An Indecent Death (9 page)

“How did these ‘encounters’ with Sarah work, Mr. Callaghan?” asked Lori. “I mean, did you go to her apartment and then go out? Or did you meet her somewhere else?”

“Ah, both, actually. And sometimes I’d meet her at her place and we wouldn’t go out.” Callaghan smiled. “If you know what I mean. But that was only once. Usually she liked to go out and party.”

“Were you the only man she was seeing, Mr. Callaghan?” Drumm asked.

“Oh, I doubt it! Like I said, she was a flirt and looking for fun. I think she was finding it with other guys as well.”

“Any idea who, Mr. Callaghan? Maybe her husband, Terry Noonan? Or maybe someone else from the school here?”

Kevin Callaghan was shaking his head. “Not her husband, no, she said she was done with him, and I believed her.”

Lori Singh asked, “Do you think her husband knew she was dating you? And maybe other men as well?”

“Oh! I don’t know. My guess is he probably did. She didn’t make any secret of it.”

Drumm asked again, “And was she seeing other men from the school, Mr. Callaghan?”

“Um, yes, I think so. Bill Deans, I would say, for sure. Although he and I never talked about it.” He got a little grin on his face. “There were rumours about the two of them. In the storage room.”

“There were rumours that she had sex with Bill Deans, the vice-principal? Here at school, in a storage room? And you believe these stories?” Drumm leaned forward.

Callaghan looked a little sheepish as he answered. “Well, yeah, there were rumours. And, yeah, I believed them, because, well… I had done pretty much the same thing with her in the girls’ change room one night.” He looked at the two detectives. “You were bound to find out anyway. I thought I’d better ‘fess up!” There was the grin again. “There was nobody around, we thought, and she was up for it, and …it just happened.”

Lori said, “You know, you’re talking about a lot of casual sex. Some of it sounds like it was spur-of-the-moment. She was prepared for this kind of thing, then? Did she make you wear a condom, for example?”

For the first time Callaghan looked uncomfortable. “I used condoms, yes. I’m not a fool, you know. She said she was using birth control but I wasn’t sure who else she had been with. So a condom was a must. I don’t want to catch something nasty.”

Drumm asked, “How do you think these stories got around the school, Mr. Callaghan? You said you thought you were alone. How would anyone find out? Did you leave some of her clothing behind, maybe, like her underwear?”

Callaghan smiled. “No, nothing like that. Sarah didn’t wear underwear, not that I ever saw. It was one of the things that made her so hot. No, I think someone must have seen us going in or coming out. A bit suspicious, coming out of a store room or change room with a guy. And before you ask who might have seen her, or us, you might ask Pierre Pepin, he of the missing tooth.”

“Pierre Pepin, the custodian?” Drumm asked. “But he says he goes home at 3:30. Surely you were later than that?”

Callaghan looked surprised. “Really? Well, he may say he goes home at 3:30 but Mr. Weirdo Pepin is always here. Every time you turn around, he seems to be there, grinning at you with that strange smile of his.”

Drumm said, “What about Donald Musjari, Mr. Callaghan? Was he involved with Sarah Noonan?”

Callaghan snorted. “Him? Not likely! Sarah couldn’t stand him. He’s a moody bugger, got a chip on his shoulder. Thinks the world owes him a favour because he’s Arab. Don’s a good teacher but he’s not the most pleasant guy to be around. And I know it bothered Sarah that he was staring at her at the gym.”

“The gym? You mean The Fit Life?”

“Yeah, that’s the one. He had a membership there; so did Sarah. And Lynnette Cranston did as well. Both Sarah and Lynn felt that Don was staring at them, when they happened to see him there, like he was paying too much attention to them. They didn’t like it. So she said, anyway. I wasn’t there – I don’t have a membership.”

“And Friday night, Mr. Callaghan? Where were you?”

“I was at the casino, Detective. Got home in the wee hours.”

“Rama?” At Callaghan’s nod, Drumm continued, “How did you get there?”

“I drove, of course,” said Callaghan.

“Did you go with anyone?”

“No, I went by myself.”

“Did anyone see you there? Maybe one of the employees?”

“I wouldn’t know,” said Callaghan. “But I think they have security cameras. Maybe you can check?”

