Free Giving Up the Ghost by Marilyn Levinson

want taking care of you,
whether you caught pneumonia or were hit by a car." Darren got to his feet and stood, legs apart,
glaring at her.
    Shooting stance , she thought, shivering. If he had a gun in his hand,
which of course he doesn't.
    "Doc Bradley was a medic in the Korean War. He's seen more bodies, dead and alive,
than any two MEs anywhere."
    Gabbie pretended to accept Darren's defense of the old doctor. But Darren was wrong.
Someone had killed Cam, and the doctor had overlooked the cause of his injuries. Now the question
was: did Darren truly believe Cam had fallen drunk to his death?
    Or--the horrible possibility sprang up like a jack-in-the-box--did Darren deserve an
Oscar for his performance of outraged innocence because he'd murdered Cam?
    She closed her eyes, intent on making the preposterous thought disappear. Darren was
a cop. An honest cop. How do you know? a small voice threw back at her. Because he made you
think so? When she opened her eyes, he was setting his mug in the sink.
    "It's time I got going." He headed for the door.
    She hurried after him. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to push your buttons. It's just--"
    "I know." He touched her shoulder, sending tingles through her body. "When civilians
find out about accidents like this, they often assume it was murder. At any rate, I shouldn't have
gotten so uptight about your questions."
    "He was your best friend," she murmured.
    "That he was."
    She drew in breath, relieved he was no longer angry at her. When he lowered his head,
for one crazy moment she thought he was going to kiss her.
    Instead, he winked. "Good-night, Gabbie. Thanks for the coffee."
    * * * *
    The next morning, Gabbie leaped out of bed, eager to leave the cottage. She didn't mind
the icy wind that stung her face as she cleared the windshield or the slippery drive to school. It was
a relief to get away from a nagging ghost and prurient thoughts of a sexy cop who just might have
murdered his best friend.
    A few of her students waved as she passed them in the hallway. She returned greetings
from the staff. She stopped at the guidance office, but Barrett's counselor wasn't there. I'll try
later.
    Her first two classes went smoothly. She had students read their homework
assignments aloud, and used them as springboards for a lively discussion about how the various
characters had influenced the story's plot so far. Then she read to them from Chapter Four until the
bell rang.
    "Finish reading the chapter for homework and write a summary two to four pages long,"
she told them. "Keep it in the present tense. Check it over twice. I might count it as a grade."
    There were groans, but quite a few students said, "Bye, Ms. Meyerson" or "See you
tomorrow."
    She was disappointed that neither Theo nor Charlie were among those warming up to
her. When she left the room, they were waiting for her in the hall.
    "Is the Photography Club meeting Friday afternoon?" Theo said. "There wasn't a notice
in this week's announcements."
    Gabbie swallowed. She'd agreed to be the advisor of the Photography Club as part of her
job. It had all but slipped her mind. "Well, I hadn't planned on holding a meeting yet."
    "But we always meet the second Friday of the month." For once Theo sounded upset
rather than angry.
    "Sometimes the last Friday, too," Charlie added. He was bouncing up and down on the
balls of his feet, clearly a nervous tic.
    "I suppose we could meet this Friday. I've been so busy with schoolwork, I haven't given
it much thought. It's kind of late to put a notice in this week's announcements."
    "Don't bother," Theo said. "Just a few kids besides us come anymore."
    "Lots of other kids used to come," Charlie explained. "Until Barrett--"
    "Charlie!" Theo elbowed him.
    Gabbie felt a prickling between her shoulder blades. "What happened?"
    "Nothing happened," Theo said. "Let's go, Charlie; we'll be late to class."
    "Let the other kids know we're meeting this Friday," Gabbie called after them. "And
don't forget to bring your