“Santopietro.Renders.”
“Santopietro’s dead.I don’t know about Renders.”
“Who are the others?”
“Roger Teal and Edward Kenney.”
Leonard Levesque wiped his eyes clear of rain and tears.
“Teal was one of the men who took me.Are you sure he’s dead?”
“I’m sure.”
“Good.”
“Why are you burning the school, Leonard?”
“I have to make up for what I did,” he replied.“Otherwise, they won’t ever leave me alone.I think they might kill me.”
“Who’ll kill you?”
“The dead boys.”
His eyes glittered madly, reflecting the flames, as though he were burning up inside.
“What did you do, Leonard?”
“I told Santopietro about Scott and his girlfriend,” he said.“I’m sorry now.”
“Why?”
“Because he and Renders raped her in the cottage.”
“How do you know?”
“I watched them do it, from the window.It felt good at the time, but I was sad later.I wanted to hurt Scott because everybody liked him more than me.I wanted to get him into trouble, but I didn’t think they’d do what they did to his girlfriend.You believe me, right?”
“It doesn’t matter what I believe.”
“I hate this place.”
I heard a crash as part of the dormitory roof collapsed.The fire, freed, soared into the night sky, and the flames hissed in the falling rain.
“That’s okay,” I said.“Once you’re done, there won’t be much of it left to hate.”
I went over to where the older boy was corralling the rest of the kids in the rain.
“What’s your name?”
“Jamie Hanscomb.”
“You’re in charge now, Jamie.Take the boys to the shelter of the trees beyond the campus.I’ll call nine-one-one.”
I didn’t want the kids to remain on the property in case the fire spread.I didn’t think it would, not with the rain, but I couldn’t be sure.
“Are you going to stay with us?”Hanscomb asked.
“I told you, you’re in charge.Help will be here soon.”
