Dying to Teach (17 page)

“What happened after that?” Jarvis asked.

“Nothing. He stood in the hallway—the one that connects the green room to the wings—looking one way and another like he was deciding what to do. I got the idea he didn’t want to go past the kids—my band, who were on the stage setting up their equipment.”

“Where were you?”

“When he went by, I came out of the closet—the one next to the office.”

“If he’d come back into the green room, would he have seen you?”

“Oh yeah.”

“Why would you take that chance?”

Evan shrugged. “I got away from there fast, to make it look like I’d come from the costume room. Besides, I didn’t do anything wrong. I had every right to be there.”

“What happened next?”

“I started for the stage. I walked quietly.” Seeing everyone’s eyes on him, Evan shrugged. “I thought it would save embarrassment if he didn’t know I was there. A couple of the kids said hi to him but he didn’t answer. They were giving him this look like—” Evan broke off to demonstrate their perplexed expression. “It was so not like him to
not
speak. By the time I got on stage, he was gone.”

“The kids say anything?”

Evan thought a second. “No, but Sean was looking up the aisle, watching the doors still swinging.”

“When exactly did all this take place?”

“Three weeks and four days ago.” Jarvis shot him questioning look. He added, “It’s been on my mind a lot.”

Jarvis could think of nothing else to ask, so he said, “All right. Why don’t you guys go home and get some sleep. Tomorrow morning—”

“No,” said the kids at the same time.

Kiana said, “We have mega stuff to do.”

Angelina reached across and patted both their hands, lying side by side on the table. “I love the idea of having the performance outside. We can do it on the football field.”

“We already have the bleachers for seats,” Kiana said.

“Yes, good idea,” said Evan. “We can use the locker rooms to change in.”

“It’s right near the auditorium so it’ll be easy to move things over.”

“I guess that’s all settled,” Angelina said.

She stood up and Jarvis followed.

“Do you know if Donna phoned Mrs. Philmore?” she asked.

“She did,” Kiana replied. “She double-checked the list with me first.”

Angelina picked up her briefcase, which he hadn’t noticed on the table beside her. She put an arm around Kiana’s shoulders. The two women walked toward the door talking like old friends. Jarvis shrugged at Evan and they followed.

“I wanted to say… You guys are amazing,” Jarvis said softly.

“Sir?”

“In my line of work I mostly meet kids who’re jerk-offs always looking for the easy way out. When I spoke to Kiana on the phone, she was so clear-headed and mature. She told me what you kids—the cast and crew, and you in particular—were doing to make sure the show went on. I just wanted to tell you how impressed I was.”

“Thank you, sir. I appreciate you saying so.”

Jarvis pulled his business card from his pocket. “I want you to call me if you need anything.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Shall we go?”

“Wait,” Angelina said, making Jarvis cringe. He so wanted this to be over. “Earlier you said there were three things you wanted to tell me.”

Alternating as narrator, the kids told how they’d searched Ted Chalmers’ office and home. Jarvis held in the reprimanding headshake. There would be no guilting these two into quitting; warnings about their well-being would go unheeded.

“We found a lighter and a can of fluid,” Evan said and waited while Jarvis formed his own conclusion.

“Where is it now?”

“We left it in Mr. Chalmer’s office, on the counter where we found it.”

Kiana giggled. Jarvis turned his attention on her. “We also found some sexy underwear.”

“Do you know if Mr. Chalmers was married before?”

“And does he have a daughter?” Kiana added.

Jarvis told them, “I will check,” though he’d already resolved to call Rodriguez as soon as he left here.

Kiana and Angelina left the cafeteria. Evan lagged behind to say, “Thank you, sir for not giving us hell for investigating on our own.”

“Don’t think I didn’t want to. One thing, though. Stop calling me sir. Just call me Jarvis, or, if that makes you uncomfortable, call me Detective. Though, that makes me uncomfortable.”

Evan gave a toothy grin. “Works for me, s— er, Jarvis.”

Angelina and Kiana had stopped to wait for them on the sidewalk outside the building. The men caught up and the two couples walked around the building to their vehicles. Then Angelina stood beside him, shoulder to shoulder, and they waved as the kids drove away.

