a moment as if expecting to enter the office with her. But she stood in the doorway and he took the hint. Gary walked back toward the water fountain, where his tools were neatly arranged on a towel on the floor.
Kendra stepped into the office, appealingly cluttered with framed photos, mostly of former students and fostered dogs. There were a pair of plaques on the wall—awards in a countywide debate competition. On the desk, a tin cup with a dozen pencils, each sharpened down to the exact same length. An empty place on the desk marked where Elaine’s computer had been. The laptop was at the computer forensics lab at FBI headquarters, and Kendra knew the hard drive contents had already been copied. The techs were combing her emails for any signs of a threat.
There were no signs of a threat in her office. A Sonos music player, a filing cabinet, and a chair on each side of the desk, perfectly positioned for student-teacher conferences. The phone was angled awkwardly for any real use, but that could have been attributed to custodial staff cleanings or the FBI Evidence Response Team moving it as they examined the desk.
She tensed. A scraping sound in the hall behind her. Footsteps.
She spun around, leaned into the half-open door, and peered through the opening.
It was a little girl.
She appeared to be about twelve years old, blind, and the scraping sound was her white cane sweeping across the floor. She was holding flowers. She bent over to place the flowers in front of the door, but she suddenly froze.
She looked up. “Hello?”
“Hi,” Kendra said.
“I didn’t know anyone was here. I’m sorry.” The girl quickly turned away.
“Wait.” Kendra stepped into the hall. “Don’t go. Those flowers are beautiful. Are they for Ms. Wessler?”
The girl stopped. “Yes.”
“They smell heavenly. I know she would have loved those.”
She turned. “They’re carnations. They were her favorite.“
“Really? She told you that?”
“She didn’t have to. I could always smell them from a vase on her desk in class.”
Kendra smiled. “That’s very sweet and you’re smart to remember that. What’s your name?”
“Ariel. Ariel Jones.”
“I’m sorry about what happened to your teacher, Ariel. She was a nice lady.”
Sadness fell over the girl’s face. She had a dimpled chin, high cheekbones, and long blond hair, and her bright blue eyes were misting with tears. “She was the best. I miss her so much.”
“I feel the same way, Ariel. I knew her from the time when I was a little girl.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I was a student here until I was thirteen.”
“Are you blind?”
“No, but I was then.”
Ariel gasped. “Jeez. You’re Kendra Michaels.”
“I am.”
“Whoa.”
Kendra chuckled. “You make me feel like a rock star.” Then Kendra remembered Layla’s harsh words. “Unless being Kendra Michaels isn’t such a good thing around here anymore.”
Ariel smiled. “You are a rock star. And you’re gonna find out who killed Ms. Wessler. And Mr. Kim.”
“I’m trying.”
“You will.”
Kendra looked around. “You shouldn’t be in here alone. Shouldn’t you be in class?”
“Recess.” She beamed. “And I’m not alone. I’m with you.”
“You should stay close to your classes and teachers, especially now. Or at least have a friend with you if decide to wander off.”
“I don’t have that many friends.” She made a face. “I’m sort of a computer geek, and the other kids think it’s kind of weird that I want to spend so much time working and trying to figure out stuff. But that’s okay, sometimes being alone is kind of…comfortable. No one gets in your way if you’re concentrating or just thinking. You know?”
“Yes, I do know. But I believe you could dig up a friend or two to hang out with if you tried during this situation. Right?”
She shrugged. “I guess so.”
“Though I was told that a lot of the parents are keeping their kids home.”
“They are. Most of the kids I know still haven’t come back. But my mom and my brother live in Pennsylvania and it would cost too much for me to fly home. Besides, I’m not scared.”
Kendra studied her. It wasn’t just youthful bravado; Ariel wasn’t scared. She spoke with defiance, standing her ground against the beast that might still be lurking nearby. But a little fear might be a good thing for her right now. “Well, I’m scared. You need to be careful. Do you understand?”
Ariel nodded. “I just wanted to put these flowers in front of Ms. Wessler’s office. Because she was my friend. And I think flowers always made her happy. She didn’t seem happy the last