Jenna DiNolfo stomped down the main staircase in the Morrow house, agitation clear in her stance. She had waited impatiently for Hernandez to take down the door. Upon his fourth forceful kick, the door creaked open, but the officers were sorely disappointed in what they found. As DiNolfo looked around the third floor she was finally convinced that Jack Morrow had nothing to do with Catherine’s death or Tristan’s disappearance. While she let Eddie continue searching for prints, she headed back to her squad car, eager to catch up on her work. Poor guy is still trying to come to terms with his wife’s death.
She had to continue to try to get in touch with Bernard Kendricks, wherever he may be, Earl and Amos had some explaining to do, and she wanted to try to speak with some of Tristan's friends from school to see if they knew anything. She wanted to get a jump start on the search and she decided she would start at the school. It was a weekday after all, Kendricks should be arriving about now to the school to teach his first class of the day.
*
Car E5 sat hidden in the brush just beyond the southbound entrance of Cavegat Pass, approximately a mile from the Morrow Manor as the sun came up. Earl and Amos sat talking quietly in between sips of hot coffee.
"I'm telling you... She knows something..."
"I don't think she's that smart to figure it out."
"You don't? I do... She's already got the case files. It's not going to take much to figure out. She's been snooping around, all because that stupid Morrow girl decided to run away. I bet you she thinks that there is some connection..."
"Well she can't pin the latest nonsense on us."
"This whole thing smells of Kendricks. You seen him lately?"
“No, he's ducking me. He still owes me money." Amos shook his head as he let out a laugh in disbelief.
"So what are we going to do?"
"We have to get a hold of that case file, before she has the chance to read the whole thing."
*
Jenna's patrol car came to a stop outside the massive Steeplechase Academy, and she pulled into the gravel parking lot and made her way up the marble staircase that led to the school's entrance. She decided she would stop inside the administration office first. She approached the desk where a young woman with blonde hair and blue eyes was sitting with a smile on her face.
"How can I help you, Officer?"
"I need to speak with Bernard Kendricks, is he here?"
"Oh, no... He was out yesterday, too. He called yesterday saying he was sick with the flu."
From behind the desk, a door creaked open and Principal Maynard walked out with a disgruntled look on his face. He faced Jenna, and she could tell that her presence alone was making his day so much worse. The young receptionist waved, catching the Principal's attention.
"Sergeant DiNolfo is here to see Bernard."
The principal let out a sigh.
"Come into my office, will you?" Principal Maynard said, signaling for DiNolfo to follow him. She followed behind him, and took a seat in his spacious office that overlooked the parking lot.
Before the principal began to speak, DiNolfo asked, "Will Bernard be joining us?" Principal Maynard scratched his head, unsure of what to say.
"Bernard is not here. He called yesterday at 2:00 in the morning saying he was sick with the flu, and wouldn't be in for a while. He didn't sound sick though. In fact, I heard screaming in the background. I do hope he is alright."
DiNolfo had whipped out her notebook, and wrote verbatim what the principal had to say.
"Who calls out with the flu at 2:00 in the morning? Anyway, so he didn't show up that day and shortly after classes had started, Jack Morrow came storming in here looking for his daughter. He destroyed the door to 219, and startled a bunch of children. He said he seen Mr. Kendricks on his property just after discovering that Tristan was missing."
"Have you noticed anything odd about Mr. Kendricks?"
"Odd? Well he always was a pretty peculiar fellow..."
"How so?"
"He can be a bit reclusive, and he has no filter for niceties or sarcasm. A bit of a grammar fiend, too..."
"Okay, but nothing that raised a red flag?”
“No... I mean he had a troubled past, but he got himself straightened out, put himself through college. I was happy to give him a job. He didn’t have a record. We check every year. This behavior isn't like him."
“Have you tried him at home?”
“Yes. It’s been cleared out.”
“I’m sure there is a perfectly good explanation.”
“I agree… and the last time I checked, innocent men do not run from the police.”
“Is there anything else I can help you with?”
"Thank you for your time, Sir. Could you show me the classroom?"
"Yes, I just ask that you don't touch anything until you have procured a warrant. We want to support the police however we can in the investigation. We want Tristan returned safe and sound. But until more information is found out about our teacher, we don't want his constitutional rights to be violated. "
"Of course. Understood and thank you for your cooperation."
Pain in the ass!
Principal Maynard led Sergeant DiNolfo to room 219, where the door was ripped completely off the hinges. Damn Jack. She glanced around the room and it appeared Kendricks had left in a hurry, as his jacket and date book were still laying on the desk. The desks were all formed in neat lines, and nothing looked out of order.
"I assume classes are being held elsewhere?"