Page 65 of A River Red With Blood
“And why would Jenny Berrien be bitter?”
“She’s been promoted as far as she can rise,” said Teal.“She had leadership ambitions, hopes of a management position in the commissioner’s office, but she’s not the leader type.The public affairs job was a sop, a sideways move because she didn’t make director of communications.And there were complaints.”
“What kind of complaints?”
“About her attitude, and the language she used.Her competence.”
“Were you one of the complainants?”
Teal swerved to evade the question.“I just know that complaints came from various sources.”
Which I took to mean “yes.”Some of what Teal was claimingmight have been true, and Berrien herself admitted to feeling discontented, but those scales rarely balanced perfectly.I’d been doing what I did for a long time, and learned that my instincts about people were more often right than wrong.Roger Teal couldn’t have made my skin crawl any worse had he been made of bugs.
I thanked him for his time and placed one of my cards on his desk.Teal offered his hand and I shook it.I counted my fingers when he was done, and they were all present and accounted for.
I took a moment at the door.All those years spent watchingColumboweren’t wasted on me.
“I was just wondering how long it will take,” I said.
“For what?”
“For you to call Santopietro and tell him I’ve been asking questions about Spero.”
“I won’t lie to you,” said Teal.“It won’t take me any time at all.”
“Why?”
“Because he has a right to know.”
“A right, really?”
“He’s a good man.What happened to Scott Theriault wasn’t the Saint’s fault.”
“The Saint?”I said.
“A nickname,” said Teal, “among friends.”He waved it away.“Am I the first person you’ve spoken to in the course of your inquiries?”
“No.”
“And were any of the others favorably disposed to Mr Santopietro and the school?”
“Some more than others,” I allowed.
“Then he knows you’re on the way.He’ll be open with you, just as I’ve been.We have nothing to hide.”
We.
“This isn’t a criminal investigation, Mr Teal,” I said.“I don’t have the same legal powers as law enforcement.I can’t perform an arrest, demand information, or conduct searches.All I can do is ask questions, collect evidence, and then, if it’s deemednecessary—whether by a client, a lawyer, or me—present it to the relevant authorities.The internal politics of this department don’t hold much fascination for me, and as for your relationship with Spero and Principal Santopietro, it would be of relevance only if you knew anything about Scott Theriault that could shed some light on the circumstances of his death.You’ve assured me you have no such information.Should you later recall anything that might help, you have my number.”
“I’ll keep the card close,” said Teal.
I opened the door.
“And Mr Parker?”
Huh.Maybe Teal had watchedColumbotoo.
“Yes?”
