Chapter 17
SEVENTEEN
They stopped for a quick bite to eat on the way to the school.
Amanda’s stomach was rumbling so loudly, there might as well have been a megaphone held against it.
She texted her mother to say she needed to take her up on her offer.
Her mother was quick to respond, saying she’d pick Zoe up from school and plan to spend the night at Amanda’s house.
She was eager to get even more time with her granddaughter.
Amanda didn’t tell her about Paul Archer’s murder; she’d rather do that face to face.
Briggs messaged while they were eating. He’d passed information about the case to a fellow detective on the day shift.
There still wasn’t anything back from the carrier, but it sounded hopeful they’d have something on their servers for Valerie’s phone going back to last Friday.
As for the histories requested for Paul’s and Brooke’s numbers, nothing flagged.
Amanda hustled through the hallways because it was getting close to the end of the school day.
The last thing she wanted was for Zoe to catch sight of her and ask why they were there.
The girl was too smart and would know something was wrong.
And the school wasn’t the place Amanda wanted to have the conversation about Mr. Archer with Zoe.
In the principal’s office, a woman with a pleasant smile greeted them. Her name was Anna Ward, and Amanda had met her before.
“Ms. Steele, is everything all right? Do you need me to get Zoe from class for you?”
“No, I’m here for another reason. We need to speak to the principal.”
Anna’s eyes caught the badge clipped onto Trent’s waistband and met Amanda’s gaze. Said nothing.
“Is it still—” Amanda stopped talking when Anna shook her head.
“It’s Ivan Zimmerman now. Can I tell him what this is regarding?”
“Just a police matter.”
Anna didn’t respond for a few beats, just kept watching them. “Okay, I’ll let him know you’re here.”
A glint in Anna’s eyes told Amanda she’d pieced it together. One missing teacher plus two police detectives equaled something bad. “Thank you.”
Anna got on her phone and was giving them the go-ahead after a few seconds. All she told the principal was one of the students’ parents needed a word with him and provided Zoe’s name.
“Amanda Steele, you’re Zoe’s mother. Nice to meet you.” A man wearing a pale-gray suit was seated behind the desk and waved for her to come in. His gaze traveled over her, then Trent. “You’re Zoe’s father?”
“No, I…” Trent fumbled.
“Mr. Zimmerman, I am Zoe’s mother, but I’m not here in that capacity. This is Detective Trent Stenson, my partner.”
Ivan’s face took on sharp edges, and he leaned back in his chair. “Please, sit.” He gestured to the visitor chairs across from him.
Once they got situated, he said, “This is about Paul Archer.” Not said as a question.
“It is,” she told him. “Paul Archer was found dead this morning. He was murdered.”
Ivan’s eyes blanked over, and he licked his lips. “I figured something must have happened to explain his absence. He didn’t seem like the type to no-show.”
“You just started with the school this year?” Trent asked.
“I did, but it’s only the students who get the entire summer off. The teachers and I have work to do. I didn’t get to know him a lot, just enough that I didn’t see him not showing up without an explanation. His fellow teachers couldn’t understand it either, and they knew him better than I did.”
She was disappointed Ivan wasn’t likely to offer any insight into Paul’s personal life, but it sounded like others here could. “We’ll need to speak to the teachers and staff. One of them could have something to say that would help our investigation.”
“Yes, of course. It’s all so sad. Paul was a very sociable man. He made friends with everyone. Do you have any idea who did this to him?”
His summary of Paul made his murder even more tragic. The world needed more friendly people. “It’s early yet, but we’re doing all we can to get that answer.”
“Let’s hope someone here can shed some light on things. Class will let out soon. I could have Anna announce for the faculty to hang back afterward.”
Amanda glanced at the clock on the wall. They soon had to leave for Manassas if they were going to be on time for the autopsy. But the opportunity to speak to everyone at once was too good to pass up. “We appreciate the offer and will take you up on it.”
“Okay, good. You can answer questions that might come up too. This will help everyone if a student comes to them wanting to understand.” He pushed a button on the phone on his desk, and Anna’s voice came over its speaker.
“Yes, Mr. Zimmerman?”
“Please page for teachers and other faculty to report to the teachers’ lounge after class.”
Silence. Then, “I’ll do so immediately.”
Anna’s voice was soon coming over the speaker mounted near the ceiling in Ivan’s office.
Amanda cringed upon hearing it, wondering if her sleuth of a daughter was putting any of this together.
“The students are going to be heartbroken when they find out,” Ivan said. “I’ll need to arrange an assembly for tomorrow morning to let them know. Paul’s unfortunate family. If there’s anything I can do for them, let me know.”
Amanda must have hesitated a second too long. Ivan angled his head and squinted.
“Is there something else I should know?”
“It’s a complicated situation.” Sometimes it was a fine balance between what to share and what to hold back. Though would it jeopardize the search for Valerie and Brooke by telling the principal about their abduction? Unlikely.
“Could you uncomplicate it for me?”
“Paul’s wife and daughter are missing. We believe they were taken against their will.”
Ivan sank in his chair. “Oh my. Is Paul’s death connected to that, do you think? Does his family even know he’s dead?”
What if they don’t? She and Trent just assumed the three of them were together, and that Paul was killed in front of them.
