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Shandra sat still as the bell rang and the students hurried out the main entrance. Once the hall and common room had cleared, she went in search of Nancy. She found the woman in her small office, rubbing her temples.
A quiet knock on the door frame caught the woman’s attention.
“Shandra. Come in.” Nancy began stacking folders on her desk, avoiding eye contact.
“Did you hear? Gertrude found Roger Huntley—”
“I heard. It’s awful to have had that happen at the school, but I can understand someone losing their cool with that man.” The anger she’d witnessed in the woman before resurfaced.
Shandra stared at her friend. “We don’t know it wasn’t an accident. The sidewalks around here have been slippery lately.” She hoped it was an accident. If Ryan thought it was anything else, he’d go after Boyd and Travis. She had a gut feeling the two had nothing to do with the teacher’s death.
“Yes. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t jump to conclusions just because the man was disliked.” Nancy still didn’t meet her gaze.
“I was wondering if you found out what Mr. Huntley had said to Travis and if he was feeling better by the time school let out?” Shandra sat in the chair directly in front of the messy desk.
The woman looked perplexed. “Travis refused to say what Roger had said to him. But he kept insisting Boyd didn’t hurt him. I know Boyd would never hurt Travis.”
Shandra had a feeling she knew what Travis meant. “Did you keep Travis in here all last period?”
“On our way here, he stopped at the restroom and I came on to the office. He showed up about fifteen minutes later.” Her brown eyes widened. “You don’t think...He’d never!”
“No. I don’t think Travis hurt Mr. Huntley. But he might have seen if it was an accident or not.” She couldn’t believe Boyd would intentionally kill anyone, even when standing up for his brother. “Who else had a problem with Mr. Huntley?”
Nancy waved her hand. “Just about anyone who came in contact with the little prick.” She slapped a hand over her mouth. “I-I didn’t mean...”
Shandra held up a hand. “I know he came on too strong with the female teachers. What about the male teachers? Why did Mr. Pawner keep him on if he irritated so many others?”
“I honestly don’t know why he was still here. I know of four female teachers who reported him for sexual harassment. And I think one student.”
Shandra shuddered. She’d had the same problem with an instructor in college. “A student who still goes here?”
Nancy shook her head. “No. It was a couple of years ago. She was a senior at the time. Actually, our star drama student.” She tapped a pencil on the desk. “She said Mr. Huntley made advances toward her during a play practice. Her boyfriend backed her up, saying he caught Huntley groping the girl.”
Bile rose in Shandra’s throat. She hated hearing about these things. Adults were to be safe havens for kids, not predators. She made a note to come early tomorrow and visit with the drama students.
“Thank you. If you hear anything let me know. My fiancé is the detective working the case. I can pass it along to him.” Shandra stood and walked to the door.
“Roger was a nasty man, but no one deserves to die before their time,” Nancy said as Shandra stepped out of the room.
She agreed.
Walking up the hall, she spotted Ryan entering the commons from the side door. She caught up to him as he stopped at the secretary’s desk.
“I’d like to speak with Mr. Pawner now,” Ryan said, making eye contact with Shandra.
“He’s expecting you, Detective.” Rachel reached over and opened the door leading into the school offices. “Shandra, can I help you?”
“She’s with me,” Ryan said, motioning for her to catch up.
Rachel’s eyebrows rose, but she didn’t say anything.
Shandra slipped past Ryan and led him down the small hallway to the principal’s office. She knocked on the door frame.
Mr. Pawner glanced up. “Come in. Shandra, I’m surprised to see you escorting the police.” The principal leaned back in his chair, but his eyes didn’t hold the usual merry glint.
“She’s with me,” Ryan said, again.
Russ glanced between them and straightened in his chair. “I see. Did you determine Roger Huntley’s death was an accident?”
Ryan shook his head. “I can’t say anything until forensics has a look at him.”
Shandra knew that look and tone. Ryan had already determined it wasn’t an accident. The thought that someone from this school could have shoved the man hard enough to kill him had the acid in her stomach burning. She pressed a hand to her breast bone.
The principal studied Ryan. “Then it could have been an accident? Do you think he died instantly? I’d hate to think someone could have done something for him if they’d come along sooner.”
Shandra didn’t understand the principal’s interest in whether or not Roger had suffered. As far as she’d seen, the principal didn’t have any more love for the art teacher than anyone else.
“Most likely. I’ll know more after forensics gets done with him.” Ryan pulled out his notepad. “Was Huntley a well-liked teacher?”
Shandra coughed. Both Ryan and Mr. Pawner studied her.
“He hit on every female teacher and didn’t take no for an answer,” she said.
Ryan faced her. “Why didn’t you tell me about him?”
She shrugged. “He seemed harmless.”
He frowned and turned back to the principal. “Did any female teachers file complaints against him?”
Mr. Pawner picked up a file. “You’ll find all of them in there. Even the one filed by a student.”
Ryan’s eyebrows rose. “A student? Only one?”
The principal nodded. “Only the one complaint. If the boyfriend hadn’t walked in, I doubt it would have been filed.”
“Why is that?” Shandra asked.
“Because, unfortunately, most of the girls who come through here know about Mr. Huntley and only take his art class and do drama because that is where their hearts are set. They put up with him to get good grades and good parts.”
She stared at the man. “You knew this lecherous man was using his authority to torment girls and you didn’t do anything?”
He held up his hands. “He’s-was- the grandson of the couple who donated the money for the Art Quad. One of their requirements was that Roger had a lifetime teaching job here.” Russ sighed. “I had to look the other way to keep our funding for that building.”
Shandra shook her head. It was close to blackmail.
Ryan had been glancing through the file. “I’d like to see all of the teachers who filed complaints.”
Mr. Pawner picked up his phone and pushed a button. “Rachel, would you have Ms. Trainor, Ms. Tait, Ms. Miller, and Mary Turpin come to my office please?” He nodded and replaced the phone. “Jennifer in food services also filled out a complaint. But she went home a couple hours ago.”
Shandra stared at the man. How could funding for a building be more important than someone feeling safe at work, or in the case of the students, at school?
“There are more complaints in here,” Ryan said.
“Those teachers are no longer here.”
“I can understand why when you don’t back them up in their complaints.” Shandra had thought of Mr. Pawner as an upstanding and sympathetic principal. After hearing all of this, she was changing her mind. He was weak and had sacrificed his employees and students for money.