Shortly after 2 p.m., Steiner Beck sat in the office behind his classroom. He had another class to teach at 2:20, so he used the time to relax, sitting quietly, drinking a glass of soda since coffee wasn’t available. For a moment, he thought about Kirstin’s behavior the evening before, standing in the dark, looking out the window. Although he wasn’t sure what she was doing, he could tell she didn’t want him to know what it was. But he was determined to find out.
He grabbed the black telephone perched on his desk, put the receiver to his ear, and dialed the number to his house. On the fourth ring, it was answered.
“Hello?” Kirstin asked.
“Hello, darling,” he said. “What are you doing?
“I’m editing, as usual,” she replied. “How is your day?”
“I just finished a class and have a short bre