“We’ll look into it. How did you do?”

“Do?”

“At the casino,” said Drumm. “How did you do? Did you win a bundle?”

“Oh. No. I lost about two hundred.” Callaghan looked rueful.

“Bad luck. Thanks, Mr. Callaghan, you’ve been helpful and candid. I’m sure we’ll be talking to you again.”

Donald Musjari was in a surly mood as he watched his class eating their meal at first nutrition break. The students sensed his displeasure and were better behaved than usual, not wanting to risk his angry tongue. Most of them liked Mr. Musjari but there were days when he was better left alone, and this was one of them.

He was annoyed because of the way his interview had gone. He was sure he had messed up and said too much. He hated having to tell them that Sarah had rejected his date suggestion. He had lied about that, because he had asked her three times, not just once, and she had said no every time. Damn her! Musjari got his class outside and went out to his car to eat something himself.

Drumm arrived at Luigi’s just before noon to find no line-up, just a steady stream of hungry patrons entering the restaurant. The entrance was all ferns and fountains, and subdued lighting. Drumm was shown to one of his favourite tables in a back corner where he ordered a ginger ale and waited for Emily. The two of them had eaten here many times, enjoying its atmosphere, moderate prices and good food. It wasn’t as busy or noisy as some of the chain restaurants, and Drumm liked the cook’s personal touches. Emily was vegetarian, and more than once she had been treated to a special creation by the chef.

And then she was there, standing tall and slim in front of him, dressed in a grey skirt and black leather jacket. He rose quickly to his feet but she was already pulling back the chair and sliding into her seat.

“It’s good to see you, Nicky.” She looked him over carefully.

He did the same to her. “And you, Emily.” She looked delicious, with her shoulder-length brown hair and her fine skin, her brilliant blue eyes staring straight at him. She looked thirty-four, not forty-four, but then she always dressed and acted younger than her age. The few wrinkles that were starting to appear were artfully disguised with the small amount of make-up that she was willing to use. Her full lips, lipstick-free, were pursed as she gazed at him.

“How are you? And how’s Will?” Emily leaned forwards and put her elbows on the table. She kept her jacket on, he noticed, all zipped up.

“I’m the same as always, Emily. You know me, Mr. Unchangeable. And Will is as perky as a two-year-old. Needs more exercise, though. Something to drink?”

Their waiter arrived, introduced himself to Emily and took her drink order: her usual Perrier water. She prided herself on her slim figure and was determined to keep it that way. They busied themselves for the next few minutes with the menu, a little shy with each other, before finally settling on their choices.

When their server had come and gone with their order, Drumm asked, “How’s the market, Emily? Keeping you busy?”

“Things have been good, Nicky, surprisingly good, actually. I’ve sold six houses in the past month. And there’s no sign of things slowing down yet. And how’s the Violent Crimes business?”

“Violent. Never a dull moment. Just now we’re busy with the Sarah Noonan murder.”

“Oh, I read about that in the paper. A teacher killed in a park, wasn’t it? Terrible thing. Are you getting anywhere? Any suspects? It’s usually the boyfriend or husband, isn’t it?”

“She actually wasn’t killed in the park, Em. And you know I can’t talk about the case. But, yes, we have suspects, too many of them. And the husband is one. But no more about that, OK? I’m on my lunch break.”

“Sorry, Nicky. I know you can’t talk about it. It’s just – this is a little awkward after all this time – and I’m just trying to break the ice, is all.”

“So tell me about the counseling, Emily. You said you were seeing a doctor. What’s his name? And how’s it going?”

“It’s a woman, actually, Dr. Laura Schlesinger.” Emily’s nose twitched a little as she grinned. “Just kidding, her name is actually Dr. Laura Schuster. She’s a psychologist. I’ve been seeing her for a couple of months, and it’s helping. She has a way of getting me to see myself in a different light. Or maybe I should say, as others see me.”

“So Dr. Laura told you to get back together with me?” Drumm was being deliberately provocative, but, after all, Emily had called
him
.

“Of course she didn’t, Nicky! Psychologists don’t work that way. She just helped me to realize what was important in my life. How to meet my goals. Things like that.”

