Page 62 of A River Red With Blood
“Mr Parker isn’t here at the department’s instigation,” said Berrien.“He’s working on behalf of another client.”
Teal looked confused, and his next question was genuine.
“Then what am I permitted to share with him?”
“I’ll leave that to your discretion,” said Berrien.“As far as the department is concerned, we have nothing to hide, so feel free to be as open with Mr Parker as you feel comfortable.”
With that, she closed the door, leaving Teal alone with the investigator.
Chapter 62
Ikept a close eye on Roger Teal as Berrien made the introductions, his features running the gamut of emotions from annoyance, through fear, before settling on muted defiance.I didn’t know what he was guilty of, but he was guilty of something; if he’d never been caught with his hands in the cookie jar, he remained worried about the possibility of crumbs trapped under his fingernails.
“Mind if I take a seat?”I asked, taking a seat.
“Why bother asking,” Teal replied, “if you’re going to do it regardless?”
He spoke mildly, but with a flash of teeth; not a church mouse, then, but closer to the cat that stalks it.
“My apologies,” I said.“I can stand if you’d prefer.But personally, I don’t like looking down on someone during a conversation, or having to look up to them.It might be the socialist in me.”
Teal backed off, but marginally.
“The workday is almost over,” he said.“I was worried that if you got too comfortable, I’d be caught in traffic.”
“I’ll try not to take up too much of your time.”
I opened my notebook to a fresh page.
“May I ask who you’re working for?”said Teal.
“A lawyer.His name is Alcock.I imagine the schoolyard was hard for him.”
Teal registered the joke.
“I went to middle school with a kid called Seeman,” he said.“His parents ended up homeschooling him.”
I noticed that Teal had a stillness to him.After the initial disturbance caused by my arrival at his door, he was now sitting back to watch and wait.Even the exchange over the chair hadan air of contrivance to it: he’d spoken only to see how I’d react.But in everything he did, however slight, he would give himself away, which was how it worked.
What could I have said already about Roger Teal?With certainty, only this: He didn’t have a high opinion of people who weren’t named Roger Teal.
“And who is the lawyer Alcock working for?”Teal continued.“Lawyers don’t work for themselves.Like clockwork toys, they need winding.”
I had no reason not to share the identity of the client with him.I’d be visiting Spero soon enough.
“Alcock has been engaged by a man named Ward Vose.His son was a student at the Spero School.”
“Was?”
“He drowned.”
“Scott Theriault,” said Teal.
“You’re aware of the death?”
“How could I not be?It was in all the papers, for those of us who still read them.Also, anything to do with the school stands out for me.I feel proprietorial about it.I was engaged with Spero for years as a departmental inspector, which is presumably why you’re here.I think it’s trying to do good work.What happened to Scott Theriault will be used against it—is being used against it.”
“Have you remained in touch with the authorities at Spero?”
