Golden in Death(51)

“You met the challenge,” Peabody said. “You righted the ship.”

He smiled again. “I like to think so, yes.”

“Were there threats against you?” Eve asked.

“Oh, some parents throwing their weight around, a handful of problem students who tried to do the same.”

“Did you expel anyone?”

“It didn’t come to that, though I did suggest to some of the more outraged parents that perhaps their child and the academy didn’t make a good fit.”

“Fire anyone?”

“Again, I suggested to some that if they were unhappy with my vision and methods, they might find a better fit elsewhere. I felt I needed to give everyone time to adjust, so rather than expulsion or termination in those first weeks, I issued warnings in private meetings.

“It was eight years ago,” he murmured, and even the hint of a smile died away. “I can’t think of anyone who could remain so angry or resentful toward me they’d do this. Or Jay. He did nothing. He wasn’t in charge of the school, only his own students.”

“Why don’t we do a cross-check? Take a look at his students, see which ones were problematic, or who might have been pulled out, whose parents were unhappy?”

When he looked at Eve, she saw relief. Something to do, she thought, something concrete and beyond grief.

“I can go into my records. I can do that. I’ll be glad to do that if it helps.”

“It would. You have chemistry labs, instructors.”

“Of course. We have a lab for the upper grades, another for the middle grades. Another for more advanced students. Oh my God, you don’t think…”

“We want to check everything,” Eve said. “If you could give me the names of the advanced students, the teachers. And in your records the same from when you came on.”

“Yes. Yes. We’re going now to finalize the details for Kent’s memorial. As soon as we’re done, I can go to the school, pull the old records.”

“We can do that if you give us your permission. We’ll get a warrant to cover it, and I can have EDD access those records. Then if we could talk to you again once we’ve gone through them.”

“Let her do that, Marty.”

“All right. Whatever’s best. I just don’t remember as clearly as I should.”

“You have a lot on your mind right now,” Peabody soothed. “If you remember anything more, you can contact either one of us. Maybe you made some personal notes that you didn’t add to the official records.”

“I did at the time, of course. But I…” Rufty rubbed a hand on his temple as if to erase a block. “On my old tablet. When I replaced it, I deleted everything. I thought to donate it, but you said, didn’t you, Greg, that nothing’s ever completely gone if you know how to look for it?”

“You gave it to Ava—my daughter,” he told Peabody.

“Does she still have it?”

“Yes, I’m sure she does. Somewhere.”

“If you could find it, EDD could try to recover the deleted data. It might be helpful.”

“I’ll make sure she finds it. Should I bring it in to you?”

“Why don’t you let us know when you have it,” Eve said. “We’ll send someone to pick it up.”

“If you’re able to retrieve the data,” Rufty put in, “and need any help interpreting my notes, I’ll be glad to go over them with you.”

“We appreciate your help.”

“You’re looking out for the love of my life. I’ll do everything I can. I want to say your Dr. Morris was very kind.” His eyes filled again. “Everyone’s been very kind. I wonder if it would be appropriate for me to contact Jay, to offer my condolences. And it’s possible we could jog each other’s memory of that term. Maybe tomorrow, after…”

“He spoke highly of you. I think he’d appreciate it.”

“Then I will. Tomorrow, after we say our goodbyes.”

When Peabody walked them out, Eve arranged for the warrant, then pulled out her notebook.

She wanted the names of the graduating class of Gold Academy from ’53. The names of students, and their parents, who were pulled out during Rufty’s first term. The instructors and administrators on staff at that time—those who stayed, those who left. Any and all students who were suspended or otherwise disciplined during that same timeline.

Had to be that time frame, she thought, or else why hit Duran? It had to stem from the changing of the guard.

The board of trustees, she mused. Did they pressure Grange to transfer?

She continued to make notes as Peabody came back. “We need the chemistry instructors, and let’s focus first on advanced students.”

“We’d be going young, just a few years out of college now, or maybe in grad school. What, like twenty-five?”

“Around your age. You too young to be a cop, Peabody?”

“Hell no.”

“And so.” Considering, Eve leaned back in her chair. “When I was still a beat cop, I had to chase down this street thief, and when I caught him, he pulled out a sticker, tried to slice me. He was ten. Anyway, we have the older type on the list, too. Greenwald—Grange’s ex.”