Gun Games - Faye Kellerman [50]
Hinton looked at her with focused brown eyes. “What larger problem?”
“Do you remember a student named Kevin Stanger?”
“Of course. He transferred out at the start of tenth grade.”
Oliver said, “Do you know why?”
“Do you?”
“He was having some social issues,” Marge told him. “Is that what you heard?”
“Something like that.”
Oliver said, “Then you’re one step ahead of the VP. Dr. Punsche claimed he had no idea why Stanger transferred.”
Hinton was quiet.
“Or maybe he lied.”
Again, Hinton didn’t talk—a tactic of police interrogation as well as journalism. Marge said, “What do you know about crowding?”
“Was that what Kevin talked about?” Hinton asked.
Answering a question with a question. Oliver changed the subject. “Kevin told us that he and Greg Hesse kept up contact even after Kevin left. He also mentioned that Hesse had taken an interest in investigative journalism when he took your ninth-grade course.”
“Yes, that’s true. Greg was intrigued by Watergate.”
“Did Watergate inspire Greg to do some kind of investigation on his own?”
“Not that I know of and certainly nothing under my auspices.”
Marge said, “Kevin Stanger seemed to think that Gregory was involved in something secretive. Hesse was attached to his camcorder. Furthermore, he claimed he was onto something that would turn Bell and Wakefield upside down.”
“Would you know what Stanger is talking about?” Oliver said.
Slowly Hinton shook his head. “No, I really don’t.” Another pause. “Anything else you can tell me . . . maybe something will strike a chord.”
Marge said. “That’s all Stanger knows. We were just wondering if this had something to do with the school paper.”
“Gregory wasn’t on staff for the paper.”
“Did he ever write a guest column maybe?”
Hinton bit his bottom lip, stood up, and went to his desk, booting up his computer. “Hold on a moment.” It took him around five minutes of searching. “He actually did write a column . . . just one and at the beginning of the year.” His eyes scanned over the screen and then he pressed the printer button. “I remember this now. It was advice on how to survive ninth grade. Humorous but informative.”
He pulled the sheet from the printer and gave it to Oliver.
“It’s coming back to me. Greg was a very good writer. But he never signed up to join the paper. I don’t know why.”
Marge said, “Were there conflicts with other students?”
“I don’t recall that.”
“Who’s the student editor of the paper?”
“We have a junior editor and a senior editor.”
Marge took out her notebook. “Could I have the names?”
“I can give you the names because you could find that out easily enough. But no one is going to give you permission to talk to these kids without their parents.”
“Point taken,” Marge said.
“Junior editor is Heddy Kramer; the senior editor is Kyle Kerkin.”
“Kyle Kerkin,” Marge said. “He’s a friend of Dylan Lashay, isn’t he?”
Hinton paused. “Why are you asking me irrelevant questions?”
“Lashay’s name keeps popping up when we talk about the suicides,” Oliver said.
Marge switched topics before Hinton could respond. “Heddy Kramer was a good friend of Myra Gelb. We know that from Myra’s brother, Eric.” She held up a finger. “You know, Myra was an excellent artist. And with one of her good friends editing the Tattler . . . Do you know if Myra ever did work on the paper as a staff artist?”
“She wasn’t on staff, but she did some freelance. Cartooning, I believe.”
Oliver said, “Maybe Myra met Gregory through the paper.”
Hinton shook his head. “I wouldn’t think so. Neither was a regular contributor.”
Oliver said. “Myra Gelb didn’t like Dylan Lashay much. She drew a few derogatory caricatures of him.”
Hinton glared at him. “You know, the police, like journalists, should be impartial when conducting an interview. It’s clear to me that you two have an agenda. I don’t know what your investigation has to do with Dylan Lashay and frankly, I don’t care. I think we’re done.”
“Exactly what Dr. Punsche said when he didn’t like our questions,” Oliver said.
Marge got up.