Touch-Me-Not by Cynthia Riggs

call the school, and darted out the side door. She started up the Volkswagen and flew over the speed bumps toward Old County Road and the school.
    What on earth had the boys done that would cause the school to demand to see her and LeRoy? And right away.
    She parked, walked quickly to the office, and followed the secretary to the principal’s office. Mrs. Parkinson, the principal, stood up as Sarah entered.
    “My boys?” Sarah blurted out. “Where are my boys?”
    Casey and Howland went back into the station house after LeRoy left with Howland’s new computer.
    “You wouldn’t find an off-Island electrician making sure stuff was done right like that,” said Casey.
    Victoria looked thoughtful.
    “Is something bothering you, Victoria?” Casey asked.
    “LeRoy’s usually so tidy. This morning, he was disheveled and hadn’t even shaved.”
    “I bet he’s been busy since he let Sparks go.” Casey moved papers off her desk. “Let’s check out the videos.”
    Howland took the lanyard with the dangling metal piece from around his neck. “I downloaded the videos onto this and, without thinking, deleted them from Sparks’s computer.” He rubbed his nose. “Stupid of me. I know better.”
    “Oh?” said Victoria. “You have the copy, don’t you?”
    “If we ever apprehend the guy who made the videos, I’ve destroyed evidence that might be important. My copies will never hold up in court.” He turned away from the desk and paced the few steps to the window, and looked out at the pond. “I was too eager to delete the damned things.”
    Casey moved away from her desk to give Howland room.
    Howland sat in her chair and inserted the thumb drive into her computer, tapped keys, and the videos, complete with sound, popped up onto the screen.
    The first was of a young woman taking a shower. She faced the camera, which was somewhere above her. Clearly unaware of being watched, she soaped herself and held her head up to the spray, eyes closed, hands cupping her breasts. She was singing.
    The screen went blank for a second. Then there was a second scene of a different young woman. And then another scene and yet another.
    “Enough!” said Casey. “I’ve seen enough. He’s got to be stopped.” She picked up the phone. “Sparks lives in Oak Bluffs. Since it’s out of my jurisdiction, I’ll have to call the OB police.”
    “Why does LeRoy need to check Jerry Sparks’s personal computer?” asked Victoria. “You wouldn’t think Jerry would have business files on it.”
    “He didn’t,” said Howland. “All personal stuff, including those videos. At least one good thing came of my deleting the files—Watts won’t have to view them.”
    When LeRoy got back to his office with the computer, Maureen was on the phone. She glanced up as he pushed the back door open with his hip, holding the operating unit against his stomach. The computer still had the flower stickers that Maureen had attached in an attempt to make the machine look less formidable.
    She finished her call and disconnected. “Isn’t that my old computer? I thought you gave it to Jerry Sparks.”
    LeRoy grunted and set the operating unit on the floor.
    Maureen studied him. “You look just awful, Mr. Watts. You haven’t even shaved. Go home and make yourself some hot lemonade with honey and get to bed.”
    “I’ve got to check something out.”
    “You worked much too hard last week, Mr. Watts. It’s going to catch up with you one of these days.” She straightened papers on her desk. “By the way, the school called while you were out. They want you to call back.”
    “Thanks. I’ll take care of that later.”
    “It sounded important, Mr. Watts.”
    “Right,” said LeRoy.
    He unplugged wires from his computer and attached them to the unit he’d borrowed from Howland, and booted it up.
    “Can I help you with something, Mr. Watts?”
    “No, that’s okay,” said LeRoy. “Why don’t you take off for lunch now. I’ll be around the office