by Max Parrott
"We don't know that," Sandra said, rubbing the back of her neck.
"And her whole lavish lifestyle," Sampson went on, "her credit cards and all that, it would be gone. Sure, she'd get half of Lyle's assets. Maybe, if the court was unfair. But it probably wouldn't be that unfair, considering the conditions of adultery. But even if she got those assets, she'd squander them on plastic surgery and clothes in a week!"
"I can't believe you," Sandra said. "I really can't. To think I fell in love with such a weak, hateful man. It makes me sick at myself."
"You should be sick," said Lyle, stepping out of the shadows at last. "Everything about you is wretched and rotten. I wish I could go back in time and never marry you."
"Oh, yes, a fine idea," said Sandra, laughing and glancing around to see if anyone was laughing with her. "Then you would never had had a son."
"I might as well never have had him anyway," Lyle said. He sounded like he was choking on his own words. "He's gone now. Because of you."
"I didn't kill him," said Sandra. "No matter how mean of a person you think I am, do you really believe I could do that?"
"It's not a matter of belief," said Lyle. "Two months ago, my son came to me. It was late at night, at the restaurant. He told me something... he told me that he was worried about you and I, Sandra. About his parents. He said it was all a big tangled knot and he had been trying to figure out how to untie it ever since he could remember. But he couldn't figure it out, and now it was worse than ever. He said he was worried about you, and the things you might do. I know why he took the ring. He wanted help, and he wanted insurance against you. He wanted to make sure you would be held accountable for something for once in your life. That's why he did it!"
Sandra stared at the floor, shaking her head from side to side.
"I didn't!" she said. "I didn't do it!"
Lyle grabbed her by the arms. But rather than yanking her, he pulled her gently to her feet and spoke softly.
"You can stop lying now. Stop lying to me, and stop lying to yourself. It's all over. You have no choice. Jasmine, tell her."
"Actually," Jasmine said, "I don't know if it's that simple."
He looked at her, his mouth hanging open.
"We know Oliver was murdered," Jasmine went on. "And if that's the case, there's only one person who could have done it. I've heard everything. I've tried to puzzle out of everything in my head. And now I know who the killer is."
She turned in a slow circle, staring at each person in return. Only one person failed to meet her eyes.
"Barrett," she said. "Go stand over by the door. I don't want anyone getting out."
Barrett nodded and moved to do as she asked. His back was still turned, and he was only halfway to the door, when Elden DuPont suddenly burst forward. The officer turned around, reaching for his sidearm, just in time to be bowled over by the much larger man.
Barrett went down on his back, the wind crushed out of him. He grunted in pain and flipped over onto his belly, yanking his sidearm out of its holster and aiming it.
"Freeze!" he yelled.
But DuPont kept going. He threw his bulk against the door and fell through, his fancy shoes skidding on the floor. He nearly tore the door from its hinges in his haste to slam it shut... but it was stopped short by the outthrust arm of Charles Dane, who caught it and pushed it open again.
"After him!" Lyle shouted.
Jasmine was the second one to the door. She and Luffy ran through, turning just in time to see DuPont vanishing around a corner, headed deeper into the school.
"Luffy, you know what to do," Jasmine said.
"He's already in the bag," the dog said. He took off, moving as fast as his four legs could carry him.
Jasmine almost shouted instructions after him. What to do, and where to go. But there was no need. She already knew where this was going. Where it would end. It was fated.
Barrett and Charles piled into the hall after her, followed by Lyle Bridges.
"What do we do?" Lyle asked.
"We still have witnesses in the music room," said Jasmine. "Do you think you can keep everyone inside?"
Lyle nodded. "Count on it."
"Thanks. Charles, Luke, you're with me. Come on!"
She started running. For a moment she flashed back to a dark beach, another pursuit months in the past. She had been out of breath for ten minutes after that. She was glad she had started working out.
"What's the plan?" Barrett huffed out as he raced to keep up with her.
