One Breath Away Read online

  The morning of the standoff there was a full article, along with a file photo of Stuart receiving his Pritchard-Say Prize, in the Des Moines Observer describing Stuart’s fake stories and subsequent firing, and that must have completely sent him over the edge. His wife’s body was discovered soon after Stuart was apprehended. She wasn’t the perfect little wife who would stand by her man, so he killed her, before moving on to the school. I disrupted his almost perfectly executed scheme of making up news stories to further his career, pad his wallet and stroke his ego. Once that all collapsed, he went after me in the way that he knew would hurt me the most. He went to Maria’s school and lured me there in hopes of holding her life over my head. He would kill Maria, then himself and leave me shattered and alone. If all worked the way he had planned, he would be the biggest news story that Iowa has seen in a long time, even in death. Instead, he is sitting in jail, sans one ear, awaiting trial. Somewhere along the way Stuart had lost his soul. I’m hoping that I’ll get a chance to talk to him, try and find out exactly why he did what he did. How he changed from this likable, even lovable man, to a liar and cheater, to a murderer.

  As for me, I’m hopeful that I’ll still have my job after disobeying Chief McKinney by going into the school on my own. Once the kids were safely out of the building and the ambulances had left, one carrying Mrs. Oliver, the other Stuart, the chief told me that was the most stupid-assed thing one of his officers had ever done. Then he gave me a big hug. There were hours of questions to be answered and mountains of paperwork to be completed. A small price to pay. But I think I’ll be okay. After all, I did take the bad guy down.

  Chapter 116:

  Mrs. Oliver

  Mrs. Oliver was confused, which she thought was entirely unfair since her church-going mother and father had promised that when she reached the gates of heaven everything would be illuminated, all of life’s mysteries solved. First of all, she thought it would be warmer, that her surroundings would be bathed in a golden light. However, she was shivering, and when she opened her eyes, instead of seeing her deceased mother or father, George or even P.J., who she thought was most certainly dead, Mrs. Oliver found Cal standing over her. “Oh, he killed you, too,” she tried to say but found that she had no voice.

  “Your jaw is wired shut,” Cal told her as he gently touched her cheek. “You’re in the hospital. You’ve been asleep for nearly two days. He shot you in the shoulder, too, but you’re going to be okay.” At the troubled look in her eyes, Cal squeezed her uninjured arm. “The kids are okay. The officer shot him before he could hurt anyone else. Georgiana is here and the boys are on their way.”

  Georgiana leaned into her line of vision. “Hey, Mrs. Oliver,” she said, smiling down at her mother with George’s eyes. “You couldn’t retire like everyone else, could you? You had to literally go out with a bang.” Mrs. Oliver gave her daughter a hint of a smile and shrugged painfully.

  “You took good care of those kids, Evie,” Cal said as he pulled a chair up beside her bed. “All the parents are sending flowers and balloons, look.” Cal gestured to a corner of the room where bouquets of sunny daffodils, spiky blue hyacinths and pink roses filled a small table, while silver Mylar balloons, emblazoned with get-well wishes, lazily bobbed overhead.

  “Looks like Dad is going to have to give up his den so there’s room to frame all the pictures and letters your students are sending you,” Georgiana said, holding up a pile of papers. Mrs. Oliver shook her head sharply and a small grunt of pain escaped through the wires. She had so much she wanted to tell Georgiana, but couldn’t. “I know, Mom,” Georgiana said with a little laugh. “I know.”

  She was so very tired that all she could do was blink up at her daughter.

  “You rest now, Evie,” Cal whispered into her ear, and brushed his lips lightly against hers. “Go to sleep. We’ll be waiting right here for you to wake up.”

  Mrs. Oliver felt her eyelids grow heavier and heavier and she wanted nothing more than to sink into a deep, dreamless sleep, but before she did, using her good hand, she lifted the sheet, peeked beneath and frowned at the hospital gown she was wearing.

