Tunnel Vision Part 8

aI honestly cannot think of anything, Lieutenant Brodie. But I havenat spent much time thinking about it either.a aPlease call us if you think of something later or if you need our help,a Maggie said. aYou have my card.a aYes, Iall try to think over everything we did last week. Iall call if I remember anything.a Brodie followed Maggie out of Helen Brauneras office and into the hallway.

aI wish there was more we could do,a Maggie said.aThe only thing we can do now is try to find whoever killed him,a Brodie responded. aNothing else will help put this behind her.a They werenat in a hurry as they went down the stairs to the first floor.

aBy the way, you handled that fine, Weston,a Brodie said.

aI hope I never have to do it again.a aThen you better find other work. But itas not as bad here as in Austin. Murder is a pretty rare occurrence in Cedar Springs.a As they left the building. Nicholls was parked at the curb in a No Parking zone waiting for them.

aCanat you read signs, boy?a Brodie asked as she and Maggie reached the car.

aWhoas gonna give me a ticket? The campus cops?a aDid you get the schedules and addresses?a she asked as she slid into the car.

aYep. All computerized, just like I thought. Took about fifteen minutes.a aLetas see it,a she said.

He handed her a small stack of computer printout sheets and started the car.

aWhere to?a he asked.

aLetas go over this list to see where everyone is this morning. Then we can divide it up.a He pulled away from the curb just as a campus security car was slowing down next to him. The campus security officer squinted hard at Nicholls as he smiled and waved at the officer.

aDid you see that moron? Trying to stare me down. Jesus, what an idiot. How did the widow take the news?a aAbout as well as could be expected,a Brodie said.

aAnd either she doesnat know anything useful or she does and isnat telling.a Nicholls parked their car in the parking area reserved for professors in the Science Quadrangle.

aWeall meet back here in about an hour unless one of us happens to trip over something promising. Remember we only have this week before everyone rabbits out of here for spring break. Work as fast as you can, but be thorough,a Brodie instructed.

aSome of the kiddies may be leaving mid-week,a Nicholls said. aItas pretty common for students to ditch cla.s.ses the last two or three days before break begins.a aWell, maybe graduate students are a more dedicated bunch,a she said as she looked around the parking area.

Nicholls and Maggie had lists with five names each on them. Except for Brauneras cla.s.s, most of his graduate students didnat have many cla.s.ses in common. Brodie decided to interview Tony Obregon first. The graduate a.s.sistantas background still bothered her even if Helen Brauner thought he was a born-again intellectual.

When she approached Brauneras office, the door was half open and the lights inside were on. She pushed the door open farther and saw a Hispanic male in his late twenties sitting at a desk in the front office looking over a stack of papers. Obregon looked up as the door opened. He was wearing cheap, black frame gla.s.ses and apparently hadnat bothered to shave in a day or two.

aCan I help you?a Obregon asked, looking over the top of his gla.s.ses.

aAre you Antonio Obregon?a aWho wants to know?a aDetective Lieutenant Brodie,a she said flatly as she pulled her badge out.

aIf youare here about Brauner I already told some chick from the police that I didnat know nothina. Havenat seen the old man since last Wednesday or Thursday.a aWhich was it? Wednesday or Thursday?a she asked as she entered the room and looked around.

aBrauner taught a cla.s.s on Wednesday. I saw him then. I was in Thursday afternoon, but he wasnat here.a aSo Wednesday was the last time you saw him?a aDidnat I just say that?a aTiming is very important in this case, so Iad appreciate it if you can be specific where times are concerned. Considering the experience youave had with the police in the past, Iam sure you can understand that, Tony.a Obregon pushed his chair back and got up to face her.aYou want somethina specific from me, ask. Otherwise, get the f.u.c.k outta here. I got papers to grade and a lecture to prepare.a aYou teaching Brauneras cla.s.ses now?a aUntil you geniuses at the police department find him, yeah.a aWe already found him, Tony. And he wonat be back. Heas dead.a For an instance she saw a flash of disbelief cross his face, but it disappeared as quickly as it appeared. In the years he had spent in and around gangs, head probably seen his share of people who died before they should have through no fault of their own.

