Hirschbeck wasn’t in his office and wasn’t expected back all day. I hustled back to the car and sped off to Silver Hill Intermediate.
Little D was waiting in front of the school. I flashed my courthouse pass at the guard and explained that we needed to see Greg the janitor about a case involving one of the students. He took us to the administrative gatekeepers. After we’d received their blessing and our visitor’s badges, the guard directed us to the custodian’s office.
The head custodian was a stocky man with a shiny mahogany pate. Folds of fat collected above the back of his collar. “Greg’s busy,” he said, in a voice suggesting that he was, too. “Could you come back later?”
Little D stepped forward. “It’s important we speak to him. Now.”
The man’s gaze traveled up the full length of L
