by Helen Gray
Ken glanced down at some notes on his desk. “Jesse got married during his first year of teaching, and he and his wife had a baby during the second year. Then he changed jobs, which came as a total surprise to Grant. He thinks there was trouble.”
“What kind of trouble?”
“Grant thought his buddy was happy with his job and gave every indication that he meant to spend his career there. Then the next thing he knew, Jesse had resigned. Grant said he asked Jesse about it one day, and Jesse confided to him that some girl had started coming onto him, and, when he rebuffed her, she threatened to publicly accuse him of having an affair with her. He said he explained to the school board what was happening. Grant wasn’t sure what else happened, but Jesse left the school at the end of the year. There was never any public story, and Jesse’s reputation remained untarnished. He landed a head coaching position at Branson and was there for five years. Then there was a charge of improper conduct with a senior girl, his contract wasn’t renewed, and his wife left him—but only for a few days. She had just had another baby, and Grant said he supposes she thought she needed Jesse’s help—or he convinced her she did. Anyhow, they went back together.”
“It sounds like a pattern of philandering was starting to develop.”
“Grant says when Jesse was at Kickapoo…”
“The Chiefs,” Toni blurted, interrupting as she remembered the tee shirt Jesse had been wearing when they found him in the lagoon.
Ken nodded. “He spent a full year there, but was terminated in the middle of his second one. This time he failed to find another coaching job.”
“But he was teaching this past year,” Toni pointed out. “How did he manage that? Oh, I get it. The buddy.”
Ken nodded again. “Jesse was out of teaching for two and a half years. Grant said the combination of their friendship and a sad circumstance got him a job. A coach at Grant’s school died in a car wreck at the end of September, which put the school in a bind. Grant knew Jesse’s history, but he went out on a limb for his old friend. The school had a talented group of boys with great expectations, and they wanted a really good coach for them. Jesse had the reputation of being a guy who could rack up wins, so Grant told his superintendent about him. Because of full disclosure laws the superintendent had to tell the board about Jesse’s history as well as his coaching talent, so they knew there could be some risk. But the board was feeling pressure from the community and district to win. They hired him in late October, just before the beginning of basketball season.”
Toni grinned, familiar with the ways of human beings and their sports. “Did they win?”
Ken’s grin was sardonic. “They did. Jesse Campbell went right to work with them and had a winning year. The next year was also successful. This past year was in full swing when Grant got the shock of his life by discovering that Jesse and his wife were having an affair.”
“How did he handle it?”
“He and his wife started divorce proceedings, and he discussed his situation with his superintendent. They met with the board, and it was decided that they would not fire Jesse immediately. They thought he was their best chance at winning and wanted to keep him through the season. Grant went along and kept the story quiet, but he proceeded with the divorce and won custody of his kids. The board let Jesse resign. Grant’s wife, who also worked for the district, resigned as well. She got another job in one of the Springfield districts, but Jesse still hadn’t found a new job when he was killed. The class he was taking suggests he was planning to apply for an administrative position. Or maybe he just needed something to do during the summer and wanted to be around a school environment. I can’t imagine anyone hiring him as a principal with the history he had.” He shook his head in confusion.
Toni felt just as confused. “From that story it sounds like your friend isn’t the only person who had a score to settle with Jesse Campbell.”
“You’re right.” Ken made a subtle glance at his watch.
Toni excused herself. “I appreciate you taking time to check this for me. I’ll go pry my boys out of the gym now.”
Chapter 9
When Kyle arrived home that evening, Toni was taking a meat loaf from the oven. She looked up as he came through the door, noting lines of fatigue in his face. She put the dish on the stove top and went to wrap her arms around him. “You look tired.”
He gave her a squeeze and a hello kiss. “I had a delay in Chicago, missed lunch, and got caught in St. Louis traffic. How are things going for you?”
“Why don’t I save it for after we eat? Go say hi to the boys and take a shower. By that time I’ll have everything on the table.”
During the meal they talked baseball, local politics, and about the boys’ week with Kyle’s parents. After Gabe and Garrett went to their room that evening, Toni and Kyle settled in front of the television.
Ignoring the ball game, Toni studied her husband. His participation in dinner conversation had seemed forced. Now he sat staring at the television as if lost in outer space.
“What’s the matter?” she asked softly.
He gave his head a little shake and swung around to face her, his expression troubled. “Do you have any idea how expensive our bills will be over the rest of this year?”
It wasn’t like him to worry about money. They both had good jobs, and they were good managers of their finances. She considered his question. “Well, the miles on my van are getting too high, and it’s not getting the greatest gas mileage. We might need to replace it, but it won’t bankrupt us. Remember, I’m picking up some nice extra change from this summer class.”
He stared at her a long moment, and then a small grin emerged. “Okay, wise woman, no worrying tonight. We’ll deal with it when we have to.”
“We’re both tired. Let’s go to bed early,” she suggested. “The boys will crawl in when they’re ready.”
He stood, pulling her up with him. “It’s good to be home.”
