Innocent in Death (19 page)

He braced his head, hair still damp, in his hand. “She said she assumed he was cleaning out his lockers. I glanced in the lounge, but he wasn’t there, so I went into the fitness center. His locker was still activated, but he wasn’t on the machines. I just stepped into the pool area, to see…”

“What did you see?”

“He was floating, facedown. At first, I…I thought—I maybe said, ‘Damn, Reed, this is a damn mess.’ He kept floating, and I realized…I jumped in. You’re supposed to grab a flotation, but I didn’t think. I just jumped, and I turned him over, towed him to the side. I got him out. I had to get out first, then haul him out. I did mouth-to-mouth, CPR. We’re all required to know how to do that. I don’t know how long, but he wasn’t breathing. I hit the intercom, called Carin—Nurse Brennan. I told her to call nine-one-one and to come to the pool.”

“Which she did.”

“Yes. She came right away. She tried, when she got here, she tried. Then the MTs tried. But they said he was gone.”

“Where are your shoes?”

“Shoes?” He looked down at his bare feet. “I forgot shoes. I had my work clothes on when I went into the pool. The police officer said it was all right for me to change. I forgot to put my skids on, I guess. Maybe if I’d gotten there sooner, just a minute or two sooner. If I hadn’t looked in the lounge first.”

“I don’t think so, Mr. Dawson. I think you did all you could.”

“I hope I did. I nearly drowned once, when I was ten. My family always went to the Jersey shore in August. I went out too far, and I couldn’t get back. The waves just kept pushing me farther out, and I couldn’t stay up. My father pulled me back. He got to me and pulled me all the way back to shore. Blistered my ears for swimming out that far, then he cried. Just sat down and cried. I never forgot it, or how scared I was. It’s a scary way to die.”

“Yeah, but mostly they all are.”

She questioned him further, but if he’d been responsible for Williams’s death instead of traumatized by it, she’d eat her badge.

She released him, then accessed Williams’s locker for another search. One of his good suits, she noted, with shirt and tie, dress shoes. So he’d been planning to dude up for the day. Didn’t sound like resignation time to her.

Could have had another appointment, she mused. She searched through his toiletry bag, found nothing out of line. Then hauled out his briefcase as she heard the sturdy strides of Peabody’s winter boots.

“Williams is our DB,” Eve said without looking over. “Found floating facedown in the pool, past reviving. Bruised and scraped on the jaw, could be he got clocked, but it looks to me as if he rapped himself on the edge of the pool. Some scrapes on the back consistent with being pulled out. No other visible trauma.”

“So it looks accidental.”

“Looks like. Isn’t, or I’m a dancing monkey. We’ll want to go through this disc, but by the looks of his briefcase, it appears he was set to resume his teacherly duties today.” Now she looked over at Peabody. “Wit statement claims Williams was suspended, and termination proceedings were set to begin if he didn’t resign within twenty-four.”

“But he comes in, uses the school facilities.” Peabody poked her head into the locker. “And from all appearances was going to tough it out. Who’d he see this morning?”

“That’s what we’re going to find out, but my money’s on Mosebly.”

They tracked the principal down in her office, easily cutting through the admin who sat bleary-eyed and sniffling. Mosebly paced the room as she spoke on an earpiece. She held up a hand, signaling Eve and Peabody to wait.

“Yes, of course. I will. The police are here now. I’ll get back to you as soon as I’ve spoken with them.” Mosebly took off the earpiece, laid it on her desk. “The chairman of our board,” she said, and rubbed her fingertips between her eyebrows. “This is a very difficult time. If you’ll give me a moment, I need to arrange for classes to be dismissed for the day.”

“Nobody leaves,” Eve said flatly.

“I beg your pardon? We’ve had a second death. You can’t expect the students to—”

“Nobody leaves the building until I clear it. Nobody else comes in unless I clear it. What time did you speak with Mr. Williams this morning?”

“I’m sorry, my head is splitting.” She moved to her desk, opened a drawer, and took out a small enameled case. She removed what Eve recognized as a standard blocker. After pouring herself a glass of water, she sat down, took the pill.

It would help the headache, Eve thought, and also gave Mosebly a few moments to gather her wits and decide what she’d say and how she’d say it.

