“I think they go right back to the early years of the school, when Teal was the inspector for the department.He still comes up every month or so, or when a tough nut needs to be cracked.That’s what they call it when they have to bring in a boy by force: ‘cracking a tough nut.’He and Santopietro go on trips together too, outside of school business.”
He let that hang.
“Are you suggesting they’re in a relationship?”
“They could be.Teal is married, but when did that ever stop anyone?I know only because I saw printouts of hotel bookings in Santopietro’s office when I was fixing a radiator.They were going to Tampa.”He coughed.“I say that I ‘saw’ the bookings, but I might have gone poking where I shouldn’t.They don’t tell me much at the school, and the only way I can find out what’s happening is by being nosy.”
I wasn’t taking notes.It wasn’t that Sadlier was nervous, exactly, but seeing someone writing down what he said might be counterproductive.I’d remember what needed to be remembered.
“Tell me about the Smiling Seed Company,” I said.
Sadlier looked puzzled.
“What about it?”
“Does it supply the school?”
“Sure.We get a good discount, and they throw in a bit extra for free.The head of the company is another of Santopietro’s old friends.”
“Edward Kenney.”
“That’s right.He and Santopietro were at the Élan School together.Whatever they went through, it brought them closer.Kenney calls Santopietro ‘the Saint.’”
Which was also how Roger Teal referred to Santopietro.Teal had said that one of his friends was once immured at Élan.It would make sense if that friend were Edward Kenney.
“Do the extras provided by Smiling Seed include company T-shirts?”
“Oh yeah, and the Spero’s glad of them.Those boys go through clothes like you wouldn’t believe.”
“Who makes the deliveries?”
“Kenney himself.”
“The head of the company makes deliveries all the way up here?”
“It’s not a big company, and like I said, he and Santopietro are close.”
“Does Kenney also like cracking tough nuts?”
“Not that I know of.”
“Does he ever visit the school at the same time as Roger Teal?”
“I’ve seen them together there, but I couldn’t say how often.”
“And where does Renders fit in?”
“He doesn’t,” said Sadlier.“Renders looks at Teal like he’s shit on a shoe, excuse my language, and I’ve heard him tell Santopietro that the school should cut its ties to Smiling Seed.”
“To Smiling Seed, or Edward Kenney?”
Sadlier thought for a moment.
“To Kenney, but Kenney is Smiling Seed, just like Santopietro is Spero.”
I had hoped for a revelation, but so far I was coming up short.I still had the Smiling Seed T-shirt, and the cords linking Teal, Kenney, and the Spero were drawing tighter, but it was all circumstantial, with no proof of wrongdoing.
“Why do you dislike Renders so much?”I asked Sadlier.
