the curious eyes of the other two ladies in the office. He didn’t make eye contact and didn’t smile. Didn’t want to invite conversation. He knew there would be plenty of chatter after he left.
Chi came in, a very concerned look on her face. Five foot. Short black hair. Couldn’t be more than ninety pounds. When she saw that the police had actually sent somebody, she was relieved.
“Is there a place we can talk in private?” he asked the first lady he’d seen. He didn’t want to know her name.
“Yes, out the door, first classroom on the right is empty for the next 23 minutes,” she said, looking at the clock.
Sean nodded without eye contact. He looked at Chi. “Come on.” She followed dutifully.
“So, tell me in your own words what happened, from beginning to end,” Sean said, suddenly realizing he didn’t know if this girl was one of Sheryl’s students or not. She taught freshmen and sophomores. If so, he hoped she didn’t know her teacher was dating a cop.
“Me and Josh were practicing for our debate this Saturday. He plays football, so we have to get ready before Thursday because Friday is his football day,” she said faster than he thought possible.
He held his hand up. “It’s OK. Just slow down for me, OK? What is Josh’s last name?”
“Branston. So anyway, we were talking.”
“Where exactly was this, in a room like this?”
“Yeah, just like this, only there was a window over there,” she pointed at a big poster board with students’ pictures holding various academic awards.
“OK, show me exactly how you were standing?”
“I was here, and Josh was here.” She moved to where she’d been in the other room. About center, facing him, and Josh had had his back slightly against where the window would have been.
“OK, then what happened.” Not a question. Focus on the notepad. Get this over with.
“Well, he was talking about what he was going to say, and then he just stopped. He froze and got this weird look on his face. Like he wasn’t there or something. His mouth just closed and he was staring straight ahead. I poked him in the stomach and he didn’t respond; and he’s like totally ticklish!”
“OK, and how long did he stand like that?”
“I don’t know, maybe twenty seconds or something? But after I poked him, I saw that janitor guy staring at him from outside the window. And then I looked back at Josh, and he was just standing there peeing his pants!” She started crying.
“Don’t worry; I’m sure it’s nothing. This happens sometimes. Where is Josh now?”
“Oh my God! He was so embarrassed. First he looked confused, and then he saw his pants and ran. I think he went home. He doesn’t have anything seventh period.” Sean wrote everything down. Professional.
“And you think the janitor is somehow involved?”
“Well, yeah! He was staring right at him like he was putting a curse or something on him. My grandmother’s told stories about witch doctors back in Vietnam. That stuff is totally real! You believe me, right?”
“Sure; sure, I believe you. Listen, I’m going to talk to Josh, and then I’ll talk to the janitor here, all right? About five foot seven, kind of skinny? Kind of balding?”
“Oh my God! You know him? Has he done this before? Are you going to arrest him?”
“No, no; I just know him from somewhere else. You know—small town? I’ll talk to him, and we’ll get this sorted out, OK? Is there anything else? Did you see the janitor leave? Did he notice, uh, Josh—I mean, what happened?”
“I don’t know. After Josh—you know, ran away—I looked up, and the janitor was gone.”
“OK; I’ll fill out a report, and we’ll talk to everybody and see what happens, OK?”
“So, are you going to arrest him or something?”
“Well, we can’t really arrest somebody before we question them, but we’ll see how it
Chi came in, a very concerned look on her face. Five foot. Short black hair. Couldn’t be more than ninety pounds. When she saw that the police had actually sent somebody, she was relieved.
“Is there a place we can talk in private?” he asked the first lady he’d seen. He didn’t want to know her name.
“Yes, out the door, first classroom on the right is empty for the next 23 minutes,” she said, looking at the clock.
Sean nodded without eye contact. He looked at Chi. “Come on.” She followed dutifully.
“So, tell me in your own words what happened, from beginning to end,” Sean said, suddenly realizing he didn’t know if this girl was one of Sheryl’s students or not. She taught freshmen and sophomores. If so, he hoped she didn’t know her teacher was dating a cop.
“Me and Josh were practicing for our debate this Saturday. He plays football, so we have to get ready before Thursday because Friday is his football day,” she said faster than he thought possible.
He held his hand up. “It’s OK. Just slow down for me, OK? What is Josh’s last name?”
“Branston. So anyway, we were talking.”
“Where exactly was this, in a room like this?”
“Yeah, just like this, only there was a window over there,” she pointed at a big poster board with students’ pictures holding various academic awards.
“OK, show me exactly how you were standing?”
“I was here, and Josh was here.” She moved to where she’d been in the other room. About center, facing him, and Josh had had his back slightly against where the window would have been.
“OK, then what happened.” Not a question. Focus on the notepad. Get this over with.
“Well, he was talking about what he was going to say, and then he just stopped. He froze and got this weird look on his face. Like he wasn’t there or something. His mouth just closed and he was staring straight ahead. I poked him in the stomach and he didn’t respond; and he’s like totally ticklish!”
“OK, and how long did he stand like that?”
“I don’t know, maybe twenty seconds or something? But after I poked him, I saw that janitor guy staring at him from outside the window. And then I looked back at Josh, and he was just standing there peeing his pants!” She started crying.
“Don’t worry; I’m sure it’s nothing. This happens sometimes. Where is Josh now?”
“Oh my God! He was so embarrassed. First he looked confused, and then he saw his pants and ran. I think he went home. He doesn’t have anything seventh period.” Sean wrote everything down. Professional.
“And you think the janitor is somehow involved?”
“Well, yeah! He was staring right at him like he was putting a curse or something on him. My grandmother’s told stories about witch doctors back in Vietnam. That stuff is totally real! You believe me, right?”
“Sure; sure, I believe you. Listen, I’m going to talk to Josh, and then I’ll talk to the janitor here, all right? About five foot seven, kind of skinny? Kind of balding?”
“Oh my God! You know him? Has he done this before? Are you going to arrest him?”
“No, no; I just know him from somewhere else. You know—small town? I’ll talk to him, and we’ll get this sorted out, OK? Is there anything else? Did you see the janitor leave? Did he notice, uh, Josh—I mean, what happened?”
“I don’t know. After Josh—you know, ran away—I looked up, and the janitor was gone.”
“OK; I’ll fill out a report, and we’ll talk to everybody and see what happens, OK?”
“So, are you going to arrest him or something?”
“Well, we can’t really arrest somebody before we question them, but we’ll see how it
Similar Books
