Abe and Senza rolled in at the same time. The chief explained that he’d blocked off one hour, after which he would have a call with Mayor Stems, who wanted to know exactly where we stood.

“To start.” Senza looked down at his notebook. “I asked Merle and Remy to build out a timeline last night—from the moment Harrington first showed up at the school. Then let’s hear about his background, his family, and the weapon. In forty-eight hours, the GBI’s gonna take possession of this case,” Senza said, referring to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. “So let’s get to the bottom and fast.”

Merle Berry rolled in late and got a look from the chief. He grabbed a jelly donut with a square white napkin, and the grease stained through the paper before he could take his first bite.

“I’ll start with an update on the school,” the chief said. “Falls Magnet is temporarily closed. We got the area cordoned off and a cruiser outside. So if you got a lead and need to be there, coordinate with Gattling and he’ll liaise with patrol.”

“’Til when?” I asked.

“Right now the mayor’s working that out with the school board,” the chief said. “They’re probably gonna reopen in ten days. They’re bringing in counselors. Planning a prayer service. An assembly.”

I shook my head. I couldn’t believe this was happening in Mason Falls. But at the same time, it could’ve been worse. Much worse.

“When the school reopens, we’ll be staffing two SROs,” Senza said. “Those are school resource officers. Essentially rookie patrolmen to oversee the new metal detectors in the morning and function as security during the day.”

“How long does that go for?” Remy asked.

“Throughout the school year at least,” Senza said. “The real end date depends on what we find out about Harrington. If people understand why he did this . . .”

The chief’s voice faded, but we all got it. This crime was over. But the chief wanted a motive. And not just him. The community needed it too. A reason Jed Harrington came to Falls Magnet Middle School with a gun.

Senza looked to Remy and Merle. “You two ready?”

Remy plugged her laptop into an outlet, and an image flickered onto the conference room TV. A yearbook photo of a pasty-looking kid. Maybe eleven, with black hair and freckles.

“At 1:44 p.m., Gavin Kinsey came onto campus,” Remy said. “Gavin’s a sixth grader, and was coming to school late from a dentist appointment.”

“His mom or dad drove him?” Abe asked.

“Neither.” Remy shook her head. “Mom dropped him off at the dentist, but then went to work. She set up one of those Uber services for kids. They brought him to school.”

Merle jumped in. “We’ve all seen the one road leading in and out of campus. Gavin noticed a car behind the one he was being driven in. It was a Dodge Magnum station wagon. Black. This is the first reported moment that Jed Harrington is on campus.”