Shallow End

by Brenda Chapman

  “Did he do anything that backs up your gut feeling?”

  “Well, he was involved in that case against his grade seven teacher and I don’t know how something like that warps a kid. He was quiet and a hard worker on the team, but almost too intent on winning. I try to teach my boys that winning isn’t everything. Devon looked at me whenever I said that like I’d grown another head. I know he came here because of our reputation as a football school and he hoped to keep playing in university. We played Gananoque High School in a regional final two years ago and their coach took me aside after the game. One of their players said Devon had hurt him intentionally after the play. Nobody saw it so I had to let it go after speaking with Devon. He denied it of course. Quite convincingly, I

  might add.”

  Kala kept her voice non-judgmental. “I imagine the Jane Thompson affair sent a ripple through the teaching community in Kingston.”

  “You got that right. I’d met her a couple of times at teacher conferences. She reminded me of one of those ice goddesses who breathe the glorified air reserved for the insanely beautiful. Could have knocked me over when I found out she was getting it on with a student. I mean she’s hot, but with a kid in her grade seven class? Come on.”

  Kala thought about how small Kingston was. Like a large town in some ways when the majority of university kids went home for the summer. “Do you know Adam Thompson, Jane’s ex-husband?”

  Lee made a non-committal noise in his throat. “I’m more familiar with his girlfriend.”

  “And who would that be?”

  “Naomi Van Kemp. We dated for a while when she was supply teaching at Rideau Public, my previous school. She dumped me when she got a full-time job in the classroom next to Adam. It was a while later that I found out they were seeing each other outside of school. And before you ask, Jane was already under arrest when they went public so I have no idea when their relationship started. I would have thought he was too old for her, but what do I know? The Thompsons appear to have a thing for the younger set.”

  “You must have been upset to lose her like that.”

  “I wasn’t too pleased but not for the reason you think. I was getting serious about Naomi but in hindsight, I can see that she was using me to help her get a permanent job. The woman would do anything to get herself ahead. Just about anything.”

  Lee jumped up from the chair and grabbed the volleyball from where it perched on his gym bag. He bounced it on the floor before tossing it at Gundersund, who caught it easily with one hand. Kala could hear the gym filling up with male voices and stomping feet.

  Laurence Lee motioned for Gundersund to throw the ball back and he did. Lee tucked it under one arm and reached for the whistle lying on his desk. “Sorry to cut this short but duty calls, Officers. I wish I could be more help to you. Whoever killed Devon deserves to be caught and thrown in jail just like they did to Jane Thompson when she molested him, only this time they should throw away the key.”

  Gundersund waited until Lee was in the gym calling to the boys to get dressed without any horsing around. He said, “Laurence Lee is the only one who’s painted Devon Eton in a bad light.”

  “Lee might have his own agenda. He was also casting suspicion on Naomi Van Kemp, likely wanting a bit of revenge for her ditching him.” She’d found the entire exchange peculiar. “It’ll be interesting to find out more about Naomi and Adam and when they started up.”

  “Which brings us to our next interview — Jane Thompson’s former colleague Nicholas Wagner, although I see he’s also moved schools. They taught together at Winston Churchill Public but Wagner’s now teaching intermediate at Kingston Collegiate & Vocational Institute. Everyone has been consistent in believing she got what she deserved so it will be interesting to speak with her one supporter on staff. He must have felt betrayed when Jane later pled guilty to having sex with Devon. I hope we’re not going down the wrong path checking on Jane Thompson’s past transgressions.”

  “Maybe we are, but we’d be negligent not to pursue such a glaringly big piece of the puzzle. At the very least, we should find out what made Devon Eton tick and that could lead to whatever behaviour led to his death.”

  Kala stepped closer to Gundersund, who stood leaning against the wall by the door. She’d been avoiding being alone with him since Fiona let her know that they were working on their marriage. She wondered if catching him checking out a family law website meant he was exploring options. Even so, Fiona wouldn’t be easy to deter. From all the talk around the precinct, Fiona had always been able to lure him back, no matter how outrageous her own behaviour.

  Gundersund’s brilliant blue eyes met hers. For one confusing moment, she imagined him bending down to kiss her and the thought made her face burn hot. Gundersund stood still, watching her face. His eyes held a question and she saw a tenderness in them that made desire rise up from her belly. She fought the urge to reach out a hand and run her fingertips along the scar on his cheek, instead scowling while she fumbled to find the phone in her pocket. Her hand grasped it and she pretended to read a message. “I need to answer this,” she said, head down.

  When she dared to look back up, Gundersund’s face was closed off and he was looking past her. “I’ll meet you by the front door.” His voice was normal, as if she’d imagined the charged moment between them. He smiled at her and pushed himself off from the wall, leaving her alone with the feeling that she’d dodged making a complete fool of herself.

  She took a second to still her heart and tucked her phone back into her jacket before slowly following in his footsteps out of the office. Laurence Lee was tightening the volleyball net to a post in the centre of the gym and the boys were emerging from the change room in twos and threes dressed in shorts and T-shirts. She searched near the entranceway but Gundersund had already disappeared out the gym doors.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Gundersund was in the truck when Kala finally joined him. He’d been typing on his phone and glanced over at her when she started the engine. “We have an hour to kill. I just got a message from Nicholas Wagner. He isn’t available until two o’clock because he was asked last minute to give up his spare to fill in for a teacher who got sick.”

