 CHAPTER 9 (section 4) copyright © 2001, S. Y. Affolee Simone arrived at the office just as Danny was turning off her computer and getting her things ready to leave. “Ms. Sung! I thought you and Mr. Dubois were at Ridgefield University doing some research for your current case.” “It fizzled out prematurely,” she replied. “Some complications arose and well, I’m just back to get some equipment to go back to the university.” “So did you make any headway?” “Yeah. You could say. Hard to tell for sure at the moment though.” Danny shook her head. “I got a call from Detective Martinez about an hour ago and thought I would let you know tomorrow, but since you’re here...” “Well, what did the detective want?” “Well, he rambled on first about how the results on his search on some guys that you requested hadn’t come in yet and that you should expect to have it sometime next week by the earliest.” She rolled her eyes. “Figured. Those pencil pushers in the police department are notorious for their procrastination.” “Well, here’s the important part. It didn’t mean much to me, but Detective Martinez said it was important for you guys. Early this morning he said he got called up to case a homicide site up in northern Elanne, Yared Drive I think. Found some old guy dead in his home. The old guy was living with his blind cousin who was all blabbering and crazy and sent immediately to the city sanitorium to be checked out. Probably to be transfered to some old people’s home since he doesn’t have anyone to care for him now.” “So what was this old guy’s name?” Simone asked, already knowing the answer. “Johnson something or other. No. It was Sherman Johnson I think.” “Did Martinez say anything else about the crime? How did Johnson get murdured? Do the police have any leads? Any clues around the scene of the crime?” Danny shook her head. “The detective didn’t have much to say after that. He said if you wanted the specifics, you should go call on him sometime. But he did say that the Johnson fellow got stabbed.” “Hmm. That doesn’t say much. I guess we’ll have to pay the good detective a visit soon. Maybe tomorrow.” “So Ms. Sung you know this guy?” “Actually Adrian and I had an interview with him and his cousin the other day. He didn’t give out much information though.” “So it has something to do with the case?” Danny whistled. “Gosh. Do you think this is going to get dangerous?” “Yeah,” Simone mused. “And it seems as if time is running short.” She arrived on the campus of Ridgefield University just after dusk. Surely, she made her way quickly to the humanities building where Professor Olivia Fitzgerald held her office. Simone had changed to black before arriving to her destination. Campus security was nowhere in sight as she crept to the window that led to the professor’s window and thanked the powers that be that the office was on the first floor. Light poured out from the panes. She laid just beneath the window for a moment, listening to any sounds. Nothing. She peeked above the window ledge and saw the back of the woman’s head. She was leaning against a padded chair, behind a desk and surrounded by books. She was on the phone. “No, I don’t know how he knew.” Fitzgerald sounded irritated. “I’m not sure who told him. What? Someone within? I don’t know. Could be.” For a moment she listened to the voice on the other side and tapped her fingers on the desk. “Ferret out the man inside? You expect me to sleep with all of them? God, are you perverted?” Simone slunk back down, crouching on her knees. It looked like the professor was working late tonight. She heard Fitzgerald sigh. “I sincerely don’t know. How on earth could the board be convinced that the department needs more funding? I don’t know, talk to someone more influential like Biegbeder for instance. He’s the head of the department, not me.” There was another moment’s pause. “Yeah. Already did that. But you know what? I have no time for any of your other dirty work. Get someone else with more brawn than brains.” She slammed the reciever down. “Damn it.” She tried sneaking another peek, but the professor had gotten out of her chair. “Damn it. This jacket lost a button. And I don’t have a replacement.” There was a knock at the door. “Come in.” The door made an audible squeak. “Ready to go?” The voice sounded familiar. Simone sneaked a peek and saw that it was the greasy graduate student she had spoken to earlier, Randy Sykes. “God, I have a terrible headache. I talked to him just a second ago.” “He gives everyone terrible headaches,” Sykes commisserated. “He thinks he’s God. Or close to it.” Fitzgerald laughed. “You’re right, Randy. You know, I was thinking of staying late today, you know, thinking that the private investigator might drop by for some after hours entertainment.” “Well, he didn’t show up.” “No he didn’t. I’m disappointed, but not surprised. He ran like a frightened rabbit when I jumped him.” “Jumped him? Not your usual style, Oliva.” “Well, I don’t know. I just took one look at him and wanted him. Ever had those times Randy?” “Many.” “Yeah. He’s one to get a girl’s libido up and running. But he’s not here.” “Figures,” said Sykes. “I had a talk with his partner who wanted to know something about the Rose. Told her maybe it was in a museum.” Fitzgerald laughed. “Museum? That’s a good one Randy. You just didn’t give away...” “Well.” “You did didn’t you?” There was a momentary silence. “Well no matter. There’s no way they can get it. A slip of the tongue like that again, Randy, could cost you.” “But she was...” “It doesn’t matter what she was. You should have kept your head out of your pants. It’s bad enough that you’re always drooling around those undergraduates.” “Well, how about you? You jumped him.” “That’s another matter entirely.” “It isn’t. You could have given something away and not have known it.” “Could I?” She began sounding worried. “Well. What’s done is done. I’m famished. I know this place a couple blocks over. Serves great Thai food.” Sykes groaned. “More spicy food? It gives me indigestion.” “There’s a donut shop next door,” she pointed out. “You can go gorge yourself on greasy baked goods instead. Come on or we’ll be late.” When Simone finally heard the door close, she looked back up through the window and found the light off. Carefully, she opened the window without a sound and climbed in and turned on a pencil flashlight. Quickly, she rummaged in Fitzgerald’s desk drawers and found only innocuous looking academic papers. The top of her desk turned up similarly looking items. She soon turned her attention to the bookshelf lining one wall of the office and scanned the titles, all rather dry looking tombs that might have needed more airing than reading. The binding of one book caught her eye. It looked older than the others beside it, the cover peeling a little. She took it out and saw no title. But as she flipped to the title page, she saw the letters spelling out, “A History on the Black Vipers.” Taking out a camera and positioning the flashlight at an appropriate angle, she took pictures of all the pages that had illustrations. After placing the book back on the shelf, she scanned the books again, finding nothing that struck her. But at the end, acting as a bookend was a hefty volume of ‘War and Peace’. Intrigued since it seemed out of place that a history professor should have a piece of literature, she grabbed the copy with one hand and held the other books in place with another hand. Opening it, she found that the book was hollow and inside was a small pamphlet printed in a foreign language and an envelope bearing a broken seal. The title was “L'operazione del Sorto” and a small illustration of a rose was printed beneath it. Putting the false book back in place, she photographed the pages of the pamphlet that numbered a total of ten pages, the envelope, and the letter inside which was in English. The doorknob to the office suddenly rattled. Simone shoved the items back into ‘War and Peace’ and leaped out the window, landing on the concrete outside, scraping her hands. She crouched as the light turned on and she heard voices. It was the professor and her graduate student acolyte. Why were they doing back so early? “Damn. I forgot my coat. You know, I have to get another button to replace this. The tailor won’t be too happy to make it again,” said Fitzgerald. “Why worry about it? He shouldn’t complain since he gets paid double for it all.” “That’s true.” After a few more comments, the duo departed for the second time. Simone let out a breath, glad that she wasn’t caught. If she had been, Adrian would have gloated over her and her incompetence. She gritted her teeth at the thought. Well, at least she had something to show for the risk. |