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sit-down interview?”
    “No.”
    “Not now, I’m talking tomorrow or the next day. We could do a feature on you, one-on-one, in your home.”
    “No.”
    Leo turned to the anchorwoman. “My wife answered you nicely, but I’m not as nice. Leave us alone.”
    “Okay, fine.” Tanya pointed her microphone at Mrs. Nuru. “Excuse me, are you one of the other parents?”
    “I’m not going to speak with any reporters.”
    “I just wanted to know if—”
    “I said no. ”
    “Fine, thanks.” Tanya turned and walked away as the cell phone at her waistband started ringing. The ambulance zoomed down the driveway toward the emergency department, and everybody watched, including Rose, Leo, and Mrs. Nuru, who covered her ears because of the siren.
    “Hey, folks,” Tanya called out, snapping her phone closed. “You might like to know that another student was found in the school. The name hasn’t been released yet, pending notification.”
    “ What? ” Mrs. Nuru took her hands from her ears.
    “Boy or girl?” Leo asked, but Tanya was already hustling toward the curb as the ambulance sped toward the entrance, followed by a blue minivan with its flashers on.
    Rose watched, numb. Her mouth had gone dry. She didn’t blink. She wasn’t sure she even breathed. She pretended she hadn’t heard what Tanya had said. That she hadn’t been lunch mom today. That she was home with John, cuddling him. Leo’s hand closed around hers, his fingers warm and rough.
    There was a commotion behind them, and the emergency room doors whoosh ed open. Rose, Leo, and Mrs. Nuru stepped aside as a trio of nurses in patterned scrubs hurried outside. The ambulance lurched to a stop, cutting its siren. Its back doors flew open, and a paramedic jumped out, whirled around, and reached for the stretcher behind him. A second paramedic leapt from the back, and they slid the stretcher into the sunlight.
    Rose almost fainted at the sight.

Chapter Eight
    Amanda lay on the stretcher, unconscious. Orange foam blocks stabilized her head, positioned on both sides of her neck, and blood clotted in her silky blond hair. Her forehead was a mass of bandages soaked with blood, bright red in the sunlight. Soot and blood spattered her face under the oxygen mask. Filth blanketed her shirt and skirt. Her arms and legs flopped askew. One glittery Candie’s sandal was lying sideways at the foot of the stretcher.
    No, no, no. Rose couldn’t speak, stricken.
    “Oh my God,” Mrs. Nuru said, hushed, and Leo put his other arm around the teacher. The three of them huddled in shock as the nurses rushed the stretcher toward the emergency room, where the automatic doors opened, admitted them, and closed behind them.
    “I wonder what happened,” Leo said quietly.
    “Let’s go see.” Mrs. Nuru turned to the entrance, with Rose and Leo following, when the passenger door of the blue minivan flew open, and a woman jumped out, shouting.
    “ You! ” the woman screamed. She hit the ground running and charged to the walkway, her blond hair flying and her features so contorted with rage that it took a moment for Rose to recognize her. It was Amanda’s mother, Eileen Gigot.
    “What’s going on?” Leo gasped, astonished, as Eileen rushed toward them, shrieking at Rose.
    “You! What kind of person are you? What kind of mother are you?”
    Rose edged backwards, reeling, and Leo blocked Eileen’s path, putting up his hands.
    “Please,” he said, his tone calm. “You’re upset, and I don’t blame you, but there’s no call to—”
    “You abandoned my little girl !” Eileen shouted at Rose, ignoring Leo. “You didn’t care if she lived or died! You took care of your daughter, not mine!”
    “No, I didn’t. I took Amanda to the hallway—”
    “Liar! Terry told me the whole thing! You yelled at Amanda! You had it in for her from the beginning, calling me to complain! Well, are you happy now? They found her on the first floor! She got hit on the head with something!