aWhen?a he asked.

aI canat say much about the case right now, but weare questioning everyone a.s.sociated with Brauner.a aThere isnat nothina I know that can help you, okay. I saw Brauner after his last cla.s.s on Wednesday. I was back up here Thursday in the lab, but I didnat see him.a aWhat were you doing in the lab?a aBrauner had been bustina my chops about my research project. Thought I wasnat spendina enough time watchina germs grow.a aWas that what you argued with him about on Wednesday?a Obregon laughed humorlessly. aThat other lady cop tell you that?a aDid you argue with Brauner about the project?a she asked again, ignoring his question.

aYeah, we discussed it.a aThe way I hear it, it was a little more than a discussion.a aOkay, I got steamed at him and we had a few words. The old b.a.s.t.a.r.d thought he was Jesus Christ on a stick and everyone around him was expected to be a dedicated disciple. Unfortunately, I ainat perfect. Iam smart, but he thought I wasnat being dedicated enough, so I told him to get off my back about it. We might have gotten a little loud, but it wasnat no big deal, okay.a aGuess he must have been hard to work for.a aBut I only got this year to go and then Iall be away from him.a aLooks like you got your wish a little sooner than you expected.a aYeah, but I didnat have nothina to do with his death. I hated his guts, okay, but I didnat kill him.a aI didnat say he was killed, Tony. I just said he was dead. Why do you think he was killed?a aYou ainat here checking out no traffic accident.a aYouad be surprised. Know anyone whoad want to see him dead?a aEveryone who ever took his cla.s.s. Check all them out and youall be workina this case until you retire.a aEver hear anyone threaten him?a aNot to his face, but there was plenty of mumblina goina on behind his back.a aJust sour grapes or the real deal?a aWho the f.u.c.k knows?a aWhere were you Thursday evening, Tony?a aHere until about six and after that I was f.u.c.kina my old lady.a aAnd I suppose sheall back you up on that.a aWhat do you think?a he asked with a grin.

aGuess that depends on whether youare any good or not,a she smiled back. aWhatas her name?a aRosa Delgado. She lives on McKinney in South Austin.a aYou know her from your gang days?a aShe ainat connected with a gang. Works here at the university. In payroll.a aShe know about your past?a aYeah, I told her.a aYou grade all of Dr. Brauneras papers?a aMost of them.a aEver have anyone try to bribe you to change a grade?a aAll the f.u.c.kina time.a aEver do it behind Brauneras back?a aNope. Most of these little p.r.i.c.ks ainat got enough money to make me change a grade. Buncha snotty, spoiled b.a.s.t.a.r.ds who never worked for nothina in their lives.a aI gather you donat care much for them.a aMust be why they made you a detective, huh?

Those highly developed powers of deduction.a Brodie chuckled. aIs that Brauneras last exam?a she asked as she looked at the papers in front of Obregon.

aYeah. Just gave it. Pathetic.a aIs it the one Brauner had made up?a aNo,a he said with a grin. aI wrote this one. Brauneras wife asked me to.a aHowad they do?a as.h.i.+tty so far. Thereas one or two who always do okay. The rest donat know s.h.i.+t.a aSounds like youare as hard as Dr. Brauner.a aI know what he expects them to know, thatas all.a aDid anyone seem upset about the exam?

Complain that it wasnat what they expected. Anything like that.a aI didnat hear anything, but I pretty much ignore it when they b.i.t.c.h about the exams.a aAnything else you can think of I might need to know?a she said, closing her notepad.

aNo,a he answered. aThat it?a aFor now, but I a.s.sume youall be around if I need to talk to you again.a aIam going out of town for a few days during spring break, but Iall be around. Have to keep an eye on my bacteria,a Obregon smirked.

