Academic Curveball

by James J Cudney

  “Absolutely. I hear Lorraine Candito notified you about the lost gift she'd intended to give me, as well as the other items stolen from Diamond Hall. I wonder if you've found anything, yet. I'm anxious to learn what she got me,” I noted while crossing the floor toward the staircase.

  “We've not found that particular item, but should we stumble across your little trinket, you'll be the first to know. If that's all…” Her caustic tone left little room to debate, but it wasn't stopping me.

  “No, actually, sheriff, I do have a few other things,” I confirmed while worrying she wasn't taking Lorraine's news about the thefts seriously. “I happened to come across Abby's personal journal while going through her office.”

  “And you called to tell me she had a crush on some movie star? How sweet! But I'm in the middle of a…” The childish sarcasm dripping from the sheriff's tone was borderline obnoxious. If it hadn't been directed at me, I might have found her funny in a ridiculous sort of way.

  “If only that were the case. Abby mentioned having a relationship with someone. I was curious if you might know who that is.” I didn't want to reveal the initials yet.

  “Nope, I'll send someone to get the journal. I followed up on your lead about Coach Oliver being near the crime scene. Lorraine confirmed his story, but it still leaves time for either to kill Abby during the death window. While I appreciate you letting me know these little pieces of random news…”

  “Got it. Unless you want to share the results of Abby's phone call from someone in Grey Sports Complex, I guess we're done here,” I replied realizing she was not going to be of any help. I'm not sure who hung up first as I was already thinking about my next move. I got no answer about the phone call.

  While ascending the stairs to find Lorraine, I emailed the technology department asking them to confirm for me whether or not there were any logs on the student grading system indicating who changed what records. Sometimes it wasn't about directly finding the culprit but instead eliminating all your suspects until left with just one. As I reached the top, Lorraine smiled back at me from behind the desk. I opened my mouth to say hello, but my phone vibrated. Why wouldn't people leave me alone to investigate this crime? I retrieved it and read a text message from Eleanor.

  Eleanor: Talked to Connor yet? This is taking too long.

  Me: In progress. Will update you soon.

  Eleanor: Hurry please. I'd like to know if he's still interested. I'm not very patient lately.

  Me: Classes today. I'll come to the diner for lunch tomorrow.

  Eleanor: The position of tonight's moon is not in my favor, but tomorrow looks great.

  Eleanor wouldn't be happy about the news I'd learned. I was hoping to chat with Connor again to understand what happened between him and my sister before our lunch the next day. I could feel the stress creeping back in and desperately craved one or four of Nana D's double fudge brownies.

  Chapter 16

  Lorraine and I walked around South Campus. I couldn't go too far with another class starting in thirty minutes. She looked worn down, almost ready to yield to all the pressure swirling around her.

  “I'm so sorry you have to go through all of this drama. I wish I could get Sheriff Montague to focus on someone else besides you,” I said loosely placing my arm around her waist as a show of support. “Maybe you could help me decipher something I came across while reading Abby's journal.”

  “I'll give it a try,” Lorraine said when we stopped at a nearby bench. “I'm pretty useless these days. Alton thinks I should take a vacation, but I've been told not to leave town.”

  “I'm hoping to find the truth soon,” I added taking a seat next to her. “Do the initials W. A. mean anything to you? Abby mentioned going on a few dates with someone.”

  While running her fingers through her hair and pulling the bangs away from her forehead, Lorraine considered my question. “There's your father, of course. My mother was a W. A. before she married my daddy, but I doubt that Abby would be writing about her since she's been long gone.”

  “Anyone on campus? A faculty member, maybe a student Abby knew? I thought after I saw Coach Oliver at her house that maybe I had the initials confused, but I double-checked.”

  Lorraine shook her head at first, then a look of fear materialized. Her eyes opened wide, and she gritted her teeth. She quickly transitioned from loving puppy to vicious beast. “It can't be! That louse.”

  “What? Do you know who it is?” I watched her eyes begin to fill with tears and pulled her in for a hug. “Talk to me, Lorraine. Maybe this will help prove your innocence.”

  “The coach's full name is W. A. Oliver. His parents weren't very bright and incorrectly filled in the first and middle names on his birth certificate with only his initials, W. A. He was embarrassed as a child that he never had a real name and told everyone to call him Oliver. When he started coaching, it became Coach Oliver, and that's what most people refer to him as now.”

  “How did Abby know? And what do they stand for?” I asked making several possible guesses.

  “I'm not sure, he won't tell anyone what his name was supposed to be. I heard Abby call him W. A. in the cafeteria once,” Lorraine replied. “I think that's who she was referring to in her journal.”

  “It makes sense given I saw him at her house last week, but how would you know about his nickname?” I noticed Lorraine's face change from sad to angry, almost enraged. “What's wrong?”

  “Oh, Kellan. I've been keeping a secret from everyone, but I can't do it anymore if that scoundrel was two-timing me.” Lorraine dried her tears and beat her fists against the bench.

