she 'd pulled it off the night before , sure , but that had been before she 'd known what was going on . * * * mary waited at the school gate with thomas and several mothers . but maybe that was good , madeline thought . `` it looked pretty intimate to me . '' he tapped the desk for emphasis . when i had requested if she would be okay if i hired another driver for her convenience , she had immediately shut it down , leaving me somehow frustrated and frightened for her safety . 