actually," but he didn’t look at
Jessie. "Detective Robert Teague."
"You son of a bitch," Richard said before he
lunged in Robert’s direction. Zainab grabbed one arm and Alex the
other.
"Please don’t do anything stupid," Zainab
pleaded.
Robert smirked. "You’ve got a good woman
there," he said. "And smart too. I think you should listen to her.
Assaulting a police officer would make tonight so much more
complicated."
"Darling, please," Lucy said. She touched
Richard’s shoulder, and he pulled away. He shook off Alex and
Zainab too.
"I think we’ll be leaving now," Emily said,
walking up to Robert. "You’re a real piece of work, but sorry, I
don’t think anyone wants to play right now."
Robert looked Emily up and down in such a way
that had Mitch clenching his fists. "Really? Because you seem like
someone who wants everything to be out in the open. Because that’s
gonna make it all better, right? Don’t you want a little honesty
now?"
"I doubt you’re capable," Emily said through
gritted teeth. "And I don’t care what your real job is or what you
told Joanna." She looked at Joanna, then Alex. She shook her head.
"Joanna, what were you thinking?"
"Emily, I’m sorry, but I care about Jessie. I
would have done anything to help and agreeing to hire Bob as my TA
seemed like a small sacrifice."
Jessie looked around, confused. "Professor
Hazlett, I hardly know you."
Joanna’s eyes filled with tears. "That’s true
Jessie, and I’m sorry about that. But I know you pretty well."
"You went to the police the first time Jessie
got that note," Robert said to Richard. "And that was the smart
thing to do."
"This is your idea of doing something about
that? Thanks a bunch, but while you were playing dress up, some
freak is still out there. We got another one this week."
"I know. Jessie told me," Bobby said but he
couldn’t look at her.
"Why now? It’s been months," Zainab said.
"It was the first opportunity I had. It was
the first time Jessie got into one of Professor Hazlett’s classes,"
Bobby said.
Lucy looked at Joanna. "Don’t you know who he
is?" she asked desperately. "What have you done, Jo?"
Robert smiled. "Sorry, Misses Hendrickson,
but I’m afraid Jo doesn’t know the whole story. Looks like it’s
just you and me."
Alex took Miranda’s hand. She could feel he
was sweating. "We should go," he whispered.
"No. I’m not leaving without Jess. Or
Richard."
"Go on," Robert said calmly. "Go on, Miss
Bartolome. Tell them who I am." There was just silence and a cold,
icy glare; one which Richard had seen so many times before. He knew
how angry his mother was and, despite the fact that he was almost
thirty, he still flinched. "No? Fine, I’ll tell them." Bobby turned
back to everyone else. "Robert Joseph Teague. Emily got it. But you
know what sweetheart? You’re just not as thorough as you should
have been. You were pretty close actually. A couple more
mouse-clicks and searches and you would have had the whole thing.
But I guess you’re just not as Nancy Drew as you think you
are."
"I think you should stop speaking to my wife
like that," Mitch said as he put his arm around her.
Robert seemed to laugh at Mitch. "Yeah,
that’s a good thing for you to say." He looked Mitch over,
differently than he’d looked at Emily. "Sorry, where was I? Oh
right. Emily’s little search. Emily found out what my parents’
names were, but she didn’t find out who they were. Because
it’s more than a name that makes a person, contrary to what the
Bartolomes, Hendricksons and Abbots have always thought. Isn’t that
right, Mister Sheldon? Because really, who’d ever heard the name
Sheldon before you?"
"If you have a point, young man, you’d better
make it quickly," Alex said coldly.
"Young man?" Robert repeated. "Guess what
buddy? I’ve got at least four years on your girlfriend—or whatever
we want to call her."
Alex stepped forward, but now Miranda and
Mitch held him back. "How dare you?" Alex
Jessie. "Detective Robert Teague."
"You son of a bitch," Richard said before he
lunged in Robert’s direction. Zainab grabbed one arm and Alex the
other.
"Please don’t do anything stupid," Zainab
pleaded.
Robert smirked. "You’ve got a good woman
there," he said. "And smart too. I think you should listen to her.
Assaulting a police officer would make tonight so much more
complicated."
"Darling, please," Lucy said. She touched
Richard’s shoulder, and he pulled away. He shook off Alex and
Zainab too.
"I think we’ll be leaving now," Emily said,
walking up to Robert. "You’re a real piece of work, but sorry, I
don’t think anyone wants to play right now."
Robert looked Emily up and down in such a way
that had Mitch clenching his fists. "Really? Because you seem like
someone who wants everything to be out in the open. Because that’s
gonna make it all better, right? Don’t you want a little honesty
now?"
"I doubt you’re capable," Emily said through
gritted teeth. "And I don’t care what your real job is or what you
told Joanna." She looked at Joanna, then Alex. She shook her head.
"Joanna, what were you thinking?"
"Emily, I’m sorry, but I care about Jessie. I
would have done anything to help and agreeing to hire Bob as my TA
seemed like a small sacrifice."
Jessie looked around, confused. "Professor
Hazlett, I hardly know you."
Joanna’s eyes filled with tears. "That’s true
Jessie, and I’m sorry about that. But I know you pretty well."
"You went to the police the first time Jessie
got that note," Robert said to Richard. "And that was the smart
thing to do."
"This is your idea of doing something about
that? Thanks a bunch, but while you were playing dress up, some
freak is still out there. We got another one this week."
"I know. Jessie told me," Bobby said but he
couldn’t look at her.
"Why now? It’s been months," Zainab said.
"It was the first opportunity I had. It was
the first time Jessie got into one of Professor Hazlett’s classes,"
Bobby said.
Lucy looked at Joanna. "Don’t you know who he
is?" she asked desperately. "What have you done, Jo?"
Robert smiled. "Sorry, Misses Hendrickson,
but I’m afraid Jo doesn’t know the whole story. Looks like it’s
just you and me."
Alex took Miranda’s hand. She could feel he
was sweating. "We should go," he whispered.
"No. I’m not leaving without Jess. Or
Richard."
"Go on," Robert said calmly. "Go on, Miss
Bartolome. Tell them who I am." There was just silence and a cold,
icy glare; one which Richard had seen so many times before. He knew
how angry his mother was and, despite the fact that he was almost
thirty, he still flinched. "No? Fine, I’ll tell them." Bobby turned
back to everyone else. "Robert Joseph Teague. Emily got it. But you
know what sweetheart? You’re just not as thorough as you should
have been. You were pretty close actually. A couple more
mouse-clicks and searches and you would have had the whole thing.
But I guess you’re just not as Nancy Drew as you think you
are."
"I think you should stop speaking to my wife
like that," Mitch said as he put his arm around her.
Robert seemed to laugh at Mitch. "Yeah,
that’s a good thing for you to say." He looked Mitch over,
differently than he’d looked at Emily. "Sorry, where was I? Oh
right. Emily’s little search. Emily found out what my parents’
names were, but she didn’t find out who they were. Because
it’s more than a name that makes a person, contrary to what the
Bartolomes, Hendricksons and Abbots have always thought. Isn’t that
right, Mister Sheldon? Because really, who’d ever heard the name
Sheldon before you?"
"If you have a point, young man, you’d better
make it quickly," Alex said coldly.
"Young man?" Robert repeated. "Guess what
buddy? I’ve got at least four years on your girlfriend—or whatever
we want to call her."
Alex stepped forward, but now Miranda and
Mitch held him back. "How dare you?" Alex
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