They learned Ms. Hallywell hadn’t come in for classes, but found Dawson in the chem lab, instructing the students on a project. When he spotted Eve at the doorway, he told his students to begin, then stepped out.
“Do you need me? I can only take a few minutes.” He angled himself so he could see through the half-opened doorway, to what his students were up to. “They’re doing a simple test to identify an unknown substance, but I’ll need to keep my eye on them.”
“Unknowns such as what?”
“Oh, sugar, salt, cornstarch, baking powder.”
“Why not just taste it?”
“Well. Ha-ha. That would be ch
eating.” He sobered, eased the door closed a little farther. “Is it true about Craig? He was poisoned?”
“Word travels.”
“At light speed. Arnette’s admin overheard her talking on the ’link to the school’s legal counsel. Then saw Dave, told him, who ran into me, and so on. I can’t believe it.”
“Do you know what ricin is?”
“Ricin?” His eyes widened. “Yes, yes, of course. But…but Craig, how could he have been poisoned by ricin?”
“That’s what we’re going to find out. Do you know how to make it? Ricin?”
“I…not precisely,” he said after a moment. “But I can look it up if you’d like me to. It should only take me a minute.”
“That’s okay.” She peered around him, studied the equipment. “Could you make it in there?”
“Ah…” He pursed his lips. “I could probably manage it, between the equipment here and what I could requisition or jury-rig. You want me to make ricin, Lieutenant? I’d have to get permission,” he said with apology. “No toxics are permitted in the labs, or anywhere on school property for that matter. But if it would help, I’m sure—”
“No, but thanks. So…how often does one of the kids sneak in and manage to build a stink or smoke bomb?”
He smiled, and he reminded Eve of an amused monk. “Oh, at least once a term. I’d be a little disappointed if they didn’t. If children don’t push the edges now and again, what’s the point of being a child?”
For now, Eve checked Dawson off the list and drove to Mirri Hallywell’s apartment. It was a few blocks from the Fosters’, and she didn’t answer the door.
“We’ll try her ’link numbers,” Eve said as they started back down again. “I think we’ll take this out of the school, at least for now. Further interviews at the subjects’ residences. We’ll take it home to them. We’re going to go through the female staff’s data, cull out the more attractive. Odds are we’ll find one or more who’ll admit to dancing in the gym with Williams.”
Even as she reached the outside door, it opened, letting in a blast of cold air, Mirri Hallywell, and a thin reed of a man.
“Excuse me. Oh. Oh. Lieutenant Dallas. Were you looking for me?”
“That’s right.”
“I was…we were…We went to see Lissy. This is Ben. Ben Vinnemere. We went to see Lissy, and she told us you said Craig had been murdered.”
“Mirri, why don’t we go upstairs? We can talk upstairs. You should sit down.” Ben turned his brown eyes on Eve. “We’re all a little shaky. Is it all right if you talk to us upstairs?”
“That’s fine.”
“We couldn’t stay.” Leaning against Ben, Mirri started up the first flight of stairs. “It seemed intrusive. She has her mother there, and that’s best. I don’t know what to do for her. Do you think we should go back?”
“Not today,” Ben replied. “We’ll do whatever we can to help her tomorrow. She needs today. So do you.”
When they reached her door, he took Mirri’s key, opened it himself. “I’m going to make some tea. You sit, and I’ll make some tea. Lieutenant?”
“I’ll pass.”
When he gave Peabody an inquiring look she nodded. “Tea would be great. It’s Peabody. Detective Peabody.”