Page 43 of Forever Dead

“Eleanor retired years ago.”

“People can hold grudges for years.”

Vincent leaned back. “I only worked with her for the last few years before she retired. We weren’t especially close, but she was well respected.”

“I’ve heard that a lot.”

“She earned it.”

“Did she have problems with anyone?”

“Every teacher has problems with someone.”

“Serious ones.”

Vincent paused. “I’d have to check the records.”

“That’s why I’m here.”

The principal’s attention flicked toward the office door. “Anything you take will need to be handled properly. Some of those files contain information about former students who were minors at the time.”

“I’m not asking you to throw them into the parking lot. Show me what’s relevant, and we’ll deal with formal copies through the right process.”

That seemed to reassure him only slightly.

Vincent picked up the phone. “Carol, can you bring me Eleanor Marsh’s archived personnel file and the incident folders covering her years here? Yes. All available years.”

He replaced the receiver.

“You understand,” Vincent said, “I’d rather this not turn into reporters suggesting the school ignored some warning thirty years ago.”

“I’m investigating a murder, Vincent.”

“I appreciate that.”

“Then help me investigate it.”

The old Vincent appeared for a moment in the tightening of his jaw. “Of course.”

A staff member arrived several minutes later carrying two archive boxes. Vincent cleared space on a side table, and they began working through them.

*

Most of the records were exactly what Connor expected. Attendance issues. Classroom disruptions. A parent angry over a grade. A student caught cheating. Another suspended after throwing a desk during an argument with a classmate.

Eleanor’s name appeared repeatedly because she had taught for so long, but rarely as the center of the incident.

Vincent relaxed as the stack diminished.

“See?” he said. “Nothing extraordinary.”

Connor opened another folder. “We’ve still got thirty years to get through.”

“Thirty-five, technically.”

“Then we’d better keep moving.”

The incident reports covered roughly thirty years. An hour passed before they reached the older material.