Page 39

THIRTY-EIGHT

After a fitful night’s sleep, I’m up earlier than usual. There’s too much on my mind to have any quality rest. Evie. Connor. Joanna.

Between the webs of worry and deceit, my mind keeps going back to what Nadia sent me. The news about Kyle.

Everyone knows how dangerous the internet can be. If you’re in close proximity to children—either as a parent or through the school system—it gets hammered into your head even more. Predators are out there, ready to prey on the most vulnerable and unassuming, and it seems there are never enough safeguards in place.

I think of the Evie I know. Cautious. Dependable. Driven. She isn’t the type of girl who can be easily led. She isn’t the type of child who would be lured by an online predator.

Then I think again about the statistics attached to young girls who find themselves in troubling situations.

A chaotic home life. Limited parental supervision. Evie is praised for her abilities on the basketball court, but is she lacking attention otherwise? Her own teammates have gone out of their way to highlight just how different she is from the rest of them. With a wince, I recall it was these same teammates that brought Evie’s online behavior to our attention in the first place.

You don’t know her.

As her teacher, Kyle would know just how vulnerable Evie is. He could have used all of that to his advantage. Clearly, he’d been targeting her long before the lock-in.

After getting dressed and pouring a jumbo-size coffee, I head for work. I can’t think inside this house, and I’m ready to start my day. More importantly, I’m hoping to hear back from Detective Fields. She might like to keep leads to herself, but I think even a stoic type like her would be shaken by what Nadia uncovered last night.

The sky is still dark when I arrive at school, the parking lot near empty. There are a few administrators and teachers who like to get their day started early, but from what I can tell, even the employees assigned early morning duty haven’t arrived yet.

The same eerie quality that hovered around the school the night of the lock-in persists in these early morning hours. My mind craves quiet and solitude. I need to be able to think things through, make smart decisions moving forward.

My plans for introspection are interrupted when Kyle’s car enters the parking lot, stopping only a few spaces away from my own. The moment I see him, I’m ready for a confrontation, angry he hasn’t already been detained. He has no business being near this school or the students inside.

“Hey, Cass! Heard anything else about the case?” he says, walking closer to me. “I know things were tense between you and Lake over the parents.”

He puts his hand on my shoulder, but I shrug it away, physically revolted by his touch. His forehead crinkles in confusion. “What’s going on?”

I know I should remain quiet. I already forwarded everything to Detective Fields last night. The police are in a position to handle Kyle from here, and yet, I can’t act like everything is okay.

“I know what you’ve been doing,” I say, my voice low. I take a step closer. “You’re the one who was messaging with Evie online.”

His expression stills, the color draining from his cheeks. “Cass, what are you talking about?”

“You know exactly what I’m talking about,” I say, struggling to keep my voice level. “I’ve seen the messages. Evie thought she was talking to a high school student, but she was really talking to you. Sending pictures back and forth.”

Kyle looks from left to right, keeping his voice down as more teachers exit their vehicles and walk toward the school building. “I can explain. It’s not as bad as it looks?—”

“What is there to explain? You were impersonating someone else to talk to young girls online. You were manipulating your own student! And you made plans to meet with her the night of the lock-in.”

“No!” His response comes out in a shout. Kyle clears his throat, starting over with a calmer tone. “Evie was the one who suggested meeting up. I was only being friendly back to her. Obviously, I never intended to do anything.”

“What exactly did you intend to do, Kyle?”

It strikes me that I could be talking to Evie’s abductor at this very moment. He’d been messaging and grooming her for weeks, all the while knowing if they ever did meet up, she’d recognize him in an instant. Did he go to the school that night to intercept Evie before she had the chance to tell people about her teacher’s sick proclivities?

“It’s just talking. I wouldn’t risk my job by meeting in person. She kept wanting to meet, and I told her I would just to shut her up. I was never going to meet with her,” he says. “I never came to the school that night.”

I don’t know how he expects me to believe him. And the way he keeps pushing the situation onto Evie without taking accountability makes me sick.

A police squad car pulls into the parking lot, stopping near the sidewalk where we’re standing. A uniformed officer gets out of the car. “Kyle Patterson?”

“Yes,” he says, his voice shaking.

“We’d like to take you down to the station and ask you some questions.”

Kyle looks between me and the officers and the school building. “I’m about to go into work.”

“Detective Fields has already been in touch with your supervisor,” the cop says. “You can drive yourself, or we’re happy to give you a ride.”

I’m reassured he won’t be going into the school building. Another wave of relief passes through me at the possibility Evie’s abductor might finally be caught, although it’s soon replaced with fear over what he might have done to her.

“Cass, please,” he calls after me. “Let me explain.”

My stomach is in knots, but I keep walking. Kyle’s involvement disgusts me; I only hope if he knows where Evie is, he’s kept her safe and she’ll soon be returned.