"There are only two places he can go," Jasmine said. "The road, or the woods."
"Well, he's gotta go towards the road! That's where his car is. That's his best bet for getting away."
"Then we'll cut him off," Jasmine said.
They took a short cut, following the same way they had used to come inside. In a moment they were outside, running along the edge of the parking lot in pounding rain. Jasmine was soaked to the bone in three seconds, splashing through puddles and squelching grass. The night was now as dark as a crypt, deep shadows obscured further by the rain. Only during the brief, distant flashes of lightning was it possible to see anything.
Jasmine stopped and turned around. "Charles, how many exits are there?"
"Why are you asking me?"
"Because you know the place the best out of the three of us. Come on! How many exits?"
"Um... four. The main doors. The side door we just came out of. And two other side doors."
"He's in a panic," Barrett said. "He'll go for the most obvious course. Like a scared animal. The front door."
"Are you sure?" Jasmine asked.
"As sure as I can be."
"Good enough for me," said Jasmine.
She led the way along the edge of the building, glancing in each window as she passed. But she could see nothing in any of them but her own reflection, sometimes thrown back at her as lightning burst toward the horizon.
As they neared the corner that would bring them in view of the front door, they heard distant barking.
"Luffy!" Jasmine cried.
She raced around the corner and saw the dog standing there in the rain, looking confused.
"I had him, Jasmine," he said. "But he must have given me the slip."
"Did he make it outside?" Jasmine asked quietly, crouching down to hug him.
"No, I don't think so. I think he's still in the building."
Jasmine stood and turned to the others. "I know exactly where he went."
Chapter 10
There were only two ways of reaching the top of the clock tower. An interior staircase, and a maintenance ladder outside. It was clear which way DuPont would have taken.
Jasmine sprinted through the dark main hall, nearly slipping several times in the water that was pouring off her. Luffy stuck by her side; Charles and Barrett trailed a little ways behind, breathing heavily in the quiet of the empty school.
Jasmine had only been in the clock tower once, but she remembered the way. In a moment she was racing up the steps two at a time, moving past old windows with yellow glass. She could sense DuPont up ahead, scared and confused, uncertain.
It seemed she had been running up those steps forever. Like this was all one big, extended vision, and it wasn't actually happening. Like she would never reach the top. But just when her legs were really starting to burn, the stairs ended in a small brick room. Dead ahead, standing wide open, was the door onto the balcony from which Oliver Bridges had fallen to his death. The wind drove rain in through the door. She ran down the steps in tiny, cold trickles.
Jasmine took a deep breath.
"I've got your back," Luffy said.
She strode forward, out onto the balcony, and saw DuPont immediately.
He was standing there with his hand on the support column, staring at the temporary chains and warning tape that had been struck up where Oliver had fallen through. He wasn't moving. He wasn't even trembling with cold or fear. He was like a statue.
"Dean Du
Pont," Jasmine said.
He glanced over at her, his eyes red and swollen with tears. "Yes, Miss Moore?"
"Care to take a step back?" she asked, offering him a smile.
"Maybe. Maybe not. I think I'll just stand here for a minute until I can decide."
"Officer Barrett is right behind me," Jasmine said. "He isn't going to let you do anything hasty."
DuPont smiled. "Just like he wasn't going to let me out of the music room. Luke was never very good at anything, except at having a heart... something I seem to struggle with."
"You can talk to me," Jasmine said. "I'm not just here to solve crimes. I'm here to learn. And to listen."
"Well, you won't be learning from me. Not anymore."
"Just tell me what happened, and we can figure out what comes next together," said Jasmine.
By now Charles and Barrett were at her back, waiting. Listening. Barrett had handcuffs ready. Apparently he had realized he didn't need his sidearm; it was back in its holster.
"It was never meant to happen," said DuPont, shaking his head.
"I'm sure it wasn't," said Jasmine. "But it did. And now it's time to share. You don't need to keep holding onto it anymore."
