you’re going to do this then I’ll have to go with you. Let’s get on the road.”
“No.” Kendra shook her head. “This isn’t your job. I’ll be fine without you—”
“Be quiet, Kendra. I know every inch of the grounds of that school just as well as you do. Don’t argue. I haven’t been able to help since Elaine and Mr. Kim were killed. If you think there’s some reason you might be able to find out something from this bizarre message, then we have to go for it.” She smiled over her shoulder. “Besides, you need me to protect you.”
“Protect me?”
“No school officials. No FBI. But he didn’t say anything about me.” Olivia clipped the leash to Harley’s collar. “Or my friend here who we know can be very protective when the occasion calls for it.” She led him toward the door. “Providing no one knows what a complete softie he is.”
Chapter
10
See? I told you that there would be no threat,” Kendra said to Olivia as they rounded the corner that led down to the gate. “No scumbags waiting in the shadows to take me down. Feel that sun on your face? No shadows. And you can even hear the choir practicing over at the chapel.”
“I definitely heard them,” Olivia said dryly. “It made me nervous that Harley might decide to join in and start caterwauling. And then all hell would break loose and whoever is down there waiting for you would take off in fear for his life.”
“It’s something to think about,” Kendra said. “But he usually sticks close to you, and he’s seemed content enough, even familiar, with the grounds ever since we got out of the car. I think Elaine must have taken him for walks here on the campus when she brought him to work with her.” She had another thought. “I wonder if she introduced him to Mr. Kim? It would have been natural for him to have run into—” She stopped as they came over the hill and she was suddenly staring down at the grove. “I don’t see anyone.” She felt a rush of disappointment. “Maybe our Praxidike got nervous and decided to stand me up. How rude of him. I was hoping that—” Then she saw a man getting to his feet from a kneeling position near the hydrangea bushes. He was wearing jeans and a blue work shirt and had glossy dark hair that shone in the sunlight. “I spoke too soon, Olivia. There’s a man working down there in the bushes, I think he was digging. He’s got a spade in his hand and looks like a gardener.” She was starting down the hill. “Stay here. We don’t want to scare him off. I’ll call you if I need you and you can loose our fierce Harley to go on the attack.”
“I don’t like this, Kendra.”
“It’s why we’re here. He looks harmless. Just listen and be my trusty backup. Okay?” She didn’t wait for a response but took off at a trot. Better to get this over quickly before Olivia got anxious and decided to come to her rescue. As she drew closer to the man, her confidence grew. Well, not really a man; he looked like a college kid and had the same golden skin and slightly almond-shaped eyes as Mr. Kim.
“Hello,” she said. “I’m Kendra Michaels. You wanted to speak to me?”
He jumped and whirled to face her. “What?”
If he was a college kid, he was a very nervous one. “Don’t be afraid. You’re doing the right thing. If you have information, you should tell us about it.”
“Information?” His gaze was raking her face. “You’re not one of the blind students, are you? You can see me.”
“I can see you. You must know that if you contacted me. I told you, I’m Kendra Michaels.”
“I didn’t contact you.” He appeared sincerely bewildered. “But I know who you are. My grandfather used to tell us about you. You’re the one who works with the FBI.”
“Yes.” Now she was the one who was confused. “Your grandfather?”
“I’m John Kim.” He wiped his hand on his jeans so he could shake her hand. “My grandfather is…was Ronald Kim. I took a break from my classes at UCSD to help out at the school until they could get someone qualified to replace him.” He cleared his throat. “Not that anyone could. But I knew he wouldn’t want his gardens here to suffer while they tried. He loved every plant, every blade of grass.”