  Lorraine explained she and Coach Oliver had been dating the last few months. He begged her to keep the relationship just between the two of them because it was against school policy for colleagues to date without informing the college. After a lawsuit Coach Oliver had been in the middle of, the chief of staff issued an internal memo notifying everyone if they initiated a relationship with a colleague who met a few of the criteria in the revised policy, there was an obligation to ensure it was formally acknowledged by the school to protect everyone involved. Coach Oliver was insistent no one could know he and Lorraine were dating fearing he'd be fired on the spot again because of the prior lawsuit. I thought the whole thing was an invasion of privacy, but it certainly would make the situation between Maggie and Connor much more difficult if they'd continued any further in their relationship.

  “Lorraine, you can do so much better than Coach Oliver. You're clearly a major catch, and he's just… well, he's not worth your time.” I wanted to console her, but if what she'd revealed was true, it would tie a perfect little bow on Sheriff Montague's case against her.

  “I need to speak with him right now,” she yelled crunching her fists together. “I'll kill him.”

  I was a little alarmed but knew she'd been blindsided by my news. “I think you best choose your words more carefully. Given everything going on, that's not something you want anyone else to hear.”

  “When I get through with him, he'll wish we'd never met. I'm sorry to rush off, but I have to settle this right now.” Lorraine thanked me for sharing what I'd found in Abby's journal and power walked away with one foot after the other stomping on the pavement.

  That's when I realized I'd forgotten to ask her about the three missing items she'd shared with the sheriff. I desperately wanted to go with her to stop her from doing anything she'd regret, but my next class started shortly. I couldn't afford to annoy both my father and Myriam on my first day. I headed back to Diamond Hall and prepared for Abby's second lecture. I knew none of the students in the History of Television Production class, but it was an easy one to teach. I talked a lot about the recent focus on colorizing older shows like I Love Lucy, but when half the class looked at me like I'd just arrived from another planet, my temporary high evaporated.

  In need of a boost when the lecture ended, I walked to The Big Beanery and ordered a double macchiato and butterscotch Rice Krisp
ies treat. After leaving and rounding the corner, I noticed Dean Terry talking with Jordan Ballantine outside Paddington's Play House. Although it wouldn't have seemed odd normally, learning Dean Terry had an open alibi and was disgruntled with Coach Oliver, then hearing Jordan complain about Striker still playing despite his previous academic probation, I couldn't help but be suspicious. As I approached, their conversation ended. Both walked off toward the cable car station. I'd have to figure out what that was all about at some future point.

  Since following them wasn't an option, I used my break time to update my father on the day thus far. I hadn't heard from him after accusing him of cheating on my mother. When there was no answer, I left a voicemail indicating the first two classes had gone effortlessly, and I was about to start the third one. I checked my email and found the location of the funeral service being held for Abby that coming Wednesday. I texted my mother I missed her, and she immediately wrote back how proud she was of me for following in her and my father's footsteps by working at Braxton. Seriously, it's only three weeks… she turned every little molehill into a mountain!

  When I reached Diamond Hall again, my phone vibrated with two alerts. The package I'd sent Emma had arrived. I couldn't wait to see the look on her face when she found the stuffed Braxton bears I'd mailed her. There were three in the set—a ballerina, a baseball player, and a doctor. She needed as many options as she could find in choosing her future career. I secretly hoped it wasn't the doctor as the thought of her looking after me in my old age or me having to pay for medical school was not appealing. Lorraine also noted Coach Oliver was at a few offsite meetings but would be back in his office at four thirty when she'd confront him.

  As I walked up the pathway back to the classrooms, Connor joined saying, “Hey, I was looking for you. To apologize for my behavior earlier today.”

  I tossed out my hand in a friendly gesture. “Apology accepted, but at the risk of ruining the world's shortest truce, can I ask you a question about my sister?”

  “That's why I'm here. You deserve an explanation,” Connor said.

  A few students walked past us. “I've only ten minutes.”

  “I should have said something to Eleanor sooner. When she mentioned you were coming back for Christmas, I felt foolish about the whole thing and pulled away from her.”

  “Are you saying you were interested in… um… taking her on another… or that you had feelings…” I stumbled with my words. “I'm not sure how to say this. She's my sister.”

  “Yes. When we ran into one another, I felt some sparks. I thought maybe we had a chance to get to know one another again without you in the middle,” he replied.

  It was the first time I'd seen Connor hesitant and anxious. It somehow made me feel better about the whole mess. “Bottom line, are you still interested in my sister?” I cringed not wanting to hear the answer but also feeling a need to protect Eleanor. “She's confused about what's going on between you two. And now she's under the impression you're dating Maggie. As am I.”

  “Ugh, why couldn't you stay away, Kellan? Then this whole thing would be ten-thousand times easier!” Connor's body tensed as he leaned against one of the columns holding up the awning.

  I worried he might knock the whole thing down. “I don't think that's the question you should be asking. Regardless of whether or not I came home, you can't date them both, can you? You need to figure out what you want, man.”

