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Authors: Gregg Olsen
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still swinging to and fro and softly
clacking from his last play session. He also had a Chia Pet in
the form of a man with a pate in the same hairless condition
as his own. A few half-dead alfalfa sprouts bent toward the sunlight that streamed from a pair of floor-to-ceiling office
windows.
Randazzo smiled sheepishly when he caught her looking
at the Chia Pet. "That's me, I guess"
"I think it's sweet and a little funny," Emily said, though
she really didn't. She changed the subject. "I guess you realize I'm here about Nick Martin."
"Yes, I thought so. Coffee?"
"No thanks. I had the world's worst mocha on the way
over here"
Randazzo tugged at the knees of his pants as he bent down
to sit. He wore a gray flannel suit, probably from JCPenney.
"We're hearing all sorts of things," he said. His eyes fixed
on her. "Do you think he killed his family?"
"We really don't know what happened"
"But you can tell me what you think, can't you?"
Emily kept her eyes riveted to the principal. "You know I
can't"
"Interesting how the police never want to share information with us and anytime our kids breathe on the wrong side
of the road, you're here in riot gear and tasers ."
"Sorry. I know it seems unfair. I'll take that coffee after
all."
Randazzo frowned and buzzed his secretary and she instantly appeared, smiled thinly, and deposited a badly stained
plastic mug of tar-colored coffee.
"What can I tell you?" Randazzo gripped a file folder and
drummed his fingertips lightly on it. "I probably can't tell
you what you want to know. Brianna's Law, you know."
Of course, Emily knew about Brianna's law. As a mother
she was fine with it, but as a cop, the whole idea that kids
had some rights to privacy in the middle of a murder investigation seemed completely ludicrous.
The rules had changed after what happened to Brianna Lewis, a twelve-year-old schoolgirl from Yakima, Washington. She was picked up at school by a supposed caregiver
and subsequently was raped, beaten, and left for dead. The
alleged caregiver, a pedophile who'd seen her at the local
mall and trailed her to the school, got her name from the bus
driver. The girl's name got him into the office and more information from a helpful clerk. Before anyone caught on,
Brianna had been abducted by the creep who stalked her.
Law enforcement officials theorized that the girl went
with her captor because he knew so much about her, her parents, her life. He got all of that from a school district file.
The laws in Washington State were hastily rewritten to squelch
any possibility of any more Briannas. School information
was locked up and not shared with anyone-not even parents-without a court order. Cops without kids hated it. But
the law was the law.
Randazzo continued to drum his fingertips on the manila
folder. Emily wasn't sure if it was a nervous habit, or if he
was taunting her. She decided it was the former. Randazzo
was kind of a nervous little guy.
"You probably want to know everything in this file," he
said.
Emily nodded. "That would be nice."
"I can only tell you what's allowed under Brianna's Law,
you know."
"Fine. But I'll be back with a subpoena in twenty-four
hours. Do you really want me to go through all of that trouble, and let this kid do more damage? That would be on you,
you know."
"Don't get cranky, Detective."
"You haven't seen cranky, Dr. Randazzo."
"Don't be formal. Our families have been friends for
years"
Don't remind me, she thought, but said, "Yes, I know, Sal.
We all are a part of the Cherrystone family."
Randazzo opened the file and held it to his chest, like a
poker player. His eyes started to scan the documents.
"Nick's a good kid. Basically. He's been written up for
smoking a couple of times, but nothing else."
"Teacher complaints? Concerns?"
Randazzo sat quietly, absorbed in the contents of file.
"One," he said, finally. "And I'm only telling you this now
to speed up the investigation. I want the
clacking from his last play session. He also had a Chia Pet in
the form of a man with a pate in the same hairless condition
as his own. A few half-dead alfalfa sprouts bent toward the sunlight that streamed from a pair of floor-to-ceiling office
windows.
Randazzo smiled sheepishly when he caught her looking
at the Chia Pet. "That's me, I guess"
"I think it's sweet and a little funny," Emily said, though
she really didn't. She changed the subject. "I guess you realize I'm here about Nick Martin."
"Yes, I thought so. Coffee?"
"No thanks. I had the world's worst mocha on the way
over here"
Randazzo tugged at the knees of his pants as he bent down
to sit. He wore a gray flannel suit, probably from JCPenney.
"We're hearing all sorts of things," he said. His eyes fixed
on her. "Do you think he killed his family?"
"We really don't know what happened"
"But you can tell me what you think, can't you?"
Emily kept her eyes riveted to the principal. "You know I
can't"
"Interesting how the police never want to share information with us and anytime our kids breathe on the wrong side
of the road, you're here in riot gear and tasers ."
"Sorry. I know it seems unfair. I'll take that coffee after
all."
Randazzo frowned and buzzed his secretary and she instantly appeared, smiled thinly, and deposited a badly stained
plastic mug of tar-colored coffee.
"What can I tell you?" Randazzo gripped a file folder and
drummed his fingertips lightly on it. "I probably can't tell
you what you want to know. Brianna's Law, you know."
Of course, Emily knew about Brianna's law. As a mother
she was fine with it, but as a cop, the whole idea that kids
had some rights to privacy in the middle of a murder investigation seemed completely ludicrous.
The rules had changed after what happened to Brianna Lewis, a twelve-year-old schoolgirl from Yakima, Washington. She was picked up at school by a supposed caregiver
and subsequently was raped, beaten, and left for dead. The
alleged caregiver, a pedophile who'd seen her at the local
mall and trailed her to the school, got her name from the bus
driver. The girl's name got him into the office and more information from a helpful clerk. Before anyone caught on,
Brianna had been abducted by the creep who stalked her.
Law enforcement officials theorized that the girl went
with her captor because he knew so much about her, her parents, her life. He got all of that from a school district file.
The laws in Washington State were hastily rewritten to squelch
any possibility of any more Briannas. School information
was locked up and not shared with anyone-not even parents-without a court order. Cops without kids hated it. But
the law was the law.
Randazzo continued to drum his fingertips on the manila
folder. Emily wasn't sure if it was a nervous habit, or if he
was taunting her. She decided it was the former. Randazzo
was kind of a nervous little guy.
"You probably want to know everything in this file," he
said.
Emily nodded. "That would be nice."
"I can only tell you what's allowed under Brianna's Law,
you know."
"Fine. But I'll be back with a subpoena in twenty-four
hours. Do you really want me to go through all of that trouble, and let this kid do more damage? That would be on you,
you know."
"Don't get cranky, Detective."
"You haven't seen cranky, Dr. Randazzo."
"Don't be formal. Our families have been friends for
years"
Don't remind me, she thought, but said, "Yes, I know, Sal.
We all are a part of the Cherrystone family."
Randazzo opened the file and held it to his chest, like a
poker player. His eyes started to scan the documents.
"Nick's a good kid. Basically. He's been written up for
smoking a couple of times, but nothing else."
"Teacher complaints? Concerns?"
Randazzo sat quietly, absorbed in the contents of file.
"One," he said, finally. "And I'm only telling you this now
to speed up the investigation. I want the
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