“Aren’t they great?” Angelina said.

“I told Evan that. I told him most of the kids I meet are troublemakers who’re always looking for the easy way out. That most kids would’ve said ‘oh well, the show’s off, let’s go home.’”

“I can see why Gwen was so close to them. They’re awesome kids.” She hesitated as he started to walk toward her car. “I was just wondering if they really will go home. Last night after rehearsal they went out detecting.”

“I think they’ll go home. They’ll feel secure knowing cops’re involved.”

“You mean, the Carlson cops or Jarvis the cop?”

“Both. They’ll be in school early though. Probably at the crack of dawn.”

“Argh. That means I should be here too.”

“Of course you will. And you won’t sleep a wink all night thinking about this.” He walked her to the Lexus and waited while she climbed inside.

“I assume you’re coming back to the hotel?” she asked.

“Is that an invitation?”

“Duh.”

“Where’s Red?”

“Wilson’s got her. When I left their house the kids and the dog were chasing each other around the backyard.”

“Make sure Ambrose doesn’t try to keep her.”

He fake-punched her on the arm. “I knew she’d grow on you. Hey, by the way…when I walked into the cafeteria Kiana said something that made you laugh. What was it?”

She pushed the button and her car started. She gave an exaggerated
oh it’s nothing
shrug. “She said you were a hunk…in spite of that hat.” Angelina backed the car from the space.

He touched his hat—his trademark. He wasn’t so concerned about what Kiana thought of it, but the way Angelina said “in spite of it” had him thinking. She’d never mentioned the hat. The Lexus disappeared around the side of the brick building. He hurried to his Jeep and sped after her, not sure she’d wait—and he didn’t know the location of the hotel.

Two hours later they sat, she in a robe, he in his briefs, at the table in her room. He poured more wine into her glass and opened himself the second of the two beers he’d grabbed upon leaving home. “Okay. So, now we can talk about the case?”

“What case? I told you I’m not investigating. Did you give the photo to the authorities?”

“Yeah, called them first thing this morning then dropped it with them on my way here. They weren’t impressed.”

“Didn’t think they would be.”

“Want to know what else I found out?”

“I assume you’re going to tell me no matter what I say.”

“I am, because I know you’re dying to hear.”

“Not.”

He set the can of beer on the table and peered closely at her. Darned if she didn’t
look
disinterested. Could she mean what she said? No way. The talent for sorting out clues was in her blood. She couldn’t
not
put the pieces together.

So why was she giving off such definite I-don’t-care vibes?

“You already know the couple in the pic was Gwen and Randy. The college was in fact Bridgewater State.”

“I’ve heard of that. It’s in Massachusetts.”

“Right. Randy and Gwen were married in a civil ceremony on December 14
th
of ’93. It was annulled the following November.”

“Which means…”

“I have no idea. I thought if I gave you the ingredients, you could bake the cake.”

“You know I hate to cook.”

Angelina got up from her chair and went to flop on the bed. The robe fell open revealing those long sleek legs that still held their summer tan. God, he loved everything about her, the way she moved, the way she flung her hair back so it didn’t get caught under her arms, the way she laughed—even when she was laughing at him.

“What’s so funny?” he asked.

“You insist I’m doing this.”

He rose from the chair and went to sit beside her on the bed. “It was bad enough when they set the school on fire. I thank goodness nobody got hurt. I was willing to let the locals handle things; they’re totally competent. But after meeting those kids… I’m going to do what I can to bring the killer to justice. I’d think you would want that too.”

Angelina sat up and tucked the robe around her legs. “If you think I
don’t
want that, you’re quite dense. I just—” She tucked her hair behind one ear. “I just—”

He edged closer and pulled her against him. She laid her head on his shoulder.

“For some reason Fate has involved you in this,” he said into her flowery smelling hair.

“No, Randy involved me.” After a couple of minutes she got up and went to sit at the table. “You have a story to tell me. It would be rude not to listen.”

He refilled her wine and went back to sit on the edge of the bed. “I found a woman Gwen worked with in the office at the college. She was surprised when one day Gwen came in and announced she was leaving school.”

