บท 101: Chapter 101: Something Moves, Part 101

NARRATIVE of WARD COURIER/CONFERENCE with TED BENNETT and EVAN DAVIS

March, 2010

SOUTH WALES and BUFFALO, NY

On Wednesday, March 17, I checked my mailbox in the faculty room and found one of the familiar pink-slip memos from the office. Since so many of these are internal memos that hold dreary news - extra duty, more paperwork, a meeting that could turn into a scolding - the pink slips had become jokes with the faculty. This one was from the Headmaster's secretary. The FBI man Ted Bennett had called the school and asked for me to be cleared for a meeting on the following day.

I had developed suspicions about every part of my interaction with Bennett. I never knew what he would be asking me next or what he might be driving at. I had given up underestimating the extent of his outreach. I suspected that he could have an influence over everyone, even people I considered close.