she look like a world traveler? Somebody whoâd .Â
.
 . er, âbe withâ Mr. Killdare? Send him postcards signed âLoveâ?
It was hard to tell, so I kept searching the gathering, identifying Principal Woolsey, who stood next to my father, and Ms. Beamish, and a few other teachers. And at the very edge of the tent was another person from school. Chase Albright, whoâd ignored Mikeâs âwarningâ and stood alone, looking very mature in a dark suit that somehow came across as more expensive than my, Lauraâs, and Ryanâs cobbled-together outfits, all combined.
Feeling eyes on me, I found that Detective Lohser was, of course, there, tooâand staring in my direction.
Pretending to ignore him, I resumed surveying the crowdâonly to stop short at the sight of long blond hair cascading from under a very chic funereal black hat. Although her face was partly obscured, I wouldâve recognized my archnemesis anywhere. Especially since, unlike me, sheâd had the presence of mind to bring a reporterâs notebook, which she held discreetly in her left hand.
Darn you, Vivienne Fitch!
Chapter 27
Iâd mentally prepped to face the memorial service, but standing at the edge of Coach Killdareâs grave, my chest tightened as a minister in a black suit intoned a prayer and memories came flooding back.
My motherâs casket being lowered .Â
.
 .
I glanced at my father, who also seemed unnervedâbut mainly by my presence. He kept giving me curious looks, as if to ask, âWhy are
you
here?â
I averted my gaze, hardly able to bear seeing my dad in a sober suit beside an open grave. The scene was too familiar, almost like Mom had died yesterday, instead of about eight years in the past.
Both Ryan and Laura seemed to understand what was happening to me, and Ry clasped my arm, whispering, âAre you okay?â
âIâm fine,â I said softly as the minister wrapped up the worldâs longest prayer. Then I shrugged free, knowing I had to pull myself together, if only because I couldnât let Viv see me looking weak. She kept peeking at me from under the brim of that little hat, no doubt sensing I was struggling and hoping Iâd fall apart.
I glanced over at Chase and found that he was watching me, too, but with something that looked like sympathy. For a moment, I was not only surprised to see that expression in his eyes, but unsure how heâd have any clue as to what I was going through.
Then I realized that even if I didnât know much about Chase, my story was common knowledge. For a long time, Iâd been poor, motherless Millie Ostermeyerâa label that still sort of stuck.
Donât be that pathetic kid, Millie. Youâre on an investigative mission, not throwing a pity party.
Squaring my shoulders, I forced myself to face the casketâjust as the minister addressed all of us, asking, as if heâd run out of stuff to say, âWould anyone like to come forward and offer a few words about the man whose life we celebrate today?â
Funerals are pretty quiet to begin with, but that invitation caused a phenomenally profound hush to descend upon that cemetery. The kind of silence that I imagined existed in outer space. Even the birds seemed to shut up, and while I could see that Principal Woolsey was clearing his throat in his nervous way, he was managing to do it soundlessly, like he didnât want to be singled out to speak on behalf of a man whoâletâs face itâheâd probably loathed.
I sneaked a hopeful look at the woman in the maroon suit, but she was hanging back, too.
And although my dad certainly wasnât shy, he didnât jump into the spotlight, eitherâthough for once I wished he would.
Go up there and say great stuff about Mr. Killdare, because Detective Lohserâs listening and Viv is taking notes!
I was pretty sure Dad waited because he was a stickler for
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