Murder by the River: The Birchwood Academy Files 4 by Jade Astor

Author:Jade Astor [Astor, Jade]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-09-29T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

The volunteer searchers assembled in the same space that had hosted Timothy Pryor’s memorial service. That seemed years ago now, though in reality it was only a little over six months earlier. Almost every member of Birchwood’s faculty and staff filled the seats, along with a good many spouses and concerned citizens, all jostling and whispering to each other. Darian wanted to think they had shown up out of concern for either Matthias or Birchwood and not just curiosity, though he sensed a mix of both. Whatever yielded results, he supposed.

Like last time, Argo stood on the stage with Jeanette. A few reporters hovered at the edge of the stage, taking notes and recording footage to be spliced into local news shows along with an appeal for information from the public. Darian was still skeptical that Matthias would show himself, especially once he realized his likeness had been broadcast, but Argo insisted that tips came in from strange places. A lot turned out to be nothing, but if even one useful bit of intel came in, the whole effort would be worthwhile.

Jeanette began by thanking everyone for coming, described Matthias as a valued member of the Birchwood community who left the premises early that morning and failed to return. Darian admired her diplomatic skill in making it sound like he had simply wandered off and lost his way, perhaps while taking a scenic walk, instead of sneaking off and fleeing justice. She went on to hope that, with everyone’s help and attention, they could quickly discover what had happened to him and bring him back unscathed.

When she turned the microphone over to Argo, he got right to the point.

“We’ve divided the wooded area surrounding the campus into a grid with numbered areas and specific trails to follow. Your headmistress has been kind enough to print out color copies of the map for everyone to carry while you’re out there searching. Be aware that my deputies and other trained rescue personnel will be available at all times. If you find anything that looks useful or suspicious, don’t take action on your own. You must call in to the number printed on the maps. You’ll also see it displayed above me.” Pausing, he pointed to a screen behind him. On cue, a projector turned on and a phone number appeared. “Give your name and grid location according to the map. Whichever deputy is closest will be there within minutes and you can let us take it from there. Let’s stop and program the hotline into your phones right now.”

He stepped back, and the room fell silent except for the clicking of buttons.

“Thank goodness for modern technology,” Kim muttered from the seat beside him. Vaughan, seated on her other side, muttered impatiently. It occurred to Darian that without modern technology, and the intricate scams it facilitated, they likely wouldn’t have been there in the first place.

After a few moments, Argo continued. “Each of you will be assigned a team to work with and an area to search.

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