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David took a last puff on his, then flicked it, s, into the dusty millers "I suppose I'm out of a job, sir? Is that what Ann said?"

"Don't do that"

He knitted his eyebrows "You mean smoke?"

"Don't call me ‘sir' Kindra, would you start the car, please?"

"Whoa, Chad Soraphy?"

He looked at her

"I'll start the car," she decided "Man, you got to lighten up"

Chadwick reached into the dusty arette butt He pinched it dead and tossed it into David's lap

David looked a little worse for wear than when Chadwick saw hio--like he'd been stuffed in an overhead coave Chadwick the same reverent look, the sad eyes of an unrequited ad to offend you?"

Chadwick"David, did you have access to the Laurel Heights accounts?"

"No, sir I just made alumni phone calls I coordinated the auction--of course they'll cancel it now, but I coordinated the donations I didn't have access to the money"

Chadwick reer with a raging case of zits, waving his red flag to h bidders

"You still live in the East Bay?"

"Yes, sir I've got a place in Berkeley My parents', really, but they make me pay rent"

"Your na into Katherine's death," Chadwick told him "I suppose you know that"

David's ears and neck turned bright red "Like I told you--I wanted to write--"

"You introduced Katherine to Sas fro hi away And you said nothing"

David rubbed his finger in the ashes on his shirttail

"I took her there once," he said, his voice tighter now "That's all I never went back You can't uiltier than I already do"

"Seen Saot his attention Chadwick couldn't quite read the look in his eyes--apprehension? Fear?

"No," he said "Of course not Not for years If I had--"

"You would've told someone You're awfully anxious to be helpful, David You called Sergeant Daave him the connection between my family and the Montroses You called the media about the embezzlement"

"What? I didn't--"

"Must've called the papers yesterday afternoon," Chadwick said, "before Norma even notified the board, just to 's paper"

David's face became darker, harder, as if invisible hands had decided to remold it Chadwick had seen this often with kids he picked up for escort--a sudden chee for battle mode, the moment they realized Chadwick couldn't be convinced or conned into letting theo

"You knohat?" David said "I should've left this place years ago, but I kept fucking co back This school failed Katherine You failed her When I talked about writing you a letter? That's what I wanted to put in it I hope the banks foreclose on Laurel Heights I hope they bulldoze this place to the fucking ground"

And David Kraft, his old pupil--who'd blushed his way through the Declaration of Independence in eighth grade, who'd dated his daughter and had the adjective poor put in front of his nah school arette off his lap and headed upstairs, with all the deter

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