DuPont nodded. "It shouldn't have ever gone so far. He was standing here, right here, when I came up. He had asked me to meet with him. It was the evening, late, and I thought we were alone..."
"What did he say?" asked Jasmine.
"He pointed," said DuPont. "He showed me the crumbling cement. I knew about it, of course, but I had no idea it was so bad. He told me someone could die up here... I laughed and told him he was exaggerating." As an example, DuPont let out a dry, almost corpse-like laugh. "And then he began to threaten me. He told me as long as this was fixed, and he had his wishes for assigned parking and all those other items he was so set on, he would forget that I had let such an obvious violation sit unrepaired for so long. He wouldn't bring it up with the board, and I wouldn't get in trouble."
"Did you push him then?" asked Jasmine.
"No, not then," said DuPont. "Not before Oliver tried to frighten me. He stepped up on the rail, placing his feet between the uprights and his hands on the top. He started bouncing around, making the thing move. But it clearly didn't move as much as he thought it would. It flexed a little, but it was in no danger of ripping free. Or so it seemed. I was angry... very, very angry. I wasn't thinking clearly. All I wanted was to further call his bluff and weaken his position. So I gave him and the whole railing a push. He had tried to scare me, so I was going to do the same. I didn't expect the thing to... I didn't expect it..."
"It tore out of the concrete and fell," said Jasmine. "With Oliver still holding onto it."
DuPont let his head drop. "He tried to grab onto anything he could get. He had a handful of my coat for a second, but he slipped free. I must admit I was in too great of a shock to reach out and help him. I didn't think of it, until it was too late... and then I was just reaching into empty air. I swear it was never meant to be..."
"It was a terrible accident," said Jasmine. "You didn't murder Oliver Bridges, but you did kill him."
"Yes. I did. I admit my guilt. My career is over, and so is the college."
Barrett stepped forward now, raising his hands. The handcuffs were back on his belt.
"The college will be fine, as long as you don't jump," he said. "What you've just told us is a good start, Elden, but it's a far cry from a court testimony. If you go to trial and explain this in front of a judge, it'll be obvious that the school wasn't at fault. It was just you. The railing wouldn't have broken if you hadn't shoved it."
"And nothing will happen?" DuPont asked.
"Not to Wildwood, no. The school's reputation won't be tarnished. The railing will be repaired and that'll be that. You'll take the fall for everything."
DuPont took a deep breath, staring out into space. Finally he pushed off the column and turned to face justice.
"I'll go with you," he said. "For the greater good."
Epilogue
"We didn't see the whole thing," Lucille said, cradling her child to her chest. "But we heard it. A cracking, grinding sound. A scream. A horrible, horrible scream... And then we saw Oliver lying there on the ground. And up at the top, standing there in the open with his hands sticking out..."
"Elden DuPont," Barrett said.
Marshall nodded. "We tried to get away. He caught up to us on the road and cut us off. Nearly drove us into the ditch. I've never seen someone act so crazy. He had a baseball bat, and he threatened us. He threatened my wife and my unborn daughter. If we told anyone, he would ruin us."
"Were those his exact words?" Jasmine asked.
Marshall cringed. "No. Not his exact words. The words he used were more... graphic."
"So, you bought into his threat," Jasmine said.
"How could we not?" said Marshall. "It's different when you're alone, or even when you're just with another adult. But when you have kids... especially when one of them is still in the womb..."
Jasmine nodded, looking at Lucille. "So that was the reason you were so rude when I interviewed you."
"Sorry," said Lucille, wincing. "I was scared, Jasmine. I just wanted to get rid of you."
"I understand. And so does Barrett. Right?"
Barrett nodded. "All's well that ends well. No reason to drag anyone else through the mud. We have a full confession from DuPont. He's pleading guilty. He wants to go away. There's no reason to even bring your eyewitness account into it."
"Unless we have to," Marshall said.
