Virgil glanced up at the wispy swirls of golden pink and purple on Tuesday morning’s sky, as he and Kevin walked in the teacher’s entrance of Foggy Ridge Middle School. They were met by the maintenance supervisor, who led them to the principal’s office.
Virgil removed his Stetson as he entered a pleasant pale-yellow room with walls of framed certificates and motivational posters.
The principal, an attractive fiftysomething brunette, rose from her desk to greet them and extended her hand. “Sheriff Granger. Good to meet you. Ruth Arnold.”
Virgil shook her hand, the smell of freshly brewed coffee permeating the room. “This is Chief Deputy Kevin Mann.”
“Pleased to meet you both,” she said. “I’ve certainly seen you on the news a time or two. I appreciate your willingness to meet with me so early. I need some direction before classes begin. Please, sit down and make yourselves comfortable. I have a fresh pot of coffee. Any takers?”
“I’d love some,” Virgil said. “Black is fine.”
Kevin nodded. “Yes, ma’am. Same here.”
Virgil and Kevin sat at a small table on one side of the room while Ruth walked over to a coffeemaker that was set on a counter in the corner. She brought two mugs of coffee and set one in front of each of them, then got one for herself and sat at the table.
“Sheriff,” Ruth said, “I told you over the phone every detail I know of the rumor circulating that Jesse Cummings witnessed Dixie Berne’s drowning and saw the man who was with her in the water.”
“Who allegedly was with her,” Kevin said. “That hasn’t been established.”
Virgil nodded, regretting that, for Jesse’s sake, it would be imprudent to say more. “You know we can’t comment on an ongoing investigation, but you can understand how that kind of information out there in the public arena, true or false, could make Jesse a walking target. So we need your help to contain the rumor.”
“Sheriff, that’s a tall order,” Ruth said. “Once a rumor is out, there’s no putting it back in the bag.”
Virgil took a sip of coffee. “I know. What I want to do is protect Jesse as much as possible from having to comment on it, so that the rumor will die off by itself.”
“How?”
“In my experience, kids this age get bored and stop asking questions if they don’t get an answer.”
“They’re liable to turn on him,” Ruth said. “Bull Hanson can be downright cruel, and he manipulates his teammates. I’ve already had to address their verbal bullying a few times, and the school year’s barely started.”
“That’s a real possibility,” Kevin said, “but one that can’t be avoided. Jesse started the ball rolling on this. He’s been told how making this kind of claim might have put him in danger.”
“How can I help?” Ruth folded her hands on her desk.
“I’ve spoken to Colleen Berne,” Virgil said, “who, I understand, is Jesse’s English teacher. She knows that Jesse could be in danger because of the rumor, and that my department is currently investigating the story Jesse told his friends. It would be very helpful if you’d reinforce that she is not to have any—and I mean any—personal conversations with Jesse.”
“I can do that,” Ruth said. “I already planned to get with Colleen before classes start.”
“Our recommendation is that you transfer Jesse to another English class. It will be almost intolerable for Colleen and Jesse otherwise.”
Ruth had a faraway look and seemed to be thinking. “That can certainly be arranged easily enough. But I don’t think Colleen’s going to be a problem. She’s a reasonable woman.”
“With all due respect,” Virgil said, glancing briefly at Kevin, “no one in a victim’s family can be considered reasonable when their loved one has died, leaving unanswered questions, and a potential eyewitness so accessible. Though Colleen may be a wonderful teacher and a great human being, she is the grieving daughter of a woman who may have been murdered. The temptation for her to talk to Jesse could be overwhelming.”
Ruth bit her lip. “Do you think it might be better if Jesse were transferred to another middle school?”
“Truthfully, no,” Virgil said. “A transfer would likely raise more questions and perpetuate the rumor on two fronts, actually increasing the risk to Jesse’s safety.” Virgil scratched his newly shaven chin. “I’m sure you’re aware of his family’s tragic history. And I know you would want to spare them more heartache. I really think we can contain the damage already done if you will talk to Miss Berne and put Jesse in another English class. No one would question the wisdom of you doing that during an open investigation.”
“All right,” Ruth said. “I’ll take care of it before second period. Jesse and Colleen won’t have to cross paths. That should help. But what about Jesse’s peers? They are going to barrage him with questions.”
“Which he won’t answer,” Kevin said. “He’s been coached on how to respond. We believe his peers will tire of the whole thing in short order. Unfortunately, they’ll probably give him a hard time in the process.”
“Sheriff,” Ruth said while drawing a circle on the desk with her finger, “do you think Jesse saw a man with Colleen’s mother when she drowned?”
“As Chief Deputy Mann already pointed out, that hasn’t been established,” Virgil replied. “The point is, Jesse has led his peers to think so. Right now, we have no reason to believe the media or anyone outside this school has picked up on it. We don’t plan to talk with any of your students or their parents. We don’t want to fan the flames even slightly. We caught this early and are in a good position, with your help, to contain the rumor and let it fizzle out on its own.”
Ruth nodded. “Maybe by taking the steps you mentioned, we’ll be able to do exactly that. But when I’m approached by students, parents, teachers—or, heaven forbid, the media—how should I respond?”
“Without using Jesse’s name, just tell the truth: that the sheriff is working to establish whether the rumor is true, or whether it’s a product of the student’s imagination, or an attempt to impress his peers. Beyond that, you have no comment. Can you do that?”
“Yes. I’m sure I can.”
