Free Walk in Darkness - A Thriller (Jon Stanton Mysteries) by Victor Methos

filing some documents. Framed photos of headmasters of the school were up on the walls and a large painting of the Pope was in the other room off to the right side.
    “Hi,” he said, as he pulled out his badge. “I need to see the school police officer.”
    “He may have already gone home. Let me check.”
    She pressed the button on a phone at the counter and it rang three times before a gruff male voice answered.
    “Yeah?”
    “Steve, I have another police officer from the . . . ah, where are you from, Officer?”
    “Sex Crimes Division of San Diego PD.”
    She paused. “Did you get that?”
    “Yeah, be right down.”
    She hung up the phone and Stanton could see she was struggling, attempting to decide whether it was appropriate to ask what this was all regarding.
    “It’s just something routine,” Stanton said. “Tying up some loose ends. Nothing to worry about.”
    “Oh, I was wondering,” she said, relieved. “Officer Gage should be down in just a few minutes.”
    “Thanks.”
    Stanton waited out in the hallway. A trophy case was up in front of administration and he glanced over the photos of the kids in their uniforms. They ran from first grade through twelfth grade and had depictions of many non-traditional sports like water polo and cricket. But he knew from experience most of the kids were bored, seeking the attention their wealthy parents weren’t giving them at home. Many would become drug addicts, and pornography studios were filled with women who had graduated from exclusive private schools.
    “What can I help you with, Officer?”
    Stanton turned to see a giant of a police officer. He was easily six four or five and carried a massive belly that hung over his belt. A gray handlebar mustache adorned his face and Stanton could see the tips of tattoos poking down past the man’s sleeves.
    The officer stood close to him and Stanton knew instantly he was attempting to establish dominance. Right off the bat he was hiding something.
    “Detective,” Stanton said.
    The officer folded his arms. “What is it I can do for you?”
    Stanton saw the woman staring at them, attempting to listen in. “Can we talk somewhere private?”
    “I guess. Come back to my office.”
    He followed the officer down the hall and they turned right and went up some stairs. The hallways on the second floor were filled with lockers and posters announcing dances and fundraisers. A couple of election signs were up for student body president and vice president.
    “I’m Jon , by the way.”
    “Henry.”
    They got to a small side room just off from one of the classrooms and next to the drinking fountain. The space was cramped and the desk and chairs barely fit. A photo of a SWAT team was up on the wall, the signatures of all the members going across the bottom. A certificate of excellence from the California Board of Education was posted behind the desk.
    Stanton shut the door though he wasn’t asked to do so.
    “So what brings you here, Detective?”
    “I need to speak to you about one of the students here. Tracey Aviary.”
    “What about her?”
    “You know her?”
    “There’s only two hundred kids in the whole school. I know everyone.”
    “She was a tutor for a young girl that went missing three months back; Sarah Henroid. She didn’t go to this school.”
    “Yeah, I remember. There was a staff meeting about it.”
    “Really? Why?”
    “Just to talk about it. Tracey told a bunch a the kids and they was thinking to hold some discussions in the classrooms. Help the kids understand it a little better.”
    “Did they?”
    “I don’t know, we never had the discussions. None a the kids seemed to care too much. People go missing all the time I guess.”
    “Henry, did Tracey ever say anything about Sarah?”
    “Say anything like what?”
    “Anything at all. This is the first I’ve learned about Sarah having a tutor and I’m just trying to get a handle on their relationship.”
    The officer sucked air in through