She turned to leave as he sat back down at his desk. aBy the way, Lieutenant, you might want to talk to Dr. Roth.a aWhyas that?a aI donat know exactly. But him and Brauner had some serious discussions the last couple of weeks.a aThey argue?a aNot that I heard, but the old man always closed the door when Roth showed up and I thought Roth looked a little shook up the last time he was here. Came out of the office all kinda sweaty and nervous. Brauner never said anything to me, but Roth looked like a kid that just got caught whackina off by his mama.a She left Obregon grading papers and walked down the hall until she found Rothas office. She didnat knock on the door, but turned the doork.n.o.b and walked in. Daryll Chambers looked up from his computer keyboard and frowned. The woman from the bar. This couldnat get any better.

aNeed something?a he asked.

aIam looking for Dr. Roth. He in?a aNot unless you have an appointment. Dr. Roth doesnat do walk-ins.a She pulled her badge out again and showed it to the young man. aMaybe heall make an exception this time.a He got up from his desk. aIall check, officer.a He knocked lightly on the door to Rothas inner sanctum and then entered. A minute later he came out and held the door open for her. As she entered the office, she turned to Chambers. aYouare one of Dr. Brauneras students, arenat you?a aWell, yes, I am. Why?a aIall need to talk to you when Iam finished here. Donat disappear.a She closed the door to Rothas office behind her and turned to face the professor.

aDr. Roth, Lieutenant Brodie, Cedar Springs Police Department. Iad like to ask you a few questions.a Roth was standing behind his desk and motioned a thin white arm toward a chair facing his desk. She sat down and pulled her notebook from her jacket pocket.

aWhat can I do for you, Lieutenant Brodie?a he asked with a smile as he sat down.

aIam investigating the death of Dr. Elliott Brauner. I understand the two of you were friends as well as colleagues.a aMy, G.o.d! Elliottas dead?a he asked. He looked stunned as he tried to digest the news. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes for a moment.

aWhen?a aIam afraid I canat give any details right now, Professor. Would you mind answering a few questions?a aOf course not. Poor Helen. How did she take the news?a aAs well as can be expected. When was the last time you saw Dr. Brauner?a Roth rubbed his forehead before answering. aMust have been Wednesday afternoon sometime, but I donat remember the exact time. After my last cla.s.s so probably around four-thirty.a aDid you discuss anything in particular or was it just a visit?a aHe sent me a note saying he needed to talk to me and asked me to meet him in his office after my cla.s.s.a aWhat did he want to talk about, Dr. Roth?a aIt was sort of a personal matter.a aHis or yours?a aActually, itas a little embarra.s.sing.a aConsidering the circ.u.mstances, Iam afraid youall have to be more specific.a Roth took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. aAre you familiar with publish or perish, Lieutenant?a aVaguely.a aWell, it means that every faculty member is expected to produce something, an article, a book, a research project, in their field every couple of years. Without publis.h.i.+ng, even a tenured professor can lose their job. I hadnat published anything for a while and am facing a deadline to get something written.a When she didnat say anything, he continued. aItas a stupid policy and if you look at some of the c.r.a.p that gets published, youad have to laugh. Pure s.h.i.+t. Just anything to get in print and preserve their tenure. And n.o.body reads it. Not even others in the same field. They know itas s.h.i.+t just to cover your a.s.s.a aAnd were you getting ready to publish?a aYeah, I was working on something. Somehow Elliott read a copy of it and thatas what he wanted to talk to me about.a aDid he have a problem with it?a Roth coughed nervously. aLook, Lieutenant, Iam a good teacher, but I donat have time for some bulls.h.i.+t writing that no one but the higher-ups care about. I told Brauner that.a aHow about if you just cut to the chase and tell me what the problem was Dr. Roth?a aSome of the material wasnat mine. I sort of plagiarized from some old tract I found buried in the library archives. Brauner was probably the only person on the planet who had read the original except the moron who wrote it. He called me on it in his office.a aWas he planning to report it?a aHe said he wasnat, but he wanted me to take out the parts Iad lifted.a aAnd did you agree to do that?a aWell, I didnat have much of a choice, now did I?a aWhat would happen if Brauner had reported the plagiarism?a aAdios amigo,a Roth said with a shrug.

