“Yeah. They’re clever kids, I’ll give them that.”

  “If he used any of the school computers, we can subpoena the data. Dollars to doughnuts, he used some of that free money to buy himself a state-of-the-art laptop, though. Probably keeps it hidden. No worries, though. Cutler and I will find it.”

  “But Argo, why would Matthias do this? He’s well provided for at school. Is a cell phone worth risking his freedom? I mean…he saw how his mother ended up.”

  “Hard to say. Crime often touches multiple generations of families. Sometimes the kids get caught in a cycle. It’s all they’ve ever known, and they don’t have the will power to break free.”

  “Speaking of his mother…Kim told me she went away for murder. Do you know exactly what happened?”

  “I pulled up the records on my computer. Ugly, gut-wrenching case. Mom was raising Matthias on her own, working as an escort to put food on the table. Apparently one of her clients got a little handsy one night. She made sure he wouldn’t make that mistake again.” Argo pantomimed slashing the air with a knife.

  “Damn.” Darian’s queasiness intensified. “How old was Matthias when it happened?”

  “Fourteen. Theirs wasn’t a happy home, but he always insisted she was innocent. Had to be rough on him. The experience probably messed him up in more ways than one. It almost makes sense he might try to work out some of his anger by targeting what he saw as a similar type of guy. Chet was older, financially secure enough to play sugar daddy—at least until Matthias got him to raid his bank account in an effort to buy love.”

  “How much money are we talking here?”

  “I’m not sure yet, but enough that Chet would have been feeling the pinch. In fact, I suspect he started to catch on toward the end. Remember Krell told us things hadn’t been going well in Chet’s supposed new relationship? I figure he started to push back. Maybe he did a little research and figured out the scam. Plenty of web sites out there, warning people.”

  Darian started to nod in agreement, not to mention sympathy for Chet’s humiliation. Then he paused. A tenuous connection was beginning to form between the con game Argo was describing and the horrific scene on the banks of the river.

  “Argo, wait a minute. Sure. Let’s say Matthias did find a way to scam Chet and buy himself some pricey toys. You’re not implying he had something to do with that accident?”

  “This is just hypothetical. But let’s say Chet wises up to what’s going on. He gets in his car and drives off in the storm—maybe on his way to Krell’s place, to apologize and ask his advice. Maybe he was on his way here to make some kind of a police report. People do it all the time, like I said—not that I can do much for them, since usually they’ve sent the money overseas or wasted it on gift cards. He’s distraught, distracted—so he skids off the road. Or maybe his intentions were darker.”

  “Like…suicide?”

  “It’s possible.”

  “So Matthias might be responsible for his death—indirectly.”

  Argo flinched.

  “Not indirectly?” Darian pressed. “What are you saying—or maybe ‘not saying’ is a better way to put it?”

  “Darian, I’m brainstorming, trying to consider every angle. And it also occurred to me that, well, maybe somehow Chet and Matthias did manage to hook up in person. Somehow the truth came out, and Matthias knew his goose was cooked at Birchwood if anyone found out. So he made sure Chet couldn’t cause trouble for him—just like his mother took care of her john.”

  “No way!” Darian yelped, but at the same time he knew it wasn’t impossible. Kids sneaked off the Birchwood grounds all the time. Matthias could even have concealed himself in Chet’s car when he headed home after work. Or maybe Chet had agreed to meet him off campus to hash things out. At this point, he realized, anything was possible. “I just can’t see one of my students killing a staff person. It’s crazy.”

  “Darian, this isn’t your fault. I have to investigate. You see that, right? And there’s another thing you should know. Matthias’s mother isn’t the only member of that household with a record, Darian. I didn’t want to mention it before, but I made a couple of calls. He’s been in trouble before. Set a dumpster on fire behind a liquor store when they confiscated his fake ID. Later attacked the clerk with a broken bottle.”

  This just got worse and worse. Darian raked a hand through his hair in frustration. “He would have been a kid. Aren’t his records sealed?”

