Free The Possum Hollow Hullabaloo (The Penelope Pembroke Cozy Mystery Series) by Judy Nickles

for lunch after Mass. Mary Lynn called to say that she and Harry still had the girls. “It’s a day-to-day thing, according to Tonya.”
    “Well, at least you’re on a first-name basis with her.”
    “She’s not actually Alana Mueller’s supervisor. She was just filling in that day. It seems the absent supervisor is now back and planning to be at the school on Monday. I don’t want to send Ellie back, and Tonya said she wouldn’t even ask if I kept her home. But she’ll have to go back sometime.”
    “Did Bradley come talk to the girls?”
    “Not yet.”
    “Maybe Monday.”
    “Maybe so. I’m just trying to enjoy them while they’re here.”
    George Harris called later in the evening. “The DA’s office got back to me. Technically, they can’t question the children without their parents’ permission, but they can investigate abuse. Will you be here on Monday? Not that I’d blame you if you stayed away.”
    “I’ll be there.”
    “It may get nasty. The children don’t talk to us as much as they should, and they’re not going to talk to strangers.”
    “So what will Alana Mueller and company do? Round them up like cattle, herd them into trucks and take them off?”
    “Who knows?”
    “Well, I’ll be there, George, and so will Miss Maude, I’m sure. Mary Lynn’s keeping Ellie and Evie at home, but you didn’t hear that from me.”
    “I didn’t hear a thing.”
    ****
    Sam showed up for breakfast on Monday morning and dropped his sheets off in the laundry room. “I guess you’re going to the school today.”
    “I guess you’re leaving today.”
    He nodded. “You didn’t answer my question.”
    “Jeremiah Hadden’s locked up, and I can’t let George Harris deal with Alana Mueller and her team of self-styled do-gooders by himself.”
    “Just watch yourself, Nell.”
    She wondered if he didn’t kiss her goodbye later because Jake was sitting there or because he didn’t want to.
    ****
    George Harris squeezed the entire faculty into his office before the buses arrived and told them about the impending visit by the welfare officials. “Keep your cool with them,” he cautioned. “We’re not exactly according to Hoyle out here, and I’d as soon they not get any ideas about reporting us to the State Board of Education. And there’s one more thing. Most of you know about Yvonne Hadden. Well, Jeremiah came into town Friday night and ended up in the pokey, but he’s not the only Hadden in the Hollow. Brad Pembroke called me last night and suggested we keep the doors locked, fire code or not, and have recess in the gym until further notice.”
    M aude Pendleton spoke first. “Are we to understand that Sergeant Pembroke feels there is imminent danger to the students and faculty here?”             
    “That’s what you should understand, Miss Maude.”
    “I see. Then may I suggest also keeping the individual classroom doors locked?”
    “I was about to suggest that, too,” Paul Hollis said.
    “Good idea. Just tell our unwanted visitors that it’s from the PD and to take it up with them. Don’t offer any more information. Now, if there’s a problem, I’ll ring the bell one long ring and two short ones. That means stay put. No lunch, no bathroom breaks, nothing.”
    “Do you really think there’ll be trouble?” Lizette Foster asked. “I mean, if Ellie’s father is locked up, why would anybody else risk…”
    “You all know how folks are out here. Somebody might take it into his head to come here looking,” George replied. “Hollow honor and all that.”
    Paul Hollis glanced around at his colleagues. “These kids know everything that goes on in the Hollow anyway, and they’ve had a whole weekend to find out about Ellie’s mother’s body being exhumed, her father being locked up, and maybe even the invasion of the social workers. They’ll know what we’re doing, even the younger ones.”
    “I’m not really expecting a full house today,” George said. He