aWould it be fair to say your academic career would be over?a aThat sums it up pretty well,a he said as he looked at her. aSounds rather like a motive, doesnat it?a aSure does, sir.a aLieutenant Brodie,a Roth said leaning forward on his desk. aIave done a lot of things in my life Iam not particularly proud of, mostly in my youth. But I have never harmed another person. An original card carrying member of the peace and love generation. Even if Elliott had waited until my piece was published and then exposed me as a plagiarist, I would have understood. Elliott Brauner isawas a pure scientist, a dedicated researcher and I admired him for those qualities. He wasnat an outgoing man, but the fact that he offered me the chance to rectify my plagiarism showed he wasnat the heartless ogre most people believed him to be. It was as close to a demonstration of friends.h.i.+p as he ever got.a aDid you eliminate the plagiarized parts of your paper?a aNo,a Roth said as he brushed a string of hair out of his face. aIave abandoned that article and started a new one. This one is also s.h.i.+t, but itas all my own s.h.i.+t.a She smiled slightly, remembering how she had skirted the edges of plagiarism herself as a college student. She always figured the professors knew, but hadnat gotten too worked up over beginner undergraduate papers. In a way she sympathized with Rothas situation. She wondered who would check his paper for plagiarism now that Brauner was dead. She closed her notebook and stood as she stuffed it back in her jacket pocket.

aI trust youall be around if I have any further questions, Dr. Roth.a aOf course, Lieutenant. If Iam not here in my office, Iam in the book.a aNot planning to get away for spring break?a aIad love to, but unfortunately the kiddies at home are still in school. And I do have that paper to write.a aWhatas your a.s.sistantas name? Chambers?a aDaryll Chambers. You need to talk to him, too?a aWeare talking to all the graduate students in Dr. Brauneras cla.s.ses. See if any of them noticed anything unusual before his disappearance.a aFrankly, Lieutenant, most of these students donat notice much of anything except the clock and the opposite gender sitting next to them in cla.s.s.a aHow long has Chambers been your a.s.sistant?a aOh, not too long, but it seems like an eternity. Personnel sent him to me right before the Christmas break. He seemed all right at the time.a aNot working out for you?a aNot working period. Heas a coaster. Heall probably slide by and get hired by a mediocre little company to do mediocre work until he dies or finds some mediocre rich young thing willing to marry him.a aWhat do you know about his social life?a aAs little as possible. I donat mean to sound like a sn.o.b, but the s.e.xual exploits and conquests of younger men tend to remind me of what Iave lost with age, so I try to avoid finding out what Iam missing.a aI understand completely, Professor,a she chuckled. aI appreciate your cooperation.a Roth walked around his desk and escorted her to the door of the office. aPlease let me know if thereas anything I can do, Lieutenant.a As she left Rothas office, Daryll Chambers was on the phone and, from what she could overhear, she speculated he was arranging a date for the weekend. When he saw her, he made a quick apology to whoever was at the other end of the line and promised to call back. As he hung up the phone, he swiveled his chair around to face her.

aDo you have a few minutes, Mr. Chambers?a she asked.

aSure. Please. Have a seat, maaam.a There was something in the way Chambers said amaaama that suddenly made her feel old.

aYouall be finding out soon anyway, so Iam going to tell you up front that Dr. Brauner is dead. Would you mind answering a few questions, Mr. Chambers?a aJesus, what happened?a he asked, surprise in his voice. aWeave all been wondering where he was. The last exam we took didnat seem quite right somehow.a aIn what way?a she asked, her interest suddenly piqued by the mention of the exam.

