Chapter 20

Flint was gruff as an old bear. It was one of those days when everything worked against him. He wasn't an introspective person. Saw no reason to be. When everything is black and white and you never cross the line, there's no reason to be, or so he thought. It didn't occur to him that he was angry and disappointed with himself. It was just a cruddy day that would pass.

Bowman had found something in an interview a detective, Piggy Bertel, had done with the assistant principal at the elementary school Laurell Porter had attended. Just because Bertel had described the guy as "wound up too tight", he got stuck with running down the detective and getting his impressions. Flint didn't like Piggy. He was slovenly and so was his work. Then there was the Captain. He should have run all this by him first, but Aubrian was too busy to even talk with him. That gave him a pass. He found Piggy in the break room eating a marshmallow filled cake. Crumbs and filling clung to the sides of his mouth.

Piggy had been assigned to interview authorities at the school to get a feel for the kind of student the boy had been, any kind of problems he may have caused and to get a list of the boy's closest associates. All the reports on Laurell were glowing. He was an excellent student and presented no behavioral problems. He didn't align himself with any troublesome faction. His primary playmate was Tim Burton.

While waiting to interview P. T. Womack, Bertel was left to cool his heels in the teacher's lounge. The principal walked through the lounge. She was a gruff, heavy and thick-set woman. Her eyes told him to keep his distance. The remainder of the staff who traipsed through the lounge were either clones of their boss or just the opposite -- attractive females of varying ages. Apparently Womack was the only male on the staff and he seemed to carry more than his share of emotional problems. Those were not Bertel's words. Piggy tended to be somewhat indelicate in expressing his judgments.

"This clown was very guarded. I tried to get him to loosen up by asking him: 'You must feel a little out of place being the only male here, and what unusual females they are.' He didn't bat an eye, but he wouldn't look at me. He snapped back an answer, “The principal does all the hiring, if you don't fit the mold you're not selected. I was transferred in and she hasn't figured out a way to get rid of me.”

"That's about as close to loose as he got." Piggy wiped his mouth with one long swipe of his napkin, folded it and then wiped his forehead with it before throwing the crumpled paper towards the trashcan. Flint walked over, picked it up the and deposited it in the receptacle. Bertel, who was eyeing the vending machine from his chair, ignored Flint's look of disgust.

Flint returned to his seat across the table from the man, but Bertel's attention was now diverted. "That's about all I can tell you. I kept tryin' to get some rapport, but he wouldn't have none a that. Just short evasive answers or he'd answer my questions with questions of his own. I was glad to get that over with. Spooky guy, spooky place."

"Piggy, you mind if I follow up on this. Maybe take another shot with the guy?"

"Hell no, but you're just wastin' your time. He won't tell you nothin'."

Flint walked to his office and called in the information to Bowman. That brought on new assignments. Bowman suggested that he ask around for someone who might have contacts with the Superintendent of Education, to get a copy of Womack's employment file on the q.t. When Bowman asked him to accompany him to the man's residence for an appointed interview as soon as possible, that was the final straw. "I thought you refused to get personally involved in the investigation."

"I didn't intend to, but you're so sour, I think it's time we lighten things up and have a little fun."

Flint removed the phone from his ear and stared at it. He shook his head before returning it to his ear. In the end he agreed to drop by the school to meet Womack and set up the interview, explaining that one of the consultants hoped the administrator might be of some help to him. Bowman hadn't explained himself. Flint wasn't in a mood to ask.