Mia had done some research on missing girls from prep schools, and had hit pay dirt. She said, “Do you remember Teresa Jacobs? She disappeared in her senior year?”

Wiliker scratched his bald head, dislodged his glasses, grabbed them, and slid them back up his forehead. “Of course, now you say her name. She was in that same class, I think. It was quite a hullabaloo; there were rumors, never substantiated, that she was doing drugs and ran away, common enough, but not here, not at Bennington. The local Glenbridge police weren’t ever able to turn anything up or I’d know about it. It was a sad thing, scared all the kids and parents.”

Mia said, “Do you happen to remember if Alex knew her? If the police spoke to him?”

Wiliker looked surprised, but said easily, “Well, the police spoke to everyone, me included, even the nutritionist, Ms. Busbee. No one knew anything. Of course Alex knew her, she was the captain of the girls’ lacrosse team, another reason she wouldn’t touch drugs. She was an athlete. Her parents—imagine not knowing what happened to your child? Living your whole life without knowing? I remember after Teresa disappeared I kept my own kids really close.”

“Ah, and did Teresa and Alex date?”

Coach shook his head. “I don’t remember. It was sixteen years ago—” He tapped his head. “Old brain.”

Mia pulled the two photos Dirk had enhanced out of her messenger bag, placed them on Wiliker’s desk. “Do you recognize either of these men?”

Wiliker pulled down his black-framed glasses and studied the two photos. He said, “These are older, aren’t they?”

“Yes, seven years old.”

She saw he wanted to be helpful, but he finally shook his head. “I’m sorry, Ms. Briscoe, but it’s hard to make out their features since they’re not facing the camera, only bits of their profiles, and they’re a bit blurry. I can’t imagine why these particular photos are important to this article you’re writing about Alex Harrington.”

Mia held her breath, pointed. “Bear with me. Do you see the notch in this man’s ear? Like he was hurt, maybe playing sports?”

Coach brought the photo close. Slowly, he nodded. “I see it, looks like an injury that healed years ago. I’ve seen several like that when a boy gets hit on the ear with a lacrosse stick.”

“Do you remember if Alex Harrington was ever injured? An injury like this?”

“As a matter of fact, I do. It was back in his junior year before the captain, Jordan, was hurt. He accidentally hit Alex with a lacrosse stick. The reason I remember his injury so well is because I was the one who took him to our nurse.”

“Tell me, what is Jordan Jeffers doing now?”

“Why do you want to know about Jordan Jeffers?”

“Again, Coach, just being thorough.”