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Ana’s mouth twitched “Okay, look” She exhaled a ribbon of s But I heard stuff about him And he had this attitude Like, he didn’t need to worry because he would get his so he had itand blew the smoke ured he was the one stealing It would, like, explain his whole attitude, you know? And, yeah, it made me mad I could have used that promotion and I never would have stolen from the company”

“Did it not occur to you that Brad’s family may have money? That an inheritance would be his someday?”

She sniffed A sapphire-blue stud twinkled in her nose “Oh, really Well poor, pitiful Brad”

“That doesn’t justify accusing him of a crime”

“Look, all I said was he had this attitude” Ana dropped the cigarette and crushed it with her pointy-toed puured he did it, though”

I wasn’t sure I bought her story, but I nodded and ent inside As the elevator doors opened, she said, “I still think he’s an asshole”

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 aiting in front of the school I flashed uard and explained that we needed to see Greg the janitor about a case involving one of the students He took us to the ad and our visitor’s badges, the guard directed us to the custodian’s office

The head custodian was a stocky any 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 th of Little D “Well,” he said “I suppose I could page him, if it’s that important”

Little D smiled “We’d appreciate it so much”

TheBeaufort, please co Beaufort, to my office”

He busily ignored us while D and I waited The second Beaufort canized hiht, with close-cropped hair His coested that he was between 30 and 40 He wore a dark-blue jumpsuit

An adjoining room had a metal desk and a couple of chairs I asked the custodian if we could use it He grunted assent