“I signed in at seven, or shortly after. To be frank, Craig Foster’s death has generated a great deal of concern among the parents, the board. I’ve held a number of conferences, and came in early today to catch up on other administrative duties.”

“Including preparing termination proceedings on Reed Williams.”

“Yes.” She pressed her lips together. “It seems cold now, but there was no choice. He’d been charged with possessing illegal substances, and is—or it appears he was—under heavy suspicion for Craig’s murder. He was obviously an unacceptable risk for our students. As I told him clearly yesterday when he returned to the school.”

“Yesterday? He came back here after his bail hearing?”

“Correct. I suggested, initially, he take some leave, but he was adamant about going on as if nothing had happened. Though most of the students had left by that time, I was worried about him causing a scene, so I asked him to speak with me in here. Privately.”

Mosebly brushed a hand over her hair, then tugged down the jacket of her suit. “It was unpleasant, I’ll be frank about that as well. I explained the need to avoid any more scandal. We’ve had three parents remove their children from the school and demand their tuition be returned. Once it became public that a teacher was arrested…”

She trailed off, shook her head.

“How’d he take it?” Eve asked.

“Poorly. It’s within my rights to suspend a teacher for suspicion of illegal or immoral behavior, but termination is trickier. He knew it. He stalked out claiming that between his lawyer and his union rep, he’d squash any attempt I—or the BOD—might make to have him fired.”

“Wouldn’t have gone down well with you.”

“No, it did not. It did not,” Mosebly repeated with some fire in her eyes. “While I believe we could and would have succeeded in the termination, it would have been an ugly mess. And would have resulted, no doubt, in the loss of more students.”

“And more revenue.”

“Yes. Without revenue, we can’t provide the education the students expect and deserve.”

“But he came in today regardless. Did you have words with him in the pool? You’ve been swimming this morning, Principal Mosebly.” She waited while Mosebly blinked. “Your towel, still damp, was in the locker room hamper. Women’s side. One towel.”

“As I’ve stated before, I often swim in the morning. I did see Reed, yes, as I was getting out of the pool. And yes, we had words. I told him I wanted him off the premises, and he informed me he was going to take a swim, then have some coffee and a muffin before he began his classes.”

“Defying your authority,” Eve prompted.

“He was very smug and arrogant about it. I don’t deny we argued, or that I was very angry. And he was diving into the pool, very much alive, when I left. I showered, dressed, then came directly here to contact the chairman and relay the situation.”

“What time was that?”

“It would have been around eight when I got to my office and made the call. When I’d finished, I found Eric—Mr. Dawson, and asked him to monitor Reed’s fourth-period class today. I also spoke with Mirri and Dave, assigning each of them to one of Reed’s classes.”

She stopped, sighed. “A small scheduling nightmare. I had intended to wait for Reed to come out of the locker room, give him another chance to leave on his own. Then, as ordered by the board, I would call security and have him escorted out of the building. I didn’t know Nurse Brennan had made the nine-one-one call until the medical technicians were rushing in. I didn’t know…I had no idea what had happened.”

“You know the routine by now. I need the names of everyone who was in the building between seven and eight-thirty A.M. My partner and I will begin interviews.”

“But…but this was an accident.”

Eve smiled thinly. “That’s what you said about Foster.”

There was little variation as far as staff on premises, Eve noted. But it was very interesting to learn that Allika Straffo had signed in, with her daughter, at seven-thirty-two, and hadn’t signed out again until eight-twelve.

Her gauge had put Williams’s TOD at seven-fifty.

She mulled it over as she set up to interview Mirri Hallywell.

“I don’t know how much more we can take,” Mirri began. “This place, it’s like a tomb. Like it’s cursed. That sounds dramatic, but that’s how it feels to me.”

“Why were you here so early? I show you signing in at seven-fifteen.”

“Oh. Drama Club. We’re meeting before classes. In the theater. Discussion, a vid of some scenes from
Our Town
. ”

“I’ll need a list of the students and staff present. Parents and guardians.”

“Of course, no problem. I was the only staff there.”

“Did you leave the theater at any time during the meeting?”

“No. I was there from seven-thirty to eight-fifteen. Actually, a little before seven-thirty as I set up the vid, and probably a few minutes after eight-fifteen as I broke them down. I didn’t hear about Reed until I was back in my classroom.”

