atmosphere and learn how they can get help if they need it.”
    Lucy was scribbling busily, trying to get it all down. “Are these programs that you’re importing from Lawrence? Were they successful there?”
    “I think you could say that. Very successful, but I don’t want to blow my own horn.”
    “And where did you work before Lawrence? And where did you go to