Death of the Ayn Rand Scholar by Gray Cavender (red scrolls of magic TXT) 📗

“No, I don’t think so. What do you teach…I assume, given your book cover and the poster on the wall over there, that you teach poetry?

“Well done. I guess being observant is a part of the job of a detective. And yes, I teach poetry. Know who this is?” he asked, pointing back over his shoulder without turning to the photo behind him.

“No, sorry. A famous poet, maybe?”

“Yes, Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Ever heard of him?”

“Oh, sure, I’ve even been to City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco. I just didn’t remember what he looked like.”

“Again, you are full of surprises, Detective Warne,” oops, he raised his index finger, Detective Sergeant Warne.”

“If that’s a compliment, thank you,” she said and smiled. “But let me change gears and ask what you can tell me about Professor Siemens’ personal life.”

Gilroy looked away for a few seconds, then returned to eye contact. “Well, Nelda’s not married, to my knowledge. But I don’t know if she’s single, a divorcee, or what. I’m afraid ‘not married’ is the extent of my knowledge. Nelda and I ain’t buddies, Detective Sergeant Warne. She’s always been …stand-offish toward me. No doubt somebody told her my objection to having her position foisted-off on us when we have other, more pressing needs, as well as my views about Ayn Rand’s literary standing. So, there you go,” he said, holding both hands palm up.

She finished her notes, then said, “Got it,” and smiled. She closed her IPAD, then said, “OK. For now, I think that’s it, Professor Gilroy. I’ll leave my card with you, and please call if you think of anything that you think I should know. Detective Sergeant Webb will leave his card as well at the front desk. If this turns out to be a murder investigation, Tempe PD will be in the lead.

Nice to meet you, Detective Sergeant Warne. And I do want to add one thing…maybe I was against the Center for Rand Studies Center and against hiring Nelda, but…I would never wish her any harm. Please understand that.”

“I understand, Professor Gilroy. And thank you for your time and also for explaining the situation about the Center. And the opposition to it.”

As Jillian walked away from his office, she thought, “Not a bad sort, really…just a guy…who’s a little full of himself.”

CHAPTER 2

Jillian left Professor Gilroy and returned to Professor Siemens’ office. She wanted to see how Forensics was coming along and also to find Wes. She’d brief him on the interview with Gilroy.

The office was taped-off, of course, so she twisted and limbeod her way in. The EMS guys were gone, but the Forensics Team was hard at it. Becca Jamison looked-up, waved, and asked, “How’s it going Sarge?”

Jillian shook a finger at her, laughed, and then watched all of the activity, from dusting for prints to measurements, to photography…all surrounding Professor Siemens’ body. She watched silently.

In police movies some hardened, world-weary cop talks to the corpse, either with some witty repartee or maybe to invoke its help by asking “who did this to you?” Jillian had been at this for a while, but she was still enough of a newbie that for her, it was nothing like the movies: seeing a body was jarring. Even more so when she put a name to the victim: Nelda Siemens, English Professor.

Angelica (aka Angel) Pera, the head of Forensics, was shooting photos with a digital camera first from one angle and then another. From her perspective near the door, Jillian could only see the legs…Professor Siemens’ legs…but watching Angel shooting these photographs made her want to get to the bottom of this, for justice generally, but also for the Professor personally. Maybe it was the head wounds that made her feel this way. Someone hit her while she was down! Who’d do that? She would find out!

“Any questions, Jillian?” Becca asked, bringing her back to the here and now.

“Just, do you know where Wes went?

“He had an interview he wanted to do, with the head of English, I think. He said he’ll meet you here when he finishes.”

“When Wes and I were here earlier, we noticed that she had a trauma to the temple, but also maybe several rear head wounds, too,” Jillian said, and pointed in the general direction of the professor’s legs. “Couldn’t tell much about the rear wounds, though.”

“Trauma to the left temple, and yes, you’re right, two more to the rear of the head. Actually, those were more to the upper head, so…”

“That’s what Wes and I thought, too, although we couldn’t see much... It’s like she was down, maybe on her knees, when they kept hitting her.”

Becca nodded. Both women were quiet for several beats. Then Becca said, “An English Professor for Christ-sakes. As least in Chemistry, there would’ve been a big grant or maybe some kind of intellectual property payoff as a motivation. But English, give me a break.”

Jillian nodded, remembering that Becca had been a Chem major, which is how she got to be a CSI. It also explained Becca’s view of the hard sciences vs. the Humanities. But, Jillian thought, “There are motivations and there are motivations,” and wondered if what Gilroy had said about all the anger at the Professor’s hiring could be a motive. “Thanks, Becca, gotta go find Wes.”

“Hey Jillian, are you happy you left…is it working for you?”

“Well, I miss everyone, but yes.”

“Good enough,” Becca said, and she was immediately back at it, absorbed in what she was doing.

Jillian gave Professor Siemens’ office another look, then stepped deeper in, and took several photos with her IPAD. She always like having her own photos of the crime scene. Angel looked up, saw Jillian taking the photos, smiled, and snapped her picture. Jillian gave her a little wave.

Seeing the posters in Professor Gilroy’s office had reminded her of the ones behind Professor Siemens’ desk. She studied them. She didn’t recognize the woman, but thought that the other photo, the one of a guy…maybe was George Orwell. She thought