by Dan Padavona
“A moment with you, gentlemen.”
Leland shared a look with Gardner.
“You’ll make us late for class.”
“Not to worry. I already wrote late passes for both of you.” Pierpoint displayed the passes before slipping them into his shirt pocket. “Follow me to my office.”
Mr. Pierpoint’s office was tucked between the chemistry lab and the literature classroom. The office was a glorified closet with no windows, no airflow. His desk took up half the floor space. After Leland and Gardner squeezed inside, Pierpoint shut the door behind them and twisted the lock. Leland gave Gardner a worried glance.
“Sit,” Pierpoint said, motioning at the two chairs opposite his desk. The teacher slid into his chair and set his elbows on the table. Piercing eyes stared through Leland, as though Pierpoint viewed the boy’s darkest secrets. “I understand you met with the sheriff and a detective from Kane Grove. Is that true?”
Leland bit his lip. How did Pierpoint find out? It was as if the creep stalked his students all day. Below the desk, Gardner swatted Leland’s leg.
“I can’t talk about it.”
“What did you do, Mr. Trivett? And was Mr. Raimi involved? The two of you have been up to something today, and your cohort never showed up for school. Which makes me think, whatever you did, you roped Derek Jordan into your little scheme.”
Either Pierpoint hadn’t heard about Derek from Principal Dane, or he wanted to trick Leland into talking. What if Pierpoint worked for the sheriff? This felt like a trick.
“Nobody is in trouble.”
A mirthless smirk stretched Pierpoint’s face. He reached below the desk and pulled out a pumpkin mask. Leland’s eyes widened.
“Perhaps your prank got out of hand. I take it you’re behind the dummies. They’re all over the school.”
Pierpoint glanced from Leland to Gardner.
“Don’t look at us.”
“Oh, please. This scheme is right up your alley, Mr. Trivett. Or was it you, Mr. Raimi?” After neither boy replied, Pierpoint huffed and tossed the mask into the corner. “Since you won’t take credit for the prank, I guess the mask belongs to me now.”
Gardner sat on the edge of his chair and asked, “Can we go?”
“Not until I get answers.” Pierpoint shifted his gaze from Gardner to Leland. “You mean to tell me the sheriff of Nightshade County and a city detective called you into the conference room, and you did nothing wrong?” He wagged an accusing finger at the two boys. “You know why Derek didn’t come to class today. Time to fess up, gentlemen.”
“Maybe he’s sick.”
“Derek appeared fine yesterday. Is his stepfather causing trouble again?”
Gardner cleared his throat, a not-so-subtle message for Leland to keep his mouth shut. Leland ignored his friend.
“How do you know about Derek’s stepfather?”
“Derek told me everything about Cole Holland. The way he mistreats Derek, the lack of interest he shows for his stepson’s education. Unlike the two of you, Derek Jordan has the smarts to attend an Ivy League school next fall. With my guidance, he’ll achieve his goals. If he comes to class. Now, why did Derek skip school today?”
Outside the door, a bell rang as harried students rushed down the hallway. Silence fell over the room.
“Derek didn’t skip school.”
Gardner chewed the inside of his cheek and looked away, disgusted with Leland. Pierpoint stared expectantly across the desk.
“Then where is he?”
Leland hadn’t planned to tell Pierpoint the truth. It rushed from his mouth with a desperate need to free itself.
“Derek is dead, Mr. Pierpoint.”
Leland choked on his words. Pierpoint’s face turned ghost-white. The tension in the room became a palpable thing, a white-hot oven that would burn Leland’s fingers if he reached out and touched it. The teacher’s voice fell to little more than a whisper.
“Is this some sort of sick Halloween prank?”
Leland scraped a tear off his eye and shook his head.
“Someone murdered Derek last night. That’s why the sheriff called me out of class. Principal Dane is making an announcement after this period.”
“You’d better not be lying to me, Mr. Trivett. If I find out you’re playing games, I’ll ruin you.”
“I’m not lying. Go to Principal Dane if you don’t believe me.”