“You knew Williams had been arrested yesterday.”

“Everyone knew.” She lifted a shoulder. “I can’t say I was surprised, and maybe—I probably shouldn’t say this, but maybe a little pleased. Comeuppance, you know? But this? Drowning the way he did, that’s horrible. I just don’t know how it could’ve happened.”

We’re going to chat with the fragile and lovely Mrs. Straffo.” Eve got behind the wheel. “I wonder how she handled the irony of having her husband defending the guy she dicked around on him with. And what she was doing in the building for forty-five minutes.”

“Straffo wasn’t on Hallywell’s memory list of parents in the theater during the meeting.” Peabody shifted a little, kept looking straight out the windshield. “So, how are things?”

“What things?”

“I, ah, happened to have the screen on this morning when I was grabbing a bagel. Caught that stupid bit about that blonde and Roarke. Anybody could see it was bullcrap.”

“Then why do you bring it up?”

“Sorry.”

“No,” Eve said after a minute. “No, no point in slapping at you for it. It’s outside the box right now, that’s all. And it’s staying outside the box because it’s not part of the job. Clear?”

“Sure.”

“I can’t let it in right now,” Eve said after another moment of screaming silence. “I can’t think about it right now.”

“Okay. I’m just going to say this one thing, then lock the lid. Bullcrap.”

“Thanks. Okay, why did Mrs. Straffo take the kid to school today. Why not the babysitter?”

“That would be the au pair on their level. Good question.”

Eve pulled up in front of the apartment building. “Then let’s ask it.”

She had to cut through the doorman who tried to block them. “Mrs. Straffo has her penthouse on privacy mode. Door and ’links. She doesn’t want to be disturbed.”

“Pal, I don’t know what kind of Christmas bonus you get from the Straffos, but now’s the time to ask yourself if it’s worth you getting hauled into Central and held for obstruction of justice. This is a badge. Read it and weep. Now step back, or you’re going to be sitting in holding for the next several hours.”

“I’m just doing my job.”

“Aren’t we all.” Eve moved by him, then paused. “Have you seen the au pair this morning?”

“Cora? She went out about nine. Errands. She said Mrs. Straffo wasn’t feeling very well, and activated the privacy mode. She hasn’t come back yet.”

“What about Mrs. Straffo? What time did she get back this morning?”

“About eight-thirty, maybe a little later. Didn’t look well either.”

“On foot, or by car?”

“Walking. Walked the kid to school. It’s about ten minutes away. They were scooting some. The kid said she’d be late for her meeting if they didn’t hurry.”

“Doesn’t the au pair usually take the kid in, pick her up?” Peabody wondered.

“Most of the time, sure,” the doorman confirmed. “One of the Straffos takes her now and then.”

Riding up to the penthouse, Eve worked on the timing. Leaves the school, walks home. Takes a good fifteen minutes to do it. Not hurrying then. Goes upstairs, gives the au pair errands to run. Shuts down.

Wants privacy.

At the penthouse, Eve pressed the buzzer. The security blinked, and the computer clicked on.

We’re sorry. The Straffo family has activated full privacy. If you care to leave your name and contact information, one of the family will return your call when available.

Eve held her badge to the scanner. “This is police business. You’re ordered to override privacy mode and inform Mrs. Straffo to open the door.”

One moment, please, while your identification is verified…ID verified. Please wait…

Eve was just toying with the idea of pounding a fist on the door when it opened. The doorman had it right. Allika Straffo didn’t look well.

She may have been dressed in silk lounging pajamas, but they were wasted on her as she stood pale and hollow-eyed.

“Please, can’t this wait? I’m sick.”

“You were well enough to walk your daughter to school this morning. Something happen there that made you sick? Or maybe you’ve been feeling a little off since your husband agreed to defend your lover.”

“He isn’t my lover. He was a mistake. Please, leave me alone.”

“Not going to happen.” Eve laid a hand on the door before Allika could close it. “You fix that mistake this morning?”

“I’m tired.” Tears began to gather and fall. “I’m just sick and I’m tired. I just want all of this to go away.”

“So you helped Williams go under for the third time?”

“What are you talking about? Oh, God, come in then. Just come in. I’m too tired to stand here arguing with you.” She turned away from the door, went to the living area to sit on one of the sofas, dropped her head in her hand.