Coach Buck nodded his head sympathetically. “We’re all upset about Tommy, but it wasn’t hazing. It was his family that was the problem and there’s only so much the school can do in a situation like this.”

Lucy realized she’d let her emotions carry her away but she was too angry to yield the ground entirely so she backtracked. “What about what happened today? To the cheerleaders? Did you know that some of the older players cornered them and wanted to know if their breasts were real?” she demanded, challenging him.

“That is certainly deplorable behavior and I certainly don’t condone it,” he said, giving Lucy encouragement. He paused, apparently deep in thought, then asked, “Did one of the players actually touch the girls’ breasts?”

“Well, no,” admitted Lucy, a bit deflated. “They made one of the girls do it.”

“Well, then, it was one of the girls who actually harassed the others, wasn’t it?”

Lucy couldn’t believe it. This was the classic tactic of blaming the victim. “Where were you? If you’d been doing your job there’d be no opportunity for this kind of thing, would there?”

“I can assure you that I make every effort to supervise the players and I’m going to take immediate action and get to the bottom of this. If what you say is true, I can assure you that the offenders will be punished.”

Lucy knew how these things worked. First thing tomorrow he would call the girls to his office to question them. They’d be embarrassed and humiliated and in the end it would be their fault, not the players.

“I don’t think that will be necessary,” she said. “But thank you for the offer.”

The coach’s expression oozed concern. “Are you certain?”

Lucy knew she’d lost the battle. “Absolutely. And I’m sorry for bothering you.”

“That’s perfectly all right,” he said. “That’s what I’m here for. Now, have a nice day.”

Lucy’s anger had subsided into a simmering resentment when she left Coach Burkhart’s house and she paused for a moment before turning onto Prudence Path to look at the Stantons’ house. Its situation at the end of the cul-de-sac made it a focal point for the entire development and, building for himself, Fred Stanton had lavished extra care on its construction. The house was larger and grander than the others with a two-car garage and a large, landscaped lawn enclosed by a fence. She was starting down the road when a movement caught her eye; someone was running along the fence.