Dying To Teach Part 13

"Changed my mind. I realized I might be here overnight. Sorry."

"Kiana and Evan were just about to tell me something that happened," Angie said. "Go ahead, guys."

Evan, with animated interjections by Kiana, told a fantastic story of eavesdropping on an argument between Gwen Forest and some unknown person at whom she'd thrown breakable things.

"So, hurry up and tell us-who came out of the office?" Kiana's haunting eyes were alight with curiosity.

Jarvis didn't see the look Angelina shot Kiana but whatever it was it made Kiana laugh. "He told me all this before school but we were interrupted before he could say who. He was going to finish this afternoon before rehearsal-"

"And then there was the fire," Evan said.

"Today is turning into a soap opera."

"Right. Stay tuned tomorrow for the next suspenseful event."

What was it about those two that they kept finishing each other's thoughts?

"So, who came out of the office?" Angelina asked.

"Mr. Chalmers," Evan said.

"No way," Kiana said.

Why had the person's ident.i.ty surprised Kiana? She knew about the teachers' relationship. Even so, she would only be aware of the couples' in-school personas, the facades they presented in public. So an argument such as that would come as a surprise. Jarvis thought back to his school days. When he was younger, he'd thought teachers lived here, that this was their only life. But these kids were old enough to know the difference. They would know about s.e.x. That all couples had disagreements. And sometimes they turned violent.

"You knew they were seeing each other?"

Kiana nodded.

"What happened after that?" Jarvis asked.

"Nothing. He stood in the hallway-the one that connects the green room to the wings-looking one way and another like he was deciding what to do. I got the idea he didn't want to go past the kids-my band, who were on the stage setting up their equipment."

"Where were you?"

"When he went by, I came out of the closet-the one next to the office."

"If he'd come back into the green room, would he have seen you?"

"Oh yeah."

"Why would you take that chance?"

Evan shrugged. "I got away from there fast, to make it look like I'd come from the costume room. Besides, I didn't do anything wrong. I had every right to be there."

"What happened next?"

"I started for the stage. I walked quietly." Seeing everyone's eyes on him, Evan shrugged. "I thought it would save embarra.s.sment if he didn't know I was there. A couple of the kids said hi to him but he didn't answer. They were giving him this look like-" Evan broke off to demonstrate their perplexed expression. "It was so not like him to not speak. By the time I got on stage, he was gone."

"The kids say anything?"

Evan thought a second. "No, but Sean was looking up the aisle, watching the doors still swinging."

"When exactly did all this take place?"

"Three weeks and four days ago." Jarvis shot him questioning look. He added, "It's been on my mind a lot."

Jarvis could think of nothing else to ask, so he said, "All right. Why don't you guys go home and get some sleep. Tomorrow morning-"

"No," said the kids at the same time.

Kiana said, "We have mega stuff to do."

Angelina reached across and patted both their hands, lying side by side on the table. "I love the idea of having the performance outside. We can do it on the football field."

"We already have the bleachers for seats," Kiana said.

"Yes, good idea," said Evan. "We can use the locker rooms to change in."

"It's right near the auditorium so it'll be easy to move things over."

"I guess that's all settled," Angelina said.

She stood up and Jarvis followed.

"Do you know if Donna phoned Mrs. Philmore?" she asked.

"She did," Kiana replied. "She double-checked the list with me first."

Angelina picked up her briefcase, which he hadn't noticed on the table beside her. She put an arm around Kiana's shoulders. The two women walked toward the door talking like old friends. Jarvis shrugged at Evan and they followed.

"I wanted to say... You guys are amazing," Jarvis said softly.

"Sir?"

"In my line of work I mostly meet kids who're jerk-offs always looking for the easy way out. When I spoke to Kiana on the phone, she was so clear-headed and mature. She told me what you kids-the cast and crew, and you in particular-were doing to make sure the show went on. I just wanted to tell you how impressed I was."

"Thank you, sir. I appreciate you saying so."

Jarvis pulled his business card from his pocket. "I want you to call me if you need anything."

"Thank you, sir."

"Shall we go?"

"Wait," Angelina said, making Jarvis cringe. He so wanted this to be over. "Earlier you said there were three things you wanted to tell me."

Alternating as narrator, the kids told how they'd searched Ted Chalmers' office and home. Jarvis held in the reprimanding headshake. There would be no guilting these two into quitting; warnings about their well-being would go unheeded.

"We found a lighter and a can of fluid," Evan said and waited while Jarvis formed his own conclusion.

"Where is it now?"

