Sugar and Spice - Chapter 10

 Chapter Ten

October 17 Friday Early Afternoon

Cambridge Police Headquarters

Cambridge, Massachusetts

 

SAMANTHA LEE ONCE took over Juliana Beaudoin’s questioning. Her soft-spoken method impressed Patrick Kelly, who sat on the other side of the two-way mirror. Her first few questions were more about what Juliana Beaudoin liked to do, what were her favorite school subjects, who was her favorite singer.

Patrick watched Juliana’s body language relax. She uncrossed her arms and moved around in her chair.

Then Lee explained about how Juliana and her friends had been overheard planning to kill Clay Franklin.

“Whoever said that is crazy.”

“So, you didn’t say anything like that?” Samantha asked. “In the toilet, yesterday?”

Juliana said nothing.

“Answer,” her mother said.

“We were making up a play. The drama club may have a contest.”

Behind the mirror Bill put his mobile on speaker as he dialed.

“Dr. Elise Hanson,” came a response after two rings.

“Cambridge Police Lieutenant Bill Reardon here.”

“What can I do for you?” she asked.

“I’ve a question.” Patrick wondered if Bill had talked to the headmistress earlier or had met with her.

“Is this in reference to the Clay Franklin . . .”

“Yes. Does the school have some type of drama contest coming where the kids make up acts or plays or something?”

“I’m not sure about it. May just have been an idea or is in the early planning stages. Let me check: I’ll get back to you.”

Patrick only half listened to Bill. He hoped that the attack wasn’t an attack at all – just a misunderstanding.

Mrs. Beaudoin’s posture relaxed. “You see . . .” but before she could say anything more, Robert Bunker put a finger over his lips. She stopped speaking.

“I have to go to the bathroom,” Juliana said.

“I’ll go with you,” Samantha said.

Juliana picked up her backpack and the two left.

Robert Bunker turned to Mrs. Beaudoin. “How close is your daughter to the other girls, Emma Jackson, Amanda Lander and Gloria Masters?”

“I would say they’re really close friends. Juliana goes to their houses a lot. They don’t come to our place.”

“Why not?”

“It sounds terrible, but I run a small catering business. Not terrible that I run a business, but my daughter is ashamed of it. The other parents have fancier houses. The fathers have big paying jobs.”

“What’s the tuition?”

“$14,000 a year.”

“How can you afford it?”

“Juliana is on half scholarship, something she doesn’t want her friends to know. She studies really hard to keep it.”

Patrick felt a tsunami of sympathy for what Bill needs to do. The last thing he would want is to send good kids into a system which could destroy them if they are innocent.

“To make matters worse, Amanda Lander’s uncle is City Manager,” Dr. Hanson said. “He’s already called here about this.”

Bill mouthed to Patrick. “He’s called here too.” Elise and Bill signed off with an exchange of mobile numbers and promises to stay in touch.

Bill swiveled in his chair toward Patrick. “You didn’t hear me say this, but Paul Lander is an asshole. I have no idea how he heard about this. I’m so sick of politics.”

“Probably Amanda’s father called him. Shit.”

“Let me see if Gloria Masters is here yet, Patrick. Two more girls to go.”