Chain Reaction (23 page)

Tamara shook her head.

‘Did he have a girlfriend?’

‘Not since sometime before Christmas. I don’t know exactly when.’

‘What was her name?’

‘I don’t know. I asked but he wouldn’t tell me. He used to tell me that stuff but this time he said it had to be a secret.’

‘Any ideas?’

Tamara nearly shouted when she said, ‘I told you: I don’t know!’

Lucinda paused in the hope that a small break would dissipate some of the tension in the room. Then, in a quiet, calm voice, she asked, ‘Is Jimmy a good big brother?’

Tamara nodded and her face glowed. ‘He’s super. He taught me lots of stuff when we were growing up. And he never lets anyone mess with me. One time, when this boy Billy was picking on me in sixth grade, Jimmy put an arm around Billy’s shoulder and walked across the field, talking baseball. Then just when Billy wasn’t expecting it, he spun around and sunk a fist into Billy’s gut. When Billy fell to the ground, Jimmy stood over him and said, “You leave my sister alone or next time I’ll break something.” And Billy never bothered me again.’ Tamara smiled as she remembered. Then, abruptly, her brow furrowed and her mouth turned down. ‘I don’t think he really would have. He was just trying to scare Billy. He wouldn’t have broken his arm or anything. Not Jimmy.’

‘Does Jimmy still live at home with you?’

‘Yeah. He wants to get his own apartment. He’s been saving his tips.’

‘Where does he work?’

‘He does delivery for Pizza Barn. Sometimes he brings home prank orders.’

‘So Jimmy has a car?’

‘Oh, yeah. It’s Mom’s old Nissan. She got a new Honda and sold her car to Jimmy for ten dollars.’ Tamara laughed. ‘It is old and ugly but it’s still running.’

‘What color is it?’ Lucinda asked.

‘Once upon a time, it was shiny black but now it’s all faded and icky-looking, and the first week he drove it, he had an accident. He had to get a new fender at the junkyard and the only one he could find was white. So I call it a skunk-mobile. Sometimes Jimmy thinks that’s funny but sometimes it makes him mad.’

‘Does he ever drive anything else?’

‘Sometimes, Mom lets him drive her Honda – but only if she’s in the car, too. And every once in a while, he drives this red pick-up truck.’

Lucinda sucked in a hard breath.

Tamara cocked her head to one side and said, ‘What?’

‘My very favorites – red pick-up trucks. I wish I had one,’ Lucinda said.

‘Really? You don’t look like a pick-up person.’

‘Well, I did spend a chunk of my high school years living – and working – on a farm. So, where does Jimmy get that truck?’

‘He borrows it sometimes.’

‘Whose is it?’ Lucinda asked.

‘Some friend, I guess.’

‘Did Jimmy borrow the truck last weekend?’

‘Ye—’ Tamara began but slammed her lips shut before she could finish the word. Her eyes narrowed to suspicious slits. ‘I told you Jimmy did not go up to the school on Sunday.’

‘Because that’s what he told you?’

‘Yes, but it’s true. I got home before he did Saturday night. I saw him pull into the driveway – and the truck was still there when I got up Sunday morning until he left to take it back after lunch.’

‘Were you out late Saturday night?’

‘No. I was home before
SNL
started but I was up kinda late online.’

‘So did you get up to go to morning mass?’

‘Are you kidding me? I was still online when the sun came up. I only got up when I did because Mom made me a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch and I smelled it in my sleep and realized how hungry I was.’

‘So what time was it when you saw the truck out front?’

Tamara blanched. ‘That doesn’t matter. It was there. Jimmy didn’t go up to the high school Sunday morning. He was out really late. He slept in, too.’

‘Tamara, calm down.’

Tamara pushed back from the table and jerked to her feet. ‘No, I won’t calm down. I just wanted to help you and you’re twisting my words and making things up. I’m sorry I told Father Mark to call you. You are not a nice person – that was just a big, fat, phony act.’

‘Tamara, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I really appreciate you coming forward about this. It took a lot of courage.’

Father Mark appeared in the doorway. ‘Is everything all right?’

‘No,’ Tamara said. ‘This was a mistake. I want to go now. I’m late for class.’

‘Lieutenant?’ Father Mark asked.

‘I will need to get a written statement from Tamara, but that can wait until after school.’