  “The case never went to trial, and I talked to someone off the record. Matthias was put in what we used to call reform school for eight months. That was when he was a young teen. From all accounts, he turned himself around in a big way. People said he was academically gifted. Then, when his mother went to prison, he ended up at Birchwood. Someone in the system believed in him. Reached out to him.”

  “So Kim said. I know what you’re thinking. What a mistake. Am I right?”

  “No.” Argo grimaced. “I’m not thinking that.”

  Darian realized he was being unfair. “Sorry. It’s been one heck of an afternoon.”

  “Tell me about it. Anyway, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We still can’t say for sure that Chet is dead. And I don’t have proof of a damn thing beyond some phony emails and some gift card numbers Chet uploaded of his own free will. Matthias asked for a lawyer, and I’ve got nothing.”

  They sat, staring helplessly at each other, until Kim returned.

  “I want to take Matthias back to campus,” she announced. “You haven’t charged him, so you can’t detain him here.”

  Argo folded his arms across his chest. “He’ll need to be confined at the school. No contact with the other kids.”

  “Maybe the infirmary?” Darian suggested. “They have some private rooms for…situations.”

  “Mental breakdowns, you mean,” Kim snarled. “I hope you haven’t driven him that far, Sheriff Sullivan.”

  Argo ignored her. Darian marveled that only a couple of hours ago, she’d been eager to invite Argo over for a swinging bedroom romp. Now she spoke to him like he was Attila the Hun. “One other condition. No access to a computer.”

  “How can you ask that? He’s a student. They need computers to do their class work!”

  “Mrs. Benedict, I’m giving you a break here. Take it or leave it.”

  Kim brightened. “Okay, fine. I’ll take it.”

  Chapter 8

  “Matthias, what happened?” Kim pressed as they walked out to the car. Stone-faced, Matthias climbed into the back and slammed the door without answering.

  “We’re not supposed to talk about the case,” Darian reminded her.

  “There is no case. Otherwise Argo wouldn’t let him go. I’m just checking on his emotional state. He’s a student and I’m his counselor. I have a right.”

  Darian had no interest in arguing the point, so he backed off and slid into the passenger seat instead. When Kim put the van in gear, though, Matthias decided to answer after all.

  “I don’t know what that cop’s problem was. He asked me about that damn phone again. He wouldn’t believe I found it in my bed. Wish I’d just thrown it in the dumpster and forgotten about it. I’m serious.”

  Darian knew he should follow his own advice, but since Matthias seemed willing to talk, he found it impossible to resist asking a question of his own. “Matthias, did you use the phone at all? Were there contacts on it?”

  “I did scroll through it a little bit and saw a couple of numbers there. I pressed dial. Who wouldn’t?”

  “Exactly. Anyone would have done the same.” Kim nodded in approval as she turned back onto the road that led to Birchwood. “You wanted to see whose phone it was.”

  “What happened when you called the number?” Darian asked.

  “Nothing. A man answered and I hung up. Maybe I should have asked who it was, but I admit I wanted to keep the phone.” Matthias paused, and Darian heard him suck in a shuddering breath. “Am I going to get kicked out of school?”

  “Absolutely not,” Kim snapped. Then she softened her voice. “You’re not being expelled.”

  “Sure. You say that now. But I know how these things go.”

  “You haven’t even been accused of anything yet. At least, not that we know of. Did those cops tell you different?” Kim shot Darian an accusing glance.

  “No,” Matthias admitted. “I didn’t give ’em a chance. I said I wanted a lawyer and clammed up.”

  “Smart,” Kim said. Matthias snorted.

  “I’ve seen enough cop shows to know that much.”

  “Don’t worry about Sheriff Sullivan. I’m on your side, and I’ll fight for you,” Kim vowed.

  Darian believed her.

  When he finally got home, Darian dropped into bed like a stone. Argo hadn’t called since he’d left the station with Kim, but Darian knew he’d be focused on analyzing the computer and phone, along with whatever else he’d seized. He wouldn’t be able to tear his attention away from the case long enough to touch base, even briefly. Darian understood and even admired that level of determination. But it did make for some lonely nights.

