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coincidence.
Maybe.
Maybe not.
Chapter Ten
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That s the last thing Carolyn says to me before she shuts down. When she reaches for a pack of
cigarettes, it s my signal to leave. I don t see any point in our getting together again this evening. I tell her
on my way out that I ll make her excuses to my folks. I wonder just how much I ll tell them about the
mother of their only grandchild.
Probably not much.
On the way back to school I mull over the recurring theme-the Franco s, Daniel Frey, and Carolyn s
parents-all fromBoston . Carolyn says it s a coincidence. She may be right. David found no connection
between them. Nevertheless, I ve never put much stock in coincidences.
It s a little after twelve when I pull in at the school. Mom is holding a press conference on the steps in
front of her office. Chief Williams is beside her. A crowd of students gather to the side, some weeping
and some talking in low voices. The TV news cameras swarm in to catch it all.
I drive around back and park in the same lot as this morning. Most of the teachers must have left for the
day because there are far fewer cars. When I get to Daniel Frey s classroom, however, he is there with a
half dozen students. He detects my presence immediately. He wraps up his conversation and the students
drift out. No one pays the least bit of attention to me, though they make their way around me like a wake
around the bow of a ship.
He joins me at the doorway. I need a ride home. Why don t you takeme. He doesn t ask it like a
question.
I raise an eyebrow. And why would I want to take you home?
An impatient frown tugs at the corners of his mouth. Look, we both know you plan to follow me. I let
my driver go. Will you take me or not?
Fine.I ll take you home. But I want to stop by the office first.
Frey has his coat over his arm, and with his free hand, he pulls the door to his classroom closed and
locks it. I need to check messages. Let s go.
I pick through his thoughts, looking for some hint of duplicity but find none. I feel him doing the same to
me, so I send him thismessage:Youareeither being honest with me about your innocence or you are the
most accomplished liar I ve ever met.
He smiles, not warmly, and slips his keys into the pocket of hiscoat.Icould say the same about you-being
an accomplished liar, I mean.
I haven t lied to you. In fact, I ve told you a lot more than I should have, considering the circumstances.
Or maybe you felt you didn t have a choice. He twirls a finger at hishead.Becauseof this.
We approach the office just as the press conference is coming to a close. Frey goes to the receptionist
to check for messages and I wait for Mom in her office. Williams is at her side when she comes in.
He closes the door behind him. I got a call from the Medical Examiner s office, he says. Barbara died
from strangulation. A belt was used, with a metal buckle that left a clear imprint.And a distinctive one.
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We found marks on her body where she had been hit with it. There was skin under her fingernails. She
fought back.And semen on her clothes.Multiple donors. We have DNA samples that we will run through
our databases. If we don t get a hit, we have more than enough to make a match when we catch them.
Williams s tone is detached, professional. I m used to it, but I can see how it s affecting my mother.
She s thinking of Trish and her shoulders are rigid with tension. Williams can read the signs and will if I
don t distract him. His sharp eyes are watching her.
Barbara went down fighting.
His eyes shift tome.Yes, she did. But there are other things, too. We need to meet privately.
He s not letting any of those other things into his thoughts. I know what you re doing. It won t work.
Barbara died from human hands. You want to meet about Avery, not Barbara. I can t do it now.
Because you want to concentrate on finding Trish.
Yes.
In the instant it takes for this to pass between us, my mother presses her fingertips gently against her
eyelids and draws a deep breath. What can we do, Chief Williams? she asks.
Without hesitation, he switches mental gears. I ll have detectives on campus this afternoon and
tomorrow. But if you hear anything, or if a student goes to a counselor or teacher because he feels more
comfortable talking to someone familiar, let us know immediately. In cases like this, what we learn in the
first forty-eight hours often determines whether or not we catch the killer.
Mom nods and extends her hand. Thank you for your help today, she says.
He shakes her hand, offers his to me, and leaves with no parting shots.
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