“Complex or not, I don’t need to be told again.” Cain shook his head.
He grabbed a chair from the corner as Deputy Evans and Officer Kennett walked into the room.
“Okay, let’s get down to why we’re here.” JB turned to Cain. “From your experience, what do you think?”
“From the few answers I heard as your policemen questioned Earl’s friends back at Joanie’s, my gut tells me they’re as much in the dark as the rest of us. They don’t know where Earl got the dope. Par for that age. But I’d lay odds that way over half of the students in Crayton High School know who to contact for a hit.”
A shadow seemed to cross the deputy’s face as his eyebrows pinched together. “My son’s a freshman in high school. One of my daughters will be there next year. If there’s a problem with drugs in our schools, I want it stopped now.”
Cain couldn’t blame Evans for putting everything in perspective from a personal level. Being a parent meant your first thought was to protect your children. Being a cop made the danger on the streets that much clearer.
JB tapped his fingers on his desk. “We all know that drugs aren’t just something that comes into play the first day a kid steps through the front door of high school.”
“That’s right,” Cain said. “Middle school and junior high are the breeding grounds for future business as far as dealers are concerned. If you dig deep enough, substance abuse falls all the way into grade school sometimes.”
“Yeah, I know. Still, I hate the idea that even as a policeman I can’t protect my kids from all the crap on the streets,” Deputy Evans mumbled. He was a reliable, hardworking man, and when he clocked out, his family came first. So much so, he’d refused to even consider taking on the position of acting sheriff. He’d more than endorsed JB for that position. And, true to his word, he’d brought JB up to speed on Crayton.
“Kennett, check with the hospital and see when they think we’ll be able to talk to Earl,” JB said. “Our job right now is to get a handle on what happened tonight.”
“And don’t forget the incident last Saturday with Randy,” Cain voiced.
“Right. In fact, let’s pull all reports pertaining to drug involvement for the past six months. Break them down into two categories. Over and under eighteen.”
Kennett nodded and left the room.
JB turned back. “Maybe we should embed an undercover cop from St. Louis in the high school as a student. Maybe another one as a substitute teacher.”
“Might be worth talking to the school district. Get their opinion,” Evans said.
The idea of a couple undercover cops for the high school might help, but Cain doubted one teacher would get much. Besides, the kids were smart. Too many new people in the mix could send up red flags to lay low and keep their mouths shut.
Kennett stepped back into the room, closing the door behind him. “Earl’s been moved to ICU. From what the doctor said, he won’t be talking to anyone for a while.”
Cain didn’t like the sound of that prognosis for Earl. Or for the police. That meant all they had to go on would be the quick lab test the hospital was running. Maybe they’d find something in Earl’s car. Maybe in the bathroom at Joanie’s.
“Where should we go from here?” Evans asked.
JB glanced in Cain’s direction. “Any suggestions?”
“Think I’ll go back to the hospital. Talk to Steven if he’s still there with his dad.” Cain figured the boy could use all the support he could get right now. Seeing his dad like that would be bad enough, but if he had any inkling that this was not the first time, that might be a clue to what happened tonight.
“Hard to know.” Evans said. “Don’t get me wrong, they’re a good family. But Mr. Millerton’s kind of obsessive. A little uptight. And he’s a very private person. Very private.”
“You know, first Randy, the tow truck driver OD’ed. Now Earl. Both, within a week. I think there’s another question we should consider.” Cain got to his feet and stretched. He’d always been a man who thought better moving around. “Have we got some bad dope out on the street?”
A short rap on the door and a quick opening caused them all to turn as Officer Hastings entered. “Call just came in from a house party over on Willow Street.”
“Kids? Adults?” JB asked.
“Adults. Two throwing up on the kitchen floor. One in the bathroom passed out. Others at the party okay.”
“Drugs?”
“Yes, sir.” Hastings nodded. “The woman on the phone was crying. Trying to talk. Hard to understand. Someone in the background told her to shut up.”
Cain’s gut instinct kicked in. “That’s not weed. They got some hard-core stuff going on there.”
Kennett pushed past Hastings before she finished her report. Deputy Evans followed close behind. And JB followed Hastings to the front office, motioning her to take the additional squad car and head out also. Then he instructed the dispatcher to have a couple of off-duty cops meet him at Willow Street. Plus, check to see if the EMTs would need additional alarms called out.
