Дэвид Балдаччи - Walk the Wire

“Exactly,” said Gunther.

“Maybe she didn’t want anyone’s help,” said Susan dismissively.

“Well, then she alone should be accountable for it,” said Gunther firmly.

“It looks like she was,” said Decker, drawing all their attention back to him. “Someone took her life, very brutally.” He scrutinized Susan. “What else did she tell you? Was she afraid of anyone? Had she received threats of some kind? Was anyone stalking her?”

“Nothing like that.” She paused. “But there was something. Something she said. It was about two weeks ago. She was here working on lesson plans when I popped in.”

“What did she say?” interjected Jamison. “As detailed as you can be, please.”

“She was looking upset. I asked her why. She told me she had gotten a note or letter that had disturbed her.”

“But you said she hadn’t been threatened,” noted Kelly.

“Well, she didn’t say that the note was threatening. Just that it had disturbed her.”

“Did she say who it was from?” asked Decker.

“No. But it was shortly thereafter that she mentioned taking a trip.” She eyed her husband. “You were there, too, when she asked for permission to miss a week of school.”

“Yes, yes, that’s right. She said she was going to visit her mother.”

“And where did her mother live?”

“She never said,” replied Susan. “In fact, I know little about her background.”

“But surely if she was teaching here you needed to know about her background,” said Jamison. “She had to have appropriate credentials and experience and all that. Kelly said he learned from you that she had graduated from Amherst?”

Milton chimed in, “Oh, yes. She brought her credentials and teaching certificate with her when she interviewed for the job.”

“Do you have copies of those documents?” asked Decker.

Milton said, “No, I looked at them but didn’t make copies.”

“Did you do a background check on her?” asked Jamison.

Milton shook his head. “No, we... no, we didn’t do that. She didn’t seem like a person who would have a criminal record. She was a young woman, nice, presentable with a college degree from an excellent school.” He glanced at Gunther. “It didn’t occur to us that there might be a problem in her past. She worked here for a year without any issues at all.”

“And she was a very good teacher,” added Susan. “She was lively and engaging, and her curriculum was interesting and never crossed the bounds of what, well, what we value here. And the children loved her. They’re going to be devastated by this.”

“We’ll find another teacher,” said Gunther firmly.

“I’m sure you will,” said Decker. “And let’s hope nothing happens to that person.”

“This has absolutely nothing to do with us,” said Gunther indignantly. “This woman was a prostitute. I can only imagine the unsavory and dangerous people she would run into doing that sort of thing. I’m sure one of them is responsible for her death.”

“I wish I was as sure as you are,” replied Decker before looking over at Susan. “When was the last time you saw Cramer?”

She considered this question, her lips moving as though she were counting off days in her head. “Eight days ago.”

“Here, at the school?” asked Jamison.

Susan shook her head. “I was in town. We needed some... supplies. There’s a shop we use. They normally deliver out here, but they had two people out sick, so I drove into town.”

“So where did you see her?” asked Decker.

“She was coming out of a building.”

“Did you talk to her?” asked Kelly.

“I asked her when she was leaving on her trip to see her mother. I thought she would have already left, actually. She said she had been delayed but that she was leaving the next day, and she would be back to teach when she had originally said she would.”

Decker asked, “Did she say how she was getting to wherever she was going?”

“She had a car. An old Honda. I know that because she drove it to our school. But she didn’t tell me how she would be traveling to her mother’s.”

Jamison said, “How did she look? Nervous? Happy?”

Susan thought about this for a moment. “Resigned. Yes, she seemed... resigned.”

Decker said, “As though her fate was already decided, you mean?”

“Well, I didn’t think that at the time, because I didn’t know she was going to be murdered. But now that I know, I would say yes.”

Kelly said, “So maybe she saw her own death coming?”

Decker glanced at him. “Well, she saw right, didn’t she?”

“Do you happen to know a guy named Stan Baker?” Decker asked Kelly on the drive back.

Kelly said, “Stan Baker? Name doesn’t ring a bell. Should I know him?”

“He works for a fracking company. He’s, um, he’s my brother-in-law.”

“Brother-in-law? So you knew he was here, then?”

“No, it was a surprise. He’s a big guy, almost as big as me. Reddish hair, with the same color beard. Rugged in appearance. Ring any bells now?”

Kelly smiled. “Hell, you just described half the guys here, Decker.”

“Yeah, I guess so,” said Decker absently.

Jamison said, “We didn’t find any note or letter at Cramer’s apartment. She might have taken it with her, or she might have destroyed it.”

“At least it shows she was concerned about something,” said Decker. “And it might also account for the air of resignation Susan Ames alluded to.”

“What can you tell us about Caroline Dawson?” asked Jamison suddenly as she glanced briefly at Decker.

“Caroline?” said Kelly. “Why? Did you meet her?”

“Just for a minute. She’s apparently dating Decker’s brother-in-law.”

Kelly looked at her oddly. “Really? Okay. Well, she’s Hugh Dawson’s only child. Well, his only living child.”

“What do you mean?” asked Jamison.

“There was a brother, Hugh Jr. He was older than Caroline.”

“What happened to him?”

“He, uh, he killed himself. This was a number of years ago.”

“My God. Do you know why?”

“His father and him didn’t see eye to eye on some things and it just got out of hand. I guess depression set in and that... was that.”

“Care to elaborate?” asked Decker.

“Not really, no. I don’t like telling stories out of school, and it has nothing to do with the case.”

“And Dawson’s wife?”

“She died a few years ago. In an accident.”

“Caroline mentioned being involved in her father’s businesses,” said Jamison.

He nodded. “Hugh’s training her to take over one day. She’s really smart. Went to college out of state. And then came back here to begin her ‘apprenticeship.’ ”

“She seemed more of a party girl when we met her,” noted Jamison.

“She works hard and she’s ambitious. She was a right little hellion in her teens. But she knows she has the golden egg in front of her and she’s not about to screw that up. Then again, Hugh’s only sixty and in good health, far as I know. He won’t be retiring anytime soon.”

“It sounds like you know her well,” observed Decker.

Kelly looked thoughtful. “We grew up together, were pretty close all the way through high school. But I don’t think anyone really knows Caroline. She can be fun on the outside, but most never get to see her inner core. At least that’s my observation.”

“And her father?” asked Jamison.

“Hugh Dawson is a big, gregarious man who likes to come across as just a regular guy despite his wealth. He’ll make you laugh. But if you cross him he’ll make you cry instead. Not a man you want to get on the wrong side of.”