I didn't either and it infuriated me. . I took a deep breath. I'd woken up feeling energized and refreshed, determined to make a fresh start, but I could feel my irritation growing. I agreed with Jake in principle about not holding it against people when they left their jobs, but it rankled me that she would leave in the middle of the school year for another school position. If she wanted to leave to enter the private sector because she needed to make more money or because she was tired of education, that was one thing. But abandoning Prism because the grass was greener elsewhere was somewhere else? That was not cool to me at all.

“She's been there twice, according to Suzette,” Harriet said, leaning back against the reaching for some of the pape rs from the copy tray. copier. “Both times during board meetings. I suppose she could be consulting with them on their search, but Suzette claims th at ey hired a consulting firm over the summer and that they wanted someone in place by the holidays.” She paused. “So it all fits.”

I tried to process everything she'd told me. It did all fit. I didn't rely much on gossip between PTA moms, but this seemed pretty solid. And pretty irritating.

“Would she really do that?” I asked. “Bingledorf. Leave at this time of year?”

Harriet shrugged. “Got me. I guess if she really wants out or if she really wants that job, probably. The interesting piece would be her contract here at Prism.”

“How?”

“I don't know what her contract looks like, but I'd assume there'd be some sort of non-compete clause clause, that prevent ing s her from leaving for another school, at least at certain times of the year ” Harriet said. “A t least at certain times of the year a nd I'd think now would be one of those times. So I'd assume she'd have to be let out of her contract here and any sort of clause like that would have to be excused.” Her cheeks reddened so they were almost the same color as her ha ir . “You learn a lot about things like this when you've been in the PTA as long as I have. I'm not a lawyer, but sometimes I feel like I could be.”

I didn't doubt that. “Would the board here let her out of her contract if she wanted out?”

She shrugged. “I have no idea. I mean, you don't want her to stay if she doesn't want to be here, but at the same time, it's not okay to leave the school in a lurch when the school academic year has just started. ” She shook her head. “ And with the computer thing, it would be even worse. I mean, who would want to walk into that kind of mess?”

I nodded because I agreed. And m y agitation was growing by the second. Bingledorf had colored everything she'd approached cajoled me into doing me to do by pointing out with how it those things needed to be done because of the school's needs. It was urgent so that the school could get back on track. But if she was looking for another job, she was a h ippocrite ypocrite , because there was nothing about leaving that would be good for the school. Forget the computer situation. I'd already learned that the insurance situation and the financials were a mess. She'd be leaving that behind for someone else to deal with. T An d t hat seemed cowardly and selfish to me.

“But , like I said,” Harriet continued. “Maybe there's another explanation. Maybe there's something Suzette or myself isn't I aren't seeing. I don't know. I hate to jump to conclusions, but when she told me all of that and she seemed pretty sure herself, ...well, I'm not sure there is another conclusion to come to at this point.”

I agreed with Harriet. nodded in agreement.

Bingledorf leaving Prism seemed like the only rational conclusion.

And that pissed me off.

THIRTY TWO

I promised Harriet that I wouldn't say anything to anyone.

But I wasn't including Evelyn Bingledorf in that group.

I'd left Harriet to continue making her copies and I'd gone to my desk and I'd stared at my notebook for fifteen minutes all of thirty seconds , trying to concentrate , and trying to put everything Harriet told me out of my head. But I couldn't because I couldn't see the point of doing any more work until I knew exactly what was going on. If she was truly leaving, I needed to reevaluate whether or not I was going to continue on with the talent show because she was the driving force behind it and if she was eyeing the exit door, I didn't want to put in all of this work for nothing.

So I got up from my desk, left everything there and marched down to Bingledorf's office. If she was truly leaving, I needed to reevaluate w hether or not I was going to continue with the talent show. She was the driving force behind it and if she was eyeing the exit door, I didn't want to put in all of this work for nothing.

I waved at Ellen as I passed by her desk. She was on the phone and waved back and I was happy she was occupied, afraid I might lose my nerve if I got waylaid on the way to see Bingledorf 's office. .

Bingledorf's office door was open and she was staring at her laptop screen when I tapped twice on the door. She looked up and the mega-smile immediately materialized on her heavily ma ke-upped de-up face.

“Good morning, Daisy!” she said, waving me in. “A pleasure , as always.”

“Good morning,” I said. “Do you have a minute?”

“Of course, of course ,” she said, frowning .” She frowned, as if that was a silly question. “Come in and have a seat.”

I closed her door behind me. I saw her smile flicker for just a moment. If I hadn't been watching, I would've missed it, but I wanted to see her reaction to the closed door.

I walked over and took a seat across from her. I wasn't intimidated like I had been the firs t time I'd stepped foot in her office.

She folded her hands and set them on the desk top, smiling at me intently, as if she could focus on nothing else other than my presence in the room.

“I have a question for you,” I said. began.

“About the fundraiser?”

“In a way, yes.”

She tilted her head to the side and one of the silver bulbs dangling from her ears bobbed glinted . “ Alright. Well, f F ire away.”

“Are you leaving Prism?” I asked.

The small flicker showed Her smile flickered again. itself again and if I hadn't been looking for it, it would've gone completely unnoticed and she would've fooled me. But I saw it and I knew there was at least something at work.

She moved her head from the tilted position back to upright straightened her head and squared her shoulders . “Leaving Prism? Why would you ever think that?”

“Something I heard.”

She leaned back in her oversized leather chair and folded her arms across her chest. “And what exactly have you heard?”

“That you might be leaving Prism.”

She chuckled. “Daisy, there's always a possibility that I'll be leaving. I can't promise that I'll spend the next twenty years here at Prism, but that doesn't mean — ”

I didn't let her finish. “Can you promise you'll be there here through the end of this school year?” I said, interrupting her.

Bingledorf shifted in her chair. “Daisy, I'd really like to know where all this is coming from.”

“I find it interesting that you aren't denying anything,” I said.

“And I find it interesting that you won't tell me exactly what we're talking about here.”

I didn't want to overplay my hand and I certainly wasn't going to give up Harriet as my source. She didn't deserve to be put in the middle. I was the one that chose to confront Bingledorf, not Harriet. So I needed to be careful.

“Okay,” I said. “Have you interviewed for the president's position at Blue Lake Academy?”