“Lucy has some concerns about her daughter,” said Buck. “We’ll go in my office.”

Bonnie shrugged and started rinsing out the sink. Lucy followed Buck through the all-beige living room, which looked like a neatly arranged furniture store display, and down the hall to the tiny third bedroom which he had fitted out as a home office. This room, in contrast to the rest of the house, seemed to reflect the Coach’s personality. Plaid curtains added a touch of color, there was an un-tidy pile of papers on the faux fruitwood assemble-it-yourself computer desk and hutch, and a matching bookcase filled with trophies and photos. Buck sat in his black vinyl desk chair and swiveled to face her, indicating she should sit in a captain’s chair with the Boston University seal on the back. She sat down, realizing too late that she didn’t know where to begin.

“What’s the problem?” he asked. Despite the touch of gray at his temples and the crow’s feet in the corners of his eyes, Coach Buck’s pinkish face had an innocent, boyish look, as if his mother had just finished scrubbing behind his ears.

“I think you know what the problem is,” said Lucy, suddenly angry. “It’s the hazing. I know what happened on the bus to the Lake Wingate game. The players are harassing the cheerleaders, the varsity players are hazing the JV boys, and you not only tolerate it, you encourage it.”

“Whoa,” he said, holding up a hand. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m not aware of any incident on the bus.” He shrugged. “I must have been studying the play book.”

“Napping is more like it from what I hear,” snapped Lucy. “Or pretending to, while the players tease the girls. Don’t tell me you weren’t leering with all the rest when Renee flashed her breasts…”

“Like I said, I was studying the play book.” He gave her a rather weak smile. “From what I hear, she’s a bit loose, if you know what I mean.”

“Oh, so it’s her fault that she and the other cheerleaders are constantly harassed by the players. It began with talk, then it progressed to groping and now it’s flashing. And I’m supposed to believe you’re unaware of all this, when there have been meetings and discussions about hazing. It’s intolerable and it has to stop.”

“Teenagers are very sneaky, I’m sure you know that. They manage to defy our best efforts…”

“Don’t give me that. You’re not making any effort at all to stop it. There are plenty of schools that control this sort of thing. It doesn’t have to happen. But for some reason you’re not only tolerating it, you’re encouraging it.” She narrowed her eyes. “Some of the players are starting to talk.”