‘Then you’ll have to talk to my lawyer,’ Tamara snapped.

‘Your lawyer?’ Father Mark asked.

‘I don’t have one now, but I will,’ Tamara said, pivoting on her heels and walking out of the room.

Father Mark called after her, ‘Tamara! Tamara, wait.’

The girl didn’t pause or look back.

‘Oh dear,’ the priest said. ‘What happened, Lieutenant?’

‘What did she tell you, Father?’

‘She said that she taped the latch on a door at the school.’

‘Did she tell you why?’

‘She said that she wanted to see if it would still be there when she went back to school Monday morning.’

‘She did it for someone else, Father, and I pressured her to tell me that person’s name. She was very unhappy about that. Thanks for everything, Father.’

They shook hands and Lucinda left the church. As soon as she went outside, she called Jake. His cell phone went straight to voicemail so she punched his office number into the keyboard. When she asked to speak with him, she was told that he was in a conference call.

Lucinda drove back to the Justice Center to get organized. She decided she’d talk to Brittany Schaffer at the high school first. Then she’d go find Jimmy Van Dyke. She could be wrong but the coincidental absence of Brittany’s truck the same weekend Jimmy was driving a red pick-up could not be ignored.

L
ucinda was at her desk, making arrangements with Principal Rose Johnson for a second interview with Brittany Schaffer. As soon as she hung up, she heard the captain’s voice coming from the doorway. ‘My office now, Pierce.’

Lucinda sighed. She hoped whatever the captain had to say wouldn’t take long. Rose expected her at the high school in half an hour. She sat down across from Holland’s desk and said, ‘Yes, sir.’

‘Good news this time, Pierce. You are back in charge of the investigation at the high school.’

Lucinda smiled. ‘Thank you, sir.’

‘Don’t thank me, Pierce. This was all Lovett’s doing. So don’t blow it.’

‘Blow it, sir?’

‘I’ve been warned, Pierce.’

‘Warned?’

‘OK, threatened. The police chief told me that all eyes will be on you and how you conduct this investigation. He’s worried you won’t be up to speed.’

‘But, sir—’

‘No, Pierce, I didn’t dare tell him that I authorized you to proceed in that sneaky fashion we cooked up.’

‘We, sir?’

‘Don’t push it, Pierce. He’s also worried that you might not be up to the task – you might not be knowledgeable enough about terrorist plots.’

‘But, sir—’

‘No, Pierce, I didn’t tell him that you thought this had nothing to do with any terrorist group or outside agitators. Just solve the damn case. Then he won’t be able to argue. But don’t forget: the police chief feels the whole department is on the line and our credibility with federal law enforcement is at stake. Try to follow all guidelines and don’t do anything stupid.’

‘Stupid, sir?’

‘Don’t argue semantics with me, Pierce. You got what you wanted – now go out and do your job.’

Lucinda walked out wanting to hug Holland – heck, she’d hug the police chief, too. But at this moment, more than anything, she’d like to wrap herself around Jake and give him the best thank-you ever. That would have to wait.

She returned to her desk, gathered up everything she’d need for the interview and headed for the high school. She went straight to Rose Johnson’s office in the trailer, where Brittany Schaffer was already waiting for her.

When Lucinda walked into the room, Brittany raised her left wrist and looked down at her watch. ‘My next class starts in forty-five minutes, officer. I need a little time to prepare.’

‘This shouldn’t take too long, Ms Schaffer. I do have some good news.’

Brittany gave her a sideways glance through narrowed eyes. ‘What?’

‘Your alibi checked out.’

‘Of course it did,’ Brittany said, followed by a faux yawn.

‘There was just one little problem. Mr McCallister told me that when he arrived at your home initially, the truck wasn’t there and it still wasn’t there when he left the next day.’

‘Tom is mistaken.’

‘He said he was certain he would have seen it when he pulled up to your house.’

Brittany blew a breath out through extended cheeks. ‘It was parked in the garage.’

‘Actually, he said he parked
his
vehicle in your garage.’

‘That must have been another time. He’s confused.’

‘No. He was certain. In fact, he said he asked you about it and you told him your truck was in the shop.’

‘You can check with my mechanic. My truck was not in the shop – it is running like a top.’

‘Why would Mr McCallister lie about something like that?’

