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.Angie wondered if she should report it.Yes, she’d mention it to Randy later.If the job wasn’t done by tomorrow, she and the kids would do it.Great idea! She’d gather everyone, from freshmen to senior and put them to work.After all, it was in their interest if they wanted to protect their drama program.She pictured the janitor stumbling upon Kiana and Evan last night.She imagined him coming through the hallway and into the green room to see the kids huddled over the picture.A supposedly innocent picture.If the kids correctly recalled the conversation they had before the discovery, nothing much had been said about the identity of the people in the photo.So, what raised the janitor’s suspicions? Why confront the kids about something so mundane? If Evan and Kiana had been doing something wrong, if they weren’t supposed to be in the school, why not report them to Randy instead of creating a confrontation?Suddenly she knew.He had reported things.A complaint, or whatever, that the kids had been in an area without adult supervision.The result was her invitation to coffee.The school bell blared through the building.She backed up to the stage and heaved herself on the apron to wait for the kids.One more forty-five minute period—a beginners acting class—and the day would be over.Her notes said the class consisted of all ages and that Gwen had most recently been teaching them to project.Should be fun.Through the pair of double doors at either side of the room, fluorescent lighting reflected heads passing, mostly boys, moving toward the gym.She took a moment to call the number on Josh’s note, and tell Cilla that yes, she would definitely love to come to dinner.Then she left a message for Tyson that her trip would be delayed.Her thoughts wandered to Jarvis and Irish Red.What were they up to? Jarvis didn’t have to work today, so they’d probably gone fishing.Or maybe he mowed the lawn while Red stood at the screen door whining to go outside with him.Was there time to call Jarvis? No, kids would be here—No sooner had the thought entered her brain when the kids gushed through the doors and tumbled down the aisles like floodwater.The chatter of conversation—Angie heard talk of cool boyfriends and extra homework, text messages, and unfair parents—ceased when they spotted her sitting on the stage.She motioned for them to come forward.Fifteen teens, mostly girls, dropped backpacks, handbags and belongings on the front row seats, then stood in the elongated area that would normally be the orchestra pit, and waited.Amid a flutter of inexplicable nerves, Angie introduced herself.As with each other class, she gave a short eulogy for their teacher.After a moment of silence, class proceeded.A couple of the kids demonstrated a natural projection—just like Diva Marie, whom Angie definitely didn’t want to think about.When the final bell rang and the kids were collecting their belongings, Angie reminded them about the upcoming performances over the weekend and expressed a request that they “support your fellow classmates” because in a year or so, they’d be the ones up here.“The more support this program receives now, the better the chance of it being around for many years in the future.”After they left, the final swarm of kids arrived—for the next to last dress rehearsal.Angie waited for them and as they gathered in the orchestra pit.Together they walked to the green room, and stopped in their tracks.The place was a shambles.The supply closet had been completely emptied.The box of scripts looked like it’d been tossed in the air—white paper covered every inch of floor space.The same mess had occurred in the costume room; the clothes racks were empty.Every bit of clothing and shoes had been dumped on the floor.The cast and crew crowded the doorway.All were looking at her.For what? She had no more answers than any of them.“What the hell—excuse my language, Mrs.Deacon—is going on around here?” asked Evan.“Why did the cops come back?”For quite some time, the only sound was the in and out breathing of people rooted in shock.Nobody had an answer to his question.Everyone eased back into the green room.As one they stopped again as they noticed that her office door, which she’d carefully locked before heading to the teacher’s lounge, was ajar.Confused gazes shifted from kids to teacher and back.She motioned for them to stand back near the wall.With growing terror, Angie realized the police weren’t responsible
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