“Because of the breakup with Randy?”

“That’s what’s weird. They came in together, holding hands, looking perfectly normal. They announced they were getting an annulment, an amicable one, and Gwen was transferring out west. This woman got a couple of letters from Gwen in California but none had return addresses. The postmarks were from different towns but she couldn’t recall any of them. I got the name of Gwen’s roommate. I’m following up on that.”

He let Angelina process the information for a moment, then added, “I did a records check; neither Gwen nor Randy has a past.”

“I assume she transferred to a school in California?”

“Local cops are having trouble finding which one.”

“Check her job application here at Carlson. It’ll say where she earned her degree.”

“Duh, why didn’t I think of that?”

“You hadn’t narrowed things down that far. Besides, it might have no bearing on the case.”

“Right.”

“And then it might,” she added with a wink.

He grinned across at her. “What’re you thinking?”

“I’ll let you know.” She untied the belt on the robe. “Before you head home…”

EIGHTEEN

“Feel like some hot cocoa?” Kiana asked. She was tired, but the exhilaration of the last half hour with Mrs. Deacon and Detective Jarvis had her raring to go back on the case.

“I’m beat,” Evan said into the helmet microphone. But he turned the motorcycle in the direction of Farina’s.

A few minutes later they were seated on tall stools with mugs of hot chocolate heaped with mountains of whipped cream. Kiana spooned cream into her mouth while Evan sucked his through pursed lips. She handed him a napkin to wipe his upper lip.

Kiana unfolded a second napkin and dug for a pen in her bag. A few more ideas for clue-searching had been running through her head and she wrote them down. She looked up as somebody slid onto the stool beside Evan.

“Hi Dawson.” Evan sounded none too happy to have a visitor.

Dawson was a burly kid, the star running back on the football team. He wore his dark brown hair down to his shoulders and was growing a silly looking mustache. His expression always serious, Kiana didn’t think she’d ever seen him smile. Oh yes, except for that night the team won the championship.

Kiana folded her napkin and set her cup on top of it.

“What are you guys doing out so late?” Dawson asked, pointedly looking at the napkin.

“Just got done with rehearsal,” Evan replied. “We’ll be heading home in a minute.”

“Rehearsal?”

“Yes, Dawson,” Kiana said. “This weekend. Show. Auditorium. Lots of people.”

“Oh yeah, I guess I heard something about that.”

Evan laughed. “There is more to life than football, you know.”

The gibe didn’t bother him at all. “I’m going pro. No time for other things.”

Kiana had never really liked Dawson. Way too full of himself. But maybe if she played into that ego, she could squeeze out some information. “Mr. Chalmers seems like a good coach. How’re you gonna do without him?”

Dawson’s face screwed into a scowl. “Can’t believe they suspended him! Even if he did do what they’re saying, how can it affect the football team? What do they think, he’s gonna kill all of us too?”

Kiana had been looking at the napkin under her mug; an idea had come to her but she didn’t want to write it down with Dawson here. But with his last comment, her gaze shot up to his face. Did he say what she thought he said?

Evan was instantly angry at their schoolmate. “That was really insensitive.”

“Oh. Yeah. Sorry.”

“Have you seen anybody in Mr. Chalmers’ office in the past few days?” Kiana asked before Evan’s anger could grow out of control.

Dawson’s brows wrinkled as if the change of topic confused him. “You mean like, the cops?”

“No. Kids or teachers.”

Now Dawson laughed. “Mr. Todd—that’s the one taking over for Chalmers—went in there and came right out holding his nose. His
office
is at one end of the bleachers. Why’re you asking anyway? Oh yeah, you guys’re investigators now.” He said this with a sneer that upset Kiana all over again.

“Look Dawson,” she spit out before Evan could stop her, “just because all you care about is football—and yourself—doesn’t mean everybody else is like that.
Some
people care what happens to others.”

“I care.”

“Then prove it. Tell us who else has been in Mr. Chalmers’ office.”

“Shit.” He thought a moment, looking at something over her left shoulder. “Todd and Jennifer. Well, Todd went in. Jen stayed out in the hall holding her nose. Todd only went in to get some shoulder pads though.”