  “Good. Gives us time to grab something to eat.” She avoided looking directly at him and put the truck in gear. The last thing she needed was for it to get awkward between them, or more awkward than it was already. A few minutes later, they were heading into the downtown. They decided on takeout sandwiches and coffee from the Pilot House on King Street and crossed over Clarence and followed it to the pathway bordering the lake. They started walking east into the wind.

  “Getting chilly,” Gundersund said. “This should do.” He lowered himself onto a park bench and Kala took the other end. “Is that a man windsurfing out there?”

  She squinted across the water, ruffled with whitecaps. “Looks like it. He probably jogs in thirty-five-

  below weather too, and bikes to work in blizzards.”

  “Yeah, I don’t get that either.” Gundersund set his coffee cup on the bench while he unwrapped his club sandwich. “Exercise doesn’t have to be torture. You can work out in a gym with other sane people when the weather is crap.”

  Kala took a bite of her roast beef on a kaiser and thought about Jane Thompson and what her affair with Devon Eton had cost her. Her family, her job, her reputation. The wind tossed Kala’s hair around her face and she pulled a strand out of her eyes. Jane hadn’t struck her as a stupid woman. Would she really have killed Devon so soon after getting out of prison? Surely, she would have known that she’d be the main suspect. Then again, she had nothing else to lose and revenge could be a strong motivator. After all, she’d had more than two years in prison for her losses to crystallize into hatred. Kala ate quickly as she pondered the mystery that was Jane Thompson.

  Gundersund crumpled his sandwich wrapper into a ball. “I’m going to hike a bit furt
her,” he said. “Coming?” He was looking straight ahead toward the lake. The wind had tangled his blond hair more than usual and he had a few days’ growth of beard.

  She took the last bite of her sandwich and stood, wiping her hands on her jeans. “Sure, why not.”

  They walked the length of the pathway with the wind from the lake tossing the tree branches to and fro, making leaves fall in handfuls to the ground. Kala zipped up her coat and wished she’d brought a hat. Her hair was whipping around her face and getting into her eyes. Gundersund was a strong, silent presence beside her. The comfortable feeling that she got when she was around him had been strained since Fiona had warned her off, and it was nice to feel the ease return. She was sad knowing that their friendship would not be surviving Fiona’s return into his life. He might be conflicted about his marriage now, but history showed that he couldn’t bring himself to leave it.

  “I’m going to meet with Dawn’s new social worker this afternoon,” she said with no forethought. She knew Gundersund had wanted her to become proactive in Dawn’s life but she hadn’t been able to explain to him why she couldn’t. She couldn’t even explain it to herself.

  He nodded and shot her a sideways glance. “I think that could be a good idea.”

  “Maybe.” They kept walking and she was glad that he didn’t press her to talk about her change of heart. As they neared the park bench where they’d had lunch, she checked her watch. “Guess we should get to the school. Wagner’s class will be wrapping up soon.”

  Gundersund lifted a hand to shield his eyes from the sun and pointed with his other. “Look, that windsurfer has gone farther out. The man must be mad.”

  They stopped to watch for a moment. He didn’t seem to be in any difficulty even though from shore his situation looked precarious.

  “I guess some people don’t mind taking big chances,” she said. “That will change once he gets into trouble a few times.”

  They left the path and started cutting across the grass toward Clarence Street and the truck. “I’m glad we had this break,” Gundersund said. “I’ll try to drop by your place after supper to fill you in on my last interview and to find out how your meeting goes.”

  “If you like.” She wouldn’t hold her breath. It was no coincidence that Gundersund had stopped coming over after the article about her drunken past hit the paper and they’d taken Dawn away.

  Nicholas Wagner met them in the front lobby of Kingston Collegiate & Vocational Institute, or KCVI as the school was known, and escorted them to a small office at the end of a long green hallway lined in grey lockers. “The guidance counsellor is letting us meet in her office,” he explained. “We won’t be interrupted.” He ran a hand through his floppy blond hair and studied them with sad cow eyes. He was a tall, slightly stooped man with an earnest, friendly smile. Kala thought that kids would take to him. “We’ve had some famous graduates at KCVI,” he said as they settled in. “Sir John A. Macdonald and former MP Peter Milliken were two of them.”

  “What subject do you teach, Mr. Wagner?” she asked.

  “Music, with a dash of history and geography for my sins.” He gave her a self-depreciating smile. “I had planned a career performing on stage, but that fell apart. Please call me Nick.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that. What instrument do you play, Nick?”

  “Guitar and piano, occasionally vocals. I thought I’d be the next Arlo Guthrie, but the music industry didn’t see my talents the same way. How about you? Play any instrument? Ever wanted to be in a band?”

  Before she could respond, Gundersund interrupted, “So how well did you know Jane Thompson?” They were sitting in blue plastic chairs curved to fit their backs, and he looked as uncomfortable as Kala had ever seen him. The chair was too small for his weight and wobbled as he tried to settle into it. Kala could see the irritation on his face, and she should have felt some sympathy for him, but had to hold back a smile.