“Good. Make it clear to your teachers that you’re the only one authorized to speak to the media. If they’re approached, they need to direct all inquiries to you.” Virgil looked over at Kevin. “Anything else you can think of?”
Kevin pursed his lips. “Maybe you could choose a group of trusted staff people to keep an eye on Jesse without him realizing it. They’d be able to spot any student or teacher who seems to have him cornered and could interrupt the conversation with some made-up excuse.”
“I’m sure I could arrange that,” Ruth said. “At least we don’t have to worry about strangers in the school. We screen people very carefully.”
Kevin folded his hands on the table. “That’s good to hear.”
“Sheriff, is Jesse’s situation putting my students in danger?” Ruth said. “I have a right to know that much.”
“I really don’t think so,” Virgil said. “If anyone’s in danger, it’s Jesse. Just to be on the safe side, I’ll be assigning two deputies to cruise the area around the school and keep an eye out for anything that doesn’t look right. But let me emphasize,” Virgil said, “that all of this is precautionary. I don’t perceive your students to be in any danger whatsoever. This is about Jesse.”
“Well, you have my full cooperation.” Ruth glanced at her watch and stood. “I will talk to Colleen as soon as she gets here. And I’ll make sure Jesse is transferred to a different second-period English class.”
Virgil went out the side door of the school, the sun now visible just above the horizon. He placed his hat on his head and walked back to his squad car, Kevin keeping stride.
“I hated having to withhold what we know from Ruth Arnold,” Virgil said.
“You did the right thing, Sheriff. And to be fair, we haven’t found any evidence to corroborate Jesse’s testimony, other than that Kleenex. Containing the rumor is our primary objective. I think we just might get it done.”
“When I tell Kate what we’re doing, her first impulse will be to transfer Jesse to a different school. I’ve got to convince her it won’t help.”
“Yeah, either way, the kid’s in for a real kick in the pants,” Kevin said. “Some of his peers will taunt him unmercifully when they question him about being an eyewitness and he tells them he’s not allowed to comment on an open investigation. We’ve got to convince him to stay strong and be consistent.”
“Let’s hope they get bored with it quickly and leave him alone.” Virgil pulled his keys out of his pocket. “But Jesse’s bound to lose some friends who feel they’ve been lied to.”
“Unfortunately, this thing could drag on for some time.” Kevin’s red hair caught a glint of sunlight. “We’re not even close to finding a suspect.”
“That’s why I want our sketch artist to try again to jog Jesse’s memory. And I want you to sit in on it. You’re the best we’ve got at that. Jesse’s a kid with twenty-twenty eyesight, who made eye contact with our man of interest from just fifty yards away. I’m not convinced we can’t get him to remember what the guy looked like.”
“Then again, he was sitting on a big school of crappie.” Kevin flashed a crooked grin. “I wonder how tuned in I’d be to some guy across the river if I’d found a spot like that.”
Liam was just about to clock in at the poultry plant when his cell phone rang. He glanced at the screen, then stepped out in the hall and put the phone to his ear.
“What’s up, Sis?”
“The sheriff has already been here,” Colleen said. “The principal moved Jesse to another English class. I’ve been instructed—which is just a polite word for forbidden—not to talk to Jesse. Can you believe it?”
“Sheriff Granger sure didn’t waste any time.”
“Liam, why would he go to all that trouble unless Jesse really saw what happened? Why are they so afraid I might find out what that is? What is the sheriff hiding from us?”
Liam felt as if his lungs were in a vise. Did the sheriff suspect him?
“Well, they can’t keep me from talking to Jesse,” she said. “I’m not going to just sit back and wonder what’s going on. I want answers!”
“Colleen, don’t,” Liam said. “Don’t jeopardize your career by talking to the kid. Give it time to play out. We have nothing to gain by defying the sheriff. He’s the one person we need to stay connected to.”
Colleen paused for several seconds, then exhaled into the receiver. “You’re right. I want answers five minutes ago, but that’s not the way the system works. We need to follow the sheriff’s instructions. He knows what he’s doing. I just wish I didn’t have this unsettling feeling that he’s hiding something.”
“Like I told you before, he’s just following department protocol.” Liam kept his voice steady, careful to hide the panic he felt.
“And in all fairness to the sheriff,” Colleen said, “he did listen to us. Even without an autopsy, he’s agreed to investigate Mom’s death as a murder.”
Or is it because of something Jesse told him? The pounding of Liam’s heartbeat seemed almost audible.
“Thanks for letting me vent,” Colleen said. “I wish I could stay as calm as you do. You remind me of Dad.”
“It’s just a guy thing. Take a deep breath,” Liam said, talking more to himself than to Colleen. “Do what the principal asked and don’t question the kid. We’ll talk more when I get home.”
Colleen exhaled. “Okay. I think I’m okay now. I need to sit here and gather my thoughts before the bell rings. I’ll see you tonight. Love you.”
“I love you too.” Liam disconnected the call, his hands shaking, and stuck his cell phone on his belt.
His mind raced in reverse through every detail of his mother’s drowning and the cover-up. Things had gone flawlessly. There was no way the sheriff would find any tangible evidence to charge him with murder. The only thing standing between him and his inheritance was the word of that kid.
The same dark feeling came over him that had engulfed him the night before. Mom’s attorney had nearly completed all the necessary steps for the dissolution of her trust, and Liam was just a couple weeks away from getting his one-hundred-and-seventy-five-thousand-dollar inheritance. How far was he willing to go in order to keep this Cummings kid from ruining everything he’d worked so hard to set in motion?