Saturday passed pleasantly. Toni still sensed that Kyle was troubled, but she didn’t press. He was so uncharacteristically quiet and introspective that she found herself wondering if she had done something to upset him.
That evening after the boys had gone outdoors, Kyle settled in the recliner before the television like the night before. But when Toni finished clearing up the kitchen and joined him, he hit the off button on the remote and faced her.
“My job may be in jeopardy,” he said bluntly. “All week there have been rumors floating around about cutbacks and job reassignments. A friend in human resources tipped me that I might end up on long haul duty and have to move to the coast.”
Toni turned to face him more directly, unsure how to respond. She didn’t want to move and have to give up her job there in Clearmount. But she didn’t want Kyle to feel even more pressured by having his wife refuse to go with him if he faced a definite choice. They were a team, and they had to decide—together—what was right for them.
“I’ll be honest and say I hope that doesn’t happen,” she said at last. “But if it does, we’ll work it out together.”
Relief was visible in the relaxation of his muscles. “I thought that’s how you would react, but it’s a relief to hear it.”
*
Sunday after church, Toni changed into comfortable slacks and a cotton blouse, packed her bags, and had lunch at the restaurant with her parents. Shortly after she, Kyle, and the boys returned to the house, she told them good-bye and drove out to Misty Valley Estates to pick up John.
Her anger about the murder case was now joined by worry about Kyle’s job. She was confident she could find a teaching job elsewhere. There might be hurdles, like meeting extra certification requirements in a different state, but she could do it if necessary. What she wasn’t so sure about was immediate concerns. The boys were back at home, surely out of harm’s way, but she and John still had to return to Springfield where a killer could possibly be targeting them.
Words from that morning’s sermon ca
me to mind. The scripture passage had been from the twelfth chapter of Luke, where Jesus had told his disciples to not worry about their lives, that worrying accomplished nothing. The pastor had summarized it all by saying, “Pray more and worry less.”
Toni breathed deep. That was good advice. She should follow it, not worry about what-ifs, and be willing to place their safety in God’s hands.
When she pulled into the Zachary drive, Jenny and John emerged, each carrying a bag. Toni rounded the van and opened the back door. When the bags were inside, John gave Jenny a quick good-bye kiss, and he and Toni got into the van. As they drove away, Toni could see Jenny standing on the porch waving, her red hair standing on end as a gust of wind blew through it.
“Only two more weeks of class,” Toni said, reading the forlorn expression on John’s face. And co-existing with my mother-in-law, she added silently.
His expression lightened a bit. “I hate being away from Jenny, but I need this class on my transcript. So I’ll live. How about your boys? Were they upset about you leaving again?”
“No. Kyle is still home with them. He’ll drop them off at my parents’ as he leaves for work in the morning.” She forced thoughts of his job uncertainty to the back of her mind again.
John shifted in the seat, getting more comfortable.
“I talked to Ken Douglas,” she said as she drove out of town. “He’s good friends with the principal at Ozark.”
John listened with interest as she related what she had learned. “I thought I had gotten acquainted with Jesse in class, but now I’m getting a whole new picture of him,” he said when she finished. “He’s still a victim, but no longer such an innocent one.”
“I have to admit that, the more I learn, the more curious I get,” Toni admitted. “We may not need to find out who killed the guy, but I’d like to know there will be no more attacks on you—or anyone.”
John cradled his left arm with his right, rubbing over the cast, and then his sore ribs. “Same here.”
“Oh,” Toni said sharply when she remembered something else. “Quint said the guy who jumped you is a bookie.”
John frowned. “Do you think he’s the killer?”
Toni shook her head. “A bookie? I doubt it. Why bump off someone who’s your bread and butter? I think he was just looking for Jesse’s flash drive and thought you had it.”
“They could have gotten into a fight. Maybe he already knew he had the wrong drive and thought Jesse was dodging him.”
“But he still wouldn’t have killed him,” Toni argued. “If Jesse owed him money, he wanted him alive so he could pay.”
“Good point,” John conceded.
“Let’s consider another point. Who benefits from his death? I mean in a financial sense? Who gets his money? If he has any,” she added, steering onto the main highway. “I know he left a widow, and an ex-wife and two children from his first marriage. But now that we’re seeing gambling in his life, I’m wondering if he was a wealthy gambler, or a broke gambler. I’ll ask Quint if the police have found out anything new.”
“There are just too many possibilities cropping up,” John continued to muse. “He was a womanizer and a gambler, either of which could have led to dangerous associations. I wonder who wanted him out of the way.”
“We need to look into the details of his past, talk to more of his friends and associates—and those names on those lists.”
“I hope this amateur sleuthing doesn’t get you into trouble.” John leaned back in the seat, yawning. He soon dozed off.
As she drove in silence, Toni mulled over their conversation. Then she thought back over the files in Jesse’s flash drive. What did those initials in the file names mean? She couldn’t remember all of them, but the one containing the names of the teens she had located in Ozark floated into her mind. Suddenly a light went on. O for Ozark, of course. But what did the T represent? Suddenly a possibility struck her.
John stirred and opened his eyes. “Where are we?”
