They headed to the main office and Pine’s badge got them in to see the principal.
Her name was Norma Bailey. She was a tall black woman with iron-gray hair pulled back in a severe bun. She had the no-nonsense manner of someone long used to having to corral and attempt to control and finally to teach legions of teenagers.
“I heard about poor Jerome,” she began, her expression full of sadness. “I wish I could say I can’t believe it, but shootings have become so frequent. People just see one on the news and the next day there’s another. People are becoming desensitized to the whole thing, and that is an abysmal development.”
“But you would be surprised it would involve Jerome?” said Pine.
“Yes, I’m afraid I wasn’t clear on that point. Jerome…” She shook her head and touched her trembling lips with a shaky hand before regaining her composure. “He was one of the brightest students we had. He was destined for an important role in life. He would have gone very far. He was an absolute genius in math and science. He could understand things even the teachers couldn’t, and we have two math PhDs here. A certifiable prodigy.”
“We understand he was the head of the robotics team,” said Blum.
“Yes. That’s housed in the new building on the school grounds. They won the state last year. It was very exciting. Jerome…he loved his robots, that was clear. He could build them with such…flair.” She dabbed at her eyes with her fingers and said, “How can I help you?”
“We’ve learned from Jerome’s mother that he was fine when he went to school yesterday, but he wasn’t when he got home. He mentioned something about a test and that he had missed some questions.”
“No, that couldn’t be. There were no tests in any class yesterday. It was a prep day for upcoming exams.”
“Okay, then he wasn’t truthful with his mother. Something else was bothering him. And from the timeline it seems that it happened while he was at school.”
“I can’t imagine what that might have been.”
“Can we speak with his teachers?” asked Pine.
“Certainly, I can arrange that.”
“Have the police been in to talk to you?” asked Blum.
“No. They haven’t been by.”
Pine and Blum exchanged a troubled look.
An hour later they had spoken with all of Jerome’s teachers. None of them could recall anything that might have led Jerome to do what he allegedly had. They all expressed shock and sorrow, but provided no useful information.
As they left the school, Pine glanced to her right. “I know him. He was outside the Blakes’ house this morning.”
The person Pine was referring to was sitting on the fence surrounding the new football field.
Pine and Blum walked over to him.
Pine said, “You looked like you knew something but didn’t want to say earlier.”
The young man jumped down and faced them. He was about Pine’s height, lean, and looked as tough as a piece of iron. His face held a jagged scar, and part of one of his fingers was missing.
“Did you know Jerome?”
“Yeah.”
“What’s your name?”
He shrugged.
“You followed us here, didn’t you? So you must have something to tell us.”
He looked over her shoulder.
“We think Jerome met someone yesterday who made him do whatever he did last night. Do you know anything about that?”
“Maybe.”
“Maybe you do?” prompted Pine.
“See a man talkin’ to him yesterday.”
“Here at the school?”
He nodded.
“Do you go here?” asked Pine.
He shook his head. “Ain’t go to school.”
“You graduated?” asked Blum.
He shrugged, grinned, and said nothing.
“Did you recognize the man he was talking to?”
“Uh-uh.”
“What time of day was it?”
“’Bout two.” He pointed. “Saw ’em talkin’ over there.”
“What did the man look like?”
“White dude. Tall guy with big shoulders.”
“Age?”
“Forties, maybe. Dark hair.”
“How was he dressed?”
“Pants and a shirt.”
“Tie?”
He shook his head.
“You think he worked here?”
“Don’t know.”
“If we can get some pictures together, do you think you could recognize him again?”
“Maybe.”
“What’s your name?” she asked again.
“Peanut. What they call me on the street.”
“How well did you know Jerome?”
“We real tight till a while back.”
“What happened?”
“I quit going to school and he didn’t.”
Pine said, “How did Jerome seem when he and the man parted company?”
“Jerome, he walked off, looking at his shoes. Seemed jumpy to me. Weird, y’know?”
“Do you think Jerome would have shot anyone?”
He cracked a smile. “Shit, lady, Jerome don’t know how to kill nobody.”
Chapter 16
THEY HAD GONE BACK INTO the school and asked Norma Bailey if she could put together a photo book and background information of the school employees. She told them that they had it digitally, but it would take her some time to get the necessary permissions to release that information. She added that she would contact Pine when it was ready.
After that they climbed into their car and drove off.
Three minutes later Pine said quietly, “We picked up a tail. Silver Mercury Marquis. Don’t look, Carol!”
Blum caught herself halfway through turning around. “Sorry, Agent Pine. Can you tell who it might be?”
Pine slowed down a bit to let the car catch up and she eyed it through the rearview mirror. “Okay, now I can make out the plate. It looks like a New Jersey state plate.”
“Can you make out the tag number?”
“Yes. Write it down.”
Pine told her the plate number and Blum inputted it on her phone.
“Just a driver or more?”
“A pair.”
“You’re sure they’re following us?”
“Well, we can find out.”
She hung a sharp left, hit the gas, roared through an intersection, and then hung a right.
She peered into the rearview again. “They got caught at the light, but they were following us all right.”
She hit a speed dial on her phone. Puller didn’t answer.
“Why do you think they were tailing us?” said Blum.
“They want to see what leads we’re following up.”
“Did you notice them while we were at the Blakes’?”
“No, but I wasn’t looking, either.”
“So someone from the state government is interested,” opined Blum.
“That guy who gave Puller the third degree was with the federal government, not the state.”
“But still the ‘government.’ Talk about a dog biting its own tail.”
“There might be more to it than that, Carol.”