aDonat get me wrong, it was still a difficult exam, but it didnat seem like something he had written. You get used to the way a professor phrases his questions after a while. Know what I mean? Do you think it was foul play?a She smiled at the question. It sounded as if he had watched too many bad police movies. Not murdered or killed. Foul play.

aThatas what weare trying to determine. How well did you know Dr. Brauner?a aI donat know if anyone really knew him. Except his wife, of course. He is...was very highly regarded in his field. Itas an accomplishment for a student to say they studied under Elliott Brauner.a aIave heard not many students manage to pa.s.s his courses.a Chambers laughed lightly, aI said it was an accomplishment, Detective. Dr. Brauner had very high expectations for his students.a aYouare a student in his graduate cla.s.s, arenat you?a aYes.a aAnd howare you doing?a aIam managing to keep my head above water so far. Itas tough though.a aSeparates the men from the boys, huh?a she asked with a smile.

aYes, maaam. It sure does.a aWhat about the other students in the cla.s.s?

Howare they doing?a aI donat know for sure, but Iad guess the majority are failing. Dr. Brauner has a very high failure rate.a aAnyone particularly upset about that failure rate?a aAt this point anyone would be upset if they were failing the cla.s.s. Itas required for the degree and thereas only two or three months left before the end of the semester. If this was one of their last cla.s.ses and they failed it, theyad have to stick around next fall and take it again. After all the money most of us have invested in our educations, further delay just means more money and possibly the loss of a job offer at the end of the semester.a aYou got anything lined up yet?

aIave got a few feelers out and a couple look promising. In fact, I have an interview during spring break with a pharmaceutical company back East.a aWell, good luck, if thatas what you want.a aYeah, Iad be happy if I could get something close to home.a aYouare not from around here?a aNo, maaam. My family lives in upstate New York.a aAnd you came all the way to Cedar Springs for a graduate degree? I heard the universities back East were pretty good.a He laughed again. aYes, they are, but I did my undergraduate work and some graduate work back there. Got a little tired of the scenery. Plus, even if I have to pay out-of-state fees, itas still cheaper to go to school down here.a aDonat tell the state legislature that or theyall raise their fees.a Chambers smiled and nodded at her. aUh, can I get you a cup of coffee or something?a aNo, thanks. Have you ever had any disagreements with Dr. Brauner as a result of his cla.s.s?a aNo. I try to keep as low a profile as possible. If Brauner told me to get on my hands and knees and bark like a dog, Iad do it, just to get out of the cla.s.s unscathed. Itas a game, but sooner or later, everyone has to learn to play it.a aWhat game is that?a aThe academic survival game. Do whatever you have to do to survive and then move on to the next challenge.a aSounds like a plan. You told Detective Weston a couple of days ago that you overheard an argument between Dr. Brauner and his a.s.sistant. Is that correct?a aI overheard what sounded like an argument to me. But they could have just been talking loudly.a aDid Dr. Brauner have a hearing problem?a aNot that Iam aware of.a aCould you hear what they were saying?a aNo. Just the sounds of their voices from inside Brauneras office. I wasnat eavesdropping. I just happened to be pa.s.sing by when I heard them.a aWhy are you so sure it was Brauner and Obregon? Couldnat it have been Brauner and another person? Like Dr. Roth, for instance.a aIt couldnat have been Dr. Roth, Lieutenant. He was in cla.s.s at the time. And before I could even get to our office here, I heard a door slam and saw Tony come around the corner. He looked upset and was saying something about Dr. Brauner being a stupid old f.u.c.ker. I guess I just drew the a.s.sumption that he was the one in Dr. Brauneras office.a aSounds logical enough. What do you know about Obregon?a aNot much there either. Iam afraid Iam not being very helpful.a aThatas okay. Just tell me what you do know.a aActually, Tonyas a good graduate a.s.sistant for Dr. Brauner. Neither of them is very social. And Tonyas lucky to have an a.s.sistants.h.i.+p. He doesnat have any money and probably wouldnat be here without financial help.a aHead have to leave school if he didnat have his job?a aProbably, but I donat know anything about his personal finances. He could have saved up enough to finish the semester, I suppose. But from the way he dresses and that hunk of junk van he drives, I seriously doubt it.a aSo you donat socialize with the other graduate a.s.sistants?a aI didnat say that. I just donat socialize with Tony. Most of the graduate a.s.sistants get along and try to help each other out. But Tony never wants anything to do with the rest of us. Never even attended any of the parties we throw periodically. A real loner. Might be some of that Hispanic macho bulls.h.i.+t Iave heard about. He always acts like a tough guy. Kind of a bully.a Chambers leaned forward conspiratorially.

