DEATH IN PERSPECTIVE Read Online Free PDF Page A

flat stomach. I rooted
     my gaze on the walkie, clipped on his broad shoulders, to prevent myself from further
     ogling.
    One of these days, I’d find myself desensitized from Luke’s good looks. But for now,
     he still made my eyeballs spring from my head.
    “What’s the occasion?” He pushed a hand through his dark, curly hair.
    “I had to get fingerprinted.” I clenched the fingerprint cards, using the paper’s
     smoothness to keep from remembering the past feel of his silky locks tangling in my
     fingers.
    “You need anyone to frisk you? Better yet, do a strip search?” His slow smile caused
     two deep dimples to emerge.
    A flurry of butterfly wings beat against the walls of my belly and my toes curled
     within my boots. If Miss Tamara caught us, she’d take one look at my expression and
     accuse me of squirrelish behavior.While I worried about Miss Tamara’s squirrels, Luke’s gaze trailed from the hem of my dress to dawdle on Bert and Ernie . I took a long, slow breath while his eyes finished their journey to meet my cornflower
     blues.
    “Aren’t you a little old for Sesame Street ?” He smiled.
    “I believe in life long learning.”
    “I could teach you a thing or two.”
    “I don’t need that kind of education.”
    “Come with me to eat lunch.” He paused and the smile faltered. “I miss you.”
    I hated the pained tone in his voice, like I was kicking him in the gut every time
     he saw me. “If we’re going as friends, I could eat. Lickety Pig?”
    “Sounds good. I’ve got to get out of here fast. Before you-know-who shows.”
    “Tara still won’t leave you alone?”
    “Somebody should study that girl’s brain. We could use her homing instincts as a new
     kind of radar. She will not take no for an answer.”
    “Tara is very persistent. That’s a good quality for working with prisoners and children.”
    “You always look for silver linings, don’t you?” He opened the heavy lobby door, and
     I stumbled through. “That’s a good quality, too. See you there, sugar.”
    I turned to tell Luke to cool it on the sugar stuff in front of Tamara, but the door
     had already closed. I glanced toward her bulletproof shield.
    Tamara sat with her arms crossed, her eyebrows arched, and her lips pursed. I ducked
     my head and fast-walked through the lobby and into the parking lot before I heard
     more talk about the love life of squirrels.

      
    Fifteen minutes later, Luke and I eyed each other over a sticky F ormica table dressed with red plastic glasses of tea and paper baskets of pulled pork.
     East Carolina vinegar sauce and coleslaw covered his sandwich. Mine dripped with sweet
     red sauce and pickles. A basket of fried okra sat between the two. We reached for
     the okra at the same time, our fingers touching and skidding away.
    Luke cleared his throat. “Did you talk to the principal of that school this morning?”
    “No, he wasn’t in.” I popped a hot bite of okra into my mouth, sighing in ecstasy
     at the salt, crunch, and tang dissolving on my tongue. “It seems the principal’s secretary,
     Maranda Pringle, died. Did you hear about that?”
    Luke set down his sandwich. “I did not. Where does she live?”
    I shrugged. “Must be Line Creek. The call didn’t come through County. One of the mothers
     had some ugly things to say about Miss Pringle. Those stuck-up Aureate folks need
     to learn some manners, talking trash about a woman who just died.”
    “Sounds like you did some gossiping yourself.”
    I cut my eyes to my barbecue. “I just listened.”
    “Are you sure you’re up to working at that fancy school? Can’t say you handle yourself
     well around the high and mighty.”
    “It’s temporary. Gives me a chance to do something in the community. And I’ll get
     paid.”
    Luke raised his brows, but kept his mouth busy with his sandwich. Sauce dripped down
     his chin. I resisted the urge to wipe it off, deciding Luke and the Lickety Pig staff
     would get the wrong