But it was possible they didn’t know. “As I said, it’s a complicated situation.
You said you didn’t know Paul that well and that people liked him, but does anyone come to mind who had any slight against him? No matter how seemingly insignificant?”
“I’m sorry. I’m not in any position to answer that question.”
Amanda nodded.
“Anna can show you to the teachers’ lounge. I’ll be there shortly.”
“Thank you.” Amanda stood and left with Trent.
They came face to face with Anna. She was watching them wide-eyed.
“He’s dead, isn’t he? Paul Archer?”
“I’m sorry to say that he is.” There was no way of softening such a response. No matter how delicately she could put it, a man was dead.
Anna sniffled and nodded. “I had a feeling, ya know. Detectives showing up can’t lead to anything positive.”
Amanda pressed her lips and shook her head. “Not usually. How well did you know Mr. Archer?”
“Quite well. My kids are about the same age as his. Only for me, I’ve got two girls. So sad about the situation with his son.” Tears snaked down her cheeks, and she swiped at them as if she had no warning they were coming. “His poor family. I should reach out.”
“Do you know of anyone who had any issue with Paul?” Amanda decided to veer away from discussing the situation with Valerie and Brooke.
“No, everyone liked him. He had a big heart and a witty sense of humor, well, if you’re into dad jokes. He had a bunch of those.” A rogue tear rounded her chin and splatted on the papers in front of her on her desk. “He’s going to be missed. What happened to him?”
It was a normal question, typical of the situation. Death was such a mysterious entity, human nature had most people wanting to know how and why. Unfortunately, the latter was rarely—if ever—resolved to any satisfaction. “He was murdered.”
Anna gasped. “That’s why you were asking about his relationships.”
Amanda and Trent remained silent. Anna’s forehead furrowed.
“This just… Wow. This blows me away.”
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Amanda offered.
The receptionist nodded as she wiped more tears that had fallen in silence.
“Mr. Zimmerman told us you could direct us to the teachers’ lounge,” Trent said.
“Out the door, turn right, second door on the left. I’ll be there in a minute.”
Amanda reached the door just as the bell rang to signal the end of the school day. Students spilled into the halls. Zoe. Amanda’s impulse was to duck back into the office and hide.
Her phone buzzed with a text message.
Will be postponed leaving tonight. Is there any way you could get Zoe or make other arrangements?
It was from Libby DeWinter. She was a teacher here but also Zoe’s adopted aunt.
Libby had been close friends with Zoe’s parents and even pegged as Zoe’s godmother.
But when they were murdered, Libby wasn’t in any position to adopt Zoe.
She was a huge part of her life, though, and she took Zoe back to her house after school until Amanda’s shift ended around five.
If Amanda worked late, she needed to make other arrangements, which she had done today but had failed to pass on to Libby.
“Trent,” she said, leaning in toward him.
“I just need to handle something, if you wanted to go on ahead of me.”
“Yeah, of course.” Trent retreated down the hall.
Amanda stepped to the side of the hallway and called Libby. She’d be seeing her soon enough, but she expected Libby would be eager for a response.
“Amanda? You got my text? A situation came up at work. Some last-minute meeting, and I don’t know how long it will be. Sometimes these things drag out.”
“I understand, and I’m sorry I didn’t say anything earlier, but I made arrangements for my mother to get her today.”
“Oh?”
“You’ll find out soon why.”
“So you’re why they called this meeting?”
Libby had become a close friend over the years. Amanda was going to be her maid of honor for her wedding next month, so she’d gotten to know her pretty well. In the least, Libby would excel as a detective. At most, she was borderline psychic, her intuition was so strong. “Yes.”
There was silence on Libby’s end, but Amanda then detected a little girl’s voice in the background. It was one she’d know anywhere. Zoe.
“Libby, you might have guessed what’s happened, but Zoe doesn’t know yet. I’d like to be the one to tell her.” Amanda ran with the assumption Libby would understand what she was talking about.
“I understand, and I’ll let her know her grandmother is coming to pick her up.”
“Thank—”
“Is that Mom?” Zoe chirped up in the background.
“It is,” Libby told her.
“Is she working late again?”
Amanda’s heart broke. Was she nothing but a constant disappointment? Was that how her daughter viewed her? As the absent workaholic?
“Zoe, you know your mother has a very important job,” Libby told her.
“Tell her to find Mr. Archer.”
Her daughter was still very concerned about the missing teacher.
Hearing her just made it sink in more how Amanda would soon break her heart.
All she knew for sure was she had to be the one to tell her about her teacher before she heard it at some assembly with everyone else.
“Please tell her we’ll talk when I get home and just have her wait at the front doors for her grandmother. ”
“Will do. Talk soon.” Libby ended the call.
Amanda would run away if that would solve anything. But it wouldn’t, so she’d push forward.
Lots of people were walking past and into the lounge. She stepped inside to see the room was filling up. At this rate, it was soon going to be standing-room only.
Trent was speaking with a circle of teachers, and part of her wished to leave him to it and walk off with her daughter.
But there was a larger picture to consider.
This wasn’t about her or even Zoe right now.
The next while was about finding out as much as they could about Paul Archer in the hopes it would lead them to his killer, as well as his missing wife and daughter.