“Who wants to know?” He asked, finally, most intelligently.
“Who am I speaking to?” said the peculiar voice.
“Who are you?” Ponce asked.
“Is this Sawyersville two-one-one-five-six?” the voice asked, a bit peeved.
“It could be.”
“Is it or isn’t it?” The voice was somewhat more peeved.
“Who wants to know?”
“Listen, I got a right to know—” The voice sounded inside a tin can now.
“Yeh?” Ponce replied, brilliantly.
uWho the hell are you?” the voice demanded.
“That’s what I'd like to know,” Ponce responded, honestly, slamming down the phone.
He stared at it. He hoped he had made him deaf. But he was scared of it ringing again. No doubt of it. He lifted it off and laid it on the table. He heard the dial tone. Now let them try the number. He grinned at it. What a voice that was!
How would he call Tiger? He wanted more than ever to get in contact with Tiger. There was a public phone down the road in the drugstore. He would use it.
He stared out at the back yard. . . .
10
Over the lunch hour, in the Teachers’ Room, McDrew and Proffer spoke to the teachers. Captain Surcher had spent a good deal of what remained of the morning with Tiger—and Proffer. They had decided the best thing to do today was to talk to all the teachers, frankly, openly, and logically, not to mention intelligently. This idea had actually been proposed by Tiger, quickly seconded by Surcher, and agreed to by Proffer.
“We’re going to need every responsible person’s fullest cooperation, and no doubt about it,” Tiger had said, proposing it, “And I think we can only expect to get it if we bring them all together and brief them on everything including all you’ve told me, Captain, about your tactics, your plans for cornering the culprit. If you keep them in the dark I think I am safe in saying we can’t really expect
“Who are you?” Ponce asked.
“Is this Sawyersville two-one-one-five-six?” the voice asked, a bit peeved.
“It could be.”
“Is it or isn’t it?” The voice was somewhat more peeved.
“Who wants to know?”
“Listen, I got a right to know—” The voice sounded inside a tin can now.
“Yeh?” Ponce replied, brilliantly.
“Who the hell are you?” the voice demanded.
“That’s what Vd like to know,” Ponce responded, honestly, slamming down the phone.
He stared at it. He hoped he had made him deaf. But he was scared of it ringing again. No doubt of it. He lifted it off and laid it on the table. He heard the dial tone. Now let them try the number. He grinned at it. What a voice that was!
How would he call Tiger? He wanted more than ever to get in contact with Tiger. There was a public phone down the road in the drugstore. He would use it.
He stared out at the back yard. . . .
10
Over the lunch hour, in the Teachers’ Room, McDrew and Proffer spoke to the teachers. Captain Surcher had spent a good deal of what remained of the morning with Tiger—and Proffer. They had decided the best thing to do today was to talk to all the teachers, frankly, openly, and logically, not to mention intelligently. This idea had actually been proposed by Tiger, quickly seconded by Surcher, and agreed to by Proffer.
