“Let’s keep our fingers crossed.” A few minutes later, Tish brought out a coffee tray. “Darnell is running just a little late. The team made regional finals and practice sessions have become longer.”

“Congratulations.”

“Darnell has really turned it all around. We moved here five years ago and Polk High was a joke.” She sat down and handed Marge a coffee cup. “I don’t know how you take it. Help yourself.”

“Thank you.” Marge doused the coffee with cream and sweetener. “Where’d you move from?”

Tish said. “I’m originally from North Carolina, but I met Darnell in Cleveland. Big cities have their advantages and disadvantages. I don’t miss the noise, the crime, and the traffic, but I do miss having a black community. Kensington has been very welcoming to us, but I can still feel eyes on the back of my head.”

“It’s a good thing that Darnell turned the team around.”

“Yes, he’s a local hero.”

“Has he experienced any racism?”

“Nothing overt, but until Darnell proved himself we didn’t receive a lot of invitations to the neighborhood barbecues. That’s changed, but you wonder what if the team starts losing.”

“You’re only as good as your last victory.”

“Exactly.” Tish sipped coffee. “Oh, I think I hear him. I’m going to warm up dinner. Do you mind keeping an eye on the kids again?”

“Not at all.”

Marge heard the keys slip into the door, and within seconds, Darnell filled the doorway. “Sergeant Dunn?”

“Yes, sir.”

“I’m sorry I’m late.”

“Take your time.” In the background, Crystal was shrieking “Dada, Dada, Dada.” Arlington went over to the pen and lifted both girls in a single motion. He kissed both of them on the forehead. “Hey, little women.” He gave Marge a cursory smile. “Excuse me for a minute.”

From the kitchen, Marge heard low noises. No one was arguing, but there was conversation. Then one of the girls started to cry. Five minutes passed; then Tish emerged and was hip-carrying the girls. Crystal was babbling “ba-ba,” which in Marge’s ear could have been bye-bye or bottle. Moisha was wailing, her face beet red. “Time for baths and bed.”

“Have a good night, girls.”

Tish scurried up the stairs. A few moments later, Darnell came out of the kitchen, holding a plate while wolfing down a sandwich. He was tall and broad but stoop shouldered with a round face and long limbs. He wore a button-down shirt and a pair of slacks-probably the required dress for his school. He repeated his apologies for being late.

“Hey, enjoy your dinner.”

“Are you hungry?”

“I’m fine.”

Arlington sat down on the chair and liberated the footrest. “Excuse my casualness. It’s been a long day. For you, too, I bet. When did you get in?”

“About a half hour ago, but I’m fine.”

“If you want anything…”

“No, I’m fine.”

“So…” Arlington polished off the sandwich and took a long gulp of a Bud. “You’re reopening Dr. Ben’s murder?”

“Yes.”

“So…anything new?”

“We always find out new things. Whether it’s relevant or not…” She took out her notebook. “What can you tell me about Dr. Ben?”

Arlington ’s eyes went down to the empty plate. “He was a great man. I was very sorry when I heard the news.”

“I understand that on the night of the murder, you were playing basketball in front of a hundred people.”

The eyes lifted and fell back on his lap. “I didn’t hear about it until later. A friend from North Valley called and told me.” His eyes met Marge’s. “I was crushed.”

“Why’s that? From what I understand, he was instrumental in getting you kicked out of North Valley.”

Arlington shook his head. “No, that isn’t right. I was instrumental in getting me kicked out. I screwed up. That wasn’t Dr. Ben’s fault.”

“Still, you must have been pretty angry.”

“Leaving L.A. was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

“Did you feel that way at the time?”

“No,” Arlington admitted. “When I got expelled, I was furious.” He looked straight into Marge’s eyes. “I was an angry young man with a ginormous chip on my shoulder. No daddy, and I lived with a drug-addicted mother. My brother and I were left to fend for ourselves. I started smoking weed and graduated to booze and X by the time I was eleven. Dr. Ben tried, but he couldn’t babysit me twenty-four/seven. Every time he turned his back, I messed up. If it hadn’t been for my nana, I’d be doing hard time.”

“How’d you come to be in your grandmother’s care?”

“After I got expelled, she sued for custody. My mother was overjoyed to get rid of me and my brother. Nana straightened us both out.”

Marge said, “So even though you were angry at Dr. Ben, you felt crushed when he died?”

“Yes, I did. I got kicked out about a year before he died. There was part of me wanted to come back to him and say, ‘I tole you so.’ I wanted to show him and everyone else that they were wrong. After Dr. Ben died…” He shook his head. “I don’t know…I just felt so…so bad!”

“You hung out with a pretty rough crowd in high school?”

Arlington continued to shake his head. “We was just a bunch of bums…boozing and dropping X and other stuff and just being bums.”

“How about crime, Darnell?”

“That, too: shoplifting, breaking and entering, vandalism and graffiti.” He regarded Marge. “Not good stuff, but I wasn’t violent. I never mugged no one. I didn’t get into guns, neither. I’ve always been afraid of guns, Sergeant. I saw my uncle shot when I was eight.” He held his hand an inch away from his nose. “Right in front of my face. Blood splattered everywhere, including on me. I didn’t want nothin’ to do with guns.

“When I think about how lucky I was to get out…” He blew out air. “I go to church every Sunday. That’s where I met my wife-in the church choir. Thank you, Jesus, for giving me a good voice.”

Marge said, “Let’s talk about some of your North Valley friends. How’d they feel about Dr. Ben?”

He hung his head. “We all thought the school administration was a bunch of idiots. We was just too cool, know what I mean?”

“But you didn’t drop out. Why’s that?”

He cleared his throat. “There was parts of school I really liked. I liked being on the basketball team and the football team. I liked orchestra, jazz ensemble, and chorus. And I liked Dr. Ben.” A chuckle. “I just hated everything academic. I didn’t see any purpose to learning, and I had no study habits. In my family, who’s gonna teach me how to study?”

“What got you kicked out of school?”

“The first time that Dr. Ben went to bat for me, I got in trouble for spray painting the library. I swore I’d never do it again, I repainted the walls, and that was that. I tried to stay clean, but I had no guidance and I had no money. Of course, there’s always ways of getting money, know what I’m saying?”

“You sold drugs?”

His face darkened with shame. “Dr. Ben couldn’t save me from gettin’ expelled, but he did save me from gettin’ busted. I was so damn lucky that he was on my side. And I think also that the school preferred to keep everything quiet. I was real fortunate.” He looked up. “Thank you, Jesus.”

“How long had you been selling drugs?”

“Maybe a year or so. I was makin’ money. I was livin’ it up. After I got busted…that’s when my nana sued for child custody.” Again his face had darkened, but this time it appeared from anger. Sweat rolled down his brow. Then he composed himself. “Best thing that ever happened to me.”

But he still sounded resentful. Marge said, “What about your former peeps? Did any of them have contact with Dr. Ben?”

“Sure. We all did when we got into trouble. But if you’re thinking that they had anything to do with his murder, you’re going in the wrong direction. None of them gave a damn about Dr. Ben.”

Marge said, “What are your old-time buds doing now?”

Arlington let out a gust of air. “I lost contact with most of them. Our lives went in different directions.”