Keller didn’t flinch. She never had trouble with alpha males. She’d grown up with one, and understood that the alpha-ness was born of their own insecurities. These men who loved to tell women to stop being so emotional were in fact the ones who let their emotions control them. She handed the kid’s father a printout of some of the messages that had been sent to Maggie Pine.

“What’s this?” Mr. Hutchinson said.

“That’s what we wanted to ask your son.”

Mr. Hutchinson looked at Eric. His son’s face showed the first break in the facade.

“Why were you and your friends sending these messages?” Keller asked.

Eric was about to say something when his father extended an arm across his son’s chest like a shield.

“Whoa, hold on, lady. I don’t see my son’s name on any of these messages. And if I need to get our lawyer here, I—”

The principal spoke, trying to take things down a notch. “Agent Keller is here about the Pine family. She didn’t fly across the country about teen cyberbullying. But as part of her work”—the principal nodded at the printouts—“the FBI uncovered these messages targeting Maggie Pine just before her death.”

Keller chimed in now. “That’s right. Cyberbullying is usually a school matter. But sexual assault…”

“Sexual assault?” the father spit out the words.

“Witnesses say your son had been alone with Maggie Pine at a house party, and that she ran out, upset. The anonymous messages appear to be trying to intimidate her to be quiet about whatever happened.”

Keller looked at the boy’s father, who pulled at the collar of his dress shirt. His jaw was set. It was the boy’s face thirty years from now, puffier but just as arrogant. She wished the mother had come. If the messages to Maggie Pine wouldn’t faze the mom, there was no hope for this kid.

“You’ve got nothing,” Eric’s father said, aggressively working the gum in his mouth.

It was a day of doing things the hard way, it seemed. “That’s your response? That’s what you want to teach him?”

“What I teach my son is none of your goddamn business.” Mr. Hutchinson glared at the principal. “This is unacceptable, Barbara.”

Keller released a breath. “You’re right. I’ve got no basis to arrest your son. No basis even to hold him. But I do have enough to contact his college. I understand he’s been accepted to Michigan for lacrosse.” The principal had briefed Keller on Eric before his father arrived.

The color drained from Mr. Hutchinson’s face. He looked to the principal, but he’d get no support from her now.

Keller threw out a lifeline. “All I want is for Eric to answer some questions. And to know that you’re taking this situation seriously.”