the floor below mine in a building on Fifth Street.”
“I know. She still visits here from time to time. Did she mention to you that she’s given motivational speeches to our classes at least two or three times a year since she left here?”
Kendra nodded. “You couldn’t have chosen anyone better. She’s an exceptional person.”
More than exceptional, she thought. Olivia was beautiful, brilliant, innovative, and had never let her blindness keep her from accomplishing any goal she set herself. She had developed a website, Outasite, which had recently become a major online destination for the blind, who browsed its pages with one of several screen-reading applications. The site featured product reviews, interviews, and news stories mostly written by Olivia herself. In just a few years, what had been a spare-time hobby now afforded her a comfortable living with a potential in the seven figures.
“Oh, I realized that,” Allison said bluntly. “You’ve been very generous with your time when I’ve asked you to come and speak, but Olivia is really of far more value to us.” Then she sighed and ruefully shook her head. “I shouldn’t have said that, diplomacy isn’t my strong suit. It’s been a very bad day and I tend to just say what I’m thinking when I’m hurting.”
“So do I,” Kendra said quietly. “Do you suppose I learned it from your example? I always admired you…when you didn’t intimidate me.”
“Lord, I hope not. These kids have to learn to cope, not antagonize.” She paused. “Your visits here did have value. I’m not saying they didn’t. But you’re a superstar. You do it all. The kids hear about your work with the FBI on the Net. Very exciting. Crimefighter deluxe. And they know that you’re respected for your academic accomplishments with special kids in the classroom. They admire all that about you. But they can’t connect with you as they do with Olivia.” She added simply, “Because you received a miracle that might never happen to them.”
“And Olivia is still blind, yet she’s making a success of her life at every opportunity that comes her way,” Kendra said. “She’s out there in the trenches and showing the kids what’s possible. Of course she’s a better motivational inspiration than I am. That’s why my speeches to the students weigh in heaviest on what I learned in the twenty years I was blind that I can apply to what I do now.”
“I’ve noticed,” Allison said gruffly. “That’s really the only reason I invited you to speak.” She shrugged. “Though the kids do get excited when you show up. Everyone likes a superstar to shine down on them.” She added dryly, “Well, have I hurled enough insults at you for one evening?”
“I actually feel complimented that you’d be this honest with me.” Kendra couldn’t help but be amused. “It makes me believe I might have at last reached your august level. Even though Olivia is far ahead of me.”
“You might get there yet. As long as you make sure Olivia stays around to keep you balanced. I admit it didn’t surprise me about the condo. You never could let go of anyone you cared about.”
“Can anyone? Friendship is very precious.”
She nodded slowly. “To some more than others.”
“I assure you that we never get in each other’s way. You taught us that we had to be totally independent.” She paused as a thought occurred to her. “Does she know about the murders?”
“Maybe not.” She shrugged. “I asked your FBI friends to try to keep their identities confidential until I could talk to the parents of our students. They did a good job of stalling the media. I think she would have contacted us if she’d known.”
“You’re probably right. Or called to tell me. She might have been out of town. Once a month she flies to Dallas to give seminars on computer technique for the blind at a VA hospital. I’ll phone her on my way home and tell her what happened.” She grimaced. “I’m not looking forward to it.” They had reached the rock, and Kendra lit up her phone and scanned the area. “The ground is soft. There should have been footprints here.”
“There were,” Metcalf said. “Hers.”
She turned to look at him. “No one else’s?”
“Nothing I would call a print. More like…vague impressions. It looks like the killer wore padded booties of some kind.”
“Do we at least have a shoe size?”
“Forensics gave us a man’s shoe size estimate of between ten and twelve.”