“I’m going to find Stacey,” Victor said, and without another word turned on his heels and walked off, heading for the lunch tables in front of the cafeteria.

Picking up the phone in his lap, Aaron quickly finished dialing and apparently got through to someone. “Victor Clark is here at Montgomery High. He just showed up, and he’s looking for Stacey Wilder. I don’t know what he plans to do to her, but he looks angry.” There was a short pause. “Aaron Mund.” Another pause. “I just saw him! Me and Nick Decker!” A very short pause. “Just tell the sheriff! Now!” He ended the call. “That operator just wanted to talk. I thought 911 was supposed to be an emergency line.”

“The principal needs to know,” Nick said.

They immediately hurried over to the office, telling Ms. Sanchez, the registrar, that they needed to talk to Principal Whittaker, it was an emergency. When she started to ask why, they walked around the counter and moved past her, rushing into the principal’s office. Mr. Whittaker was on the phone, but Nick didn’t let that slow him down. “Victor Clark killed his parents and he’s wanted by the sheriff,” he said quickly, not sure how much of this was public knowledge. “Aaron and I just saw him by the band room, and he’s headed over to the lunch tables looking for Stacey Wilder.”

Startled and seemingly a little confused, the principal told the person on the phone he would call back, then made Nick repeat what he’d said.

“I called 911,” Aaron added after Nick finished, “so the sheriff’s probably on his way.”

Principal Whittaker did not seem to know what to do. He picked up his phone, then put it down, finally standing up. “Thanks,” he said. “I’ll take care of it.”

He left them sitting in his office, looking at each other, and they heard him talk briefly with Mr. Bollinger, the vice principal, and then to the secretaries out front. There seemed to be a lot of commotion, and Aaron said, “Do we wait here or are we supposed to go?”

“I don’t know,” Nick admitted.

Seconds later, Ms. Sanchez’s voice came over the intercom. They could hear it echoing from loudspeakers all around the campus. “All students: please proceed to your fourth period classes. Lunch is over. If you have not finished eating, please bring your lunch with you. You will have time to finish it in the classroom. I repeat: lunch is over. Please proceed immediately to your fourth period classes.”

“I guess we’re supposed to go,” Aaron said, standing up.