Murders at Westfield High

Chapter18

I had no idea how I was going to verify my theory about how Mrs. Wells’ had incited the murderer to kill those girls so I waited until gym to ask my buddies about it.

Fortunately, Victoria left us alone after having us do a round of calisthenics. She told us to play basketball. Since each team only needs five players, Neil, Nelson and I warmed the bench. The guys who did play separated into shirts and skins.

“I found out that Julia got paddled because someone saw us kissing in that stairwell at the north end.”

“That’s crazy,” Nelson said. “It wasn’t as if you were screwing her.”

“That Wells bitch is nuts,” Neil said with his face twisted with disgust.

“I agree, but I found out that she had paddled Julia’s sister for the same offense.”

“I don’t get your point, Kramer,” Nelson said.

“Wells claimed that she very seldom punishes a girl for intimacy. I just wonder if the murderer isn’t killing the girls Wells punishes because he or she thinks that it proves that they’re evil.”

“That sounds like the story line for a B-grade horror flick,” Nelson quipped.

“I don’t think so. If it were, the killer would be someone who has been rejected by women and seeks revenge.”

“Maybe that’s the case,” Neil said.

“What are you, Kramer, a detective?” Nelson said.

“I’m just trying to stop the murderer before Julia suffers the same fate as her sister.”

“Even if your theory is right,” Nelson said. “How are you going to determine the murderer’s identity?”

“I don’t know, but I have to try. If I could find out that the other three girls murdered at Westfield High were also punished for being intimate with a boy, I would verify my theory and maybe get the police to do more investigations into Carrie’s murder.”

“Good luck there, Kramer,” Nelson said. “All the police in this shit hole of a town do is spend time at the doughnut shop.”

He had a point, but it didn’t dissuade me from continuing my quest.

The next day, I ran into Nancy Talbot, the girl that claimed that she had been paddled several times by Wells.

“How’s it going, Jay,” she said, smiling.

I looked around the hall to make sure no one was listening. “I have a question.”

She tilted her head. “What?”

“Is there any way to determine what girls were paddled by Wells?”

She stared at me with an ornery grin for a moment before replying. “Actually, there’s an unofficial journal that was started over twelve years ago by a girl who also got paddled a lot. Janie Williams started it and passed it down when she graduated to another girl who suffered the same fate.”

“Is there any way that I could see this journal?”

“You’re in luck. I’m the keeper of the infamous list.”

Bingo!

She had it stored in her locker. I looked it over and discovered that the three other girls were also the only girls to get paddled for being intimate with boys. I had my proof, but it still didn’t lead me to the killer. Nelson was right. No one would believe my theory even with proof, especially since it demonstrated that Wells was indirectly responsible for those girls’ murders.

“Thanks,” I said, handing it back to her. “Hang onto that. It could be used as evidence in a trial.”

She gave me an incredulous look. “Really?”

I simply smiled, sort of making her think that I was just teasing her, but I was dead serious.

“Don’t worry, Jay. I’ve made copies of this thing.” She waved the small notebook at me.

Apparently, she didn’t question my motives for wanting to see the shameful list. Little did Wells know that someone was keeping a record of her nefarious discipline sessions.

I tried to meet with Mrs. Wells again, but she refused to see me. I got the notion that she was wary of my poking around about her discipline practices. She probably thought that I was trying to get her in trouble.

I was wrong. I was just finishing up dressing after a swim session when Wells came into the boys’ locker room.

“I heard that you’re trying to see me,” she said.

I had just finished tying my shoes. I looked up at her with a serous expression. “Yes, ma’am. I have evidence that you paddled the other three murder victims for intimacy, and they, along with Carrie, were the only girls you paddled for that reason.”

Her eyes flashed with surprise for a fleeting moment before she squinted at me. “How did you get that information?”

“I think I’ll take the fifth on that. Let’s just say that it proves that someone is killing girls because they consider them to be prostitutes or something just as ridiculous. Surely, people you know have told you that this generation of girls is going to hell in a hand basket, people capable of knowing who you punished for making out with boys.”

She sat down on a bench opposite the one I was near. “I can only think of three people that fit your criteria. Two are on the school board. James Fenton owns Fenton Hardware and he has told me that this generation had been spawned by the devil. He’s a widower and fought in the war. Jessica Jones is president of the school board. She has always supported my discipline practices. She’s a fundamentalist and is adamant about punishing promiscuous girls. The only other person who has complained to me about the morals of today’s youth is Lester Jenson. He’s been in charge of our maintenance here for a long time. He’s also a widower.” She stood up. “You didn’t hear this from me, Mr. Kramer.”

I watched her walk away. I could sense that she wasn’t happy about my snooping into her affairs, but I didn’t care. My only goal was to save Julia.