“A few miles from Mt. View. Are you ready for a pit stop and something cold to drink?”
“You bet.” He moved his mouth in a way that indicated it was dry.
At the red light Toni turned right into the McDonald’s parking lot. She parked and reached into the back seat for her book satchel. “I want to take another look at these lists,” she said, pulling them out and sticking them in her purse.
They went inside, visited the facilities, and met back out front to get their drinks.
“Look at these again,” she said when they were back in the car, pulling out the lists and handing them to John. “See if you draw any conclusions that match a theory that’s forming in my mind.”
He glanced at them while she placed her cup in a drink holder and backed out of their parking spot.
“What am I looking for?”
“Look at the file names I’ve written at the top, and then at the addresses below. Check each list and see if you can see what the file names might mean. Start with the one on top. It contains the names of the teens I found in Ozark.”
John concentrated, studying the page. “The names apparently are Ozark residents, and the file name starts with an O. So what does the T mean?”
“That’s what I want you to tell me. I have a thought, but I’m not sure of the facts. Do you have any idea what the school mascot is at Ozark?”
John’s face creased in thought. He moved his mouth silently, reciting possibilities. “Are they Tigers?” he asked uncertainly, turning to focus his eyes on her.
“That’s what I’m guessing,” she said. “Look at the other lists. I checked some street maps and think the addresses on one of them are in Branson. The other looks like Springfield.”
John flipped to the next sheet. “This one is named BP. It’s the one you’ve labeled Branson. So the first initial fits. Now, what is their mascot?”
“I’m not sure, but could they be something like the Pirates? That seems familiar.”
He brightened. “I think that’s right.” He flipped to the third list.
“What’s the file name of that one?”
“It’s KC, and it’s the one you have labeled Springfield. That must be Kickapoo Chiefs,” he said almost instantly, getting excited. “It has to be. Jesse was wearing a tee shirt with a chief on it, and we know he had taught at Kickapoo.”
“So,” Toni said slowly, thinking. “He had a batch of kids at each school where he had worked that he kept in touch with, and at least some of them were being paid money. What was going on? Something tells me it wasn’t just keeping in touch for old times’ sake.”
Neither had answers.
*
When they reached Springfield, Toni dropped John at the home of his friend and headed for her in-laws. When she pulled into their driveway, she didn’t get out immediately, but took her cell phone from her purse and called Quint.
“Hi, Quizzy. What’s on your mind?”
Toni laughed. “Do you have time to talk to me?”
“I’m on duty now, but I’ll be taking a meal break about ten. Is that too late for a day worker?”
“I can manage. Where should I meet you?”
“Make it Backyard Burgers at ten.” The line went dead.
Toni managed to get her two bags, book satchel and purse all onto her shoulders and was just starting to the house when Dan Donovan walked through the doorway. “Here, let me take those,” he said, taking the bags. “Are you hungry? We just finished eating, but there’s plenty left.”
Toni shook her head, following him up onto the porch. “I just talked to Quint, and we’re meeting for burgers at ten. I don’t know what time I’ll be in, so don’t wait up for me.”
“Okay, but don’t stay out so late that you’re tardy for school in the morning,” Dan said, his tone wry and his eyes twinkling.
Toni laughed. “I’ll watch the clock.”
When she arrived at Backyard Burgers, Quint emerged from his cruiser and came to meet her. After gree
tings, they went inside, placed their orders, and slid into a booth across from one another. “I’m ready for an update,” she announced immediately.
“Of course you are,” Quint said with a grin. Then he turned serious. “We haven’t been able to catch up with Barry Kuzman yet. We know he’s a graduate student at MSU, and I’m sure he knows we’re looking for him. He knows his way around, but he can’t dodge us forever.”
Their order number was called, and Quint went to get it.
“Have you talked to Jesse Campbell’s principal at Ozark?” Toni asked when he returned, taking her order from the tray when he placed it on the table.
“Yes, we have. We’ve also checked on his history with the victim. Frankly, Mr. Volner is looking good for the murder. He and Jesse Campbell were long time friends who ended up enemies.”
He paused, his eyes narrowing. “You’re not asking questions. Does that mean you already know their background?”
“I know about the affair and divorce. I talked to my principal over the weekend. He’s a friend of Mr. Volner’s, and his feeling is that the man is a victim.”
Quint shook his head. “I should have known that your inquisitiveness would have already had you sniffing out that history. After talking to Mr. Volner, we went back to talk to Mrs. Campbell again, but she hasn’t been home for days. I’m afraid she may have cut and run.”
Toni considered that. “Was she able to have the funeral Friday?”
Quint nodded. “It was held in Sedalia.”
“In that case, I’m afraid you might be right. Of course, I can’t really say I blame her. If I were in her position—her mess—I would want to get away from everything and everyone.”
“You would also expect that the police would want to talk to you when you got back from the funeral,” he said. “But we’ll find her.”
“I have something else I’d like to run past you.”
“I’m listening.” He bit into his burger.
“I think the letters in the file names of those lists are initials for the schools and mascots where the victim taught.” She went on to explain in detail.