Pierpoint’s hand trembled as he ran it across his forehead. The teacher’s chair squeaked beneath his weight as he shifted left, then right in confusion. Leland prayed someone would knock. Any distraction to free him from Pierpoint.
After a long moment, Pierpoint screwed up his face and leaned over the desk.
“Get out of my office.”
Leland and Gardner rose to their feet and scurried into the hallway before Pierpoint changed his mind. Halfway down the corridor, Gardner yanked Leland aside and pressed him against the lockers.
“What was that bullshit? The cops told you not to talk until Dane made his announcement.”
“What does it matter? Derek is gone. I don’t give a shit what Pierpoint or Dane say about me.”
Gardner regarded Leland for a moment, his powerful arms holding Leland in place.
“One thing is for sure,” Gardner said, staring back at the closed office door. “Pierpoint is lying.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Didn’t you notice his reaction? He already knew about Derek. The bastard wanted to catch you in a lie and turn you over to the sheriff. He’ll frame you.”
Leland sniffled and wiped his nose on the back of his hand.
“I don’t trust him.”
“You shouldn’t. Makes you wonder where he found the mask. He says he pulled it off the dummy. But who planted the dummies in the hallway? You didn’t do it, right?”
Leland straightened his shirt. Why would Pierpoint place Halloween Man dummies around the school?
“Now that I think about it, Pierpoint has access to the costume room.”
Gardner bobbed his head.
“That makes sense. Don’t say another word around Pierpoint. He wants to pin Derek’s murder on you.”
But why would Pierpoint hurt Derek? Did a monster hide inside the literature teacher? Suddenly, Leland thought of Valerie and slapped his forehead.
“Damn. Valerie left for her dentist appointment before the news broke. Who’s gonna tell her about Derek?”
“I should be the one the break it to her. She needs to hear about Derek from a friend, not from two cops.” Gardner set his chin. “And I’ll keep her safe from Pierpoint.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
October 31st
2:15 p.m.
Chelsey stood at the bedroom window inside the farmhouse and peered down at the empty landscape. Behind her, LeVar rummaged through the closet, searching for anything they’d missed. Now that they’d cleared the house after searching the basement, attic, and every nook and cranny in between, she could breathe again. The long driveway and the open expanse of meadow made it impossible for Benson to sneak up on the house without her noticing. But she couldn’t quiet her nerves. Though Chelsey and LeVar were safe for now, Raven wasn’t.
Chelsey checked her messages and realized it had been a long time since she’d heard from LeVar’s sister. Last she knew, Raven had joined Deputy Aguilar in Kane Grove after they spotted someone who matched Benson’s description fleeing from the gymnasium.
“Why don’t you call Thomas again?”
Chelsey jumped at LeVar’s voice. She hadn’t heard him approach. The teenager could move quietly when he wanted—an excellent skill to have, if he planned to go into law enforcement or remain a private investigator. When Chelsey last tried the sheriff’s phone, she’d dropped into his voice-mail. She dialed again. Thomas answered this time.
“Big news. Mark Benson slept at the farmhouse,” she said, pacing in front of the window.
“Are you sure?”
“LeVar and
I found muddy shoe prints trailing through the kitchen and up the staircase. There’s a blanket and pillow stuffed inside the closet with a padded carpet strip on the floor. As far as I can tell, Benson curled up inside the closet and slept with the door closed, in case you stormed the farmhouse.”
“Not that we wouldn’t check the closets.”
“He isn’t the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree. I also noticed a gray hair on the pillow.”
“Nice work. Don’t touch anything.”
“LeVar and I gloved up.”
“Lambert started his shift at noon. I’ll call him and have him drop by with an evidence kit.” Thomas hesitated. “Just wondering, Chelsey. How did you get past a locked door?”
“If I told you the wind blew it open, would you believe me?”
“Not really, but we’ll go with that for now.”
“For what it’s worth, the back door was open. It appears Benson kicked his way inside.”
