ives ▁on ▁the ▁case , ▁who ▁found ▁Wend y ▁on ▁the ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁road ▁after ▁being ▁ra ped ▁and ▁badly ▁be aten , ▁which ▁left ▁her ▁in ▁a ▁com a . ▁She ▁is ▁brought ▁to ▁the ▁local ▁hospital ' s ▁IC U ▁while ▁the ▁police ▁try ▁to ▁determine ▁if ▁the ▁crime ▁was ▁committed ▁by ▁a ▁school ▁fac ulty ▁member ▁or ▁a ▁stranger . ▁A ▁te ar ful ▁J ill ▁says ▁she ▁feels ▁like ▁what ▁happened ▁was ▁her ▁fault , ▁but ▁Bill ▁ass ures ▁her ▁that ▁is ▁not ▁the ▁case . ▁ ▁Two ▁days ▁later , ▁a ▁suspect ▁is ▁arrested : ▁Frank ▁W arden , ▁the ▁jan itor ▁at ▁Wend y ' s ▁school . ▁As ▁it ▁turns ▁out , ▁Frank ▁had ▁two ▁mol est ation ▁charges ▁in ▁California , ▁but ▁they ▁did ▁not ▁show ▁up ▁on ▁his ▁background ▁check . ▁While ▁detect ives ▁ass ure ▁Bill ▁that ▁they ▁have ▁a ▁sl am - d unk ▁case , ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁dis cre pan cies ▁soon ▁come ▁to ▁the ▁surface ▁in ▁court , ▁cul min ating ▁in ▁a ▁solid ▁al ib i ▁from ▁Frank ' s ▁mother , ▁B ess , ▁who ▁test ifies ▁that ▁her ▁son ▁was ▁d ining ▁with ▁her ▁in ▁a ▁restaurant ▁when ▁the ▁crime ▁occurred , ▁and ▁the ▁case ▁is ▁dismiss ed ▁as ▁a ▁result . ▁See ing ▁Frank ▁sm iling ▁and ▁la ughing ▁about ▁the ▁decision , ▁a ▁gr ief - str icken ▁Carol ▁suddenly ▁sn aps , ▁pull s ▁out ▁a ▁gun , ▁and ▁sho ots ▁Frank