expect your written resignation.” She turned to the parents. “I believe we’re finished here. Thank you for your time.”
“Good luck in finding a teacher who they’ll approve of,” she said, flicking a hand at the group of sour-faced parents. “Oh, wait! You can hire a robot. That’ll solve everything.” With that, she stalked out the door. No running on campus, she thought to herself as she jogged across the quad, but what could they do, fire her? She giggled. It was all she could do to stop herself from shouting, I’m free!
Sylvia arrived at the office early on Monday morning. As she fired up her computer, a pale-blue envelope caught her eye. It was propped against the monitor, her name written in small, slanted letters across the back. A man’s writing, she thought. It had to be from Sal. No other man at the company had reason to leave a note. Although it could be a female’s printing, but her boss wasn’t one to leave notes. And what other female . . . ? Well, it could be from Dowdy Sarah.
As she contemplated the note, her cell phone rang. She checked the number. Jonathan. She closed her eyes and took a breath, forcing a smile as she answered. “Hi, Jonathan. Good morning.”
“Yeah, I wanted to let you know I’ve got a guy with deep pockets, a Mr. Frank Overland, who’s really interested in the place. Things are moving quickly. I told you I’d keep you informed, and I keep my word.”
What the hell? Ann Travis was supposed to be the big player, not some other guy. She quickly wrote the name down on a sheet of paper. “You’re a good man. Thanks for letting me know. Has he made an offer?”
“Not officially. He’s coming by tonight at six thirty to check the place out.”
“Well, as much as I don’t want to move, business is business.”
“Yup. That it is. Bye now.”
She ended the call and began making a list. Suddenly, her day had become very busy. She grabbed the blue envelope and ripped it open. A smiling coffee mug with heart-shaped eyes was pictured on front. Inside, it read, Can I take you to lunch tomorrow? Please respond via text, email, phone, or carrier pigeon. Warmly, Sal
Carrier pigeon. Clever. She turned to her computer and typed carrier pigeon into the search bar. One of the first images was of the bird holding a note in its beak. She printed it and proceeded to cut it out. On the small note in its beak, she wrote, Lunch tomorrow sounds great in tiny print. She placed the pigeon in an interoffice envelope and placed it in the pickup box. He’d have her answer within an hour. Maybe less.
That done, she typed a name into her phone. Frank Overland. Results appeared immediately. Good Lord. The man could buy ten apartment complexes without noticing a dip in his bank account. At least, according to Wikipedia. His stated net worth gave her chills. That made him a real threat. She sent a text to both Embry and Riki.
Hi, it’s Sylvia. We have a situation that needs to be dealt with. It has to do with Jonathan’s plans to sell. Please respond ASAP.
Seconds later, her phone rang.
“Hi, Embry. Thanks for getting back to me.”
“What’s going on?”
“Jonathan just called, and he has an investor coming over tonight who’s made a fortune buying old properties and turning them into big complexes or condos. Bottom line is, we have to find a way to stop him or else we’re looking at moving boxes and bulldozers.”
“What can we do? He won’t care if we come up with faults about the place if his intent is to tear it down.”
“No. He won’t. It will require something more. Are you in?”
“Yes. Whatever it takes.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Riki let herself into her apartment and locked the door behind her. The euphoria she’d felt earlier had been swallowed by fear. She’d mocked the head of school and criticized powerful parents. And worst of all, she’d quit! What had she been thinking? She gently banged her head against the closed door.
The voice of reason edged in, and she stopped. Your sanity is more important.
That may be true, but how would she earn any money? She fumed as she stormed to her bedroom. Questions swarmed her mind until she felt dizzy. She yanked the tote from her shoulder, and both straps ripped clean through in the process. She chucked it across the room and watched as her papers spilled