aIave heard he has a police record, but itas only a rumor. If itas true, heall have a hard time finding a good position once he graduates.a aMaybe his academic record will help him overcome that.a Chambers shrugged, aMaybe, but he still needs to learn how to play the game, Lieutenant.a BRODIE WAS LEANING against the car when she saw Nicholls and Maggie coming toward her. The temperature had risen and she knew it wouldnat be long before the heat and humidity reached a level where she wouldnat want to wear her jacket any more. As she looked around the campus, students strolled between buildings or cruised by on bicycles. She always loved being on the campus and wondered if the students she saw realized they were in the best time of their lives. There was so much to be learned and she regretted not having realized it sooner in her own life. Now she had to satisfy herself with an occasional course in night school just to keep her hand in.

Nicholls was laughing as he and Maggie reached her. aWhatas so funny?a she asked.

aNothing. We were just comparing notes on how some of the folks on our lists took being dragged out of cla.s.s and questioned by the police,a he answered with a smile.

aFind out anything interesting?a aOnly if youare interested in whoas doina marijuana or whoas bangina who,a he said. aScared the h.e.l.l out of most of mine. Probably never even had a parking ticket before, let alone been questioned about a homicide.a aOne of mine wanted to know how Brauneras death was going to affect his grade,a Maggie added.

aFinally decided it couldnat make his grade any worse than it already was.a aSounds real choked up about losing his professor,a Brodie said as she slid into the front pa.s.senger seat.

aDidnat question anyone who got depressed when they heard about it,a Nicholls said as he turned the key in the ignition.

aSo how many do we have left to interview?a Brodie asked.

aWeave got a couple left on each list. If theyare not at their addresses, then theyare probably about ready to hit the beaches at Padre by now. We can check the addresses after lunch and if theyare not in, weall have to catch them when the session resumes,a Nicholls said.aI think most of them are going to be a dead end anyway,a Maggie said as she settled in the back seat.

aWhyas that?a Brodie asked as she turned to look at her.

aFrom the reactions I got. None of them denied hating Brauner, but they all seemed genuine in their disbelief that he was dead.a aProbably genuine disbelief at their good fortune. Anyone have anything to say about the last exam?a Brodie asked.

Nicholls and Maggie both said they hadnat heard any complaints.

NICHOLLS PULLED THE car into the parking lot of Swansonas on Central Boulevard. The small familyowned diner was almost full by the time they arrived, but they a.s.sured Maggie the food would be worth the wait. Most of the lunch customers had already been seated by the hostess and they only had to wait a few minutes before a large woman dressed in a denim skirt and western blouse approached them. She grabbed three menus from a rack and smiled.

aUsual place, Lieutenant?a aOr as close as you can get to it, Ruthie,a the detective answered with a warm smile.

They followed the woman as she made her way through the tables with an ease that showed shead had plenty of practice at running the obstacle course of tables and customers. She climbed the four steps into another room and set three menus at a booth table near the back of the smoky room.

aTake your time, folks. Iall be back with your water in a minute.a The booth had well-worn red vinyl seats and a plastic red and white checkered tablecloth over the table. A small jukebox hung on the wall next to the table. Maggie looked around and noticed a similar jukebox at each table. She glanced at the selections available on the jukebox and saw that there was nothing newer than the seventies on the machine. Even if the food was horrible, she knew Royce would be a regular customer due to the restaurantas smoking section, as well as the music. The dining room was decorated with old license plates representing every state. One wall was completely covered by a sign for motor oil. It was a brand she had never heard of, but she guessed it had once been a popular brand. In the middle of the room was a salad bar with a large a.s.sortment of raw vegetables, cheeses and other ingredients for making a salad. Two large metal containers of steaming soup sat on one end of the salad bar.

