4 The Killing Bee Read Online Free PDF Page A

cigarette."
    "Why'd you bring it to Meckel's office in the first place?" I said.
    "For a visual aid. Adam is brilliant in English. I wanted Meckel to see that."
    "Why?" said Malcolm.
    She kept opening and shutting her fists. They don't let you smoke in the Saratoga jail, so on top of everything else she was going through nicotine withdrawal. "I called Meckel the night before, to remind him about the meeting. And he told me that to get into the gifted program, kids would have to score above ninety-five on the Terra Novas in both English and math."
    "Terra Novas?" Malcolm asked, puzzled. Clearly he didn't have kids. Every parent in New York State, and a lot of other states too, knows about the week of multiple-choice tests —formerly the "CATs," now the "Terra Novas"—that their elementary-school children are forced to undergo each spring.
    "They're standardized tests," Laura explained briefly, skipping over the intense aggravation these tests cause for teachers, pare nts, children and administrators alike. "The students took them two weeks ago. I haven't seen the scores yet, but no way Adam got a ninety-five in math. He's only above average in math, and besides, he had a bad fever during the testing."
    "So you were concerned that Adam might not qualify for the gifted program?" Malcolm queried.
    "I wasn't just concerned, I was outraged. Look, Adam is highly gifted. He reads at a ninth-grade level. He spells better than most grown-ups. Meckel is an idiot—I mean was."
    Laura's pacing had put her with her back to us. Malcolm and I looked at each other. Neither of us was thinking happy thoughts.
    "You told all this to the cops?" I asked.
    She caught my disapproving tone. "I didn't tell them about the tests. But I did say I was worried about Adam getting into the gifted program. Look, I had to explain why I brought that trophy into Meckel's office," she said defensively. "For God's sake, I wasn't planning to kill him with it."
    "But you have to admit, your outrage does kind of give you a motive."
    Laura sat down, looking suddenly exhausted. "I realize that. And how can I expect you to be my lawyer"—that was to Malcolm—"or my investigator"—that was to me—"when you both think I'm a murderer?"
    "Laura, I don't want to talk about this now, in this room," Malcolm said, " but if there was a scuffle… if you didn't mean to kill him... we have options."
    Laura shut her eyes. "Why don't you both just go? Just get out."
    But I didn't know when I'd get to talk to Laura again, so I ignored her request—or demand. "Did you see anyone while you were smoking?" I asked.
    "No, I was out back."
    "How about in the hallway?"
    "It was empty."
    Now what should I ask? I felt completely stuck. Was I revealing my hopeless shortcomings as a private dick, or would even Sam Spade himself be stumped by this case? I had come up with absolutely no clues whatsoever—
    Wait . This absence of clues was itself a clue. How could the hallway have been totally empty?
    "What about Meckel 's secretary?" I asked with rising excitement. "Did you see her?"
    "No," Laura repl ied, without returning my enthusiasm. "But it was only seven-thirty. Ms. Helquist doesn't come in till eight."
    "Usually. But every other time we had an early-morning meeting, Ms. Helquist was already there."
    I stood up. Laura and Malcolm both gazed up at me, wondering what I was getting at. I wasn't so sure myself.
    But that had never stopped me before.

4
     
    What did stop me was Bowles. He collared me as soon as I stepped out of the room. "Come with me, please," he said. His voice may have said please, but his arm resting on my shoulder said something else.
    "Where are we going?" I asked as he led me down the hall.
    "Chief wants you."
    Ugh . Police Chief John Walsh and I were not what you would call bosom buddies. When somebody tries to lock you in jail forever for a murder you didn't commit, it kind of decreases your affection for him.
    On the positive side, he did save my life once. I