“It’s what the facts bear out,” Merle said.

This would scare the hell out of me if I was a parent or a school administrator. Because it meant that there was no reason this happened. A crazy man wandered onto a school campus. Shot the first man he saw. And now I understood why Mayor Stems and Chief Senza were so concerned.

“What was the science teacher doing near the art storage room anyway?” Abe asked.

“We don’t know,” Remy said. “Tanner had a free period at the same time.”

“Were the art teacher and the science teacher friends?” I asked.

“According to her, yes,” Remy said.

“Were they more than friends?” Abe asked.

“The two weren’t seeing each other,” Merle said. “We asked students, teachers, close friends.”

The chief shifted in his seat, and Merle looked to Remy, who clicked forward.

A picture of Leaf Tanner’s body came up. Not at the scene, but in the medical examiner’s office. Tanner’s chest was muscular and pale, laid out atop a steel gurney. He had a black goatee, and the same color hair, thick like a bath mat, on his chest.

“You want to talk forensics?” Merle looked over.

Abe stood up. “Sarah Raines is going to issue a report in an hour,” he said, referring to the medical examiner. “But there’s not much we don’t know from observation. C.O.D. is arterial bleeding from ballistic trauma. GSW with a .38 Smith & Wesson.”

I reported what we knew of the weapon. As I spoke, Remy clicked forward to a picture of the .38 Special, laid out on the ground in the art room where Harrington had gone down.

“Atlanta PD is working with ATF,” I said. “We already have confirmation that the .38 is Harrington’s weapon. Within the day we’ll know when and where he bought it. Also about his other guns.”

“Ballistics come in yet?” Abe asked.

“A half hour ago,” I said. “One bullet was fired. Five still in the gun, 158-grain lead round-nose. American Eagle brand.”

“And no other ammo with him?” the chief asked.

“Nope,” Merle said.

“What about his car?” the chief asked.

“We’re towing Harrington’s Dodge Magnum into the mod yard now,” Abe answered.

The mechanical mod yard was the place where MFPD patrolmen brought their black and whites to get fixed or upgraded. It also served as an investigative area for crimes involving a vehicle.

“We left the car at the school yesterday to have the bomb squad inspect it,” Merle said. “They gave us the okay to move it this morning, so we took it over to Carlos at six a.m. We’ll see if there’s anything relevant inside.”

The chief ran a hand along his tie, tightening it at the knot. “What haven’t we touched on yet?”

“Harrington’s got a sister,” Merle said. “Maryanne Liggins is her married name. Lives in Oklahoma and is arriving today. P.T. and Abe saw her clothes in the house, but it was only a handful of things. Harrington lived there by himself.”