“And what’s important in your life, Emily?”

“You, Nicky. You. I thought I said that on the phone. And she’s helped me to see that I was expecting too much of you. I know I was wrong to want you to give up being in the VCU. Dr. Laura has got me to see that being a detective is what makes you who you are, and it was unfair of me to ask you to stop. She said that if I loved you, then the police work came with you. I couldn’t have one without the other.”

Their food arrived and they were quiet for the next little while as the server made sure that they were satisfied with their orders. Drumm began to enjoy his meal, and the more he ate, the more relaxed he became. He had been a little on edge and on his guard, but Emily’s spirit was working on him like a magic potion. It was almost like it had been in the old days.

“You said you want us to get back together, Em. How, exactly? Do you mean you want to move back in again?”

“I don’t think so, do you? It’s too soon for that. You haven’t even said if you want me back in your life. In fact, you haven’t said anything at all. How do you feel about this, Nicky?”

Drumm sat back in his chair. How did he feel? His nervousness was gone and he suddenly realized he wanted her as much as he had ever done. “I want you, Em. Badly. I’ve missed you and I probably need you as well. But I can’t go through what we went through before. I just can’t. It would kill me. So, I guess what I’m saying is, I’d like to try again but only if we can absolutely trust each other to make it work. What do you need me to do? But you have to know, I can’t quit the force. I’m a cop – it’s what I do. It’s what I’ll always do.”

“I just need you to be yourself, Nicky. Your job is your job and it will always be important to you. But make time for me and I will make time for you. And I think we can make it work.”

“Of course I can do that, Emily. But I can’t remake myself as someone different. I am what I am. And there will be times when the job will have to come first. You know that.”

Emily had a somewhat rueful smile on her face. “I don’t want you to be different, Nicky. I’ve already said that. Well, maybe to pick up your clothes a little more often! But, no, I want me to be different, not you. I know your damned career will get in the way sometimes. I’ve learned to deal with it. Just always come home to me.”

Their meals finished, their server arrived to remove the remains of the meals. They declined dessert or anything further, asking for the bill instead.

Drumm had been contemplating something the entire meal. He now felt sufficiently confident to say what was on his mind. “The leather jacket, Em? It’s new, isn’t it? That was the something special you were going to wear, right? I like it – it suits you.”

Emily gave a sly smile. “The jacket? Oh no, Nicky. Thanks for the compliment but, no, that wasn’t the special something. This is.” She slowly pulled the zipper down which had been done up all this time. Underneath she was wearing a black lace camisole, which, it became clear, was totally transparent. Emily lowered the zipper several inches and pulled the jacket slightly open, enough that Drumm could see the tops of her small breasts under the thin material. Drumm’s mouth was suddenly dry.

“God, Emily, you look fabulous!” His hand started across the table as if drawn by a magnet.

“Why thank you, sir.” Emily had a mischievous smile on her face. “Glad you like it. But you may not touch!” She said this as his hand was getting close to its goal. His hand stopped dead and he slowly withdrew it. The waiter was returning with their bill and Emily unhurriedly zipped up her jacket again. Drumm sighed and went through the rest of the end-of-meal business, and then walked outside with Emily.

“Did you have to cover up, Em? You know I like to linger over lingerie.”

“I have to scoot, Nicky. I have a showing. A house, I mean.” There was the mischievous smile again. “Can we meet again tomorrow?”

Drumm nodded his head, still thinking about Emily’s camisole. He had always been a sucker for sexy underwear. “I’ll call you.”

She stepped forward, kissed him lightly on the mouth and walked away. “See that you do!”

Drumm met Lori Singh back at Elmdale. “How was your lunch, Nick?”

Drumm smiled. “I can truthfully say it was delectable!” He was in a good mood.

Lori Singh looked at him uncertainly, not sure what to make of this response. Did he mean delicious?

They strolled outside in the afternoon sun. Elmdale’s student population was enjoying the outdoor portion of their second break. Drumm and Singh watched the activity in the yard. There were hundreds of children, all over the place, and they were making a great deal of noise. There were three staff members wearing bright orange vests supervising. They were constantly being approached and sometimes surrounded by kids. Drumm knew these students would be tattling, crying, telling stories, or just hanging around. Rarely were teachers allowed to walk around in peace and tranquility. They had to watch the interaction of hundreds of children and solve any problems that arose. It helped to have eyes in the back of your head.

