Please don’t do that,” Peachman said. “We haven’t turned a blind eye, you know. We’ve been watching him. He was warned. As far as . . . the incident . . . I didn’t know about it until recently. Mr. Levellie will be handed his walking papers, but we have to consult our attorney first. I want to make certain we do this by the book. We don’t want the teachers’ union breathing down our necks.”
“I’ll give you a week to get him out,” River said. “And that’s it. His behavior stops now. You tell him that. Now, if you’ll contact Miss Kershaw for us. We need to talk to her.”
Peachman shuffled over to the door and pulled it open, obviously ready for them to leave.
Tony, who’d been silent during River’s threats, spoke up. “By the way, do you know a boy named Mark Loomis?”
“Yes, he was a student here, but I have no idea where he is now. I can ask Margaret to look up the last address we had for him.”
“That would be great,” Tony said.
River and Tony walked back into the room they’d just come from.
Peachman’s earlier bravado was gone. River had successfully removed his spine and handed it to him on a platter. She looked at Tony. His tightened jaw and narrowed eyes made it clear that he was upset with her. Surely not the results, but her means of getting what she wanted. She understood why he was uncomfortable, but she couldn’t help it. She had to protect the girls who were too afraid to speak up and ask for help. She’d talk to Tony later. She certainly wouldn’t have gone after Levellie if she hadn’t been sure. She knew how to read people. Why couldn’t he just trust her instincts?
“Have a seat,” Peachman said, gesturing toward the chairs against the wall. “Margaret will get that address for you. Like I said, I have no idea if this is a current address for him, but his family may still live there. Maybe they can help you.”
Before River and Tony walked away, Peachman reached out and grabbed Tony’s arm. “Please,” he said, “if you find Chris—alive or dead—let me know. I liked him very much.”
“We’ll let you know,” Tony said. “You have my word.”
“Thank you. Thank you so much.” Peachman let go of Tony’s arm and sighed deeply. “I try to help these kids, but there are so many. Sometimes it’s overwhelming.”
Tony patted his shoulder. “I understand, and I appreciate knowing that you intend to deal with Mr. Levellie. It’s the right thing to do.”
“Yes . . . yes it is. I’m glad you brought this to me instead of letting someone else get hold of it. This kind of thing can’t happen again, no matter how much pressure I get from the school board and the union. I’ll also ask Margaret to call Miss Kershaw.”
“Thank you.”
River was silent as they sat down. Tony was playing up to Peachman. In her mind, he didn’t deserve understanding. He’d allowed Levellie to continue his behavior for at least four years since Chris had noticed it before he disappeared. In her book, that was inexcusable.
They sat quietly, waiting on the imperious Margaret to look up Mark Loomis’s address and set up an appointment with the other teacher they’d come to see. After talking softly to Margaret, Mr. Peachman gestured toward the boy he had been meeting with before. He walked back into the office.
Finally, Margaret called them up to the desk. “This is the last address we had for Mark,” she said. “I shouldn’t be doing this. Student information is supposed to be private.”
“But he’s not a student now,” River said curtly. “So let’s not worry about it, okay?”
Tony took the note from Margaret’s hand. “Thank you,” he said. “We appreciate your help.”
Margaret raised her eyebrows, but her expression remained tight. “Miss Kershaw has left for the day. Her last class was at one o’clock.”
“Okay.” Tony took a card from his billfold. “Will you please give this to her? Tell her we’d like to ask her some questions about Chris Stover?”
Margaret didn’t say anything, but she took the card. Then she turned her back on them and walked away. River looked at him and shrugged. “I guess your charm doesn’t work on everyone,” she said in a low voice.
Tony ignored her.
Just as they reached the large double doors that led to the parking lot, a bell rang. Within seconds, students began pouring out of their classrooms and flooding the halls. Tony and River hurried to their car. They made it into the vehicle just in time. Kids began to clog the parking lot, either going to their cars or heading toward the buses that lined the street next to the lot.
