“Okay, thanks,” Charly said and was about to head to her office.
“Have you seen Amos yet?”
That was an odd question to Charly. “Me? No. Why?” She didn’t even know the man. Why would she be the one to go and see him?
“I don’t know if he’s going to plead guilty or innocent,” Minnie said. “Parents are calling and asking that question.”
“He said he didn’t do it,” Charly said. She knew that much. “Tell them that.”
“But that’s what they all say,” Minnie said. “Everybody in jail says they didn’t do it. But anyway, don’t you have better things to do on this gorgeous Saturday than to come to work?”
“You’re here,” Charly said with a smile. “Don’t you have better things to do?”
“Absolutely,” said Minnie with a grin. “But duty called. Principal Dorsett ordered me to come in today to answer any phone calls from still-nervous parents. It’s been a week since they found that body, but some of them are still thinking about pulling their kids.”
“Is he going to cut his vacation short and come back?” Charly asked. The situation certainly warranted it in her eyes.
But Minnie was already shaking her head. “Not on your life,” she said. “Dr. Dorsett goes to Europe every year. It’s a tradition for him. It’s in his contract. He’s not changing his vacation for anybody.”
Charly didn’t understand that kind of commitment. But it wasn’t for her to judge. “Anyway, I’ve got some paperwork to do.”
“Oh, that’s why I asked about Amos,” Minnie said. “Chief Boone finally allowed him a phone call, although he should have been allowed it long ago. He told me that before you arrived in Hemingway he had put together an orientation packet that explains your duties and responsibilities. He said you’ll find it in that small, blue file cabinet in your office closet.”
Charly had seen that cabinet, but couldn’t find the key.
“Here’s the key,” Minnie said, handing the key to her.
“Thanks,” Charly said. “If you hear from him again, tell him I appreciate it. That packet should help my transition tremendously.”
Minnie nodded. “Yeah, he’s really good about helping people out.”
Charly looked at her. “Then you believe he could be innocent?”
“I don’t know anything about that,” Minnie said quickly. “Besides, Chief Ryan wouldn’t have arrested him if he was so innocent.”
“Innocent people get arrested all the time, Minnie,” Charly said.
“Not in Hemingway, they don’t,” said Minnie. And then the school’s phone rang.
As Minnie answered the call, Charly made her way down the back hall that led to the Dean of Students office, an office just beyond the Principal’s office and the Vice-Principal’s office. To her relief, the packet was in the bottom file cabinet, exactly where Amos said she’d find it. She was glad to have it.
But as soon as she got behind her desk, ready to devour the information, Minnie walked into her office with new news.
“What is it?” Charly asked.
“That was Fritz Hollingsworth.”
Charly frowned. “Who?”
“The chairman of the board of directors of Saint Chris. The man who hired you?”
“Oh, right. What did he want?”
“He says he wants you to get over to Rita Mae Brown’s house asap.”
Charly frowned again. “The victim’s house? Why?”
“He feels you should offer the school’s condolences to the Brown family, given that the child died on our property.”
“I should offer the condolences?”
“Yes. Why not you?”
“I would have thought a member of the board would have already paid their respects to that girl’s family. It’s been a week since it happened.”
Minnie laughed. “I’m sorry,” she said. “But you must be joking! Rita Mae Brown’s family lives in Low Town.”
“Yes, and?” Charly asked.
“Those uppity mucks aren’t going anywhere near that area,” Minnie said.
Charly nodded. Those uppity mucks had no problem putting her up in an apartment in that area, and they wouldn’t even visit it? If she didn’t know who she was dealing with in that school’s leadership, she knew now.
But she didn’t go there. That wasn’t Minnie’s business. “I would have thought they wouldn’t want anybody from the school going to visit the family anyway,” she said.
Minnie didn’t understand. “What do you mean?”
“Given that one of our faculty members has been arrested for her death, I would think they wouldn’t want me, as a member of the faculty, to contact the family at all.”
“Ordinarily, that’s probably true. But Chairman Hollingsworth seems to think you’d be perfect for the job.”
“Why?” Because I’m black? Charly wanted to ask.
“Because you’re new,” Minnie said. And then she added: “And black.”
Charly smiled. Minnie lacked any kind of warmth, but at least she was honest. “The chairman said that?”
“Didn’t have to,” Minnie said.
“Yeah, well, until I get that order directly from the chairman, I’m not about to intrude on that grieving family. But thanks,” Charly added, and looked at Minnie.
Minnie understood. She was being dismissed. “Fine,” she said, and then left Charly’s office.
And Charly, anxious to find out just what Amos’s orientation packet contained, opened it, put on her reading glasses, and began studying all that he prepared.
But then her office phone buzzed. After a second buzz, she tore away from the packet and pressed the button. “Yes?”
“Chairman Hollingsworth on Line 2,” Minnie said.
Charly, surprised, immediately answered the call. She didn’t know much, but she understood the chain of command. And Fritz Hollingsworth, as chairman of the board of directors, was at the top of that chain. “Hello?”
“Dean Johnson?”
“Yes, this is she.”
“This is Fritz Hollingsworth. I understand you needed to hear my directive straight from the horse’s mouth.”
Charly swallowed hard. “Yes, sir,” she said.
“You’re hearing it. Get your tail over to the Brown house. Minnie will give you the address. They aren’t planning to bury the girl until next Saturday, which is crazy in my opinion, waiting that long, but that’s how they do it. Pay your condolences on behave of Saint Chris.”
Charly knew she could get fired summarily during her year-long probation, which meant the chairman needed no cause to get rid of her, but she also knew if she didn’t stand up for her beliefs now, nobody was going to be listening later. “I would have thought the attorneys wouldn’t want school officials to have any contact with the Brown family. At least not until Amos Yerkson’s situation was resolved,” she said.
“Nonsense,” said Fritz dismissively. “Her body was found on our property. The least we can do is pay our respects.”
“Then wouldn’t it be more advisable, sir,” Charly said, “for you or another member of the board to pay those respects?”