Murders at Westfield High

Chapter 11

I knew that I would get razzed the next day. I mean, come on.

“Hey, Kramer, you trying to become a jailbird?”

I turned to see Nelson King’s toothy grin. Neil was next to him and had a similar grin on his pimply face.

“What can I say; I got caught.”

“You must be crazy breaking into Wells’ office at night,” Nelson said. “She’s going to give it to you but good.”

“You’re wanted in the principal’s office, Mr. Kramer,” a petite girl with mousey hair said.

I assumed she was a hall monitor.

“Time to face the music,” I said in a playful manner.

“I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes, Kramer,” Nelson said.

I shrugged before I started walking to Wells’ office.

Her secretary was not at her post so I knocked on Wells’ office door.

“Come in, please,” a gravely voice said.

I opened the door and entered but stayed back.

“Get in here, Kramer,” she said, gesturing with her right hand that held a cigarette. The smoke from it curled around crazily.

I stood in front of her desk as before, but this time I was visibly nervous.

“I wanted to tell you why I didn’t press charges. When I saw what you had gotten into, I realized that you were hunting for information on teachers that work here. You’re trying to determine who murdered Carrie Adler, aren’t you?”

I nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

She took a drag from her cigarette and allowed the smoke to pour out of her nose and mouth before she said anything. “Why would you be interested in an incident that occurred four years ago?”

I swallowed hard. “I’ve seen Carrie’s ghost.”

That caused Wells to pause for a few moments before replying, and I could see her eyes were flicking around as if she were calculating how to respond. “I’ve had several people tell me that over the years, but I didn’t believe them. However, I do believe you.”

Her statement blew me away. Why would she believe me?

“Evidently, you’ve become a nexus, a focus point for the spirits that haunt this high school because you’re an outsider. You obviously have a great deal of sensitivity to psychic phenomenon.”

“I’m not sure, ma’am. I’ve never seen a ghost before, but I am certain that the one I did see is Carrie Adler. She’s still dressed in her prom dress and hangs around her old locker.”

Wells turned away before looking back at me. “You wasted your time looking in my teacher files. They all had good alibies. I’m just as interested in bringing the murderer to justice as you are, but I’ve come to a dead end in that effort.”

“I have an incentive to find whoever it is, ma’am.”

“What do you mean?”

“Carrie wrote a message on a fogged mirror in the boys’ locker room. It said that her sister is next. I take that to mean that Julia is the next intended victim.”

Wells sighed. “That is an ominous sign. I’ve discussed this case with the police on several occasions, but they’re skeptical of any ideas that I might have. They don’t give much credence to women. They probably think I’m a daffy old widow who has delusions of being a crime solver like Pamela North.”

Her reference is to Mr. and Mrs. North, a famous fictional couple who solved murder mysteries.

“The killer has to be someone with access to this building,” I said. “What about the cleaning crew, the janitor or even the maintenance people?”

“This building is seldom locked, even at night. Anyone could have come in here the night of the prom. Kids come and go the entire time and it’s illegal to lock the doors when students are in the building. The killer could be anyone in the community.”

I sighed. “I hope we can find whoever it is before he or she kills again.”

She took another drag from her cigarette and exhaled the smoke while she was talking. “You must try to make contact with Carrie. It’s our only hope.”

“I’ll try, ma’am, but so far I’ve not been able to do that.”

“Keep trying,” she said.

“Yes, ma’am.”

After that completely unexpected encounter, I left and got back to my classes. My next step was uncertain, but I was determined to save Julia from the same fate that had befallen her sister.