Luke felt rage growing inside him as he watched Oscar’s car pull out of the driveway. It was so unfair. Oscar, a murderer? Maybe they were just looking for an excuse to boot him. He would have been long gone without all the money his parents poured into the school, that’s for sure. But were they seriously going to accuse Oscar of murder?
Luke heard someone clear his throat behind him and turned around. It was Mr. Hamaguchi. He was wearing Yale sweatpants and an old St. Benedict’s sweatshirt, and had clearly been out for a run, judging by the sweat pouring down his face and the steam behind his glasses.
“Was that really Oscar leaving?” he asked.
Luke nodded.
Mr. Hamaguchi shook his head. “Wow, tough break. You okay?”
No! Luke wanted to scream, but instead he shrugged. “I’ll be fine.”
Mr. Hamaguchi stared at him closely. “It’s not a good time for us here at St. Benedict’s.”
“That’s for sure.”
“It just goes to show.”
Luke nodded, and stared at the ground. Suddenly, he looked up. “It just goes to show what?”
“That if they want to get you, they’ll find a way.”
And with that parting advice, he resumed his run, jogging into the distance.
Luke watched him go and became angry all over again. It was true. The administration wanted Oscar to go, and now they had found a way. This couldn’t happen. Luke couldn’t let it happen. He would clear Oscar’s name. He owed it to him, and he knew Oscar would do the same for him. The first thing he was going to do was march into the headmaster’s office and try to put this investigation back on track.
* * *
“Luke, what can I do for you?” asked Headmaster Thompson when Luke was ushered into his office.
The headmaster had on his reading glasses and was writing something down in his notebook.
“I wanted to talk to you about Oscar,” said Luke nervously.
The headmaster peered up at him from above his glasses and motioned for Luke to sit down.
“Sir, with all due respect, I can honestly say that Oscar had nothing to do with Mrs. Heckler’s murder.”
The headmaster took off his glasses and stared at Luke for what seemed like an eternity. “And why are you so sure?”
“Well, he just…” There was no way Luke could say how he knew for sure. The only key would be to prove someone else did it. “Look, I think the police are focusing on the wrong person.” He paused, then burst out, “What about Dean Heckler?”
The headmaster remained silent.
“He had motive. She was, from what I hear, cheating on him…and then, her dad had all that money. Doesn’t he stand to inherit it as her next of kin?”
The headmaster bristled. “Luke, you’re out of line.”
“I’m sorry, sir, I know he’s a colleague, but my friend’s life is on the line here. Shouldn’t every angle be explored?”
“I think we both have to have faith in the police. They know what they’re doing.”
“But what about how the dean and his ex-wife are so friendly? That’s just weird. Since when do exes get along?”
The headmaster sighed deeply. “I understand you are worried about your friend. Since we have been talking to you off the record, I will address some of your concerns, but this has to be strictly off the record as well.”
The headmaster gave Luke a warning look.
“Sure,” said Luke.
“Upon Mrs. Heckler’s death, Dean Heckler told the police and her family that he would waive all rights to her estate, life insurance, everything. He wanted to make it crystal clear that he was not involved.”
“He did?” Luke paused. “Okay, fine. But maybe money was never his motive. Maybe he just wanted her dead.”
“The dean was at a dinner with the admissions officers from Boston University that night. In Boston. Three people can vouch for his whereabouts.”
“Well, Boston’s not that far. He could have left after dinner, come back here, and murdered her.”
The headmaster didn’t answer.
Luke stared at a small square of light reflected on top of his dark, shiny head. “I am sure the police checked every angle.”
Luke’s mind was racing. He was feeling desperate. “What about Mrs. Heckler? The first one? I saw her walking her dog that night. Um, out my window. Why would she do that? Doesn’t she live off-campus?”
“Not that it’s your business, but Mrs. Heckler—Mary—had been working late in the library trying to update the card catalogs.”
“Yeah, but that late? Until two in the morning?”
The headmaster stopped and stared at him. “How do you know what time she was out there?”
Uh-oh. Luke had to be more careful. “Um, that’s when I saw her coming back. Like I said, I couldn’t sleep.”
The headmaster stared at him before continuing. “The library system is antiquated, and the board of trustees has decided that all revisions have to be done as quickly as possible. As Mrs. Heckler has children now, she prefers to put them to bed and work late into the night while her sister looks after them. She is an insomniac, and this schedule works better for her. We are only too happy to accommodate.”
“Well, why did she bring her dog?”
“She brings the dog to keep her company. I think it makes her feel more protected.”
“Protected from what? So there is a sense that there might be a strangler out there?” asked Luke, his voice rising.
The headmaster frowned. “No, Luke. Just in general. When she drives home, parks her car, that sort of thing.”
“I don’t know, it just seems like a coincidence,” said Luke, still not entirely convinced.
The headmaster looked angry. “Do you really believe a fifty-eight-year-old woman with arthritis could strangle a fit, young woman like Joanna Heckler?”
Arthritis? This was the first Luke was hearing about that. Was it true? If so, maybe it was time to cross Mary Heckler off the list. “I guess you’re right.”
The headmaster placed both of his hands on the table and looked at Luke carefully. “Luke, I know you want to help your friend, but this is not an episode of a television show that can be solved by a high school student. You have to trust our criminal justice system. Don’t worry; the police are looking at everything. This is by no means a closed case.”
“I know firsthand that leaving investigations up to the police, or the FBI for that matter, is useless,” said Luke harshly. He knew he shouldn’t speak to the headmaster in that tone, but he couldn’t help himself.
The headmaster softened. “Luke, what happened to you was terrible. And I know you want to be a good friend to Oscar, which you are. But this is different. This is murder. And the police will solve this. You have to have faith in them.”
Luke stood up. “With all due respect, sir, I’ve learned that the only person I can have faith in is myself.”
And with that, he walked out of the room.