Period 8 - By Chris Crutcher Page 0,14

not telling you.”

Arney waves over his shoulder as he exits the gym, while Paulie and Justin go one-on-one until the lights blink.

Logs pulls into the teacher’s parking lot after second period the next morning, having taken two hours of sick leave for dental work, and spots three police cars parked out front, two more than he would expect. In the front office he finds the regularly assigned school officer along with two others engaged in conversation with Marj Johannsen, the principal.

Dr. Johannsen looks up as Logs enters. “Mary Wells is missing.”

“From school?” It’s a dumb question.

“Missing,” Dr. Johannsen says. “This is Officer Rankin,” she says, pointing to the taller of the two unfamiliar officers. “He says she’s been gone two days. Her father reported it early this morning. The police are asking if we can get some students to help search the county park near the Wells’s house.”

“They’re thinking foul play?”

“Mr. Wells reports that her room was torn up; a bookcase overturned, bedcovers on the floor,” Officer Rankin says. “He says she normally keeps an immaculate room, and no way is his girl a runner.” He nods at Dr. Johannsen. “I’m hearing she has a promising future.”

“She does have that,” Logs says. “You say she’s been gone two days?”

“That’s what he says.”

“And he just reported it today?”

Officer Rankin only raises his eyebrows. “We have people over there now, but there’s not a lot to go on. The room has been straightened up.”

“What? That doesn’t sound right.”

Officer Rankin shrugs. “There’s a lot doesn’t sound right. That house has better security than City Hall. Nobody heard anything that sounded like struggle.” He shakes his head. “Chief says we treat it at face value, so we’re gonna look. Short window of time here if there is foul play.”

Logs turns to Marj. “What can I do?”

“I thought maybe your lunch period kids would be best,” Marj says. “They all know her and most of them could afford to miss a half day. It will take us until lunch to get parental permission and get a bus over here anyway. You could ride out with them and I’ll get a sub to cover your afternoon classes. Officer Rankin says there will be personnel at the park to meet you and organize.”

“Sounds good.” Logs waits until the police have finished making arrangements and are walking toward the exit before saying more. “This is strange, right?” he says when the doors at the end of the hall slam shut.

“I thought so too. I mean, had there been more evidence than a torn-up room, and only a reported torn-up room at that, I could see combing the park.”

“You say that to Officer Rankin?”

She nods. “He said ‘Orders from the chief,’ that people like Mr. Wells have a much better chance of getting quick action than the run-of-the-mill citizen.”

“Well, I think something doesn’t add up, but I’m not a cop.”

“I’ve called the Wells house several times, but there’s no answer. I left messages on both cells. I’m skeptical about providing students to search but better safe than sorry, I suppose. Rankin seemed to think it’s urgent. It would be awful if we refused and they found her in there.” She shudders. “Supposedly there’s a rapidly closing window following a disappearance and we’re well over twenty-four hours already. KXLY is on their way, which I’m not real happy about since we’ve had no contact with Mary’s parents. I think I’ll refer them to the police.”

The bus pulls up in front of the school and the Period 8 kids board. Paulie approaches Logs from behind. “Could I talk to you?”

“Can it wait?” Logs says. “We need to get this bus moving as quick as we can.”

“Yeah,” Paulie says, “it can wait. But not too long, okay?”

“You got it, buddy. Soon as I get a chance to breathe, we’re talking. This is crazy.”

“Yeah. Maybe crazier than you think.”

“Couldn’t be.”

Justin comes up behind Paulie and bulls him onto the bus. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

“Catch you on board,” Paulie yells over his shoulder.

.5

Hannah brakes her car at the south end of the county park and jumps out. She fell asleep after putting Mary Wells to bed last night, woke up, hit the snooze button on her clock four times, and then put it on permanent snooze against the far wall, forgetting momentarily that Mary was in the next room. Except when she finally got up and checked, Mary wasn’t.

Logs stands talking with a police officer, surrounded by several students who have