  On Saturday morning, his cell phone shrilled on the bedside table. Darian lunged for it without even opening his eyes all the way, but the voice wasn’t Argo’s. It was Vaughan’s.

  “Can we meet?” Vaughan didn’t bother with chitchat. “I need to talk to you. In person.”

  “Uh…yeah. When?”

  “How about breakfast? I’ll bring some doughnuts over to your place.” When Darian hesitated, Vaughan added, “I wouldn’t ask on a whim. It’s important.”

  Intrigued, Darian pushed the blankets aside and sat up. “Okay, then. I’ll put the coffee on.”

  “Great. Meet you in half an hour. Don’t worry about giving me directions. I already know where you live.”

  That sounded ominous, but he disconnected before Darian could respond. As he hastily showered and dressed, he wondered what Vaughan wanted to unburden himself of. For sure, Argo and Cutler showing up at his house and hauling—well, escorting—out one of Kim’s students had likely rattled him. What had the conversation been like when Kim returned? Her mood had turned foul as soon as they’d dropped Matthias off at the Birchwood infirmary. While they were en route, Argo had been on the phone with Jeanette, and she had sent a campus security officer over to keep watch on Matthias. The prospect of learning more about the aftermath of their strange evening made him eager to speak to Vaughan.

  Vaughan turned up a few minutes early, his manner edgy and a muscle in his jaw twitching. So his casual cynicism had been an act, just like his onstage folksinging persona. Kim said so herself—Vaughan was a performer first and foremost. Who was he really?

  He handed Darian a box of doughnuts from the bakery downtown. “Hope you weren’t kidding about making the coffee. I could use some. Strong.”

  “It’s ready and waiting. Come on in.”

  “Cute little place,” Vaughan said when Darian led him through to the kitchen. “You renting from the school, too?”

  “Yeah. They figured a single guy didn’t need much space. Still, it’s cozy. Grab a seat. I’ll grab some plates and the joe.”

  “Thanks for letting me come over,” Vaughan said as Darian set the table for them. “Got to admit, even if you’d said not, I probably would have showed up anyway. I needed to get out of the house.”

  “Does Kim know we’re meeting?”

  “I told her I was going out for a while. She didn’t ask. Not that it’s a problem. She’s my wife, not my jailer—or my mother. Though sometimes there’s a fine line between all three, you know what I mean?”

  “Well, I’ve never been in jail or had a wife, but I do have two mothers. So I kind of get the idea.”

  Vaughan whistled. “Damn, bro. That must be…challenging.”

  “It has its moments. They respect my privacy, though—most of the time.”

  “How do they feel about you hooking up with a cop?”

  “I can’t deny they expressed some reservations about Argo. They’re coming around, though.”

  “Awesome.” Vaughan gulped some coffee and smacked his lips. “A lot of people probably don’t realize how many power struggles erupt when family gets involved in your private affairs. Doesn’t matter if you’re two guys or a gal and a guy. Or if one of you carries a gun.”

  “Yeah. I’m sure.” Darian broke a chocolate doughnut into pieces and wondered where Vaughan’s talk of rocky relationships, with or without firearms, was going.

  “Take my mom, for example. She doesn’t like Kim at all. And she’s not totally wrong. Kim can be a handful.”

  “Ah.” So Vaughan had come to vent about his spouse. Did he expect Darian to do the same? If so, he was in for a disappointment. He had no intention of gossiping about Argo—or Kim, for that matter.

  “I mean, okay, she’s great with the Birchwood kids.” Vaughan swiped a hand through the air as if batting away an insect. “But her level of involvement isn’t necessarily a good thing, y’know?”

  Now they were getting somewhere. “Kim must have been really upset about what happened last night.”

  “You’d know better than me. She went to the police station with you. When she got home, she was in one of her moods. Seething but silent. I wondered if she considered the whole mess my fault.”

  “Why would she have thought that? Because you invited the kids over for the jam session?”