It was hard to believe that a teacher at this school had been murdered. There was no sign of it amongst the students. He supposed that was a good thing; kids were pretty resilient. Drumm was also trying to get his mind around the fact that teachers here had been having sex in the change rooms. Sarah Noonan must have had a strong reason indeed to risk her career that way. And to go to school without underwear of any sort  – if Kevin Callaghan was to be believed – Drumm had never heard of or seen a female teacher do that. Thinking about it, he could understand Donald Musjari’s frustration, and Callaghan’s interest. And thinking about that got him to pondering Emily’s transparent camisole during their lunch date. The school bell’s strident clang put an end to that pleasant memory.

Bill Deans was the next to enter the interview room; his forehead was glistening and he was flushed from exertion. He had been one of the three orange vests out on duty, and there had been plenty for him to do, as Drumm had seen for himself. Deans was a tall, good-looking man with a shock of black, curly hair. He had a ready grin and a strong handshake. He removed his orange vest as he entered the room, revealing a pale green dress shirt and matching tie over top of black pants. Drumm knew that between the school yard and Room 223, as vice-principal, Bill Deans would have been approached by a number of teachers. In most schools, the VP was in charge of discipline. Deans would always be asked to deal with this crisis or that bullying incident. It was a thankless job and a person was usually only willing to do it as a necessary stepping stone to becoming a principal.

“Busy time out there, Mr. Deans,” Drumm said, closing the door. The vice-principal sank gratefully into one of the chairs.

“Oh, it wasn’t too bad. Some days are worse than others. Today was fairly typical.”

Drumm had arranged that Lori Singh would conduct this interview, so she began. “How long have you been vice-principal here, Mr. Deans?”

“This is my first year here. I was an intermediate teacher for the past few years at Secord Elementary, got shortlisted last year, made the cut and was given this position for this year. I was a bit surprised to get it.”

“Why was that?”

“Oh, because I’m male. These days it’s usually skirts that are being promoted. The school districts are trying to make up for years of unfairness. Used to be that every principal and vice-principal was male, you see. You’d have a whole school of female teachers and the administration was male. Didn’t make sense, when you think about it. That’s all changed now. Anyway, that’s why I was surprised; I thought I’d have to wait a while before I got a position. Also, I didn’t think I did too well in the interviews. I had a bit of trouble with some of those behavioural interview questions.” Deans flashed his smile. “Some of them are tricky.”

Lori said, “I see. Were you and Sarah Noonan friendly?”

Deans’ smile disappeared. “Yes, I’d say so. We had a lot of contact, her being an intermediate teacher and me being in charge of discipline. She had some challenging students whom I had to deal with.”

“So you got along well then?”

“Sure. I try to get along with everyone. Sarah was no different.”

“Are you married, Mr. Deans?”

“No.”

“Are you in a relationship with anyone?”

“No.” Deans was looking annoyed. “Are these personal questions necessary?”

Drumm answered before Lori could. “A beautiful, young colleague of yours was brutally murdered, Mr. Deans. We’re trying to find out who did it. Her personal life, and the personal life of everyone at this school, are of interest to us. So, yes, these questions are necessary.”

Singh continued. “Did you have any kind of personal relationship with Sarah Noonan? Anything outside of school business, that is?”

“I’ve had a few drinks with her after work now and then, if that’s what you mean. But there were always other teachers there. It was never just the two of us.”

“What did you think of her, Mr. Deans?”

“Sarah? She was a good teacher. The kids liked her.”

“I meant as a woman, Mr. Deans. Did you find her attractive?”

“Well, of course I did, Detective Singh. She was a pretty woman.” Bill Deans wasn’t smiling now. In fact, he looked rather uncomfortable.

“Did you find the way she dressed appealing?”

“The way she dressed? I can’t say I noticed.”

“Sarah Noonan was a tease and a flirt, Mr. Deans. We’ve had a number of people confirm this. The clothing she wore was designed to show her off. Are you saying you didn’t see that?”