Thomas set the phone aside while he radioed Deputy Lambert.
“All right. Lambert should arrive after two-thirty.”
“Thomas, when was the last time you spoke to Raven?”
“Deputy Aguilar joined Raven at the municipal park a half-hour ago.”
“The Wolf Lake municipal park?”
“Another possible Benson sighting. Someone called the advertising firm Ellie Fisher works for and set up a meeting in the park. Raven showed up in Ellie’s place, and a red Mitsubishi Mirage fled the scene. She didn’t get a plate number.”
“Is Raven still with Aguilar? I’m uncomfortable with her investigating alone.”
“I don’t like it, either. Benson already went after Ellie Fisher. Seems he’s settling scores today.”
“The idiot should be in hiding.” Chelsey pushed her hair back. “If you talk to Raven, send her our way. There’s safety in numbers.”
“Will do. Put me on speaker phone. I have a question for LeVar.”
“Give me a second.”
Chelsey held the phone in her palm.
“Hey, LeVar. I interviewed Derek Jordan’s friend this afternoon, and a familiar name came up.”
LeVar stepped closer.
“Who?”
“The kids in Barton Falls purchase drugs from Troy Dean and the 315 Royals.”
The teenager cocked an eyebrow.
“Troy strayed far from home.”
“That was my thought too.”
“Makes sense, though. Without the Kings running Harmon, the Royals control everything. My guess is Dean wants to expand his reach.”
“Pretty risky for a gang leader to push drugs outside his territory.”
“Not when you’re surrounded by muscle. Who in Barton Falls can stand against the Royals?” LeVar tilted his head. “Is Dean a suspect?”
“He’s on my radar. How well did you know him?”
“Never had the displeasure. The guy is a scumbag. The Royals won’t take care of the neighborhood the way we did before Rev ran the Kings.”
Rev had led the Harmon Kings gang until August. After the gang member broke into LeVar’s house and tried to murder the teenager, the sheriff’s department arrested Rev. Additional charges ensured Rev would serve multiple years in prison.
After Thomas finished questioning LeVar, Chelsey turned off speaker mode and placed the phone to her ear.
“Not that I need to tell you this,” said Thomas. “Stand down until Lambert arrives. It’s not even a great idea for me to know you’re in the house.”
“We’ll play it cool.”
Thomas sighed.
“Okay. I need to go. Detective Presley and I are meeting with Derek Jordan’s girlfriend at three o’clock. I’m not looking forward to this.”
“Oh, God. Breaking the news that someone murdered her boyfriend…I’m sorry, Thomas. Do you have a suspect yet?”
“This early in the investigation, everyone is a suspect.” Detective Presley spoke in the background. “Gotta go, Chelsey. Love you.”
A soothing warmth poured through Chelsey’s heart.
“I love you too. Stay safe.” Chelsey pressed end and found LeVar smirking at her. “What?”
“You and Shep Dawg. You’re a modern day—”
“If you say Romeo and Juliet, I’ll slug you.”
“Was thinking more Bonnie and Clyde. Or Kanye West and Jay-Z.”
“A posse gunned down Bonnie and Clyde in rural Louisiana. And aren’t Kanye and Jay-Z on the outs?”
LeVar scratched behind his ear.
“Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny don’t see eye-to-eye, either. I’ll come up with a better comparison next time.” He strolled to the window and studied the countryside. “What are the chances Benson will come back tonight?”
Chelsey thought for a moment and shook her head.
“Not high. Even Benson isn’t that stupid. While we watched the house from the car, Benson attempted to kidnap Ellie Fisher in the village.”
“He’s spinning out of control.”
“The sheriff’s department and Kane Grove PD are searching the village. By now, Benson knows they’re looking for a stolen Mitsubishi.”
“Either he abandons the car and hot-wires a different vehicle, or he flees New York before the cops close in.”
“And Raven is still working alone. Benson might be crazy enough to go after her before he finds a way out of the state.”
LeVar pressed his lips together. The teenager did his best to conceal his emotions, but Chelsey spied the concern in his eyes.
