Jacqueline’s voice was steady, but her eyes were worried. “The sheriff's department is investigating, but they asked us not to say anything yet. They don't want to tip off whoever's doing this before they can make an arrest.”
“Do they know who it is?” Rachel's voice came out smaller than she intended.
“Not yet. But they're actively investigating.”
Rachel nodded, her mind spinning. Terrance Bogdin. A wrestler. Someone who would have access to the same person who'd been distributing pills in the locker room. “I wonder if Terrance was taking them,” Rachel said quietly.
“I’m sure the hospital will test for everything,” Jacqueline cautioned. “But the timing is... concerning.”
Rachel thought about Terrance in her classroom just last week, laughing with his friends, talking about his upcoming match. He'd seemed fine. Happy. Healthy. And now he was in an ambulance, his body shutting down, all because someone had promised him he could be better, stronger, faster.
Rachel felt sick. Turning back to the principal, she asked if she could return to her class.
With Jacqueline’s nod, Rachel left the room, her legs still shaky. She pulled out her phone and sent a quick text to Jack. The student collapsed outside my classroom. We’ll talk tonight. Rachel closed her eyes and leaned against the wall.
Her phone vibrated with an incoming message from Jack. Rach - be careful!
I will, she replied.
I promise we’ll get them.
Rachel wanted to feel safe and protected and secure in the knowledge that everything was going to be okay. But standing in that hallway, still smelling the antiseptic from the nurse's bag and hearing the echo of the students' frightened voices, all she could see was Terrance’s body as the EMTs rolled him away.
She stood in the empty hallway for a long moment, gathering her strength. Then she walked back to her classroom, where her students were still sitting in stunned silence, and did what teachers do. She calmed them. She answered their questions. She helped them process what they'd seen.
But underneath the professional calm, Rachel's mind was racing. Because she knew now that someone was hurting kids. And that thought terrified her.
29
Jack's phone rang, with the hospital’s main number displayed on the screen. He answered before the second ring, his stomach already tightening with dread.
“Detective Hudson,” he said, standing up from his desk.
“Detective, this is Dr. Patel from the Eastern Shore Medical Center. I'm calling about Terrance Bogdin, the student who was brought in by ambulance earlier today.”
Jack's hand tightened on the phone, then he put the doctor on speaker so Mark could hear. “I have you on speaker so my partner can hear. How is he?”
“Stable, but we're admitting him for observation. Detective, his blood work came back, and I need to inform you that we found evidence of performance-enhancing drugs in his system. Anabolic steroids, to be specific. Given his age and the circumstances, I'm required to report this to law enforcement as potential distribution to a minor, and was told you are one of the detectives working a case that might be relevant.”
“Thank you, Doctor,” Jack said, his voice steady even though his pulse was hammering. “I'll need copies of his medical records and the toxicology report, as we have an active investigation.”
“Of course. I'll have my staff send everything over within the hour.”
Jack hung up, looking over at Mark, seeing the hard expression on his face. They immediately headed to Colt's office. His dad was on the phone, but when he saw Jack's expression, he quickly wrapped up the call.
“Terrance Bogdin?” Colt asked.
“The hospital confirmed PED involvement. We need to move now.”
Colt's jaw tightened. “Move the case to top priority on the roster. I want this done right and done fast.”
Within twenty minutes, Jack and Mark were in the conference room, whiteboards out, case files spread across the table. The urgency that had been simmering beneath the surface for weeks now burned hot and immediate.
“We need to loop in everyone who might have information,” Mark said. “School administration first, then child protective protocols.”
Jack nodded and made the call to Principal Martine. She answered on the first ring, her voice tight.
“We need to coordinate with your staff,” Jack said. “Anyone who might have seen something, heard something, or noticed changes in student behavior. Can you have your administrators available for interviews this afternoon?”
