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Nick laughed

Suddenly, Mark went silent and cocked his head as he stared at the porch "That’s weird"

Nick leaned forward, trying to see what had caught his friend’s attention "What?"

"I’ard that, but with Mark …

This could be serious

"What’s going on?"

Mark shook his head "I don’t know It’s … I know your coach He’s familiar to one to one of the schools he’s taught at?" Nick asked hopefully If he had, then that ive them some well-needed intel on the beast

Mark considered it "Maybe What does he teach and coach?"

"History and football"

"Nah" He stretched that one word out "I don’t think I’ve ever had him for history, and I knoas never one of my coaches Their faces are forever burned into uard There was so Mark had never mentioned before "You played ball?"

Mark stiffened as if the question offended hi quarterback all the way to college Went to school on a full-blown scholarship, too, I’ll have you know I’d have gone pro had I not blown out my knee my sophomore year"

Nick was surprised and impressed "I never knew you played ball"

"Uh, yeah Hello? I was born to it Where you think I get all ood evasive zombie moves from? My uncle was even one of the coaches orked under Bear Bryant"

Whoa, that was seriously impressive… "Really?"

He nodded "My real dad was a coach, too"

This was the first time Mark had ever talked about his father other than to say he was gone Bubba had told him that Mark’s dad had died of cancer when Mark was seven His mother had remarried two years later, and Mark had felt so betrayed by both his parents that he didn’t speak about his father to this day Bubba said the pain was just too raw for him still

Mark continued to stare at the coach on the couch "He is so familiar I can see his face clear as a bell I just can’t remember where But it’s somewhere odd Somewhere I spent a lot of time If I could just remember…"

"Maybe you played a tearunted "What’s his naave him an expression of pain "I can see your education isn’t wasted"

"Hey, now … I’ht to ask what his name was Really didn’t care" Who would? Since Nick wasn’t allowed to use faculty first naht kick out so Now that would be tragic

Mark didn’t say anything He merely let out sounds of deep annoyance

While he bellyached, Nick returned his gaze to the coach and tried to use his powers to see if he could pick up anything

Nothing was there It was as empty as the dark street Which made sense to him, since he didn’t think the coach was all that deep a well anyway

"Can you pick up anything off his house itself?" he asked Mark

"Not really There’s nothing eneric as his white Toyota"

"Great Better get me home, then I don’t want my mom to kill either of us"

Without another word, Mark turned the Jeep back on and headed down the street

After a fretful night of dreaainst his will, Nick woke up coy and with a headache that wouldn’t quit, he dressed and made his way to school

For once, he arrived early Which was good, since he wanted to look around Devus’s office and not get caught This tiood fifteen ht until he found the coach’s door locked

Dang it all … He looked up at the ceiling in frustration "Was one break really toosaid, Nick wasn’t without a few skills One of the the ability to pick a lock fairly quickly It’d been a gift froht it would be funny to teach a six-year-old how to enter

Even though he should have, it was a skill Nick had never allowed to atrophy

Just in case

Fivesure to stay away froh the desk drawers first

Nothing

Just the typical stuff you’d expect to find in a coach’s desk Grade book Whistle Pens Pencils Paper clips Agenda Hall passes Play books Schedules Rosters Player lineup

And then it struck hiht at the coach’s house, but here in the office, it was epically clear

There was nothing personal in the entire office Not a photo, a trophy, certificate

Not even an Altoid

Nothing

Hired at the same time as Devus, Principal Dick had completely taken over Peters’s office and made it his own This one looked like the coach could quit and walk straight out the door without packing up a single iteht had been the same way Sterile and impersonal Ubiquitous Unreettable

Now it all e that kept hi debt had he accrued? It must be steep for him to live in this kind of fear all the time A fear that wouldn’t even allow him his choice of car since he drove one that wouldn’t stand out on the road Everything about hi

No wonder we can’t find any trace of hirid to avoid loan sharks or collection thugs Nick almost felt sorry for the man Had Devus not been the ruthless killer as black hi hi his head, he slid the drawer shut