ETHAN MARTIN

May 4 Saint Gabriel High School

Parking Lot 10:26 Hours

"Six three David to Central on TAC-2. Call us ten-eight, ten-nine on assignment. Mike Charlie 18226. How copy?"

"Ten-four, Corporal. In-service on location. 10:06 hours."

We pulled through the school's back lot, which used to be the front. That is until they built a state-of-the-art football complex.

The massive stadium scoreboard and five thousand capacity seating also had a tunnel running beneath the road from the locker room to the field entrance.

Shady alumni donations reaching into the millions gave the school a facelift. Church officials could suddenly afford to build a domed sports complex on the township property they had acquired for a song.

Athletic scholarships, transfers from all over the county, and high-priced coaching staffs tipped the scales in their favor. When the stes athletic association investigated, the school and church officials refused to cooperate. So they turned to our White-Collar Crimes Division.

As Chief of WCD, Maxine's old man tried to bring fraud charges, misappropriation of funds, and embezzlement but couldn't make anything stick. With pressure from the Archdiocese and a changing Heights political regime, Callum McMenamin fell out of favor. And within a year, he retired.

We pulled around the front of the school and waited to see who would greet us from Major Case.

Yesterday afternoon the DNA results came back from three rape kits testing positive for Ethan Martin.

The plan was to humiliate him before the student body and send the rats running for shelter. With the imminent arrests of Martin's peers, we hoped to flesh out more information to catch X-4 before his next kill.

I parked in a NO-PARKING ZONE away from windows or doors to hide from pain-in-the-ass student snitches.

"Are you freaking kidding me?" snapped Keegs. "Your uncle hates me. I knew it."

He pointed to an SUV pulling around the corner in full view of the front of the school.

"I'm telling you, Kelly. He's got it in for me. Freaking Sally."

Bongiovanni parked near the main entrance and sauntered his way from the truck. He tucked in his silk shirt and straightened his tie, his shoulder holster dangling from his side.

"Here we go," I said. "Say nothing, Keegs. Just let me handle this."

Keegs threw up his hands before emptying his tobacco into the Gatorade bottle he used as a spit cup.

I put the car in drive and slow-rolled until I was within feet of Bongiovanni's SUV.

There were no pleasantries when we exited. He didn't look at Keegan and only glanced at me. With a scowl, he jammed his hands in his pockets and lifted his chin.

We met him on the sidewalk but kept our distance. In truth, this was more awkward for him than for us. We had the upper hand in the investigation, and since he screwed up the UC and almost got Max killed, he was low on the pole.

"So," he said. "I have the kid's schedule. He's in the north cafeteria for the next thirty minutes."

I watched him and Keegan lock eyes. I looked at Keegs and slightly nodded to keep him focused.

"Does the admin know we're coming in?" I asked.

"No. Only the principal and vice principal. And if anyone lets on to the kid, they'll face obstruction charges."

Keegs spit leaves from his mouth, took a bottle of water from his utility pocket, and took a sip. After swirling, he stepped from the curb and spat into the street.

"And what do you want us to do, detective?" he asked.

Bongiovanni sucked on his teeth twice before pursing his lips.

"I'm going to arrest and Mirandize him. Kelly, I want you to cuff him and don't be nice. This kid is feccia della terra, scum of the earth. You and Keegs are the bad cops here, and make sure everyone knows it."

"And if he runs?" asked Keegs.

"Then all bets are off. Pursue and capture," said Sal.

2

Sal called Central Dispatch, who'd call the principal and let him know we were coming into the building and heading straight for the lunchroom. The VP would meet us inside and point Ethan out.

As we waited for the return call, Bongiovanni sighed and shook his head. He couldn't keep quiet, being this close to Keegs and me.

"You know, Kelly. You're not the only one who cares about Maxine," he said.

"Yeah, but he's the only one dating her," said Keegs.

I sighed, dropped my shoulders, and glared at him.

"This isn't the place for this," I said. I looked at both of them. "Situational awareness. We get the call, we get the kid, we get the killer."

I knew Bongiovanni felt bad about getting Max hurt, and in some ways, I pitied him, but he was an asshole and couldn't help himself.

Bongiovanni's cell rang, and he was quick to answer.

"Ten-Four," he said and hung up. "Let's go."

3

Bongiovanni and I stood at the near entrance while Keegs stood at the far one in the event the kid ran.

"As soon as we walk in, you know we're going to be on camera," said Bongiovanni. "So be careful of what you say."

"Roger that."

I nodded and waved to Keegan as we pushed through the swinging double doors.

The Vice Principal waited inside and walked us toward Ethan Martin before pointing him out.

His varsity jacket and his blonde hair gave him straight away. He flirted with two girls at the table, being the center of attention. His teammates laughed and jested at whatever he said.

His back was to us, so it made for an easier approach. That is until he saw Keegan.

"Oh shit, E-Man," someone shouted. "Five-O, Five-O."

He stood up in haste, knocking over trays and drinks. His knees didn't clear the tabletop, hindering his movement.

I sprinted toward him, a direct line to his back. He struggled and screamed as he panicked to free himself. But before he could get free of the bench, I had him.

I grabbed fistfuls of his jacket shoulders, pulled him free of the bench, and then lifted and slammed him face-first into the table.

My forearm pinned the back of his neck against a puddle of spilled apple juice as Keegan hurried to his head. We each grabbed a wrist, twisted it, and jammed it against the middle of his back.

"Link him up," I said. Keegs was harsh and forceful. He grabbed hold of his hingeless handcuffs. They were the worst.

Chains at least gave some flexibility and range of motion. But hingeless locked the backs of the hands together with no room to move.

Keegs twisted and bent his wrists until secured. Then gave him a shove between the shoulder blades as he finished.

"Ethan Martin," said Bongiovanni in a very manner of fact voice. "You're under arrest for three counts of aggravated sexual assault."

As Sal Mirandized him, Keegs and I pulled him to his feet. Ethan's face was pale, and his lips opened and curled. His eyebrows folded toward his forehead as terror overtook him.

"Do you understand these rights as I have read them to you?" said Sal.

"I want my lawyer. You can't arrest me. Do you know who my father is?"

"Nope," said Keegan. "Didn't your mother tell you?"

A smirk befell me before I took a fistful of Ethan's jacket and shirt collar and dragged him through the lunchroom.

Students jammed phone cameras in my face. Some howled and laughed, and others cursed and screamed obscenities at us. When we emerged from the lunchroom into the hallway, I paused. I pulled down on his jacket to whisper in little Ethan's ear.

"Boy, I have a surprise for you."