"We left it in Mr. Chalmer's office, on the counter where we found it."

Kiana giggled. Jarvis turned his attention on her. "We also found some s.e.xy underwear."

"Do you know if Mr. Chalmers was married before?"

"And does he have a daughter?" Kiana added.

Jarvis told them, "I will check," though he'd already resolved to call Rodriguez as soon as he left here.

Kiana and Angelina left the cafeteria. Evan lagged behind to say, "Thank you, sir for not giving us h.e.l.l for investigating on our own."

"Don't think I didn't want to. One thing, though. Stop calling me sir. Just call me Jarvis, or, if that makes you uncomfortable, call me Detective. Though, that makes me uncomfortable."

Evan gave a toothy grin. "Works for me, s- er, Jarvis."

Angelina and Kiana had stopped to wait for them on the sidewalk outside the building. The men caught up and the two couples walked around the building to their vehicles. Then Angelina stood beside him, shoulder to shoulder, and they waved as the kids drove away.

"Aren't they great?" Angelina said.

"I told Evan that. I told him most of the kids I meet are troublemakers who're always looking for the easy way out. That most kids would've said 'oh well, the show's off, let's go home.'"

"I can see why Gwen was so close to them. They're awesome kids." She hesitated as he started to walk toward her car. "I was just wondering if they really will go home. Last night after rehearsal they went out detecting."

"I think they'll go home. They'll feel secure knowing cops're involved."

"You mean, the Carlson cops or Jarvis the cop?"

"Both. They'll be in school early though. Probably at the crack of dawn."

"Argh. That means I should be here too."

"Of course you will. And you won't sleep a wink all night thinking about this." He walked her to the Lexus and waited while she climbed inside.

"I a.s.sume you're coming back to the hotel?" she asked.

"Is that an invitation?"

"Duh."

"Where's Red?"

"Wilson's got her. When I left their house the kids and the dog were chasing each other around the backyard."

"Make sure Ambrose doesn't try to keep her."

He fake-punched her on the arm. "I knew she'd grow on you. Hey, by the way...when I walked into the cafeteria Kiana said something that made you laugh. What was it?"

She pushed the b.u.t.ton and her car started. She gave an exaggerated oh it's nothing shrug. "She said you were a hunk...in spite of that hat." Angelina backed the car from the s.p.a.ce.

He touched his hat-his trademark. He wasn't so concerned about what Kiana thought of it, but the way Angelina said "in spite of it" had him thinking. She'd never mentioned the hat. The Lexus disappeared around the side of the brick building. He hurried to his Jeep and sped after her, not sure she'd wait-and he didn't know the location of the hotel.

Two hours later they sat, she in a robe, he in his briefs, at the table in her room. He poured more wine into her gla.s.s and opened himself the second of the two beers he'd grabbed upon leaving home. "Okay. So, now we can talk about the case?"

"What case? I told you I'm not investigating. Did you give the photo to the authorities?"

"Yeah, called them first thing this morning then dropped it with them on my way here. They weren't impressed."

"Didn't think they would be."

"Want to know what else I found out?"

"I a.s.sume you're going to tell me no matter what I say."

"I am, because I know you're dying to hear."

"Not."

He set the can of beer on the table and peered closely at her. Darned if she didn't look disinterested. Could she mean what she said? No way. The talent for sorting out clues was in her blood. She couldn't not put the pieces together.

So why was she giving off such definite I-don't-care vibes?

"You already know the couple in the pic was Gwen and Randy. The college was in fact Bridgewater State."

"I've heard of that. It's in Ma.s.sachusetts."

"Right. Randy and Gwen were married in a civil ceremony on December 14th of '93. It was annulled the following November."

"Which means..."

"I have no idea. I thought if I gave you the ingredients, you could bake the cake."

"You know I hate to cook."

Angelina got up from her chair and went to flop on the bed. The robe fell open revealing those long sleek legs that still held their summer tan. G.o.d, he loved everything about her, the way she moved, the way she flung her hair back so it didn't get caught under her arms, the way she laughed-even when she was laughing at him.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"You insist I'm doing this."

He rose from the chair and went to sit beside her on the bed. "It was bad enough when they set the school on fire. I thank goodness n.o.body got hurt. I was willing to let the locals handle things; they're totally competent. But after meeting those kids... I'm going to do what I can to bring the killer to justice. I'd think you would want that too."

Angelina sat up and tucked the robe around her legs. "If you think I don't want that, you're quite dense. I just-" She tucked her hair behind one ear. "I just-"

He edged closer and pulled her against him. She laid her head on his shoulder.