  “Don’t worry, I didn’t let them throw it away,” Cal reassured her. “The nurses had to cut it off you. Georgiana washed it up the best she could, but you won’t ever be able to wear it again.” Mrs. Oliver nodded once to show her approval.

  “Go to sleep now, Mom,” Georgiana whispered, resting her lips briefly on her mother’s forehead.

  From outside the hospital window, Mrs. Oliver thought she could hear the soft plop of water from the dagger-sharp icicles that had clung to every eave in Broken Branch for the past four months. She could see that the snow had finally stopped and watery streams of sunshine struggled to breach the iron-fisted snow clouds that had softened to a dove gray. Mrs. Oliver smiled as the sweet scent of hyacinth filled her nose and she could almost feel the mild caress of a Chinook dance across her skin before she closed her eyes and slept.

  * * * * *

  Acknowledgments

  As always, enormous gratitude goes to my agent, Marianne Merola, for her wisdom, guidance, attention to detail and her friendship. Thanks also to Henry Thayer for his behind-the-scenes support.

  A thousand thanks to my editor, Miranda Indrigo, whose insights and suggestions are always spot on. Thanks also to all the folks at MIRA Books—especially Margaret O’Neill Marbury and Valerie Gray. I’m so proud to call MIRA my home.

  Thank you to John and Cathy Conway and Howard and Shirley Bohr for opening up their homes and farms to me as I researched the novel. I always enjoy our time together.

  Much appreciation goes to Mark Dalsing, whose advice in regard to police procedure and whose early readings of the manuscript were invaluable.

  A heartfelt thank-you goes out to my parents, Milton and Patricia Schmida, my brothers and sisters and their families, for their generous support and enthusiasm.

  Much love and thanks to Scott, Alex, Anna and Grace—I couldn’t do it without you.

  Questions for

  Discussion

  One Breath Away is set in a sudden snowstorm. What role does the weather play in the story, both literally and metaphorically?

  Stuart asks, “What kind of town is this? Doesn’t anyone know who their father is?” What role do fathers play in the story? Discuss the different relationships between fathers and children.

  Discuss the influence of the small-town setting on the characters.

  The story is told from multiple points of view. What do we learn about the characters from the perspective of their families? What do we learn about Holly from her father? About Augie from her grandfather? About Mrs. Oliver from Cal

  The gunman in the story poses a physical threat to the children in Broken Branch, and several characters are determined to protect the children—Mrs. Oliver, Meg, Augie. In what other ways do characters try to protect each other? How do they succeed? How do they fail?

  On the day the gunman arrives in the school, Will is awaiting the birth of the calves. How are the seasons and the cyclical nature of life evoked in this novel?

  Interview with

  Heather

  What was the genesis for One Breath Away?

  The idea for One Breath Away evolved over many years. When I was a senior at the University of Iowa, a disgruntled former student entered a classroom with a gun, killed five and gravely injured a sixth person before turning the gun on himself. At the time of the shooting I was with my roommate near the center of campus. A beautiful, gentle snow started falling, transforming the campus into a winter wonderland, when in the distance we heard sirens. Very quickly we learned of the tragedy and hurried back to our dorm where we called friends and family to assure them
that we were safe. When an event like this happens so close to home it can change how you see the world and has the potential of shattering one’s sense of security. I often think of that terrible day and wonder what I would have done, how I would have reacted if I had been in that classroom.

  There have also been many high-profile campus and school shootings—Columbine, Virginia Tech, West Nickel Mines School—that have left us reeling and struggling with the question of how events like this can happen at the schools and universities with whom we entrust our children. One Breath Away explores this issue and how the fallout of one such event can draw together and wrench apart a community. That said, as an educator of twenty years, our school systems and law enforcement have worked tirelessly to put into place policies and procedures that go a long way to ensure the safety and security of all students.

  In addition to your career as a writer, you have also spent many years as a teacher and a consultant within the education system. How did your background as an educator influence this novel?

