“No. Tommy is an observer,” she said, very much in her element talking about her student, analyzing what made him tick. They weren’t so different that way. She wanted to get into their little heads, figure them out. “He stands back and watches what’s happening before he decides on a course of action.”

“He got his butt kicked today.”

“He was coming to the rescue for Wendy—the girl Dennis attacked. And he did that knowing full well Dennis would kick his butt.”

Vince smiled. “Chivalry lives on.”

“That’s the kind of boy he is. And by Tommy’s accounts, that’s the kind of man his father is.”

“Fair enough,” Vince said. “But would you do me a favor? Would you ask Tommy about last Thursday night? Was his dad home or did he go out that night?”

The idea was leaving a bad taste in her mouth. He could see her resistance rising.

“They’re easy questions, and they probably have easy answers,” he said. “I just think it’s better if they come from you. He doesn’t need an FBI agent scaring him, asking him questions about his dad. He trusts you.”

She arched a brow. “So I should manipulate him?”

“I’m not asking you to manipulate him. Ask him a couple of questions for me. That’s all.”

“Why don’t you ask Mrs. Crane?”

“The Queen of Hearts?” he tossed her own description back at her. “Wives have ulterior motives. Kids don’t.”

She thought about it for minute, giving him the I-don’t-quite-trust-you eye. She had a shield like a Spartan warrior, this one, and she might guard herself with it, or she might smack him in the head with it if that seemed the more prudent thing to do.

“I’m not asking you to steal trade secrets,” Vince said, scooping up some ziti. “Just to ask a little boy where his dad was last Thursday night.”

“I guess I could do that,” she said reluctantly.

“What do you know about the Morgan family?” he asked.

“They’re nice people. The dad—Steve—is an attorney. Sara sometimes teaches art classes for the community education program. She’s mostly a stay-at-home mom. They have the one child—Wendy.”

“Good marriage?”

She shrugged. “As far as I know. Don’t tell me Steve Morgan is a suspect.”

“He was a friend of Lisa Warwick. We have to check him out. It’s just routine. You could probably get a feeling from the girl if something was off at home, right?”

“And what do I get for interrogating my students?” she asked, surprising him.