Free The Teacher by Meg Gray Page A

would hurry up and find a
suitable replacement for the last nitwit they’d sent him.
    Rosa was the housekeeper and nanny in the
Lewis home when Marcus was a boy. He’d known the woman his entire life, but her
days of tending young children were over. She would remind Marcus of this every
time he asked her to stay with Brayden, with a shake of her finger before acquiescing.
    She was an angel to move to Portland
with him and Brayden. The fact that the move would bring her closer to her daughter
and grandchildren who moved from Seattle to Portland six years ago was a
helpful bargaining chip, but still Marcus knew Rosa had a soft spot in her cranky
heart for him and Brayden. She had been with them through the days of losing
Vanessa and knew better than anyone the pain he’d suffered.
    Brayden was disgruntled about tonight’s
arrangement too. When Marcus picked him up from school and told him he’d be
staying home with Rosa, the foot stomping began. The bribe of pizza and any
movie he wanted on cable hadn’t changed his mood.
    “I want to go get ice cream,” Brayden
whined through the phone as Marcus ducked into a narrow hallway across from the
elevators.
    “You know Rosa can’t take you out.” The
poor woman injured her knee years ago and walked with a significant limp. Her
less than agile body was in no shape to keep up with Brayden outside the
confines of the condo.
    “But Daaaaaad,” Brayden’s whine trilled.
    Marcus rubbed a hand across his
forehead. He couldn’t do this now. He needed to get back to the bar and finish
making his rounds with the partners. The sooner he put in his appearance the
sooner he could leave. He hated these nights when all the partners got together
for drinks. Usually he conjured up some excuse to avoid the monthly event, but
he owed it to his associates, Dennis and Abigail. They worked hard and deserved
a little face time with the partners. Another hour or two and he would have
fulfilled his obligation to them.
    “Look Bray,” he said, trying to keep the
calm in his voice. He leaned against the corner of the wall. “Get your pajamas
on, climb into bed and pick a movie. I’ll be home,” he glanced at his watch. “Before
it’s over, okay? And we’ll go get ice cream tomorrow, I promise.”
    “Fine,” Brayden sighed.
    “Now just watch your movie and try not
to call me, so I can get my work done and come home, okay?”
    “Okay,” Brayden agreed and hung up.
Marcus held his phone and stared down at it, hoping it wouldn’t ring again.
    “Excuse me,” he heard a woman’s voice
behind him. He was blocking the narrow entrance to the small hallway and he
stepped aside as a woman in a short black dress tried to slip by.
    “Ms. Hewitt?” he said.
    She turned and nodded cordially,
“Hello.”
    “How are you?” he asked, genuinely
concerned. He thought of her during the day, recalling the attack from the
night before.
    “I’m fine, thank you,” she answered.
    “I was just talking to Brayden,” he said,
indicating the phone in his hand before he dropped it into his pocket.
    “Oh,” she replied and shifted
uncomfortably. There was silence between them and Marcus felt the need to say
something.
    “I haven’t looked at that envelope yet.”
It was the only thing he could think of to say and he didn’t know why he felt
the need to lie about it. He’d looked it over last night as soon as Brayden
fell asleep on the bed next to him.
    “Oh,” was all she said in response.
    “Emma,” someone called and Marcus looked
past Ms. Hewitt to see the exotic, cackling woman from the elevator, with her
hair on top of her head in a ponytail, I Dream of Jeanie -style. Ms.
Hewitt looked over her shoulder.
    “I should be getting back,” Marcus said
and turned, but stopped when he felt the pressure of Ms. Hewitt’s hand on his
arm.
    “Wait, Mr. Lewis,” she rushed. “I…I’m
sorry I wasn’t myself last night after…” her voice trailed off. “ I just wanted
to thank you for