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He passed her the ball again, and she cradled it in her hands, considering his question."I think the school has to be the connection.It's the one thing all the victims have in common."
"Maybe we should go through the list of students again," Finn suggested, watching her intently.
Sheila took another shot, the ball sailing through the air before bouncing off the backboard."We've already done that, Finn.We've gone through them all."
As the ball thudded to the ground, Sheila's frustration grew.They were so close to finding the truth, she could feel it.But something was still eluding them, some crucial piece of the puzzle that would finally bring everything together.
Finn backed up to the three-point line, sweat glistening on his forehead."Maybe we need to think outside the box," he said, dribbling the ball."What if the killer was one of the teachers?"He launched the ball toward the hoop, and it swished through the net with ease.
As he passed the ball back to Sheila, she caught it, struck by a sudden idea.Her eyes widened, and Finn could see the gears turning in her head."What's got you so fired up?"he asked.
"Remember what Waiters said about someone writing hateful messages toward both Roy and Macy in the bathrooms?"Sheila's grip on the basketball tightened."Who would be able to do that?"
Finn shrugged, wiping his brow with the back of his hand."Any of the students could have, I guess."
"Think about it, Finn," Sheila pressed."It would be difficult for a boy to sneak into the girls' bathroom without being seen, and vice versa."The ball thumped against the floor as she bounced it, her mind racing.
"Difficult, but not impossible," Finn said, watching her intently.
Sheila stopped dribbling and held the ball close to her chest.
"Remember how Mrs.Brigg mentioned a mentorship program for troubled students?"she asked.
"Yes," Finn said slowly, drawing the word out."What about it?"Before Sheila could explain, however, Finn finally made the connection.His eyes widened."The janitor's son," he said.
Sheila nodded."Think about it.The killer also carved a message into one of the trees at the cemetery where the Warrens' bodies were found.Based on the way the letters were carved, I'd say the killer wasn't particularly literate—which fits with the janitor's son being part of such a mentorship program."
She could tell Finn was hesitating, unsure what to think.Just as Sheila was about to press her case, the gymnasium door creaked open.Mrs.Brigg, her tired eyes peering at them from behind a stack of papers, stepped inside."How long do you two think you'll be staying?"she asked, stifling a yawn."I'm heading home, and I need to lock up."
"Sorry, Mrs.Brigg," Sheila said, suddenly feeling guilty for keeping the woman late."We were just discussing the case."
"Ah, I see."Mrs.Brigg shifted the papers in her arms, clearly eager to leave."Anything I can help with?"
"Actually, yes," Sheila replied, seizing the opportunity."What do you remember about the janitor's son?You mentioned him earlier when talking about the mentorship program."
"Ben Burton," Mrs.Brigg said, her brow furrowing as she recalled the boy."Some of the other kids used to make fun of his name, calling him 'BB Boy' and joking about what a backwards hillbilly he was, due to the fact that he lived out in the country with his father.Of course, they only did it behind his back."
"Really?"Sheila probed, curious about this new information."Why would they only do it behind his back?"
Mrs.Brigg's face took on a serious expression, as if remembering something unpleasant."Ben could be quite...intimidating," she admitted."His eyes could be cold, emotionless.And he had these strange habits that made it hard for him to fit in with the others."
As Mrs.Brigg spoke, Sheila noticed Finn's fingers tightening around the basketball, knuckles turning white.She could tell he shared her growing sense of unease.
"Could you give us an example of these habits?"Sheila asked, hoping to gain a better understanding of Ben Burton's character.
"Ben was fixated on cleanliness," Mrs.Brigg said, her voice taking on a distant tone."He would wash his hands obsessively, sometimes for minutes at a time.And he had this habit of staring without blinking, which made the other students incredibly uncomfortable."
"Sounds like a troubled kid," Finn muttered, his eyes locked on Sheila as if searching for her thoughts.
"Yes, he was," Mrs.Brigg agreed, her voice heavy with regret."We tried to help him, but there's only so much a mentorship program can do."
"Did Burton ever act hostile toward any of the other students?"Finn asked.
"Hostile?Not exactly," the teacher said, hesitating for a moment."But he was creepy around the girls.He'd follow them sometimes, or just stand there and watch them.It was...obsessive."She shuddered at the memory.
Sheila couldn't help but feel a mixture of empathy and unease as she imagined the lonely figure of Ben Burton, hovering on the edges of social circles, unable to bridge the gap between himself and the world.
"Sometimes," Mrs.Brigg continued, "he'd just be sitting there by himself, fidgeting in his lap.He always seemed to have a piece of rope on hand – sometimes just a spare shoelace – and he'd tie it and untie it endlessly, as if it was the only way he could distract himself."