  I come from a long line of teachers and from a family that values education. Over the years I have also been fortunate to work with several wonderful school systems and have had the opportunity to meet some amazing educators. Mrs. Oliver, the third-grade teacher in One Breath Away, embodies many of the characteristics I have come to admire in my fellow educators: dedication, high expectations, a true desire to see the children they work with become better students and better people. The educators I know, like Mrs. Oliver, work tirelessly planning lessons, spend their own money on classroom supplies and books, go to sleep worrying about other people’s children, and would willingly put themselves in harm’s way to keep their students safe.

  You often write about children or young adolescents. What do you find appealing about this stage of life?

  I think that children are so wise, much more than we often give them credit for. Time and time again, as both a mother and an educator, I am reminded of this. The adolescents I’ve encountered are accepting of others, passionate about worthwhile causes and want so badly to make a difference. They are caring, have a great capacity for empathy and still have to be tough and world-wise. No easy feat. We expect so much from our children and they rise to the occasion. I look around at the upcoming generation and I smile. I think we are in good hands.

  Every person in town is affected by the presence of the gunman in their school. Talk about your decision to set this book in a small town.

  I love small towns, and to me there is something almost magical about them. By setting One Breath Away in the fictional town of Broken Branch, Iowa, I wanted to illustrate the familiarity and sense of camaraderie often found in small communities. This same feeling of solidarity can be shaken during catastrophic events, but more often than not, communities are brought together. I also think that there is often a perception that in small towns everyone knows the intimate details of their neighbor’s lives, that there are no secrets. As the reader quickly learns, this couldn’t be further from the truth. As within our own towns and communities, there are many secrets behind the shuttered windows of Broken Branch, and we never really know what’s going on behind closed doors.

  One Breath Away is set in the midst of a sudden snowstorm. Where did this idea come from?

  This is one of the great things about living in Iowa; the weather can change in a minute. It can be sixty degrees and sunny one day and the next, a raging blizzard. In One Breath Away, the unexpected spring snowstorm exemplifies how quickly life can change. One moment we are carrying out our usual, often mundane, daily routines and then out of the blue comes an earth-shattering, life-changing event in the form of an accident, an illness, a natural disaster. These are the reminders for all of us, in ordinary, quiet moments, to gather our loved ones close and tell them how much we love and appreciate them.

  One Breath Away tells the story of a small town from five different points of view. How did you develop the individual voices for this story?

  Before I even put pen to paper, I begin to develop each character as fully as possible within my mind. I imagine what the character looks like, sounds like, the way she moves, the expressions on her face. I then jot down details about each character, birthdates, favorite colors, prized possessions, the pets they had while growing up. I write down anything I think might help me as the novel progresses. I really love getting inside the minds of each of the main characters and discovering why they make the decisions they do and why they say the things they say. I also enjoy the challenge of writing in this manner—trying to make each character’s voice sound unique and authentic.

  One Breath Away is like a puzzle, with each of the five narrators providing important pieces of the full picture. How did you decide upon the structure of the story?

  The events that unfold in One Breath Away occur rapidly within approximately an eight-hour time span. Each character, through thoughts, words and actions, gives his or her account of one harrowing day. Each perspective is uniquely framed by the individual character’s memories and experiences. My hope was to give the reader a glimpse into how a teacher, a child, a mother, a grandfather, and a member of law enforcement might react to the same terrible incident.

  This is your third novel. How has your writing process changed and developed?

  I’ve learned so many lessons about myself and my writing over the past few years. I still begin each of my novels by buying a journal or notebook and writing the first fifty pages or so of the story in longhand. I’ve learned that it’s possible to write just about anywhere—in the car, in a hospital waiting room, at the edge of a creek. The important thing for me is to get my thoughts and ideas down on the paper. I know that I can always revisit and revise what I’ve written.

  While I begin a new project with a sense of knowing where I want the story to go, very often the characters will take me in new, surprising directions. I’ve also learned that it is so important to follow my instincts, to write the kinds of books that I would enjoy reading.

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  ISBN: 9781459233157

  Copyright © 2012 by Heather Gudenkauf

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  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

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