follower, not a leader. Like with the attack—you know, the slipper incident?
Kriscunas: Yes, we’re going to go over that in some detail in a moment.
Kim: Okay, that was all Darcy Madden’s doing. Bel was just along for the ride. Like I said, a follower. Also, Bel barely ever talked in class, which is somewhat unusual here, and part of the reason she didn’t do well academically. Bel and I didn’t have any classes together, because I’m on the Honors track, and she was definitely not on the Honors track. But I heard from other kids that she’d sit there like a bump on a log, terrified to open her mouth. Except in English.
Kriscunas: You say that like it was important.
Kim: Well. Let’s just say that Mr. Donovan was her English teacher. I can talk about that if you want to. Uh—but Rose was very self-confident. Honestly, even though you could say she wasn’t as popular as Bel, Rose fit in better here.
Kriscunas: When you say Bel was popular, you’re talking about with those seniors she hung out with?
Kim: Yes, exactly.
Kriscunas: You say they were a fast crowd.
Kim: Yes, I mean, come on. Darcy Madden and Tessa Romano—you know what they did, right?
Kriscunas: Absolutely, and that’s on the agenda. We think that incident could be quite important in terms of motive. Tell us more about Bel and the seniors. How did Bel come to hang out with them? And did it cause the tension with Rose?
Kim: How they started hanging out, I don’t know. It was just like that from Day One. I remember the very first day of classes, Bel was already sitting with the seniors, which was pretty unheard of. My guess is, Darcy took a shine to Bel, and since Darcy was the queen bee, that meant Bel was in. Anyway, I told Rose that Bel was headed for trouble, hanging out with that crew. Those girls were notorious for doing drugs, smuggling boys in, pulling pranks, that sort of thing. Rose tried to talk sense into Bel, but Bel wasn’t having it.
Howard: Were there specific incidents you recall where they argued over it?
Kim: Oh, they fought about it all the time. Rose felt like her sweet sister was taken over by pod people, you know? But nothing she said made any diference. You have to understand, showing up here as a newbie sophomore is not easy. To have Darcy Madden favor you with her attention–Bel’s head was turned. It made her feel special. Those weren’t just any friends. They were the most powerful friends you could have at this school, socially speaking. Until it all went wrong, with the attack.
Kriscunas: We understand that the sisters were on opposite sides of that incident. Do you think it’s what caused the rift between them?
Kim: The rift had been developing for a while. And not just over Bel hanging with Darcy’s crew. There were other reasons, too. Fighting over clothes, over boys—over a particular boy. But yeah, it was the attack that caused the most serious breach between them.
Howard: Serious enough to lead to murder?
Kim: You’re the police. You tell me.
Kriscunas: Miss Kim, you were the student who had the best access to both sisters. We’re interested in hearing what you think.
Kim: Honestly? I think there are several possible explanations. There was more going on here than you realize.
Kriscunas: Like what?
Kim: Well . . . you say you’re going to talk to Mrs. Donovan?
“To sweet, beautiful Sarah,” Heath said, raising his champagne glass. “‘One half of me is yours, the other half yours, and so all yours.’ Happy thirty, darling, I love you more than ever.”
“I love you, too. So much,” Sarah said, her eyes sparkling with happy tears.
They clinked glasses, took sips, then leaned across the table and kissed lingeringly. His lips were cool and delicious from the champagne. It was the Saturday night after the first week of classes, and the dining room at Le Jardin glowed with flowers and candlelight. Soft music played in the background, and Sarah felt lucky. She would have settled for putting the kids to bed, making a pot of spaghetti and opening a bottle of red wine. But this was a milestone birthday, and Heath had surprised her with dinner at her favorite restaurant, expense be damned. Life with him had its ups and downs, but it was never less than exciting.
“What you said just now, was that Shakespeare?” Sarah asked.
“Yep. The Bard of Avon never fails to impress. There are some benefits to being married to an English teacher, you know.”
He ducked his head sheepishly, and she read his thoughts. Heath loved his work, but he was ashamed of the size of his paycheck. He’d never intended to spend his life as an English teacher. There had been a more fabulous, lucrative goal once, and he’d come achingly close to achieving it. Heath was supposed to be a famous novelist by now. On the bestseller list, winning literary prizes, opening fat royalty checks at a house on Martha’s Vineyard. But things had gone terribly wrong, and they’d fled back to Odell in disgrace. (A private disgrace, with a confidentiality agreement to ensure it stayed that way.) Back to a safe place, where they’d first met. Now, a fancy dinner out was a rare treat. Sarah wasn’t disappointed with their lot in life. They had each other, the two babies she’d always dreamed of, the dog, jobs that were rewarding if not glamorous. But Heath was disappointed, and he didn’t hide it.
“There are many wonderful benefits to being married to Heath Donovan,” she said, lifting his hand and kissing it.
His smile reached his eyes, and she was grateful for it. In the past few weeks, since they’d gotten the promotion to dorm head, Heath had found his way again after years in the wilderness. An ambitious man of a literary bent and few practical skills could do worse than rising through the ranks at a prestigious boarding school like Odell. Heath had a plan. Dorm head today, but tomorrow, head of the English department. Then dean of faculty, and eventually, headmaster. It would take time, but at least he was dreaming again. Heath wasn’t Heath when he didn’t dream. Sarah was starting to believe that the demons were banished, but she wouldn’t say it out loud, for fear of jinxing it.
They sipped champagne, and chatted about their week. There were a couple of new girls in Moreland, twins, who’d been orphaned. Heath and Sarah had taken them on as advisees, and would keep a close watch. They both remembered their early days as students at Odell. How tough the place could be, how hard it was to get your feet under you. Sarah hadn’t been thrilled about the dorm head job. She took it for Heath’s sake. But if this job gave her the chance to help girls like the girl she’d been once—shy, insecure, daunted by the school and everyone in it—then something good could come of it.
Heath opened his menu and studied it, an adorable wrinkle forming between his brows. Sarah paused to appreciate his face—the elegant bone structure, the intense blue-green eyes. Even his ears were perfect—small and neat and dignified.
He looked up and caught her staring. “What?”
“Just thinking how lucky I am.”
“Me, too, always, love,” he said. “Hey, what do you say we