‘I did not say he was lying. I said he was mistaken.’

‘Cut the crap, Ms Schaffer. Who was driving your car last weekend?’

‘No one.’

‘You are saying that it was at your place the whole time?’

‘I certainly am and it certainly was.’

‘Then why did Mr McCallister say that he had to call a cab to take him back to his car since you couldn’t give him a ride because your truck was in the shop?’

‘A cab? We got a taxi the night before because we’d been drinking and didn’t want to drive.’

‘Yes, he said that, but he also said you called a cab for him in the morning.’

‘Tom had too much to drink. His memory is befuddled.’

‘I doubt Mr McCallister will be pleased to learn you are calling him a liar.’

‘I never called him a liar.’

‘Do you recall a former student named Jimmy Van Dyke?’

Lucinda could have sworn she saw a flicker of panic in Brittany’s eyes and a quickened tempo in her swinging leg before the teacher gave an answer.

‘The name does sound a bit familiar, officer.’

‘How about a current student? David Baynes?’

‘Oh, that’s such a tragedy. He was in my fifth-period class but I didn’t recognize his name at first – not until Ms Johnson pointed out that he was one of my students.’

‘The school year is nearly over and you still are not familiar with the names of the students in your classes?’

‘Listen. There are a lot of periods in a day and a lot of days in a school year and even more names on those classroom rosters. I wish I could say I remember all my students, all the time. But, sadly, I don’t.’ Brittany turned on a plastic smile. ‘And any teacher who tells you otherwise is a liar.’

‘Seems as if there are a lot of liars lurking in your life, Ms Schaffer.’

‘Everybody lies, officer. In your line of work, you should be well aware of that fact.’

Lucinda stared straight into Brittany’s eyes. ‘I am reminded of the frequency of dishonest answers every day, Ms Schaffer.’

Brittany turned away, uncrossed her legs and stared into space. ‘Is that all, officer?’

‘Who are you talking to, Ms Schaffer?’

Brittany jerked her head back to Lucinda. ‘You, of course.’

‘Then perhaps you could address me properly. It’s Lieutenant – Lieutenant Pierce. I told you that the last time we talked. You seem to have forgotten – or is that just your little way of demonstrating your disdain for me?’

‘Really, Lieutenant,’ Brittany said, rising to her feet. ‘I meet a lot of people with your level of self-absorption every day – but most of them are teenagers.’

Lucinda stood and looked down at the shorter woman, laughing long and hard. ‘If you’re trying to amuse me, you are succeeding. If not, you’re even less self-aware than road kill.’

‘How dare you?’

Lucinda tilted her head and smiled.

‘I am so sick of dealing with envious women in positions of power. You’re all the same – you, Ms Johnson, those management-level mothers – you make me sick. You take one look at me and turn green over your own physical inadequacies. I will be reporting you to your superiors.’ Brittany pivoted on her toes and stalked out of the office, her heels tapping an angry staccato on the floorboards. She punctuated it all by slamming the door as she stepped outside.

Lucinda was now even more convinced that Brittany Schaffer knew something about the incident at the school. And she strongly suspected it had something to do with Jimmy Van Dyke. Perhaps Jimmy’s parents would know who loaned him the truck. If not, maybe they’d know if he had a relationship with his teacher that was close enough that she would loan him her vehicle over the weekend. The question was: whom should she interview first? Who would be most likely to answer honestly and completely? She needed to know more about Mr and Mrs Van Dyke before she could decide.

J
ake wanted to coordinate his efforts with Lucinda, but when he called, he was shuttled straight to voicemail. Rather than work on another case in the pile on his desk, he decided to go to the high school and search the student area of the parking lot for red pick-up trucks.

Looking over the large space, he saw about a dozen scattered throughout the other vehicles. He took them one row at a time, jotting down the make, model and license plate numbers. Then he’d look in the cab and take notes on the contents before moving on to the next truck. The last one in the lot was parked in a far corner, at the greatest distance from the school and with no other cars in the spaces around it.

He was peering into the passenger window when he heard, ‘Hey! Hey! What are you doing? Get away from that truck!’ Jake turned around and saw a shaggy-haired young man in jeans and a T-shirt running in his direction.

‘Sweet-looking ride,’ Jake said. ‘Had to check it out.’

‘Don’t touch it.’

‘What are you doing out of class?’