“She can take care of herself.”
“I’ll feel better when she has backup.” Chelsey skimmed her contact list. “I’m calling Darren.”
LeVar returned to the search. His footsteps trailed down the hallway and disappeared inside another bedroom.
“Hey, Chelsey,” Darren said, answering on the first ring. He sounded out of breath. “How’s the investigation going?”
“Catching a ghost isn’t easy,” she said with a groan. “How soon can you leave work? Raven spotted Mark Benson in Wolf Lake.”
“He’s in the village? She didn’t tell me.”
“Because she’s stubborn and won’t ask for help.” The irony wasn’t lost on Chelsey. She’d just described herself from this past summer. “I don’t want Raven driving around by herself.”
Voices spoke in the background.
“Neither do I. But I can’t leave until the top of the hour. And honestly, three o’clock might be pushing it.”
“Sounds busy there. Did something happen?”
“Uh, a hiker wandered off trail and fell down the incline. The guy snapped his ankle. I carried the hiker out with his partner, and now we’re waiting for the ambulance to depart.”
“That’s not good.”
“The guy is fortunate he didn’t fall into the lake. Another ten yards, and he’d be in the drink. The water is forty feet deep below the cliffs, and there’s nothing to grab hold of.” A horn blared in the background. “I gotta write up a report. Call Raven and tell her I’ll leave between three and four o’clock. She’s not to move until I get there.”
“Apparently, she’s with Deputy Aguilar right now.”
“That’s a relief.”
“But that can’t last long. We’re not official members of this investigation.”
“Yeah, and Aguilar isn’t filming one of those ride-along reality cop shows where she gets to tackle white trash.”
Chelsey snickered. Even when he was worried, Darren had a knack for disarming everyone with comic relief. It was easy to understand why Raven had fallen for the state park ranger.
“Okay, Darren. Text me when you’re finished.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
October 31st
3:00 p.m.
Ed and Charisse Leonard sat at the kitchen table, while Thomas and Detective Presley stood beside the counter. Ed was a barrel-chested man that stood a few inches taller than the sheriff. His brown hair curled in thick clumps. As he glared at Thomas
and the detective, the father twisted his hands into fists. Charisse wore jogging pants and a heavy sweatshirt, her straight blonde hair kissing the tops of her shoulders. She kept her eyes on the table, the walls, the window. Anywhere but on the two law enforcement officers who broke the news about Derek Jordan.
The Leonard family owned a two-story house with powder-blue siding. The outdated kitchen appeared plucked from the 1960s. Yellow laminate counters, neutral appliances, natural wood cabinetry. The flooring curled in one corner and revealed a black soil-like substance underneath, as if the earth slowly reclaimed the interior.
The front door banged open and shattered the quiet, announcing Valerie’s arrival. Ed rose from his chair, and Charisse waved him off.
“Let me get her,” she said.
Presley chewed a nail. Thomas leaned against the counter and waited.
From the foyer, the teenage girl said, “What’s the deal with the cop cars out front? Did the Delgado’s get into another fight?”
“There’s someone who wishes to speak with you,” Charisse said, her voice a touch above a whisper.
Charisse dried her eyes as she returned to the kitchen. Valerie Leonard followed her mother and stopped beside the table, her stunned gaze swinging from Thomas to Presley.
“What’s going on here?”
“It might be a good idea if you sit, dear.”
Valerie gave her mother a curious glance and set her book bag on the floor. She chose the chair between her parents. Ed draped an arm around Valerie’s shoulders and glared at the law enforcement officers. A warning to handle his daughter with care.
“Is this about the podcast?”
Presley stepped away from the counter.
“Valerie, I’m Detective Presley with the Kane Grove Police Department, and this is Sheriff Shepherd.”
“Okay,” Valerie said, dragging the word into a question.
“We need to speak to you about Derek Jordan.”
Valerie’s eyes flicked to her mother. The woman pressed a fist to her lips, while Ed bristled and fumed in the next seat.