Free Spring-Heeled Jack by Wyll Andersen Page A

think you dropped this earlier professor.” Atticus
pulled the ring from his pocket and offered it to
Varnum.
    A disturbing silence lingered through
the office. Everyone’s gaze shifted from Atticus to Varnum, like a
pack of hungry wolves who’d just found some fresh prey.
    “ Th-that,” Varnum stuttered,
“that’s not mine.”
    “ Well, when we bumped into
each other I found it where you fell,” Atticus said. “I-I assumed
it was yours.”
    “ Well, I can tell you that
your assumption is undoubtedly wrong, Mr.-” Varnum turned and
looked at the Nelsons. Dr. Nelson’s eyes were hidden behind his
goggles, but Mrs. Nelson was definitely giving Varnum a stink eye.
Varnum turned back to Atticus and said, “I’ve had just about enough
of you and your harassment, do you hear?”
    “ Now please, Henry,”
Principal Shepard chimed in. “There’s no need to be rude to the
boy.”
    “ You don’t understand,
principal,” Varnum said turning way. “This boy here has been making
numerous scenes-”
    “ None of which I’ve seen,
nor have you reported on prior. All I see is a student trying to
return something to his professor.” Varnum stayed silent. “And
honestly professor, do you expect me to believe that Atticus here
is a trouble maker?”
    “ Wait a minute,” Dr. Nelson
said. “You’re that boy from the earlier today! I thought I was just
being delusional, but you are most definitely the same
one.”
    Atticus nodded. “Yes sir, that was
me.”
    “ Yes, what did you say your
name was? Atticus something?”
    “ Clayton, please,” Mrs.
Nelson said. “We really shouldn’t bother him. He probably wants to
get back to his friends.”
    Suddenly, Atticus felt a strange
tugging feeling in his gut. He’d never really felt anything like it
before. He didn’t know why, but he became incredibly intimidated by
this woman. He felt like he wanted to do exactly what she said
without question.
    Luckily, Dr. Nelson chimed in,
snapping Atticus out of it. “No, Pearl, this young man seems
familiar. Almost like I’ve seen him before today. Now what’s your
name young man?”
    “ A-Atticus,” he said. “My
name is Atticus-”
    “ Pardon me!” Suddenly,
barging in through the door was Detective McCloud, wearing his
brown trench coat, his fedora held in his right hand. Atticus saw
on his finger was one a Zebulon Ring, just like the one he found.
“Sorry for showing up unannounced.”
    “ What on God’s green Earth
are you doing here,” Dr. Nelson shouted. “I was not aware you’d be
joining us, McCloud.”
    McCloud looked at Atticus with his
piercing green eyes. He gave him a reassuring wink, but Atticus
didn't know what was so reassuring about it.
    Atticus wasn’t sure what Dr. Nelson
had against McCloud, but it was clearly deep seated. But, not only
was Dr. Nelson upset, so was Principal Shepard and Professor
Varnum. Shepard’s eyes were tightly squinted at the detective,
almost like she was plotting something.
    Then there was Varnum who looked
extremely pale in McCloud’s presence. His breathing faltered, sweat
trickled down his cheek, and Atticus saw that his hands were
trembling. If those weren’t signs of someone in the wrong, then
Atticus didn’t know what were.
    McCloud looked at the principal with a
snarky grin. “G’day to you, m’lady principal.”
    “ Explain what you’re doing
here, detective,” Shepard demanded.
    The detective chuckled, which was a
bit unsettling, and said, “Yes, yes, so down to business we are.”
He turned to Dr. Nelson. “I just stopped by to say that I think I
have a lead on the murder of your son. You see-”
    “ Shut your trap,” Dr. Nelson
shouted. He bolted to his feet and got face-to-face with McCloud.
“I’m tired of your lies about my son, McCloud! You’re just a dog of
Zebulon, trying to cover up the truth! You’re the biggest monster
of them all!”
    The doctor’s face beamed a bright and
bloody red and his breathing hastened, but McCloud