Twenty-Five Years Ago Today by Stacy Juba Page A

from Diana. She scribbled Raquel's address, then gathered
her belongings from the library table. She had to get to the
newspaper.
    Recognition flooded over her a few hours
later at work. Kris leaned back in her seat, her shoulders
stiffening. She'd read about the History Club on microfilm. She
knew it.
    Kris scrolled through her computer files.
There it was, an item she had typed for the "25 Years Ago" column a
couple weeks earlier: Fremont High School History Club member
Patricia Addison wins a state award for her Greek mythology
essay.
    She'd associated the club with modern
history. Not ancient history and beliefs, like the stories
reflected in Diana’s paintings. Kris made a mental note to contact
the adviser, Alex Thaddeus. Mr. T. Of course, when Patricia Addison
had won the contest, Diana was long gone. Another adviser could
have taken over, or Alex Thaddeus could have switched topics.
    She found the original article about the
essay contest, but it told her nothing. Kris moved on to her next
task, searching the telephone directory. Four D'Angelos, none at
Raquel's old address.
    Kris scoped out the newsroom. All the
reporters were out on assignment. Jacqueline flitted back and forth
to the design department. Dex squinted at his computer screen.
Neither editor would be in earshot if she told a few white
lies.
    But not one of the D'Angelos had ever heard
of Raquel. Kris skimmed the resident directories for Raquel's
former neighborhood. She jotted names of older people, who may have
lived there longer, and copied their numbers out of the phone
book.
    On her first try, an elderly man demanded
that she speak up. By her third attempt, Kris expected another "no"
to echo in her ear. She grasped the receiver tighter as a woman
told her, of course she remembered Raquel.
    Two minutes later, she had a phone number and
address in Hyde Park, New York. Raquel D'Angelo Rivera answered on
the second ring, her voice upbeat. It turned somber after Kris
explained about the investigation.
    "I'd feel better if we could talk in person,"
Raquel said. "Could you come to Hyde Park this weekend, by any
chance?"
    "I'd love to," Kris said.
    "No one's spoken Di's name to me in twenty
years. I thought everyone gave up. I thought he got away with
it."
    "Who?"
    Raquel sounded surprised. "Jared Peyton, of
course."
    ***
    Kris bought a Greek mythology book at
Treasures in the Aisles. Customers explored the shelves, nibbling
butter yellow pound cake. So this was how used bookstores survived.
Bribery. She cut herself a thin slice at the counter and poured a
cup of ice water. She joined Cheryl on the couch, anxious for more
discussion on Diana.
    Cheryl sipped her apple cinnamon tea and
balanced a paper plate on her knees. "I'm glad you came. I needed a
break. Why the interest in mythology?"
    "I thought it might help me understand
Diana," Kris said. "Do you remember Alex Thaddeus?"
    "Boy, do I! What a hunk. All the girls were
madly in love with him. When I started substituting, I couldn't
wait to get a peek at him. Diana and Raquel worshipped him."
    Kris smiled at her enthusiasm. "Was he
gorgeous?"
    "Definitely, but he had charisma, too. Alex
would hold doors open for you, and if you complimented him on his
History Club, he'd go on and on thanking you. He had a way of
making you feel like you were the only woman in the room." Cheryl
laughed. "I was married, so I was immune to his charms, but the
other young female teachers would fall all over him."
    "Does he still teach?"
    Cheryl's face grew pensive and she shook her
head. "I don't think so. Not at Fremont High, at least. Eric's
never mentioned him."
    "Eric?"
    "My son teaches music at Fremont. I hope you
didn't mind him joining you at the bar. He asked if I'd heard from
you."
    Eric Soares, a teacher? A dozen questions
flew to Kris's lips, but she kept her tone brisk. "Of course I
didn't mind. Tell me more about Diana's crush."
    "Her junior year, she'd tell us how Alex had
helped her with her homework, or taken