Page 81 of Before She Disappeared

CHAPTER 21

Mr. Riddenscail is Livia’s AutoCAD teacher at Boston Polytech. A tall white guy, he has a lanky build and an absent-minded expression. He’s dressed casually in worn jeans, a thin T-shirt topped by work flannel, and battered boots. A spoon and a fork protrude from the top of his right boot, but he doesn’t appear to notice. He moves across the room, dodging workstations with quick efficiency born of practice, as he leads us to the front. He doesn’t seem all that concerned to have a police detective and associate appear in his classroom during lunch hour. A very been-there-done-that sort of dude.

“Yes, I know Livia Samdi.” He nods as he reaches his desk, pulls open a drawer, and takes out a metal lunchbox that looks straight out of the 1950s.

“Did she make a plastic pumpkin in the course of your class?” Lotham asks him, his gold badge clearly on display.

“Sure. That’s a traditional fall assignment.”

“How would you describe her?”

“Good student. Solid. But I have a feeling that’s not why you are asking these questions.”

“When did you last see her?”

“January. I reported her absence to the administration, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“No judgment here,” Lotham says, which is great because I’m full of judgment. How did you not worry about her? How did you not reach out in any way possible to this teenager who clearly needed you? Having seen firsthand the conditions of Livia’s house, the dealings of her family...

“Describe her as a student.” Lotham again.

Riddenscail pauses in the act of unwrapping his sandwich, obediently considering the matter. “Umm, she had natural aptitude for picturing things in an X-Y-Z plane. Can’t say the same for too many of my kids.”

“But was she a good student?”

“Excellent. But also quiet. She wasn’t one to speak up, or help out her fellow classmates. I’d describe her as a sleeper student.”

I raise my hand, unable to help myself: classroom, conditioned response. “What does that mean?”

Mr. Riddenscail turns toward me. “She had a natural aptitude but she existed in her own self-contained bubble. She knew what she knew, did what she did, then moved on.”

Detective Lotham: “How adept was she?”

“Oh, I would describe her as one of my best students.” Mr. Riddenscail hesitates. “Look, I work with a lot of at-risk kids. For many of them, discovering the right trade represents their ticket out. Meaning once they find the right fit, they go all in. Bond with me, work with their classmates, log extra hours. These kids... You wouldn’t believe the talent. Give them the opportunity and man oh man! Livia Samdi, on the other hand... I tried to engage her on multiple occasions, give her special assignments to build her confidence. But in the end, she wasn’t taking the bait. And yeah, I was concerned by that.”

Detective Lotham: “She ever talk about her family?”

Mr. Riddenscail shakes his head.

Me: “What about friends?”

“Couldn’t give you a single name. She was a loner. At least in my class.”

“Did she stay after school?” Lotham again. “Spend extra time in your class?”

“I’d pushed her to enter a SkillsUSA technical drafting competition in the spring, which required preparation. So yes, she often logged time here after school. I’d say several days a week. At least, you know, till she went missing.”

My turn: “Did you ever see anyone waiting for her? Or maybe she brought a friend with her to your classroom while she worked?”

Mr. Riddenscail gives us both a look. “Never.”

“Tell us about this competition,” Lotham orders.

“Livia’s specialty was designing plastic molds for the manufacturing of thermoplastic materials. Basically, using 3D printing to help create replacement parts. Think of it this way. In various manufacturing processes, say your average laptop computer, dozens of the component parts are plastic. The ability to design the right part, or create a mold for the ongoing manufacturing of such parts, is highly valuable. Livia had a mind for such things. She could naturally picture what made something work. Better yet, she could see how each piece worked within the whole. From there, it was easy enough for her to design the necessary part, or on a great day, design a whole new setup that dramatically improved the operational whole. Like I said. She’s crazy talented.”

“Can you show us an example of her projects?” Lotham asks.

I nod vigorously, because so far, I can’t picture any of this. Then again, science was never my strong suit.

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