“Yes, Emily, the whole gang. We know what happened.”
“Well, if you know what happened, then you don’t need me to tell you. I’m not taking a lie detector test. I don’t trust those things.”
“Then you’re suspended immediately. I’ll escort you back to your class to gather your things, then to the parking lot.”
As Paul London drove away from the school, he thought about either calling or texting Geneva Hull, who was not at school that morning. She was conveniently taking a sick day, as if she knew something bad was going down. Then he realized that his phone records might one day be examined. He wasn’t sure who might check them, but using the phone at that moment suddenly seemed like a bad idea. Instead, he drove to Ms. Hull’s apartment and knocked on her door. She was young, only twenty-nine, single, and lived alone. She answered the door, invited him in, and made a pot of coffee. For an hour they rehashed their mistakes and tried to think of what to do next. Mr. London had been teaching for twenty years and was beloved by his students. Ms. Hull had been at East for five years and was still uncertain if teaching would be her career. At that awful moment, it looked unlikely.
Both were emotional and frightened. They were certain they would be fired and bewildered about what to do next.
For what it was worth, Mr. London took responsibility for the cheating scandal. Three years earlier, he had begun, on his own and by himself, changing test scores. His reasons at that time made sense, at least to him. He hated the tests to begin with, and he did not want his students labeled as slow learners. There were many lower income kids at East, and they were as bright as the other eighth graders in town. They just didn’t have the same support at home and the same opportunities. He changed some scores, then he recruited Emily Novak and Tom Willingham, who were his good friends. They later added Penn Norman and Geneva to their little gang.
It all seemed so stupid now. They were bound to get caught. They had become too aggressive with their cheating and had left too wide a trail.
“You think we need a lawyer?” Geneva asked.
“I don’t know,” Paul replied. “I really can’t afford one.”
Ms. Hull’s phone began buzzing. It was the principal. “I think I’ll ignore that,” she said.
“You can run but you can’t hide,” Mr. London said.
“I know.”
Meanwhile, back at East, Tom Willingham and Penn Norman also declined to take a polygraph exam. By lunch, rumors were flying through the school, and everyone knew about the suspensions. In a text to all teachers, the principal called a faculty meeting at the end of the day to discuss the situation.
Chapter 15
Elsa’s desk was just inside the front door at Boone & Boone, and it was more of a command center than a reception area. With four incoming lines, she handled the phones with ease. Every caller received the same professional greeting, though a lot of calls were unwanted. She could immediately tell if a caller was shopping around for free legal advice, or had a bogus claim, or needed a lawyer for some type of work the Boones stayed away from, or was just one of the many nut jobs clogging up the lines. After thirty years, she had developed a sixth sense about who really needed help and who to avoid. She also handled the traffic: the clients who arrived early or late for appointments; the unexpected walk-ins; the door-to-door solicitors; the endless parade of salesmen peddling legal supplies and law books; and the lawyers who were there for various meetings. She also balanced the schedules of everyone in the firm, including Theo and his dental and medical appointments. She kept up with birthdays, anniversaries, deadlines, and docket calls, and she sent flowers on behalf of the firm for funerals and burials. She made the coffee and made sure there was always a fresh pot. She fed Judge, who was always prowling for food. She reminded Mr. Boone to take his pills. She fussed at him for smoking his pipe, though everyone knew that was a waste of time. She handled the mail, ran to the bank, sometimes ordered lunch, cranked out routine correspondence, and could type faster than any legal secretary in town. In short, Elsa ran the firm, and for a lady in her seventies she had incredible energy.
She was typing away Monday afternoon when a young lady walked in without an appointment. She said her name was Geneva Hull, and she desperately needed to talk to Mrs. Marcella Boone. Elsa knew immediately that she was in trouble and needed help. Politely, she said, “Well, Mrs. Boone is very busy at the moment.”
“I know. I should have called.”
“May I ask what this is about?” Elsa asked without seeming to pry, though prying was exactly what she was doing.
“I’d rather not say,” Ms. Hull replied.
“I understand, but Mrs. Boone specializes in family law, and there are many cases she does not take.”
Ms. Hull looked around as if she needed extreme privacy, then swallowed hard and said, “I’m a schoolteacher, and I think I’m about to get fired.”
“I see. And where do you teach?”
“At East Middle School.”
Elsa quickly connected the dots and said, “If you don’t mind waiting a bit, I’ll see if Mrs. Boone has some time.”
“Thank you.”
Elsa handed her a sheet of paper and said, “Just have a seat in the conference room and fill out this questionnaire. It’s just basic information. Would you like some coffee?”
“No thanks.”
Fifteen minutes later, Elsa escorted Geneva Hull into Mrs. Boone’s sleek and stylish office. Introductions were made and Elsa excused herself. Geneva took a seat, and Mrs. Boone eased into her swivel chair behind her uncluttered glass and chrome desk. With a professional smile, she began, “How can I help you?”
“I’ve never hired a lawyer before.”
“Well, welcome to America. Everybody needs a lawyer at some point.”
“I, uh, I think I’m about to be fired from my job at East Middle School.”
“On what grounds?”
“The school thinks I’m involved in a cheating scandal, one that involves the standardized tests for eighth graders.”
Mrs. Boone scribbled some notes and thought about this. “Well, Geneva, I’m not sure I should take your case. You see, I have a son who’s in the eighth grade at Strattenburg.”
“I know,” she interrupted. “I’ve heard of Theo. Through a friend of a friend.”
“I guess a lot of people know Theo. Anyway, Theo is a very bright kid and a good student, and he missed the Honors track by one point. Personally, I don’t like the tests and I don’t approve of the tracking system in place at the high school, and I know that Theo will do well in any school, at any level. But it seems as though you and I may have a conflict because of Theo and the tests results.”
“I’ve thought about that, and I think that when the truth comes out it won’t make any difference. The tests results will probably be thrown out, and, frankly, I don’t know what will happen after that. I’ll be gone, and maybe Theo will get another chance. Or maybe the scores for all the kids will be adjusted. I just don’t know.”
“Are you here to tell me the truth?”
Geneva paused and looked away. “I have a question.”
“Okay.”
“If you’re my lawyer, anything I tell you stays in this room, right?”
“Absolutely.”
“You can’t tell anyone?”
“Never. A lawyer must keep her clients’ secrets in strict confidence. The only exception is when the lawyer believes the client may do harm to others, but that’s never happened in my career.”
“Well, then, are you my lawyer?”
“If we can agree to keep Theo out of it, yes, I’ll represent you.”