The Kid On The Bike - 3. Chapter 3

Knowing what she needed to do next, Elena went to Waldron High to ask for the enrollment list. She knew this was going to be tricky because of privacy, especially since most of the students were under eighteen so still not considered independent. And, as much as their parents wanted to protect them and their family information, they also wanted to keep their kids safe from drugs. It didn’t matter that many of the parents had probably used the same drugs at their kids’ ages, and some might still be using them. They probably also wouldn’t care if their kids used the drugs when they got to college – at least, some of the safer drugs. As long as the kids didn’t do it before they could make their own, presumably adult decisions.

“Hi,” Elena began, smiling at Liz, the principal’s secretary. Elena was standing at the other side of a wide, waist-high counter, and Liz’s desk was another six feet away. “Any chance Maureen has a couple of minutes any time soon?”

Elena hadn’t called ahead because she knew from the past that was useless. Even when they had an appointment, things we’re always disrupting Maureen Bergen’s schedule. But Elena had waited till after school, and even though there were dozens of students around, busy with activities, the building was mostly quiet.

“Important?” Liz asked, grinning. She also knew from experience that Elena wouldn’t just stop by.

“Ennh – half and half.” Elena made a wobbling gesture with her hand.

“I’ll ask,” Liz replied. “But she’s prepping for a Board meeting tonight, and there’s concern about drugs. There’s been this rumor.”

“That’s why I’m here,” Elena offered gently.

“To help?”

Elena backed slightly off. “To get some information.”

So Liz went into Maureen’s office, and a minute-or-so later came back and told Elena to go in.

“Thanks.”

“Turns out it wasn’t a problem,” Liz assured her.

At least, seeing Maureen wasn’t. Once Elena got past the easy greetings and made her request, Maureen wasn’t so relaxed.

“Oh, yikes,” came her reply. “I know you’re trying to help... though I don’t know how you found out so quickly. We’ve been trying to keep this quiet.”

“Do you know who’s responsible?” Elena went on. “That would be easier. Then I wouldn’t need the list.”

Maureen simply grinned. “I’d get in as much trouble giving you one name as I would all four hundred. I’ll need to run this by the Board.”

“Fortunately, you have a meeting tonight,” Elena joked. “Or so I hear.”

“Yes, but the agenda’s locked. That often happens months in advance.”

“But Liz said one of the things you – and I assume the Board – are worried about is this drug dealer – possible drug dealer. Who’s also possibly a student.”

Maureen nodded. But simply acknowledging that? Elena wondered. Or agreeing?

“Wouldn’t it be easier,” she continued, “to tell the Board the police are already checking?”

Maureen seemed to consider, and Elena looked out the window, not wanting to add pressure. Then Maureen sighed. “It’s something of a juggle,” she admitted. “The Board would be reassured... knowing you and your department are taking responsibility... and that it’s already happening.”

Elena smiled as thanks, reinforcing that she was glad to hear that.

“At the same time,” Maureen went on, “they’ll immediately ask me how you found out.”

“A concerned colleague?” Elena suggested.

Maureen thought. “Yours? Or ours?”

“Whatever’s more comfortable.”

Maureen laughed. “I suppose it would be as hard for you to tell me who it was as it would be for me to give you the student’s name – the one we’ve all been hearing about.”

Elena admitted that. Then she went back to her original plan and offered, “But if you give me the list of all the students – and we’re not asking any more than their names – no other information – then we can match names with what everyone’s heard. And you’ll be protected.”

She gave Maureen another moment to think. While she did, Elena added, “Rob Perez is already pulling your recent graduation lists – the past five years. They’re on your website. So he can piece together a present enrollment list – from middle school graduations for the last four years – they’re also available. True, we wouldn’t know all your students, since some go on to prep schools and some come from Catholic ones – or from other religious training.”

“It’s mostly from St. Auggie’s,” Maureen acknowledged.

“So we’d get close,” Elena assured her. “The same way you could come close to figuring out who on your faculty or staff contacted me.”

This time, Maureen didn’t hesitate before she answered. “That really doesn’t matter – I don’t care, and it’s not important.” She smiled. “And if you’d simply waited till tomorrow morning, I probably would’ve called you... but only after the Board gave me permission tonight.”

“If we’re that close,” Elena said, also smiling, “I can wait till the morning.”

Maureen acknowledged, “That would be easier.”

So Elena started to stand. “I’ll stop by once you all get things going.”

“Thanks,” Maureen assured her. Then she hesitated. “But I’ll tell the Board that your officers already know, and they’re as concerned as we are. And if they ask how you know, I’ll simply say a complaint was filed, and you followed up.”

“That would be great... it keeps us all protected.” Then Elena paused. “But it’s good that the Board already knew.”

“We talked about it last month. They decided to ‘Watch and see.’ Tonight, I’m reporting,”

“You’ve known for that long?” Elena was surprised. This was new.

Maureen confirmed that but added, “Possibly known... the same way we possibly know anything... And that’s what I’m going to tell the Board tonight. But to be honest... we really don’t know any more now than we did when we first heard.”

Elena thought about that. “Maybe that’s why I was told so quietly.” But she was also a little amused.

“Possibly,” Maureen agreed. And as Elena left the building, she wondered if Maureen herself had asked the security guard to make that call.