Page 76 of Second Start: Family
“Nothing.” Except he had known there was something haunting Kenzie and causing her wariness with Dan. “They’re out of their heads if they think Kenzie—”
“They must have something. They’re not making this up — he’s not stupid enough to do that.”
His phone pinged.
“Okay, there it is. You two be quiet now while I read this.”
“I want to—”
“I’ll let you read it after, Hall. Let me take it in first.”
Eric read what was on his phone’s screen, scrolling down twice. Then he went back to the top and read through again.
Without comment, he handed the phone to Hall.
The words seemed to swerve and pivot on the screen in front of Hall’s eyes. But there they were.
Stripped of the legalese layered atop what seemed to be drawn from a journalistic report, last school year, a male student who had been in Kenzie’s class a previous year, said she had made sexual advances to him and in fact had sexual relations with him. She was put on leave while law enforcement investigated.
“She didn’t do this.” He cleared his throat. “There is no way on this earth Kenzie did this.”
Hall opened the truck door.
“Hey, where are you going?” Eric asked.
“I’ve got to let Kenzie know. I’ve got to talk to her.”
“So do I. I need to know all about this situation. But in the meantime, leave me my phone. I have more reading to do.”
Hall handed it back as he pulled out his.
“She won’t have her phone on,” Dan said.
Already out of the truck, Hall said, “I’ve got to try. If the grapevine picks this up and she hears from somebody else first…”
*
Dan was right.
Hall hadn’t been able to get through to Kenzie.
Neither had Vicky, who’d found them in the parking lot.
He debated calling the emergency number, but it set off an alarm in the school…
No. He wasn’t leaving this as a voicemail, either.
Then it was time to return to the judge’s chambers.
Eric said immediately, “These could be very serious issues, indeed, if they were proven. However, Mr. Morton included only a brief article in which Ms. Smith was accused—”
“And suspended.”
“Not suspended. Put on leave while the issue was investigated. In the brief time since he sprung this on the court—”
“I object to that characterization—”
“Smooth your feathers, Mr. Morton. And you, Mr. Larkin do not ruffle them.”
