“I called on my way down,” Metcalf said. “I talked to a night supervisor, Dr. Madeline Turman, and told her we were coming. She didn’t seem thrilled about it.”
“That’s because she’s responsible for a hundred and fifty resident students who are trying to sleep in that building over there.” Kendra motioned toward the dormitory, a four-story building with a sloping bonnet-style roof. “Maddie doesn’t like anything to come between her and her kids.”
“Did you stay there when you were a student?” Metcalf asked.
“No, I was a local. More than half of the students live in the San Diego area with their families. This school was the main reason my mom moved us here. It’s a special place.”
“So I gather,” Griffin said. “But a great many parents have taken their students home in the past day or so, and more are coming tomorrow.”
“Can’t say I blame them,” Kendra said. “Parents of special kids are very protective of them. It’s ingrained the instant they realize their child has a problem. This would set off more alarms than an EF-5 tornado warning. I’m surprised they haven’t closed the place down.”
A woman’s sharp voice came from behind them. “It could still happen.”
They turned to see a tall, slender woman in her late sixties. Kendra instinctively tensed. It was Dr. Allison Walker. The school’s head administrator had lost none of her power to cast an imposing figure. Her long, straight hair was now gray, but her slender physique appeared more toned than ever. Kendra had once assumed it was the result of some serious gym time, but a colleague told her Allison never exercised or even watched her calories. Lucky woman.
“Good to see you, Kendra,” Allison said quietly. “I hoped you would come.”
“You couldn’t keep me away.”
Allison raised an electronic cigarette to her lips and took a puff. “Please excuse this. It’s not allowed here, but it’s been that kind of week.”
Kendra nodded. “I understand. I take it you’ve met FBI Agents Griffin and Metcalf?”
Allison nodded. “Yes. Yesterday morning, after Elaine Wessler’s death. Good evening, gentlemen. I didn’t expect to see you again so soon.”
“Didn’t expect it, either,” Griffin said as he cast a sour glance at Kendra. “Plans change.”
“I’m only just now getting brought up to speed,” Kendra said. “I’m sorry, Allison.” The name caught in Kendra’s throat. After all these years, it still felt strange not to call her Dr. Walker. “Elaine Wessler and Ron Kim were good people.”
Allison nodded. “You’d realize that more than most. They were part of the heart and soul of this place. Each of them in their own way.”
“I know.”
Allison said fiercely, “It’s just…senseless.”
Evidently Allison was feeling a bit raw. Kendra instinctively stepped closer to her. “Did they have any connection to each other?”
“Elaine and Ronald? Not at all. Ronald was always around, tending to the lawns, his flowers and shrubs. The teachers might give him a smile or a quick hello as they walked past, but mostly he was just…there. We’ve all been racking our brains for a common thread between them, but we haven’t come up with anything.”
“Enemies? Volatile personal relationships?”
“No. Nothing like that. Ronald’s wife died of cancer a few years ago. Elaine’s divorced and she hasn’t been seeing anyone we know of.”
“We’ve been digging into their friends and associates,” Metcalf said. “I’ll give you a rundown, but so far there isn’t anything promising.”
“Okay.” Kendra glanced around them. “Allison, I’d appreciate it if you could walk with us. Would you mind?”
“Where?”
“I want to see where each body was found.”
“It will be difficult to see at night, especially where we found Elaine.”
“I know. I’ll come back tomorrow, but I need to see these places now.”
Allison turned toward Griffin and Metcalf. “I take it you’ve already tried to talk her out of coming here tonight?”
“We have,” Griffin said with a sigh.
Allison took another puff from her electronic cigarette. “I sympathize. Even when Kendra was here as a little girl, it was difficult trying to talk her out of anything she’d set her mind on.”
“Sorry,” Kendra said.
“No, you’re not. I know you better than that, Kendra.” Allison motioned toward the great lawn that extended to the south of the main building. “I hope you brought flashlights, otherwise it’s entirely possible one of us will end our evening tumbling headfirst into the Pacific Ocean.”
“We’ll try to avoid that.” Griffin and Metcalf fired up their flashlights and shone the way across the lawn as they walked.