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Kerri’s instincts sharpened. “Do you think she was involved somehow? I’m sure you saw her in the library from time to time.”
“Oh, I saw her all right. By the time theincidenthappened, she was the star pupil here at Walker. The two girls who tried to hurt themselves once held that place. Two of our brightest shining stars. It’s a terrible thing to say.” Sue sighed. “But it’s like Alice arrived and decided she wanted to be those girls, and it happened.”
“Do you believe she took steps to make that happen?” The two students who had attempted to take their lives were both in the same grade as Tori. If they were as bright as Sue had suggested, how had they been taken down so low?
“That’s the truly bizarre part. Alice was nice to everyone. Everyone loved her.” Sue leaned forward again. “The rumor was that she lured the girls into some secret club, but I can’t be sure. The one student who mentioned this idea to me begged me never to tell. She was afraid, and I don’t blame her.”
Rather than demand the student’s name as she so wanted, Kerri said, “It’s a miracle she told anyone.”
“You know, I’m like a bartender; I hear all sorts of things from the kids. But this was a little more bizarre than usual. This student,” she said with a pointed look at Kerri, “said she and Alice, along with the two girls from theincident, would meet in the woods after school and do these strange rituals.”
“The two students involved in the suicide attempts,” Kerri ventured, restraining her need to reach across the table and shake more information out of the woman, “never mentioned any of this?”
“Not a word.” Sue moistened her lips and shot another glance at the door. “When it was clear they weren’t going to tell, I told the girl who came to me that we couldn’t not share this with Mr.Billings. It had to be done.”
“But you didn’t tell him the girl’s name.” Kerri held her breath.
“No, I couldn’t break her confidence. We put our heads together and found another way. I used the book Alice had checked out of the library to back up my concerns.”
Kerri stilled.Book?“Will you tell me about the book?”
Sue inhaled a deep breath. “It was a book about Santeria. It’s a religion, cult—whichever you prefer to call it—that originated in West Africa and eventually spread through Latin America. Like any other religion, some take it to extremes with rituals and animal sacrifices. Alice seemed to be obsessed with the darker side of Santeria.”
Something cold crept through Kerri. “Obsessed in what way?”
“I can’t show you because I gave the book to Billings when I spoke to him, but Alice had made notes and drawn images in the book. I don’t think she intended to return it, but the girl who came to me took it from her locker after what happened as a sort of insurance policy to protect herself. When she finally came to me, she’d been holding on to it for a while.”
“Can you describe some of the drawings or recall any of the notes?” Kerri’s heart was thundering now. Why had Billings not come forward with this information? There was nothing in the news reports Kerri had reviewed online about a third student or any bizarre rituals.
“Most of it made no sense. There were statements about cleansing and ruling. Apparently, she considered herself some sort of princess. A lot of it was gibberish.”
Tori’s words, one in particular, echoed in Kerri’s brain.Princess.“And the drawings?”
“Stick people hanging from ropes. Piles of stick people on fire. The images were quite disturbing considering what happened.”
“Did Mr.Billings give this book to the police?” As the head of the school, he had an obligation. Jesus Christ, as a human being, he had an obligation. Kerri swallowed back the choke of outrage.
“I don’t think he did. He told me not to discuss the book or Alice with anyone, that he would handle it. He insisted Alice probably watched too many horror movies. He said he would speak to her guardians about it as well. But I’m convinced he never went to the police. Think about it; one of the girls set her room on fire, and the other hanged herself. The only thing that saved either of them was that someone found them in time. The girl who hanged herself used the ceiling fan in her room and it broke, hit her on the head, and knocked her out cold. Her mother found her before she regained consciousness.” Sue searched Kerri’s face. “I don’t think what they did and those drawings were a coincidence.”
Kerri didn’t either. “Sue, I need to speak to the other girl.” If she attempted to talk to one of the two involved in the suicide attempts, Sykes and Peterson would be on her so fast her head would spin. But if they didn’t know about this third girl ...
Sue didn’t respond for a bit. Finally, she asked, “Can you tell me why? The students involved survived. If the police aren’t reopening the case, what’s the point? I’ve kept this child’s secret all this time.” She shrugged. “In all honesty, partly, I suppose, because I understood my job likely depended on it.”
“The Cortez girl, Alice,” Kerri said, her gut in knots, “goes to school with my daughter. She’s friends with my daughter.”
“Oh my God.” Sue’s hand went to her mouth. “Did she have something to do with the girl who fell? The one who just died?”
Kerri had to be careful here. “It’s possible. The trouble is I need to know for sure.” She frowned then. “No one from the BPD has been here about what happened?”
Sue’s hand fell back to the table. “Two detectives talked to Mr.Billings. At least I heard they did, but no one has mentioned anything about Alice being involved in what happened at Brighton. I had no idea she had transferred there.” Sue shook her head, her face growing pale. “The girl that died ... this could be my fault. I should have gone to the police myself.”
“No, no, this wasn’t your fault,” Kerri argued, though she wasn’t entirely convinced. “First, we don’t know yet exactly what happened with the Myers girl. And warning Brighton when Alice transferred there was Billings’s job, not yours. Just as going to the police was.”
Sue chewed her lip a moment. “Let me talk to her and see if she’s willing.” She put her hand to her chest. “Don’t worry; if she won’t talk to you, I’ll tell whoever I need to everything I suspected about Alice and the book. I can’t pretend anymore that it doesn’t matter.”
“Let’s not jump the gun here,” Kerri countered. What Sue had was a serious accusation, but she didn’t have any proof unless Billings was willing to hand over the book—assuming it was still in his possession. “Talk to the girl,” Kerri suggested, “see if she’s willing to come forward. If not, we’ll go from there.”
Sue nodded. “All right. I’ll do that today and call you no later than tomorrow morning. I’ll need your number.” She blushed. “I’m sorry we haven’t really kept in touch. Life.” She shrugged. “It’s a little busy most of the time.”
