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“Good thinking.” And lucky for us. “You sit tight and try to regroup. I’ll be right back.” Melanie left the bathroom while Audrey stayed behind.
Melanie tapped Mr. Lynch’s shoulder. “Can you please hand me Mrs. Walker’s purse?” She pointed to the bag sitting on one of the chairs.
“Someone tell me what is going on!” Walker demanded.
Melanie ignored him. He didn’t deserve an answer, not even a lie. Lynch reached over and handed it to Melanie.
Walker must have gotten the message that no one was going to give up any information. At least not in the short term. He took a seat and tried to control his urge to shove everything off Melanie’s desk. Wouldn’t look good.
Melanie dashed into the principal’s office area. “I need an outside line, please. Private?” She gave a tight smile. “And Jerome Walker’s address.” She didn’t have to explain. Walker’s outrage could be heard several doors down.
The secretary nodded toward Audrey’s office, made several clicks on her keyboard, and wrote the address down on a piece of paper. “Star, nine, one, and then the number.”
“Thanks!” Melanie grabbed the paper and shut the door behind her. She dialed Greg Gilmour’s cell.
“Greg! It’s Mel. I have a situation at the school.”
“Already?” He was half-teasing. “What, have you been there, like, ten minutes?”
“I’m serious.”
“Okay. Go.” Gilmour was at attention.
Melanie gave him the Walkers’ address. “I need someone to go to the house and help a mother and son pack. They’ll have to swap cars. Maybe you can rent one? We don’t want her driving her own car.”
“I’ll loan her my SUV. It has GPS, so we can keep track of her if necessary. I have the old Jeep I can use.”
“You are the best.” Melanie knew she could count on Gregory. “We’ll drive her car back to the school, and I’ll drive you home later.”
“You will explain all of this, correct?” It was more of a statement than a question.
“Yes, of course.” Melanie was relieved. She wasn’t sure how far over the legal line she was straying. Her first priority was to get mother and son to safety. She’d figure out the rest when they let Walker go.
One could argue he was being detained against his will. But he’d have to prove it and explain the circumstances. Melanie surmised Walker wasn’t about to expose his temper to the board of education, or local officials. It could possibly open a major can of worms. Did he have “anger issues” on his work record? Melanie wondered. It appeared his relationship to his son and wife was stressed. She didn’t want to diagnose him after one abrupt interaction, but she noted her training at OSI was coming in handy. She’d learned how to read potential volatile situations and how to diffuse them. It might not be that easy today, but she had to give it a shot.
She hung up the phone and returned to the bathroom. Jerome was now standing next to his mother. His face was cleaned up, and the dress was folded neatly. Mrs. Walker had her arm around her son’s shoulders.
Melanie stooped slightly so she could be closer to Jerome’s eye level. “Here’s what’s going to happen. We are going to get in your car and drive to your house. I’m going to help your mom pack a few things, and you’ll pack some stuff, too. Go as quick as you can.” She saw the concentration and determination in Jerome’s eyes. He nodded. Melanie handed Mrs. Walker her purse. “A special agent is going to meet us at your house and give you a burner phone. You will take his car to your sister’s. The agent and I will drive your car back here.” She paused, letting the instructions sink in. “Call your sister from your car, then delete your call history. You’ll leave your phone in your car so he can’t track you.”
Melanie knew this must be overwhelming. “Come on. We’ll talk more in the car.” Melanie checked the hallway. They went out the back door and around the building so Walker couldn’t see them. Mrs. Walker’s hands were shaking.
“What if he catches us?” She could barely spit out the words.
“He’s not getting past Lynch, I can assure you.”
* * *
Maynard Lynch was a former Navy Seal. His physical attributes were imposing, leaving one to guess what he’d done before he donned a security uniform. Whatever it was, it must have required tremendous physical prowess. When asked why he’d joined the Seals, Lynch’s answer was, “Kids were always making fun of my name. ‘May-nerd.’ I wanted to bulk up. Be strong. The Navy seemed like a good place to start.” He was forty-five when he retired from the Navy, and he wanted to keep working. Schools needed security, and he was well-trained. Everyone felt safe when he was around. Well, maybe not Mr. Walker at that particular moment.
* * *
“Call your sister.” Melanie pulled out a small flip phone she kept in a pouch around her waist. It was a burner. She only used it when absolutely necessary, then discarded it, and replaced it with a new one. She always had one on her.
Mrs. Walker tapped in her sister’s number.
“Hello?” Colleen didn’t recognize the number.
“Colleen, it’s me. We have an issue,” she said grimly.
