“I don’t know, Father. I just need more time to think about it.”
50
Aline was about to leave her office when her cell phone rang. It was Mike Wilson.
“Aline,” he asked, “could you possibly meet me tonight? There are some things I want to go over with you.”
“Of course.”
“O’Malley’s at seven o’clock?”
“Fine. I’ll see you there.”
When she arrived at O’Malley’s, Mike was waiting for her. He was seated at the same table in the corner they had chosen the last time.
“It appears that you are a creature of habit,” Aline said.
“Guilty as charged,” Mike replied.
“My, aren’t we formal?” Aline said, noting how handsome Mike looked in his jacket and tie.
“Whenever I testify in court, I wear my Sunday best. I spent this afternoon getting grilled by a defense attorney.”
“Who won?” Aline asked.
“If they don’t find this defendant guilty, there is no justice in the world.”
The waiter approached the table. Mike asked, “Are we both creatures of habit?”
Aline nodded.
“A Pinot Grigio for the lady, and I’ll have a Coors Light.
“So, Aline, how is the world of guidance?”
“Sometimes easy, and sometimes not. I’ve got a depressed student I’m really worried about. Her parents are coming in to meet with me tomorrow. Oh! I have a potential update on Alan Crowley.”
“Really?”
“Princeton is aware of the accusations against Alan. My understanding is that in cases like these, they insist that the student stay home.” She decided against sharing with him that her mother and Pat Tarleton had contacted Princeton.
“I’m not surprised,” Mike said. “Colleges have media tracking services. They would have picked up reports that ‘Princeton-bound Alan Crowley’ has been accused of a crime.”
Mike took a long sip of his beer and then asked, “How are your parents doing?”
“I guess as well as can be expected. My mother is so sure that Alan is guilty. I think it’s given her some peace that he’s been arrested.”
“The families of victims often react that way. They consider it the first step toward justice. It might be a good idea for your mother to join a victim’s support group. I’ve seen people who were helped a lot. I’ll send you some information on the groups.”
“Thanks. I appreciate that.”
“Aline, let me get to the main reason I asked you to meet me tonight. As I’ve told you, a weakness in our case against Alan is that we haven’t found the tire changer who had the incident with Kerry. The information you sent me that he was a tow truck driver is very helpful. In your text you said one of the girls who appears to know something may be holding back. It’s so important that we find this guy and confirm where he was the night of the party. Can you find a reason to spend more time with that girl and maybe get her to say more?”
Aline sighed. “I may be en route to a very short career as a guidance counselor if they find out what I’ve been doing.”
“Aline, I don’t have to know the girl’s name. I just need the information. And I promise you, nobody will know the information came from you.”
In her mind Aline relived Alexis Jaccarino’s distinct hesitation when she asked her about the guy who changed Kerry’s tire.
“I’ll figure out a reason to have that girl come to my office and get her talking.”
It was on the tip of Mike’s tongue to ask Aline to stay and have dinner with him again. But if a defense attorney thought that a detective and a witness on a case were dating, he would rip both of them to shreds on cross-examination.
Ten minutes later Mike had finished his beer and Aline her wine. He signaled for the check. “Back to the office for me. I’m on the witness stand again tomorrow morning. I have to go over my reports.”
“And I can catch the end of dinner with my parents. I try to be around them as much as possible, and I have plans for tomorrow night.”
They walked to their cars. Mike was disappointed that he couldn’t ask Aline to dinner.
She was disappointed that he didn’t.
51
Aline’s call to Valerie’s mother only heightened the feelings of concern she and Wayne had about Valerie. Marina was relieved when Wayne quickly agreed to work from home so that he could go with her to the high school. Hoping to avoid being seen by Valerie, they arrived at Aline’s office promptly at 11:00.
The mother, whose resemblance to Valerie was striking, looked to be in her late thirties. The stepfather had a head full of steel-gray hair and appeared to be in his mid- to late fifties. Aline’s initial impression was that he reminded her of the actor Richard Gere.
After introductions were completed, Marina Long asked, “Why are you worried about Valerie?”
Her direct question required a direct answer. “I saw in her records that she did well at her previous high school in Chicago. But since coming here, her marks have gone down considerably. And she seems depressed,” Aline told them.
Marina nodded. “We know. And we’ve been so worried about her.” Marina was obviously on the verge of tears.
Aline watched as Wayne put his hand over his wife’s hand. He said, “I know I’m the major cause of the problem. From the first time she met me, she didn’t like me. She thought I was trying to replace her father. I wasn’t. Every effort I made to build a relationship with her was rejected. I have two sons who live in California. I’m a widower. My first wife and I always hoped we would have a daughter as well.”
Marina added, “Valerie tries to give people the impression that he ignores his sons. The fact is Wayne often travels to San Francisco. He always sees them when he’s there. It was harder for them to come to Chicago because they both have young families. And last
