"Yes." He nodded, looking miserable. "I was there."
May’s eyes widened. She hadn’t known for sure that any of the school staff were there at all. This was a big surprise to her.
"Were you there in any official role? Were you there in your teacher's capacity?"
He shook his head again. "There were a few of us who just - who just came along after the prom. To hang out with the students, to have a drink. I mean, it was legitimate. We just wanted to join in the fun." He stared at her anxiously.
“Who else did you see?” May didn’t trust his explanation at all.
“Uh, one or two others. I think Miss Jones was there. She teaches art. I noticed one or two others.”
May concluded that very few teachers had been at the party, and that Coach Adamson, for some reason, had not been in a state to recognize or remember who else had shown up. Perhaps he’d been avoiding them. Or perhaps his focus had been elsewhere.
"So you were there, and you saw the girls, and you spoke to them?"
“Yes, that’s all it was. Friendly. Caring.”
"How did you get there?"
"I drove." That was all he said, and then looked away from her.
"Did you arrive before Sadie and Alyssa?"
"I – I don't know." He looked miserable, and wouldn't meet her eyes. "Maybe. I wasn't really paying attention. I just wanted to keep an eye on the kids. Make sure they were okay. Make sure no one got hurt or anything."
"So you were at the party just to socialize and look out for everyone?" That sure had gone wrong, May thought.
"Yeah. I was there." He made a vague gesture. "And I hung out with a few people, one on one. We talked about their careers, about life and stuff. That's it. Just friendly conversations."
"What time did you arrive?"
"The prom ended at about eleven. I think I probably got here about half past."
"What time did you leave?"
He paused, then said, "Sometime around three, maybe. I don't remember specifically."
"Did you see Sadie and Alyssa at any point during the evening?"
"Yeah. Sure, I think I even said hi. I mean, I honestly didn't see a problem. I can't understand how this happened. Everyone was getting along. People were dancing, socializing."
"Did anyone notice you speaking to Sadie or Alyssa?"
"I - I guess so. I don't remember."
"Did you tell anyone you were leaving?"
"I said goodbye to a couple of people. Everyone was pretty drunk by then."
"Did you drive straight home? Which route did you take?"
"I don't - I don't have a memory of that."
May's eyes widened. No memory of getting home? How drunk had he been? Or was he going to use this as an excuse, to say he'd had memory loss and couldn't take responsibility for the crimes?
"Oh?" She looked at him. "You don't remember anything about the drive home?"
"No. I'd had more alcohol than I meant to, and I was pretty tired. I remember thinking I should drive slowly, because I was feeling drunk, so as not to cause a crash. But that's about it."