“Looks like we may be here for a while,” River said. “So would you want to use this time to read me the riot act?”
Tony stared at her for a moment before saying, “Would it do any good?”
“Maybe.” She sighed. “Look, I know I come on too strong sometimes. It’s just . . . there was a teacher at my grade school who molested several of the girls. Not me, thankfully, but one of my best friends. The school kept it quiet. They thought they had a handle on this guy, but they didn’t. One of the girls he molested committed suicide. I know you think it’s not the same thing you went through, but I still wonder if I’d said something . . . would she still be alive?”
Tony started to respond, but River held her hand up. “I know, I was just a kid. I really don’t blame myself, but I do believe that making sure kids know about bad touching—and that they should report any adult who makes them feel uncomfortable—is really important.” She shook her head. “I guess the memory of what happened makes me determined to shut these perverts down. Levellie should have been removed after the first report of anything inappropriate. I don’t want anyone else to go through what the girl I knew did. I’m sorry if you’re upset about the way I handled things.”
“I understand, I really do,” Tony said. “But in this country, everyone is innocent until proven guilty. You lied to Peachman. You had no knowledge of any incident.”
“You’re wrong.” River turned her face and fastened her eyes on his. “I can tell things about people,” she said. “The way they move. How they say something. It was clear to me that there was something Peachman was hiding. I may not know what it was, but I was certain it had happened.”
Tony stared at her for a moment, then leaned his head back against the seat. “I realize you believe this, and to be honest, I’ve seen you use this superpower many times. And you’ve been right every time. But what happens when you’re wrong? When you accuse an innocent person of something awful? You’re not perfect, River.”
“I know. I let my emotions get the best of me. I’m sorry. I guess I need you to keep me in line. Hope you’re up for the task.”
The edges of Tony’s mouth ticked up, but he didn’t respond.
River looked around them. Slowly but surely the parking lot was beginning to empty, but it would take a few more minutes before they could get out. She started to say something when someone knocked on the window next to Tony. She looked over to see the boy who’d gone into Peachman’s office while she and Tony were waiting for Mark Loomis’s information.
Tony rolled the window down and smiled at the boy. “Something wrong?”
The kid shook his head. “I heard you talking about Mark Loomis. I’m friends with his younger brother Terrance.”
“We’re trying to find out if Mark knew a kid that’s been missing for several years. He’s not in trouble or anything.”
The boy nodded. “A lot of the kids who go here know about Chris Stover. They don’t talk about it much anymore, but it kinda freaked some people out when he disappeared. His friends swore he didn’t run away. They think someone took him.”
“We think that too,” Tony said. “Do you know something that might help us?”
The kid looked around before saying, “Yeah. Mark moved out of his house right after high school. He spent some time in prison, but he’s back. He’s living in an apartment building in east St. Louis. I don’t know the exact address, but Terrance said it’s right across from St. Matthew Baptist Church on Louisiana Boulevard. If you go there, be careful. It’s a pretty rough neighborhood.”
“We will. Thanks . . .”
“David.”
“Thanks, David.”
“You’re welcome. I hope you find what you’re looking for.”
As he walked away, Tony grinned at River. “So, I guess we’re going to east St. Louis. But not today. It’s late. Not a good idea to go there after dark. Besides, I’m in the mood for some music tonight. How about you?”
“Jimmy G’s?”
He nodded. “Jimmy G’s.”
WHEN THEY FINISHED TALKING TO DAVID, Tony backed carefully out of their parking space and headed for the street. He was still upset about the way River had handled Peachman. He was determined to make this partnership work. River really did need him. Although she wouldn’t admit it, she was damaged. Sooner or later she would break. He was determined to be there to help pick up the pieces and put her back together. But at what cost? Could he put his integrity on the back burner for her? For anyone?
Even as he asked himself the question, he wasn’t certain of the answer.