  Vaughan scoffed. “As if that was my idea. Oh, she wheedled me into suggesting it, sure. You saw how she went after Argo at the restaurant, trying to charm him to throw in with her to create some nutty community youth program. She rehearsed that spiel with me when we first moved into town. We saw some rough-looking kids hanging around in the park. I warned her to steer clear, since they were probably dealing drugs, but she started babbling on about how they were poor lost souls and we should run right over and offer them help. It was all I could do to drag her away, but she planned that, too. The next day she came up with the idea that I’d teach some of her Birchwood pets music. It seemed harmless compared to the first scheme, so I went along with it.”

  “You mean you don’t enjoy teaching the kids music?”

  “Teaching’s your passion, not mine. I could rehearse way more efficiently on my own.”

  “It’s not only about efficiency though, is it? Teaching has a different purpose. I mean, I could write or interpret literature on my own faster than I could show my students how to do it. But sharing my knowledge with them brings me satisfaction.”

  “No argument there, but it’s not my purpose. Kim sees her whole life being wound up with those kids. In a way, I’m glad she met you and found someone else to talk to about them now. Going to be honest here. I get tired of hearing all that do-gooder muck. Maybe I’m an unsupportive husband, but there you are. I can only be who I am.”

  “No, I get it.” Darian sometimes sensed Argo’s impatience while he related the details of his school day. He would listen politely, but Darian never pushed it beyond a certain point. His tales of smeared photocopies or audiovisual equipment failure must have sounded outrageously frivolous to someone who’d spent the day investigating beatings, accidents, and other mayhem. “Wisest to separate one’s work life and home life as much as possible.”

  “Glad we agree.”

  They munched their doughnuts in silence. As heavenly as they tasted, especially the ones with crème filling, Darian grew impatient. He decided to go for broke.

  “Vaughan, I’m still not sure why you asked to meet with me. Is there some specific information about the case…er, about Matthias you wanted to tell me? Because if you do know anything, you should contact Argo directly.”

  Vaughn squirmed in his chair. “No, no, that’s not the situation at all. Thing is, Darian…I know what Kim said to you last night in the kitchen.”

  “Oh.’ Darian stopped with his coffee cup halfway to his mouth. He felt his face grown warm, and not because of the heat rising from his mug. In all the excitement surrounding Matthias’s apprehension and release, Kim’s unexpected proposition had faded from his mind. In fact, until Vaughan had brought it up, he’d been half convinced he had dreamed the whole bizarre conversation. “I…uh..wondered.”

  “We don’t keep secrets from each other…not when it comes to that sort of thing, anyway. She told me she planned to ask you, and later on she mentioned you turned her down, and I don’t blame you. I told her you probably weren’t into women at all.”

  “I’m not. Sorry.”

  Vaughan laughed. “She said you apologized to her, too. Hell, you sure don’t need to make any excuses to me. And I’m not at all angry, just so we’re clear. I actually admire you for telling Kim no. Not many people do, especially guys.”

  “There really wasn’t any other answer I could give her. What she asked…well, it just isn’t who I am.”

  “No sweat. I didn’t want things to be awkward between you and Kim, or you and me for that matter. Like I said, I’m glad she made a friend on the faculty. Not just because it takes some of the pressure off me. I get the sense you could be a stabilizing influence to her professionally. She needs one, as I’m sure you’ve realized.”

  “Meaning…?”

  “Meaning she gets too wrapped up in these kids’ lives. She thinks she’s their mom. I tell her to step back. They like the attention—too much, in some cases, and at other times they’re laughing at her behind her back. Neither bodes well. I mean, they’re a bundle of hormones at their age. I assume she told you about the problem she had at her old school.”

  Darian started to deny it, but caught himself in time. “We talked about it a little. She didn’t go into much detail.”

  Vaughan nodded. “It’s hard for her to talk about, and with good reason. It was a college that time. Did she tell you? Campus counseling center. As you can imagine, she was pretty popular with the kids, and since they were all over eighteen, she had a lot more freedom as far as socializing with them. She used to invite some over for dinner every Friday night. I’ll bet she didn’t tell you about that part, did she?”