"I know," Nolan replied before slamming the door. Then the teenager ran inside without looking back.
Police continue to question students at Parkview High School who may have attended a party with the driver involved in the fatal accident at the Crest View Mall construction site last Friday night. Edward McAfee was dead at the scene. The driver, a minor whose name is not being released at this time, was apparently under the influence at the time of the crash.
Many of those who have been questioned refused to talk to our reporters. Others refused to talk on camera. One girl, who refused to be identified, said she only saw the teenager carrying around a coke can.
A few classmates were willing to talk on camera. One of those is senior, Butch Kramer. "I don’t know what he was drinkin,’ but he was plenty drunk. He passed out in the corner of Steve’s garage. That’s all I know."
We will carry more of our interviews tonight on the update.
Thursday morning, Mike Burns and Rebecca Fergusson moved over, making room for Kevin Nolan at their table in the high school cafeteria.
"You don’t look too good," Burns said.
"Don’t feel even that good," Nolan said, trying to smile. "I didn’t sleep too well."
Tim Welch, who had stopped in the lavatory, caught up with Nolan. "It’s awfully quiet around here today."
The small group nodded in agreement.
"The few people who were talkin' stopped talkin’ when I came by."
"Happened to me, too," Nolan said. "And, after I walked by a group, I could feel everyone turn to watch me as I walked away. I’ll be glad when this whole thing is over."
"What’s takin’ the police so long anyways?" Burns asked. "I mean, if you wanna talk about it."
"I don't know anything," Nolan said.
"You know they got you drunk," Welch replied.
"Well, that explains a lot. ‘Cause we knew you didn’t drink. So it didn’t
make much sense to say you were under the influence when the accident happened," Becky said.
"Do you know who got you drunk?" Burns asked.
"No," Nolan said.
"I still can’t believe you went to that party," Welch said. "There’s no way I would have gone to anything Steve Hargrove was part of."
"That’s pretty easy to say when your car ain’t being threatened and you’re not even asked to go in the first place," Nolan snapped. "Sorry, Tim," he added a moment later. "I guess I am losin’ it."
Welch slapped Nolan on the back and smiled.
On the way out of class, Mr. Parrish asked Nolan to stay behind. Everyone who walked by him as he stood by the door gave him a sympathetic nod. No one spoke. The quiet twisted in the teen's stomach.
"Kevin," Parrish said, after the door closed. "I didn’t want to say anything in front of the others."
Nolan stared down at his feet.
"I was told before class that a Lieutenant Bagwell would be waiting for you when the period was over." Parrish half-reached out, but stopped short of touching the young teen. "I don’t know what he wants," he said. Then he turned away.
By the time Nolan entered the main corridor, the hallway was nearly empty. He walked the length of the hall, feeling his feet get heavier, heavier. It took him several minutes to get to the end of the building. When he opened the door to the office, Ms. Kelly motioned him to a chair. Kevin sat down and waited.
About five minutes later, the principal, Mr. Gates, came out of his office and crossed over to the teen. "You can go into my office now, Son," he told Nolan. "He wants a word with you in private."
When Kevin entered the office, Bagwell motioned for him to close the door and into a chair. "You okay?" the lieutenant asked.
"Guess so."
"Well, it’s pretty clear that someone put something in your coke. But no one’s admitting anything. Everyone agrees that all you asked for was coke."
"I told you," Nolan replied.
"I know. And, like I told you the other night, I believe you. Now, maybe you can help me out. If anyone who was at the party asks you what you were drinking, you ask them if they saw anyone add anything to your coke. You don’t have to do it. But it might help. If someone does admit to something, you call me right away. So far, we haven’t made much progress on this thing."
Nolan said, "Okay." He remained in the chair.
"That’s all I wanted to tell you," Bagwell said.
Nolan half-smiled before getting up and leaving. He went out the door by the main office and walked to the front of the building, looking for the yellow Beetle his cousin was driving. He was surprised to see Butch Kramer sitting on one of the benches by the drive through by the main entrance.
"How ya’ doin’?" the blond-haired senior asked.
"Fine."
"Hargrove didn’t hurt ya’ none in the can the other day, did he?"
"No."
"I don’t know why he was so mad. I tried to tell him talkin’ to the police was no big deal."
"Nobody likes talkin’ to the cops," Nolan said.
"Guess not," Kramer agreed. "So, the cops still got your car?"
"Yeah," Nolan replied. "Can’t get it back until they get the case wrapped up."
"What do you think they’re lookin’ for?"
Nolan dropped his backpack on the sidewalk at his feet. "How should I know?" he snapped. Calm down, he told himself. "Look, I’m sorry," he went on. "I’m tired of answering everybody’s questions.
"Oh."
"Well, that’s the way it is. I know somebody spiked my coke. I don't suppose you saw anything?"
"No. But I don’t see what the big deal is, anyway. What if you had somethin’ to drink?"
"Well it is a big deal because I don’t drink."
"Come on. It’s not like you were gonna drink and drive. You were gonna stay over night—just like the rest of us.
"You just don’t get it, do ya’? None of you guys do. It’s not that I don’t drink and drive. I just don’t drink. Period."
"Okay. Okay. So you don’t drink…."
"That’s right. I don’t drink. So somebody deliberate put something in my coke to get me drunk," Nolan said.
"Maybe they weren’t tryin’ to get you drunk," Kramer said.
"Then why spike my coke in the first place?" Nolan asked.
Kramer shrugged.
"So what do you know about it?" Nolan asked, stepping closer to the older boy.
Kramer did not respond.