  Nicholas also noticed Gundersund’s discomfort and his lips twitched before he took his eyes off Kala to focus on the question. “We taught across the hall from each other for three years when I worked at Winston Churchill Public. She was friendly with the rest of the staff but spent all of her time focused on the kids when she was at school. I probably interacted with her as much as anyone.”

  “Did you see any signs that she was having an affair with Devon Eton?” Gundersund asked.

  The sad expression returned to his eyes. “At first, I was her strongest defender so I was gobsmacked when she confessed. I mean, sure, the boys all thought they were in love with her. She has this certain sultry sexuality of which I’m convinced she is unaware. Her eyes alone could have launched a thousand ships.” A blush crept up his neck. “You’d think I was smitten as well, the way I’m talking.”

  “And were you?”

  “I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t intrigued, but she was married at the time. I thought happily.”

  Kala said, “She didn’t confide in you about her marriage.”

  Nick’s eyes swung back to her. “No, and her husband taught at another elementary school. Winston Churchill, if I recall correctly. Jane’s a private person, which worked against her in the end. Nobody knew what she was up to in her classroom or after hours. Speaking of which, the teacher who saw Devon go into her classroom one Saturday had no reason to lie. The school was empty but Bob came to get some tests that he’d forgotten to take home. He agonized about telling the police but did in the end.”

  “We’d like to speak with him. Is Bob still at Rideau Public?” she asked.

  “I wish you could, but Bob suffered a heart attack and died a year after Jane was arrested. A few parents have said that the school is cursed. The principal was forced into retirement after the trial, and last I heard, she suffered a stroke. We were all painted in a negative light as suspicions swirled. There was even talk of a sex ring originating out of the teachers’ lounge, although this was later acknowledged to be nonsense. We were uneasy for a long time, even about being alone with our classes. Some got threatening phone calls. It got ugly.”

  Kala hadn’t considered the full impact of the trial on the rest of the staff until now. Jane Thompson’s lapse in judgment hadn’t only hurt Devon and their families. “When did you leave?”

  “I liked the school, the kids. I didn’t want to turn tail and run as if we’d done anything wrong, but I wanted a fresh start and took the job here the year after she was convicted. I don’t regret it.”

  Kala nodded. “Did you visit Jane after she went to prison … or since her release?”

  “No to both. I kept my distance from her if only to protect myself. I’m not sure if I should be ashamed of that.”

  “How so?”

  “Jane seemed very alone and struggling. I could have reached out — we’d been friends after all — but I chose my reputation over her.”

  Gundersund shifted and the chair made a cracking noise. He grimaced but didn’t comment on his precarious situation.

  “One last line of questions, Mr. Wagner. We’d be interested in knowing if you can shed any light on Devon Eton and Charlie Hanson. Were they in any of your classes at Winston Churchill?”

  “Yes, I taught them both. Devon was outstanding in math and science but closer to average in English and the arts. Skipping grade six meant he didn’t get some grammar basics, so it made sense to me that Jane would help him out. She was dedicated to the kids.” Nick paused. “Charlie and Devon were typical teenage boys to me. Gawky, growing into their bodies, not particularly popular, although Devon was into football and was good-looking enough. He was more popular after the trial than before it. In the teenage world, he became a folk hero of sorts. I can’t say that either boy stood out for me while I was teaching them. They were quiet and polite in class. Likely bored. Gifted kids latch onto ideas without effort and are often putting in time while their classmates figure out c
oncepts. I naturally put most of my efforts into teaching the average students and gave the gifted kids projects to do on their own. Not a perfect system but mainstreaming, few resources, and large classes dictate the agenda.”

  “Would you say that Charlie was brilliant or gifted too?”

  “Hard to say. He didn’t talk in class and I had the feeling he wasn’t interested in school. I never figured him out.”

  “Were Devon and Charlie outsiders in your opinion?”

  “Devon was popular after a fashion. Charlie was definitely not. I’m not sure either would see themselves as part of the in crowd. As you know, the teenage population is narcissistic in nature, particularly during this age of social media, but I find that when you probe beneath the bravado, most of the kids are struggling with self-worth and finding their place. These are years that most of us would not want to repeat.”

  Kala met Gundersund’s eyes before looking at Nick and smiling. “I think that’s all our questions for now. Thank you again for taking this time out of your schedule.”

  She and Nick stood at the same time while Gundersund tried to push himself out of the chair. It appeared attached to his back and he took a few attempts to break free. It fell to the ground and tipped over onto its side. He straightened, leaving the chair as it lay, and walked ahead of Kala out of the room without saying a word.

  “Nice,” he said when she caught up with him. “That guy was enjoying my discomfort. The sadistic, affected bastard.”

  Kala tried and failed to hide her laughter. “I thought the whole thing was going to collapse and you sat there saying nothing. My God, when it cracked …” She threw back her head and laughed louder.

  “And give him the satisfaction?” Gundersund shook his head, but amusement crinkled the corners of his eyes. “I have my pride.”