Captain continues. “Anyway. The caller didn’t actually say much of anything. It’s very distant sounding—almost as if she dialed but didn’t put the phone to her mouth. It’s only about a five-second call before the caller hangs up. Here’s the recording of it. Tell me what you hear.” Captain presses a button on a machine behind her. Cabel and Janie strain to make out the garbled words. The voice sounds very far away and music pounds behind it.

Janie furrows her brow and leans forward. Cabel shakes his head, puzzled. “Could you play it again?”

“I’ll play it a few more times. Concentrate on the background noise, too. There are other people talking in the distance.” Captain plays the short message several times more. She slows the tape and speeds it up, then reduces the background noise. Finally she reduces the voice of the caller until only the background noise remains.

“Anything, either of you?” Captain asks.

“It’s impossible to understand a single word the caller’s saying,” Cabel says. “Nobody’s screaming, nobody sounds upset. I heard laughter in the background. The music sounds like Mos Def. Janie?”

“I hear a guy’s voice in the background saying ‘Mister’ something.” Captain nods. “I hear that too, Janie. That’s the only word I can make out in the entire call.

“We didn’t think much of this call—didn’t spend time on it. There was no information, no complaint, no report of a crime. But then in November, there was another call to Crimebusters Underground. And when I heard this one, I remembered the call you just heard. Listen.” Captain plays the new call. It’s a woman’s slurred voice, giggling uncontrollably and saying, “I want my Quick Cash! Fieldridge…High.

Fucking teachers…fucking students. Omigod—this can’t—oops!” More giggles and then the call ends abruptly. Captain plays it for them a few times more.

“Wow,” Janie says.

Captain looks from Janie to Cabel. “Anything jump out at you?” Cabel squints. “Fucking teachers, fucking students? Is that a slam on Fieldridge teachers and students, or is it, you know, literal?”

“The music in the background is similar to the first recording,” Janie says.

“Right, Janie. That’s what made me think of the first call when this one came in. And yes, Cabe, we’re taking it literally until, and unless, we’re proven wrong. This call gave us enough information to do something with it. My hunch, from what little we have here, is that Fieldridge High may have a sexual predator hiding in their hallways.”

“Can’t you find out who made the calls and ask them what’s going on?” Janie asks.

“Well, that would be breaking the law, Janie. The whole purpose of Crimebusters Underground is that the calls are anonymous, to protect the person reporting the crime, and they must remain that way. The callers are assigned a code name by which their individual tip is identified. Later, they can use that code name to check on the case and claim their reward if they have managed to give Crimebusters Underground a usable lead.”

“That makes sense,” Janie says sheepishly.

“What have you done so far, Captain?” Cabel asks. “And,” he says more cautiously, “what are you hoping we can do?” His voice, for the first time, sounds edgy. Janie glances sidelong at him with mild surprise. She didn’t expect to see him so uncomfortable about an assignment.

“We’ve done complete background checks on all the teachers.

Everyone comes up squeaky clean. And now we’re stuck. Cabe, Janie, this is why I had you at the all-nighter. I’m looking for any information you can give me about Fieldridge teachers who might be sexual predators in their spare time. Are you up for the challenge? This one could be a bit dangerous. Hannagan, chances are, the predator is male.

If we can determine who we’re after, we may need to use you as bait so we can nail him. Think about it and get back to me on how you feel about it. If you don’t want to do this assignment, you’re off the hook.

No pressure.”

Cabel sits up, even more concerned. “Bait? You’re going to put her out there for the creep to prey on?”

“Only if she wants to.”

“No way,” Cabel says. “Janie, no. It’s too dangerous.” Janie blinks and glares at Cabel. “Mom? Is that you?” She laughs nervously, not enjoying the confrontation. “What do you mean it’s too dangerous?”

Captain interjects. “We’ll have your back at all times, Janie. Besides, we don’t know what’s going on yet. It may be nothing. I’m hoping you can get at least some of the information we need through dreams.” Cabel shakes his head at Janie. “I don’t like this.” Janie raises an eyebrow. “Right. Only you are allowed to do something dangerous. Jeez, Cabe. It’s really not your decision.” Cabel looks at Captain for help.

Captain pointedly ignores him and looks at Janie.

“I don’t need to think about it, sir. Count me in,” Janie says.

“Good.”

Cabel frowns.

Captain spends the next thirty minutes coaching them on the art of obtaining information. It’s a refresher course for Cabel, who’s been a narc for a year now (although Janie knows better than to call him that) and was responsible for the most recent Fieldridge drug bust of Shay Wilder’s father, who had a gold mine of cocaine hidden on his boat. It was Janie who figured out the location of the cake when Mr. Wilder fell asleep in jail. She and Cabel make a good team.