Nolan walked down to the end of the bench and leaned against the red brick wall. He pulled out his pack of gum and unwrapped a piece. "You know what the worst of it is? It's what’s happening to my mom."
"What?" Kramer asked.
"Oh, nothin’," Nolan said. "I was just talkin’ to myself. Guess I’m goin’ crazy."
"You said somethin’ about your mom?"
Nolan studied the older boy for a moment. "You really want to know?"
Kramer’s smile disappeared. "Yeah, I think so."
"I don’t ever talk about it much. It’s not like it’s anybody else’s business. But after my dad was killed by a drunk driver, I promised him on his grave that I would never drink alcohol. I made that same promise to my mother. And now someone’s made me break that promise. And every time I’ve looked at her the past few days, I see that doubt she has in her eyes. Did I drink something or not? Did I willingly drink something? And I can’t handle the feelin’ I get that she thinks the answer’s yes. It just tears me apart."
Kramer was silent for a moment. "When did it happen?"
"Five years ago."
"Sorry, Man. I didn’t know."
"Why would you?" Nolan asked. "Happened before we moved here. And I’m just a sophomore. Why would any senior know anything about me?"
Kramer said nothing.
"Sorry," Nolan said a few moments later, eyeing his ride pulling into the front lot of the school.
"What for?"
"Talkin’ so much. None of this is your problem."
"No," Kramer said. "It’s okay."
Nolan got into the car. Kramer was still sitting on the bench when the yellow Beetle pulled out of the lot.
That night, when Nolan pulled up in his uncle's car behind the apartment, Bagwell’s car was parked under the carport. The lieutenant rolled down the window and called to the teen, "Can I talk to you for a minute?"
"Look," Nolan said. "I’m tired. And I have homework to do."
"I know, Kevin," Bagwell said. "I know. But it’s important."
"What do you want to know?"
"Get in the car where we can talk," the lieutenant said.
"I need to check in with my mom."
"Already did," Bagwell replied. "Come on. Get in."
Nolan looked at the lieutenant for a moment before rounding the car and climbing into the front seat. "So what do you want to talk about?"
"Steve Hargrove."
Nolan did not reply.
Bagwell pulled away from the apartments and headed north. "How well do you know him?"
"I don’t. Not really. Until the first part of last week, I don’t think I ever even talked to him."
"But you went to a party at his place last Friday."
"I know."
Bagwell glanced at the teenager in the mirror. Nolan slouched in the seat and stared out the window, "So…why did you talk to him last week?"
"He wanted me to drive him someplace. Told me he liked my car."
"Where did he want to go?" Bagwell asked.
Nolan didn’t answer.
"Where did he want to go?"
Still no reply.
"Look, Kevin," the lieutenant began, "I am trying to understand what went on here. But you’ve got to help me."
Nolan didn't say anything for a long time. "I know you already know where I went. Tim Welch told me he told you. So why don't you just ask me why I took him to buy beer?"
"I wanted you to tell me."
"Okay. I told you. I took him on a beer run."
"Hargrove told me a different story. He said you just drove around."
"Then that’s what I did."
"Are you afraid of Hargrove?" the lieutenant asked.
"What do you think?"
Bagwell turned the car onto MacArthur. "Look, I promise you he won’t know what you told me."
"It doesn’t matter. If you ask him any questions, he’ll figure I’m the one that made you suspicious. No. I’m not going to say anything else. I can’t—unless you’ve got him locked up for good."
"He said he thought you were drinking at his party. He never saw you put anything in your coke. But you had trouble talking. And you passed out."
"I already told you that."
"I just don’t know what I can say that will make you understand how important it is that you tell me everything," Bagwell said.
"I can’t say anything. I gotta live with him while you try to figure out what happened. And I don’t know what happened. I’ve said all I’m gonna say."
Bagwell started to say something, but stopped.
"Can I go home now? I’ve got homework to do."
"Okay. No sense both of us wasting time," Bagwell said. He drove the teenager back to his apartment, dropping him at the back door.
"I heard they're gonna make you go to drug counseling," Mike Burns said the next morning. Becky Fergusson sat next to her boyfriend as usual.
"I don't think so," Nolan replied. "The cops know someone got me drunk. Why would I need counseling?"
I told the guy you didn’t drink. I even told him that somebody got you drunk. He said it wouldn’t make any difference."
"Well that sucks," Nolan said.
"Any idea who did it?" Burns asked.
"No. One minute I had a coke. Then I was eating some fried peppers. I remember I had one in each hand. I don’t know where my coke went. Then, I got my coke back from somewhere. My mouth was so burned out by the peppers, I couldn’t even taste it. I wouldn’t have known if it had anything in it. I don’t really know if anybody actually took my coke from me or not. I may have just set it down somewhere."
"Why’d you even go?" Becky asked.
"I was afraid he might do something to my car if I didn’t. You know what they say about him. He’s mean. And I didn’t want him to be mad at me."
"But why’d he even ask you?" Becky wanted to know.
"He told me he liked my car. That’s how it all got started."
"It all sounds strange to me," Burns said.
"To me, too. But it’s too late to change anything now," Nolan said.
Tim Welch walked up a moment later. "Saw the red Beetle. How's it drive?"
"About the same," Nolan replied. "Hey, thanks for the rides this week. I may need a few more before I get my car back."
"No problem," Welch said. "Hey, I didn't see any of you guys at the game last night. You really missed one. We won by six. They blocked a point after or it would have been seven. Some guy ran right over Hargrove to snuff the kick!"
Burns was about to say something when the bell rang.
(end of part five)