"We won't," said Barrett. "That's a promise. If you think it would help clear your conscience, you're welcome to testify anyway."
The married couple shared a long look that was quite meaningful, but whose meaning was lost on Jasmine.
"Maybe," said Lucille. "We'll think about it."
The Whitakers left soon thereafter. Jasmine, Luffy and Barrett were alone in the interview room at last. All was silent for a moment.
"Well," said Jasmine.
"Yup," Barrett replied.
"I guess that's another case down," said Jasmine. "I kind of thought I'd never figure this one out."
"But you did, in the end," said Barrett.
"Actually I didn't."
The cop stared at her. "Huh?"
Luffy stared too. "What?"
Jasmine shrugged. "I had it narrowed down to Sandra or DuPont. I was trying to get one of them to finally crack up. And it worked."
"Well, that's a legendary move," Barrett said.
"It was nothing," Jasmine replied.
"Why were you so sure it was one of those two, though?'
"Well... Sandra was obvious. The woman is a snake. But DuPont was looking shifty the whole time. And besides I had already directed my questions at everyone else in the room by the time Lyle and Sandra got into their shouting match. They all seemed rock solid. But I hadn't spoken to DuPont yet."
"So it had to be him."
"It stood to reason, yeah."
Barrett laughed. "Has anyone ever told you that you'd be a great cop?"
"I may have heard it once or twice," Jasmine replied.
"Then I'll try not to sound like a broken record. But I have a couple other things I've been wondering about. I don't know if I'll be able to sleep until I know the answers."
"Then ask."
"Okay. There's Oliver, right? Nice kid. Selfless. So, why did he act that way with DuPont? Why start throwing out threats?"
"I was wondering that too," said Jasmine. "But I think the answer is pretty simple. He was guilty. He was ashamed. Because he knew what his mom was doing, and he was trying to figure out what to do about it. So he was flailing, and he latched onto the only thing he had any power in. He tried to keep his head above water by dunking DuPont's head under."
"Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy," Luffy said.
"Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy," Barrett said too, in almost perfect unison. The dog stared at him,
eyes wide, but the cop didn't notice. "I guess that makes sense, Jasmine. But there's another thing. How'd you figure out that Lucille and Marshall saw something?"
"Instinct," Jasmine said. "I wish I had a better answer, but that's pretty much it. I had a strong feeling they were involved from the get go, and the feeling ratcheted up when I tried to interview Lucille and she acted so uncharacteristically mean. I knew something was up. But by the end, I was fairly certain they hadn't been the ones who killed Oliver, because they had no motive and... well, instinct. So that left one thing; they must have seen something."
Barrett nodded. "That's excellent, Jasmine. I wish the academy could teach instincts like yours, but it can't."
"Is there anything I didn't cover?" Jasmine asked.
"The tag from your backpack," said Barrett.
"Oh, yeah. Well, that one's easy to explain too."
"It is?"
"Of course. It fell off my bag, that’s all. It must have been sitting there on the table or the bench after I talked to Oliver that day in the dining hall. He found it and picked it up. It was in his pocket, probably. Maybe the pocket of his shirt. He was wearing a pocketed shirt when he was found."
Barrett nodded. "Yeah, he was, wasn't he?"
"So we know how it got up there," Jasmine replied. "Oliver carried it with him. Maybe he didn't even know it was mine; he just treated it like a good luck talisman. Or maybe he did know it was mine."
"I don't follow," said Barrett.
"I mean, it could have been another of his insurance policies. Like leaving Sandra's ring with Keller. He might have known something bad would happen that night."
Barrett's face went pale. "God, I hope that's not it. That's sad."
"I don't know," said Jasmine. "There are some mysteries that can't be solved. Not by anyone. Is there anything else?"
"Yeah. Just one thing. That kid, Charles Dane. How does he factor in?"
"Marginally and tangentially," she replied with a grin. "I'm still trying to get to the bottom of that one."
"Will you let know what you find out?" he asked.
