**Delta Pi sorority, 6:10 PM**

Sandra watched as the coroners loaded the body onto the truck, some time after everyone had dispersed. She had examined the body as much as she could in this particular setting, and had found little on it except for what appeared to be a tattoo. She promised herself to take a look at it later when she reexamined the body herself.

The truck pulled away, and Sandra headed back into the sorority. Most of the crowd had dispersed, although there were a couple hanger-ons still lingering in the outskirts. Many seemed to be a part of this sorority, and moved in and out of the building.

Sandra entered the building, noting how empty it seemed; most likely caused by the activity and the fact that a dead body of a fellow member was, or had been, outside. A couple people were wandering around, and Sandra spotted Kate among them. She waved at the agent to get her attention, and Kate smiled and headed over to her.

"What have you found so far?" Sandra asked after they'd exchanged greetings.

"Well, so far very little. I met a small group from this sorority..." Quickly, she filled Sandra in on what she'd found, and Sandra nodded when she finished. "Has anyone had the chance to talk with this professor?" she asked Kate.

Kate shook her head. "No, he's gone for the day. We've called his house but so far there's been no answer." She paused, then stated a little quieter, "We've been thinking that perhaps this professor is the link between these girls."

Sandra nodded in agreement. "That's what I was thinking. I'm wondering if we might learn a bit from this professor. We can question him tomorrow morning at the earliest."

Kate shook her head. "The girls I spoke with said that he has classes almost all day. I doubt he'd be available until the afternoon."

Sandra thought for a minute, then asked, "Could you maybe find out what his schedule is? Perhaps we can set something up, an appointment perhaps."

"I'll see what I can do," Kate promised, and the two seperated. Sandra wandered down the hall, looking around. It was the normal abode for a sorority or fraternity; a lounge nearby the door, an office in one of the rooms, and an upstairs that most likely housed the sorority at large. She could see numerous signs written in what appeared to be greek symbols, and move to take a closer look at them when she notice something glimmering out of the corner of her eye. Turning slightly and crouching down, she reached down and picked up a gold ring lying half-hidden by the carpet next to a large, heavy looking door.

She examined the ring, noting it was much like a class ring except with the symbols of the sorority where a school name would be. Surrounding the stone were curious symbols, one of which was in the center of the stone, which was a dark stone of some kind. Sandra peered closer, trying to make out the symbols when a voice stated behind her, "Thank you for finding my ring."

Sandra looked behind her and spotted a young woman standing there that practically radiated authority. "I found it there beside the wall; I didn't know whose it was."

"Now you know. So, if you'd please give it back..." The girl held out her hand, clearly expecting her demand to be answered quickly.

Sandra didn't have a good feeling about this girl. There was something about her, something she couldn't put her finger on, that made her not trust the girl. "How do I know it's yours?" she stated boldly.

The girl's face grew red with what was obvious anger but she answered calmly, if coldly, "It's mine because I told you. I lost it yesterday and I've been trying to find it since then."

Sandra, try as she might, couldn't find anything faulty in that logic; there was no proof the ring wasn't the girl's. Yet, there wasn't any proof it was either. Clearly reluctant, she reached out and was about to give the girl the ring when she noticed something on the underside of the ring. Quickly taking it back before the girl could reach out and grab it, she read the underside of the ring: Ann Sheperds. "What," she asked the girl, her own voice now steely, "is your name?"

The girl's face visibly paled, but she answered back, "Megan Miller."

"Then why is the name of the dead girl on the ring?"

The girl paused, then stated, "It's something our sorority worked out. We all have a friend that helps us out initially, and so we know who they are, and can remember them, we inscribe their names on the underside of our rings. You're holding mine now; the girl who died was that friend."

Sandra didn't believe the girl for a minute; she hadn't heard of the practice in any other sororities. That in itself wasn't enough to say she was lying, but she just had an instinctive feeling the girl wasn't telling the truth. Perhaps it had been the pause, or something else; whatever it was, she wasn't going to give the ring back. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to take this in as evidence."

This time, fury washed the girl's face, the first real emotion she'd shown. "It's mine! I lost it yesterday!"

Calmly, Sandra just answered back, "I'm sorry, but that's policy."

All emotion left the girl's face. "Okay then, if you want to play that way, I'll just get it later." And with that, she whirled around and marched up the steps, her banging footsteps pronouncing her anger better than her face had.

Sandra relaxed, realizing she'd been tense throughout her whole meeting with Megan. She turned back and headed out of the dorm. Another girl, obviously from the sorority, walked past her and on impulse Sandra asked to see her ring. Flustered, but obliging, the girl removed the ring. "What's your name?" she asked the girl.

"Kelly Carlson."

Sandra turned the ring in her fingers until she could see the underside; sure enough, the name *Kelly Carlson* was etched on the underside. "Interesting," Sandra murmured, handing the ring back. "Do you have a special "friend"?"

"Friend?" Kelly replied, clearly puzzled.

"You know, from when the sorority began." Seeing the confusion on the girl's face, Sandra added, "Another girl, Megan Miller, said that when people started the sorority they were each given a friend."

Sandra saw immediately that she'd made a mistake in telling the girl about Megan; her face paled and she stammered out that what Megan had said was right, and no she just hadn't inscribed the name of her "friend" onto the ring. Clearly flustered now, and looking to be on the verge of tears, Sandra let the girl go, sighing as she watched Kelly flee into the sorority. She knew she'd been right to keep the ring; something was indeed going on at this sorority.

One thing that kept going through her mind, however, was the place where she'd found it. What was behind that large door?

---

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