The Root of All Evil (Hope Street Church Mysteries Book 4) by Ellery Adams, Elizabeth Lockard Read Free Book Online Page A

looked as though she might fall over right where she stood. “Anything we can do to help?”
    For a moment Sylvia stood still, as if she didn’t quite comprehend what Cooper was saying. Then, quietly, she said, “You really mean that.”
    Cooper nodded, taken aback by the woman’s apparent disbelief. “Sure. Anything. Do you want to talk?”
    Sylvia took a deep breath and donned a tired smile. “I don’t think so, but I appreciate the offer.” She took a bite of Maggie’s hot chocolate-chocolate chip cookies. “And I really appreciate these. I’ll be back for seconds later.”
    “I’ll save you some.”
    The art teacher disappeared down the hall just as a small crowd of students and parents arrived, and Quinton and Jake returned to the table with a silver ice bucket filled to the brim.
    “Looks like you barely made it,” Savannah commented.
    Jake wiped his forehead and sighed dramatically. “Thought we might not make it at all!”
    For the next hour, Cooper and Quinton passed out the sweets while Jake and Savannah manned the beverages. Parents followed their children to the snack table, and while the students chatted among themselves, the parents talked to the Sunrise Bible Study team. The guests arrived in waves, stopped for food and then headed back to classrooms as a new group came in. Teachers peeked into the hallway to greet the newcomers before disappearing once more to talk to the parents in their classrooms. Some students prattled on about the art and science projects they had on display, while others rolled their eyes, reluctantly following their parents around.
    Finally there came a lull. Cooper left Quinton in charge of the goodies and headed back toward the restroom. The hallways were alive with the sounds of talking and laughter. Cooper peered into the classrooms as she passed to see parents gathered around the teachers and students standing in groups, giggling and gossiping. Surprisingly, the line for the women’s restroom was short, and when Cooper emerged, she heard, above the regular chatter, a very unpleasant sound. An angry voice drifted out of the classroom across the hall from the restroom.
    “. . . a new kind of low even for you, and that’s saying something.” Cooper recognized Sylvia’s voice. “Because I can’t afford it, and you know it! . . . I don’t see why it’s my problem anyway . . . No, don’t do that! I’ll . . . I’ll see what I can do. But don’t you ever do this to me again.”
    The conversation stopped. Cooper tiptoed to the door to see if everything was all right, and as she looked into the room she saw Sylvia staring at the underside of a glazed pot. “Maybe you’ll do,” she mused aloud, a mournful look on her face. Unsure what Sylvia was talking about, Cooper cleared her throat loudly at the door, and Sylvia looked up.
    “How’s Parent Night treating you?” Cooper asked, offering the teacher a kind smile.
    Sylvia replaced the pot on its rack. She looked even more ragged than earlier in the evening. “I’m enjoying it. Students just love to bring their parents in and show them all their art projects. Regardless of what they think of me the rest of the year, on Parent Night I’m usually painted as a favorite teacher since I give them a way to show off to their folks.” She laughed at the thought. “I don’t usually have to talk much, except to assure parents that all the children are creative and well-behaved.”
    “Are they?”
    “Some are both. Some are creative but ill-behaved, and the rest are well-behaved but couldn’t do something creative if their lives depended on it. I’m hoping some gentle flattery will increase the donations this year.”
    “I heard that the school isn’t doing well financially.”
    Sylvia sat in one of the student desks, rubbing away the exhaustion in her eyes. “That’s an understatement. If we don’t get money soon, the school may have to close its doors.” She clapped her hand over her mouth and then