Brodie had already closed her menu by the time Ruthie returned with their water.

aAre you ready to order or do you need a few more minutes to decide?a the waitress asked with a smile.

aIall take the chicken fried steak, Ruthie,a Brodie said.aYou want the usual with it?a aYeah, thatas good.a Ruthie scribbled on her order pad and looked at Nicholls and Maggie.

aGo ahead, Nicholls,a Maggie said.

aI think Iall give the catfish a whirl. And Iall have the coleslaw and hush puppies with it. Tea, and can I get a couple of extra pieces of lemon on the side?a aSure thing,a she said writing. aAnd how about you, dear?a aRuthie, this is Detective Weston. Sheas new and this is her first time at Swansonas,a Brodie said, as she lit a cigarette. She saw the look of disapproval in Maggieas eyes. She had convinced Brodie to stop smoking when they first met, but it had been an easy habit to fall back into without Maggie there to support her.

aWell, welcome to Cedar Springs, Detective. I hope you can stand working with these two clowns. Donat let aem run you ragged. What can I get you today?a aThe chicken fried steak sounds good. With mashed potatoes and a small salad.a aTea?a aYes, please.a Ruthie picked up the menus. aTheseall be ready in just a few minutes. Enjoy.a They smiled at Ruthie and leaned back in the booth.

aDid anyone you talked to know Garcia?a Brodie asked as she exhaled a cloud of cigarette smoke.

aI got the idea not many of them a.s.sociated with the janitorial staff,a Nicholls said. aThey might know his face if they saw it, but no one seemed to be on a first name basis with the guy.a aSame here,a Maggie said. aIf he worked evenings, itas unlikely they would see him unless they happened to be working in a lab where he was cleaning up. Even then janitors seem to be a part of that invisible group people know are around, but generally ignore. They see them without actually seeing them.a aWho did you interview?a Nicholls asked, glancing at his partner.

aSaw Obregon first, then Roth and his a.s.sistant. No love lost between Obregon and the other graduate a.s.sistants apparently. But I did find out that Roth could have had a motive.a aReally?a Maggie said.

aYeah, seems Brauner caught him plagiarizing in an article he was writing and called him on it. He claims to have written another article and dropped the plagiarized one.a aPublish or perish?a Nicholls asked.

aYeah.a aThink itas enough to make Roth a good suspect?a aItas as good a reason as any. Roth could have lost everything if Brauner turned him in.a aWhat about the exams that were tampered with?a Maggie inquired.

aObregon claims he wouldnat lift a finger to help out the other graduate students. And I believed him.a aStill money can be a pretty powerful motivator,a Nicholls said.

aHow much you think a copy of the exam could go for? A hundred bucks? Youad have to be desperate for money to sell something worth as little as that,a Brodie said.

aIt could be worth a lot more than that if you had a graduate degree riding on pa.s.sing the cla.s.s,a Maggie said. aHe could have asked for more and probably gotten it.a aBut if the graduate students dislike Obregon as much as he dislikes them, they might think it was a better idea to pay him some money and then turn him in and get rid of him,a Brodie said.

aSo you think someone decided to save a few bucks, became a do-it-yourselfer and it got screwed up,a Nicholls said.

aPossibly. But if it was one of Brauneras students they had to have been fairly desperate to pa.s.s to risk getting caught like that.a Ruthie returned with a large tray containing their food and placed the plates in front of each of them.

aAnything else I can get you?a she asked.

aLooks fine, Ruthie,a Brodie said. aThanks.a aWave if you need something,a she said, picking up the tray to leave.