“We’re going to need every responsible person’s fullest cooperation, and no doubt about it,” Tiger had said, proposing it, “And I think we can only expect to get it if we bring them all together and brief them on everything including all you’ve told me, Captain, about your tactics, your plans for cornering the culprit. If you keep them in the dark I think I am safe in saying we can’t really expect others—among them Mrs. Mortlake, and Miss Craymire, he also noted. Tiger himself as a matter of fact was having no easy time going on with it, but he knew he had to, no matter what he felt. Proffer was proud of him. He couldn’t have carried on. He was thinking just now in fact about the parents and the School Board and the newspapers and other media and the State Authorities, among other things. And he saw them in his mind’s eye on a highway, packed on this highway, driving him relentlessly before them, as if he were the culprit—and he saw also, suddenly, on the horizon, a peaceful, prosperous, well-run, happy little TV and Radio store, proprietor and manager: Harry Proffer. He saw it. That's it. In bliss, within, he smiled at it. . . . Tiger went on, “Well, there’s absolutely nothing we can do for that wonderful girl now except pay our respects to her and her family—and pray for her. I'm sure a good many of you know her fine family. And find her murderer.” Again, Tiger paused. “Yes. That’s it. Help Captain Surcher here and his outstanding squad of assistants in every way we can—to find that murderer." And again he paused, visibly shaken, looking them all over. “I personally ask your fullest cooperation—on behalf of the Principal, the School Board, all of us." Pause. “Now specifically, you may ask, for this is the next logical question of course, How can I help find the murderer? Well, to tell you more about that I’m going to turn you over to Captain Surcher in just a moment, who will enlighten you on that. But may I just say to all of you, in general terms—cast your minds about, think, as I myself am doing and will be doing, and keep your eyes open, and if you come up with anything, anything at all that may be in your opinion of assistance in leading us to this killer—Please let us know about it.” He paused again, his voice dropped even lower, “You probably all suspect, as I myself do, as the Captain does, that the murderer is among us, here, in this school. Well, the chances are probably in the vicinity of ten thousand to one that we are right, he is in the school, part and parcel, one of us. I myself have no doubt of it. Among us. 1 don't mean right here, in this room of course, one of us. The chances of that are probably one million to one.’’ He paused once more. “Forget that one.” He paused again. “And remember, this is very important, you’ll have to carry on with your jobs in pretty much of a normal way, you can sec what I one-hundred-percent, ninety-percent, maybe not even seventy-percent cooperation. We’re going to need one hundred—am I right, Captain?”
That had clinched it, and now here they were.
As to the matter of possible suspects. Tiger had not been able to illuminate that totally obscure area for the Captain —as yet. But he had told him he would certainly give the matter a very, very good think—tonight—tomorrow—every day.
With regard to Saturday’s football game, Proffer had suggested it might be best to try to cancel it, in view of the circumstances, especially also as it might even coincide with the funeral of the deceased Head Cheerleader. Of course, Proffer had added, if it proved impossible to cancel, in view of the possible impossibility of arranging another date, and in view, further, of the importance of the game, it might just have to be played—with a few minutes* silence before kickoff of course, and some sort of memorial service to the girl. As for tonight’s practice, Proffer left that up entirely to Tiger, who, in fact, decided to cancel, out of respect for the girl.
As Tiger spoke to the teachers. Proffer and Surcher sat by, listening. The teachers gave their most respectful attention to the Assistant Principal, among other things, as he spoke to them, quietly, earnestly. The teachers were hushed and quiet, utterly solemn, many of them obviously in a state of dazed unbelief and bewilderment, in fact.
“I know how you all feel, because I feel pretty much the same way,” Tiger told them, ‘‘This is a horrible situation, no doubt of it, and frightening too, and it’s not going to be made any easier either for us when all the parents start bombarding us, I know. We certainly are going to be bombarded. This awful situation is particularly painful to us because of the outstanding caliber of the girl whose life has been snuffed away so brutally right under our very noses.” He paused. There were some sniffles in the room, from some of the female teachers. Tiger spoke even more quietly. “Not only was she outstanding in the academic area, but also in the personality and extracurricular areas. We all know what a wonderful, warm human being she was.” Again he paused, and the sniffles were more audible. Hetty Nectar, the Librarian, was sobbing quietly, in her handkerchief, Tiger noted. As, indeed, were several mean, while you keep your eyes and your minds open.” He paused a long moment. “Because believe me it looks like we’re up against some pretty rough weeks, maybe even months, ahead of us. Well, let’s face it and accept it and do the best we can with it. This is a time of testing for us. In one way or another, as you all know, a time like this comes to all of us. Really testing us. For the sake of our children, our school, the community—all of us—" He paused, his voice had dropped so low that only the absolute silence in the room now made it possible for it to be heard, “Do the best you can ” He went on, after another pause, in a more normal tone, “Now, Captain Surcher.” And he sat down, next to Proffer.