Read Online A Good Guy With A Gun by Steven Friedman - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Steven Friedman
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Emily.
Even if it weren’t true, this poor girl was in a very fragile state right now. The last thing she wanted was another death in this school. Emily had to do something to console her.
“Come on Melissa”, she said, “let’s go grab a cup of coffee over at Starbucks and we can talk”
They drove the short distance to a local Starbucks. Emily ordered two Grande Lattes and then found a small alcove where they could talk quietly without being disturbed.
Melissa poured out her heart telling Emily about the change she started seeing in Billy; how she saw him getting into Shupe’s pickup one night, and then later the two of them in the music studio after hours a week before the shooting. She also told Emily about the fight between Shupe and LeVon and the threat that she heard Shupe make in the parking lot.
“Something just isn’t right Ms. Watson, and I’m scared that if I tell anyone, they’ll come after me! I’m not exactly popular around here, and they can find any excuse just to transfer me away.”
Her voice broke and tears streamed down her cheeks. “I need to be here with you - otherwise I’ll never get a chance to dance professionally.”
These were astounding revelations. Emily had a gut feeling that Shupe was not as innocent or heroic as he appeared. But this was beyond belief! She knew Melissa was quite right not to say anything to the principal. The School Board wanted this investigation closed and sewed up tight. The last thing in the world they wanted was for their new found public hero, Shupe, to come under scrutiny.
“Melissa”, said Emily, “Come with me. I want you to tell what you’ve just told me to Keith. He works for the St. Pete’s Times and he might be able to help you”.
“I’m just scared Ms. Watson, but if you think he can help, I’ll talk to him.”
An hour later Keith walked in the door to his home after spending the afternoon with Leona Freeman. He looked depressed.
“Well it seems like the NRA pulls all the strings in government these days”, he said discouragingly. “Practically all the State Legislature representatives are like puppets on their strings.”
He hadn’t noticed that there was a guest present.
Emily spoke up, “Keith, I brought Melissa here. She’s one of my students. There is something you need to hear from her about the shooting.”
They all sat down at the kitchen table and more coffee was passed around. Melissa again retold her story of Billy’s strange transformation and seeing him with Shupe in the same place that they say the rifle was kept. She told him too about the parking lot incident and Shupe’s attack on LeVon and threat to him.
Keith sat listening without comment transfixed. Finally, he spoke up. “I thought the investigation seemed a bit too pat. Shupe denied even knowing Billy and made it seem that LeVon had threatened him !”
“I agree” said Melissa, “things most certainly do not add up!”
“Melissa”, Keith said, “you said that the last time you spoke to Billy, he said something like ‘ You’ll see, things will come to light that will make you understand’. Is that correct?”
“Yes”, said Melissa, “But I don’t know what he meant.”
“You know”, said Keith, “One thing that has always bothered me about this thing is that he left no note or tape or video. Even at Columbine, Eric and Dylan left a video on the WEB and diaries. Nothing was ever found from Billy, and it turns out his computer was broken as well. They were able to recover the hard drive, but there was nothing like that on it. That just seems strange.”
“Did he call you at all the night before?” Asked Keith
“I don’t know, Mr. Watson, I can’t find my phone. I was so upset I must have misplaced it somewhere”.
Keith sat without comment. Finally he spoke up, “I’m going to see if I can find out more about who this Shupe character really is. Melissa, keep looking for your phone. It’s just possible he may have tried
Even if it weren’t true, this poor girl was in a very fragile state right now. The last thing she wanted was another death in this school. Emily had to do something to console her.
“Come on Melissa”, she said, “let’s go grab a cup of coffee over at Starbucks and we can talk”
They drove the short distance to a local Starbucks. Emily ordered two Grande Lattes and then found a small alcove where they could talk quietly without being disturbed.
Melissa poured out her heart telling Emily about the change she started seeing in Billy; how she saw him getting into Shupe’s pickup one night, and then later the two of them in the music studio after hours a week before the shooting. She also told Emily about the fight between Shupe and LeVon and the threat that she heard Shupe make in the parking lot.
“Something just isn’t right Ms. Watson, and I’m scared that if I tell anyone, they’ll come after me! I’m not exactly popular around here, and they can find any excuse just to transfer me away.”
Her voice broke and tears streamed down her cheeks. “I need to be here with you - otherwise I’ll never get a chance to dance professionally.”
These were astounding revelations. Emily had a gut feeling that Shupe was not as innocent or heroic as he appeared. But this was beyond belief! She knew Melissa was quite right not to say anything to the principal. The School Board wanted this investigation closed and sewed up tight. The last thing in the world they wanted was for their new found public hero, Shupe, to come under scrutiny.
“Melissa”, said Emily, “Come with me. I want you to tell what you’ve just told me to Keith. He works for the St. Pete’s Times and he might be able to help you”.
“I’m just scared Ms. Watson, but if you think he can help, I’ll talk to him.”
An hour later Keith walked in the door to his home after spending the afternoon with Leona Freeman. He looked depressed.
“Well it seems like the NRA pulls all the strings in government these days”, he said discouragingly. “Practically all the State Legislature representatives are like puppets on their strings.”
He hadn’t noticed that there was a guest present.
Emily spoke up, “Keith, I brought Melissa here. She’s one of my students. There is something you need to hear from her about the shooting.”
They all sat down at the kitchen table and more coffee was passed around. Melissa again retold her story of Billy’s strange transformation and seeing him with Shupe in the same place that they say the rifle was kept. She told him too about the parking lot incident and Shupe’s attack on LeVon and threat to him.
Keith sat listening without comment transfixed. Finally, he spoke up. “I thought the investigation seemed a bit too pat. Shupe denied even knowing Billy and made it seem that LeVon had threatened him !”
“I agree” said Melissa, “things most certainly do not add up!”
“Melissa”, Keith said, “you said that the last time you spoke to Billy, he said something like ‘ You’ll see, things will come to light that will make you understand’. Is that correct?”
“Yes”, said Melissa, “But I don’t know what he meant.”
“You know”, said Keith, “One thing that has always bothered me about this thing is that he left no note or tape or video. Even at Columbine, Eric and Dylan left a video on the WEB and diaries. Nothing was ever found from Billy, and it turns out his computer was broken as well. They were able to recover the hard drive, but there was nothing like that on it. That just seems strange.”
“Did he call you at all the night before?” Asked Keith
“I don’t know, Mr. Watson, I can’t find my phone. I was so upset I must have misplaced it somewhere”.
Keith sat without comment. Finally he spoke up, “I’m going to see if I can find out more about who this Shupe character really is. Melissa, keep looking for your phone. It’s just possible he may have tried
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