They ate in silence for a while, all beginning quickly and gradually slowing down to a more leisurely pace. Maggie took a long drink of her tea and paused between bites.

aThis is really good chicken fried steak,a she said as she cut another bite.

aBest in town,a Brodie said. aSpecialty of the house.a Nicholls popped the last bite of catfish into his mouth and leaned back in the booth. aWell, whatas the plan for this afternoon, boss?a aFinish interviewing the kids we can find and then go over our notes and see if anything jumps up and bites us on the b.u.t.t, I guess. Are we waiting for anything else to come in from the lab?a aWeare still working on the preliminary reports on Garcia, but I donat think thereall be anything new or exciting in the final report,a Maggie said.

aHave we found anyone who saw Garcia after he left his home Thursday?a aWhen I talked to his supervisor, he said he saw Garcia clock in and didnat see him again after his s.h.i.+ft.a Maggie said.

aWhat time was that?a Brodie asked.

aA little before five Thursday afternoon.a aDo we have an approximate time for Brauneras death?a aMrs. Brauner said he left home between seven and seven-thirty Thursday evening to pick up something at his office.a aIf Brauner was killed the same evening, then our guy must have been a busy boy. Thereas only three and a half hours between the last time anyone saw Garcia and the time Mrs. Brauner last saw her husband,a Nicholls said.

aThis is ridiculous,a Brodie said. aItas barely dark at seven-thirty or eight oaclock. It was a weeknight. There had to have been people around. Someone must have seen something, even if they didnat realize it at the time.a

Chapter Eight.

BRODIE WATCHED NICHOLLS and Maggie leave the squad room the next afternoon and pulled her notebook from her jacket pocket to review the notes she had taken over the last few days. Halfway through her notes on Obregon, Maggie walked back into the squad room and threw her purse down on her desk.

Brus.h.i.+ng her hair back with both hands, she asked, aKnow any good mechanics?a aTry Frankie over at Cedar Springs Automotive. Iave used him once or twice.a Maggie pulled a phone directory from her desk drawer and started dialing. She glanced at her watch as she waited for someone to pick up the phone.

aYeah, is Frankie there? This is Detective Weston at Cedar Springs Police Department. Thanks.a She tapped her fingers on the desk and waited a few more minutes.

aCome on,a she said. Finally, Frankie answered the phone.

aHow can I help you, Detective?a aMy car seems to have died and Detective Brodie recommended you. Would it be possible for you to take a look at it?a aItas getting late, but I can probably swing by there on my way home. Say about a half hour or fortyfive minutes.a aFine.a aI canat promise to get her runnina, but Iall look at her.a Maggie placed the receiver in its cradle and rested her elbows on the desk.

aI gather your car bit the dust,a Brodie said as she read her notes.

aIt was on its last legs, but I hoped it would hang in there until I got a few dollars ahead.a aWell, if it can be resuscitated, Frankie will do it. Fairly reasonable price usually.a She picked up a folder and tossed it on Maggieas desk. aLook through that again to kill time.a An hour later Frankie reported that Maggieas car would need intensive care and wouldnat be going anywhere except his repair shop that evening. He would tow it to the garage and try to work it in the next day, but he couldnat make any promises about when it would be ready. As soon as Maggieas car was attached to Frankieas tow truck, Brodie offered to drive her home.

MAGGIE LIVED IN a one-story duplex in a relatively quiet neighborhood not far from the university. Not exactly upscale living, but it looked like a safe enough place. It was a red brick building with a flat roof. Flowers had been planted along the walk leading to the front door and the lawn was mowed and neatly trimmed. A homemade slat privacy fence separated her half of the building from the other occupant who she said was a priest at the local Catholic church.

aHow are you getting to work tomorrow?a Brodie asked.

aIall call one of my brothers if theyare still talking to me. One of the four is bound to have an extra car he can loan me until I get mine back. I can make some coffee if youad like to come in,a Maggie offered.