“Hi, Mark. I watched that video you sent over.”
“Yeah? What did you think?”
“I think he’s one to keep an eye on.”
“Do you know who he is?”
“Let’s give the kid some room, okay?”
/> “Celia—”
“Did you catch the three crooks?”
“No, but we’re canvassing the neighborhood and we’ve got a few leads.”
“You canvassing for the kid, too?”
The police captain sighed. “I can’t discuss an ongoing investigation with you.”
“Why don’t you drop it and let me keep an eye on him? You wouldn’t have sent me the video if you didn’t want me to know about him, right?”
“I just thought you might have a name.”
“I can get it if we need it. But let’s see what he does next. This may have shaken him up, he may back off.”
“Not likely—I know how these guys operate.”
“So do I, Mark. Better than you.”
“Yeah. Well.” He cleared his throat, avoiding an uncomfortable change of subject. “You’ll let me know if you hear anything through the grapevine?”
“You know I’m always here for you,” she said.
“That’s exactly what I need, for people to think I’m in the pocket of the president of West Corp.”
“No, they’ll know better than that. Take care of yourself, Mark.”
“You, too.”
The complicated phone unit—the thing had more controls than a jet fighter—beeped an incoming call. She punched the button, which summoned her own receptionist to the line.
“Ms. West? There’s a call from Elmwood Academy on line three.”
She suppressed a groan. This was about one of the girls. But which one, and was it good news or bad? She could just make the caller leave a message …
“Right, okay, put it through.” The line clicked, and she announced, “This is Celia West.”
“Ms. West, this is Director Benitez, I’m so sorry to bother you”—Celia was pretty sure other parents didn’t get apologies from the headmistress of the city’s most exclusive private school—“but I thought you should know that Anna came to school significantly tardy today.”
“Define significantly tardy.”
“She didn’t arrive until after lunch.”
That late, Celia wondered why Anna bothered showing up at all, but she didn’t say so.
“Did she have a good excuse?”
“I’m not sure what would be a good excuse in this case…”