Stalking Death by Kate Flora Read Free Book Online Page A

sister. How is he reacting to all this?"
    "Oh, Jamison is a very sensible boy. I think he'll stay out of this."
    "Well, you might check in with his advisor and his coach, see what's going on." This was so basic. Chambers was supposed to have his fingers on the pulse of his school, and he hadn't considered this? Maybe there hadn't been time, if they'd just delivered the bad news to Shondra. But he'd said she had inflamed the whole community, and that took time. "When did you tell Shondra you couldn't substantiate her claims?"
    "Tuesday evening."
    And it was Sunday. She'd had plenty of time to get steamed up. "And what form did that communication take?"
    "You know," Chambers said, "you make me feel like I'm on the hot seat here. You sound more like a cop than a consultant."
    "Todd, my specialty is damage control. I can't help if I don't know the situation."
    But his remark had gotten me thinking. Not long ago, someone had mistaken me for a cop. At the time, I'd thought it was ridiculous. But hanging around with them so much, was some of it was rubbing off? A natural curiosity. A deep skepticism about everyone's story. A sensible instinct to test the offered version of the facts. I'd have to watch myself. The last thing I needed was to start scaring away clients.
    Suzanne was the charmer and the diplomat, I was the heavy, brought in for the hard cases to help clients in trouble. It was part of my job to make people face the facts. It was also my job to handle the process with sensitivity and to make it as easy for them as possible. It didn't sound like my client was experiencing that just now.
    "Sorry. I didn't mean to sound like the Grand Inquisitor. I'm used to getting called in on emergencies where I'm coming in from outside, having to quickly gather the facts and work out strategies for handling things. I guess sometimes I do tend to sound like a drill sergeant." I waved an apologetic hand. "It's your show. If my approach is not what you want, just tell me."
    Just as suddenly as he had flared up, he was effusively apologetic, as though he feared I was about to flee. "No, no. I didn't mean it like that. We do need your help. I was just thinking we might all function better in the morning."
    "Morning is fine," I agreed, shoving my notes into my briefcase. "If you could just tell me how to find The Swan?"
    For a second, he looked puzzled, as though he didn't understand where swans came into this. Then he smiled. "It's very easy. You go back down the drive the way you came, turn right onto the main road, and it's half a mile down on the right."
    "And your house?" He looked blank. "For breakfast tomorrow?"
    He pulled a campus map out of his desk, circled the building we were in, then followed a curving drive with his pen and circled another building. "We're right here."
    "Eight-thirty," I said. Then remembered something. "The boy she's accusing. Has there ever been a relationship between them?"
    Their "no" was quick and unanimous.
    "What's he like?"
    "Resolute and determined," he said. "Clever."
    "Handsome and inventive," she said.
    "Popular?" I asked.
    He let it go a beat too long. "Alasdair's kind of particular about his friends."
    "He ever been in trouble?"
    Their eyes met, and like two computers networking, information flowed quickly back and forth, encrypted so I couldn't read it. "No," he said. "Nothing significant."
    I wondered how the school, or Chambers, differentiated between significant and insignificant. "Your student handbook sets out the rules for conduct, academic and social?" He nodded. "So by not significant you mean he's never broken a major rule?"
    I watched the exchange of data again. His face was bland but there were telltale signs. He was deciding to lie. "No. Nothing major," he agreed.
    I lifted my bag to my shoulder and checked my pocket for keys. "I'd like a copy of the handbook." I waited while he reluctantly went to the shelf and found a copy.
    "Thanks." I gave him a smile I hoped was reassuring. "See