Bleeding Out

'Alright! That's excellent! Let's go celebrate. I'll buy you a beer.' Frank shucked her head down at the desk. This was exactly what she'd been trying to avoid. She bowed out, explaining about the new body and how the perp had posed it this time.

'I've just got this feeling it's there for somebody to see, and I think that somebody might be a coach.'

'You don't think he's still in school, do you?' Kennedy asked skeptically.

'Nope. That wouldn't support any of our profile. No, I think he's definitely out of school, at least agewise, but his head's still there. I'm going to meet the assistant principal in about an hour, talk to him and get into the files. I want to talk to the coach, too. See how long he's been there, or who was there before him. I want to find all the kids that played for Dorsey that fit our description. I'll start there.'

Kennedy had twisted onto her side and was studying Frank.

'Why are you so involved in this? Why can't you just let RHD finish it?'

Frank sighed and sat back.

'Noah asked me the same thing. You know, usually, people kill each other because they're pissed off, they're angry, they got burned. Usually vies and perps have a relationship, they're linked somehow. Sometimes it's just accident and circumstance, there's no relationship at all, but still you can see what set the perp off. Even if it's totally ridiculous, they've got a reason. But this guy, I don't know the reason. I can guess, but until I see him I won't know why.'

'You might never know why,' Kennedy interjected. 'Even if you do find him, he might never cop to any of it.'

'True. But I want to track him down. I want the satisfaction of finding him and looking him in the eye, even if he doesn't say a word. Because I know him now. He's part of me. If I know enough to find him, then I already have my answer, but right now he only exists in my head. I need to see him flesh and bone before me. It's the only way I can get rid of him.'

Abashed at having said so much, Frank added dismissively, 'Besides, he has to be picked up before he kills anyone else. I think I can get to him before RHD does.'

Kennedy regarded her curiously, and Frank steeled herself for another question.

'You want help shuffling through these records?'

'No. You don't need to get involved in this.'

'I ain't got nothin' else to do. Why don't we grab some sandwiches and I'll go over to Dorsey with you and help you find your boy.'

Frank crossed her arms against the by-now familiar jumble of emotions: pleased that Kennedy was willing to help her, wanting her company, then kicking herself for being such a sap and squelching her pleasure.

'Why aren't you out surfing or playing with your friends?'

'The surf's too flat and I don't have any friends.'

'Well, go out and make some. You're young and...healthy,' Frank almost said beautiful, 'and I know you can find something better to do than hang with me all night.'

Kennedy stood and said, 'Well, I can't think what that would be. Come on. Let's go for sandwiches and get to work.'

Frank considered the offer, knowing she should tell Kennedy thanks and send her home. She surprised herself, though, saying, 'Alright, but I'm buying.'

Now he saw girls everywhere. The city was full of them. Hundreds, thousands. If he was careful, maybe he could have them all. He couldn't believe how lucky he'd been. No one had seen him or heard him. The girl never even saw him. No one knew it was him.

The last time he'd felt so good was after his last touchdown, and that was a very long time ago. He felt happy every time he remembered her. It was only his first time, and it had been good, but already he was thinking of ways to make it better the next time. His only regret was that his father couldn't see him. He'd finally be proud of him.

29

Forty-five minutes later, a slender black man, his hair gray at the temples, met them in the high school parking lot. Conscious of how good it felt, Frank let Davidson carefully examine her ID. He blinked forcefully and often. She bet the kids had a field day with that. Leading them in through a back door to his small, vastly cluttered office, he explained he hadn't been able to find the coach's home number. He turned on the fluorescent overheads and fingered through a Rolodex until he located it. Handing Frank the card, he looked more pleased with himself than was necessary.

Coach Welsh was upset. He'd already talked to detectives this morning. He didn't know what else he had to say. Frank explained she needed to go over some student records with him and that it would be easiest to do that at the school. Welsh grumbled he was busy, that it'd be at least an hour before he could get there.

'Fine. See you then,' Frank said, and hung up.

Next, Frank asked Davidson for the school's personnel records, going back fifteen years.

'Oh, boy,' he said, blinking faster and harder. 'I know where they are for the last four or five years, but I'll have to call Carrie to find out where the older records are kept.'

'Set us up with what you've got, then call whoever you need to. And while you're at it, I'd like yearbooks for the last fifteen years as well.'

Frank and Kennedy exchanged a grimace as Davidson pawed through metal filing cabinets, mumbling, 'Oh boy,' and, 'That's not it.' Frank looked around the office for pictures of the staff or football team, but there weren't any, just inspirational posters and corkboards tacked with sheaves of papers.

The assistant principal handed Frank a stack of manila folders, indicating another cluttered desk she could use. Producing two yearbooks, he explained apologetically that he'd have to ask Carrie where the rest of them were.

Kennedy dragged a chair next to Frank's and said under her breath, 'Whoever the hell she is, you should have had Carrie come in instead of this jerk.'

Frank slapped some of the folders in front of her.

'We're looking for anyone who's worked in any capacity in the athletic department. Names, dates, SS, driver's license.'

'Oh boy,' Kennedy mumbled. 'Oh boy.'

They were working their way through the Cs when John Welsh arrived.

Frank made quick introductions and asked, 'How long have you been coaching here, Mr. Welsh?'

He thought a moment. 'Since spring of '93.'

Frank asked to see all his rosters and followed him to the gym. She questioned Welsh about his players, but the coach was laconic and noncommittal. She tried softening him up, saying, 'I'll bet when you played you were a back.'

'That's right.'

'Who'd you play for?'

'USC, then pro for a couple years with the Redskins.'

'No kidding? When were you with the Skins?'

'Eighty-one to eighty-three.'

He seemed bored until Frank said, 'Wow, you must've played with, uh, let's see, John Riggins and Joe Theismann. Art Monk, right?'

Welsh eyed Frank suspiciously.

'You been checking up on me?'

Frank looked sheepish. 'Nah. I've been a Giants' fan all my life,' and to Kennedy she explained, 'They're division rivals.'

'That was a long time ago. You've got a good memory.'

'Helps in this business. How come you left?'

'Bad neck,' he grimaced. 'My wife and I decided I'd better get into teaching before I ended up in a wheelchair.'

Frank had relaxed Welsh. He told the detectives what he knew about his kids, their abilities and failings on the field, who got scholarships, who wound up where, but he offered nothing personal. They went through the rosters until eleven-thirty, producing a list of thirty-three white males who had played or tried out for football at