  “I'll give it some thought before I do anything drastic, Kellan. If you're telling me you wouldn't completely hate the idea of me going out with your sister, I'll call her to talk things out.”

  “I think that's a good first step.” Finding out the truth was helpful, but it still meant the four of us were caught up in something way more complex than I had time for or interest in since I'd only be in town for a few more weeks.

  Connor agreed. “By the way, they're trying to match some fibers under Abby's fingernails against a few people and objects. If they find any DNA, they'll move forward against someone.”

  “Thanks for the status. Can you share what the missing objects were from the office?”

  “I only know about the clarinet. Sheriff Montague's not ready to reveal all the details. Sorry,” Connor said. “She doesn't tell me everything.”

  “Okay, thanks. I need to go, but Lorraine told me something I think you should know.”

  “Sure, what's up?” he asked.

  I updated him on her revelation about W. A. and how she had been secretly dating Coach Oliver. “I know this makes her seem even guiltier, but if you saw the look on her face when she realized he was two-timing her with Abby Monroe, she could have…”

  “Killed someone?” Connor said with a heavy sigh.

  “Well, yeah, but that tells me she didn't know about it beforehand. It's not the reason Abby died. Lorraine is innocent.” I felt compelled to stand up for my father's assistant and the woman who'd been so kind to me over the years.

  “I'm sure you feel that way, but people can do the strangest of things under difficult circumstances. You understand Sheriff Montague needs to be informed about this, right?” Connor said. When I nodded, he continued. “Let me. The sheriff doesn't trust anything coming from you right now. Maybe I can share the news in a way she doesn't immediately arrest Lorraine. She's a good woman.”

  “Lorraine or April?” I asked in jest. Then I realized if Connor recognized the sheriff had a crush on him, maybe the entire Maggie versus my sister problem would go away.

  “Both. And check your email. I located the system logs on those grades you mentioned.”

  “Thanks. Let's catch up later. I need to teach my final class for the day.” Connor came through for me. I started to feel positive about rebuilding our friendship again.

  Connor took off, and I taught three hours on Broadcast Writing. Rather than hold the class for an hour three times per week, Abby had opted for one longer lecture where they could watch various television programs and compare writing styles and format. It was a fun and easy session with mostly creative types looking to polish their communication skills before graduating and searching for jobs.

  After the class ended at four thirty, Officer Flatman arrived to bag and tag Abby's journal. When I got back to my office, I jumped online and perused the logs Connor had sent. They confirmed Myriam had uploaded the grades herself last Wednesday evening. There were no previous entries or changes since her upload which meant if Abby had originally marked Striker's exam as an 'F,' someone had done something to the physical copy between the time Abby had graded the test on the Friday before she was killed and when the exams mysteriously showed up in the folder in Myriam's mailbox. Myriam had found a version with a 'B+' and agreed with whomever had marked Striker's test with that grade.

  I popped my head into Myriam's office where she mentioned sticking around that evening for a self-defense course the college had scheduled for staff at Grey Sports Complex. “I hope you have a great time at class. Always good to keep both the mind and the body in a healthy place, eh?”

  “The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones,” she replied with a sinister-looking smile. “Except I much prefer the company of the genuine women at Braxton to that of its weak men who seem so substandard in every sense of the word.”

  Not having any response other than to ignore her, I left the offices realizing I hadn't eaten lunch. I grabbed a ham and Swiss cheese sandwich from The Big Beanery and decided to head home and map out in detail everything I'd learned about the case to date. I'd just started my drive home at five thirty when my cell phone rang. It was from an exchange used only at the college, but I didn't recognize the number. “You've reached Kellan.”

  “It's Lorraine. I need to speak with you urgently.” Her voice was breathy and panicked.

  “Um, sure. I just left South Campus and am on the road. Is everything okay, Lorraine? I'm worried about you.”

  “I told Coach Oliver I couldn't be with someone who was c
heating on me, but he swore up and down he was never dating Abby.”

  “Men lie, Lorraine,” I said.

  “I know, that's why I dumped him. But I need to see you about something else.”

  “Okay, I can meet you outside Grey Sports Complex.” I pulled to the side of the road.

  “No, it's fine. I'm leaving here and going back to Diamond Hall to finish a few things. I'll grab the cable car leaving in a couple of minutes and meet you at The Big Beanery at six.”

  “Sure,” I said. I really wanted to download all my suspicions about the people involved in Abby's death, but this was a high priority. “Any chance you learned something to help find Abby's killer?”

  “I might have. When Coach Oliver and I were done talking, he left his office first. I needed a few minutes to collect myself. I went to the women's locker room in the other hallway to wash my face, but on my way back, I saw someone leaving his office. I thought I recognized who it was, but it didn't make sense. I went back to his office, so that I could call you with an update. That's when I found this note on his desk. I think you need to read it.”

  “Bring it with you to South Campus. We need to talk about those three missing objects, too.”

  “Okay, if the person who rushed out is who I think it is, I might be able to connect a few dots.”

  “Does this have anything to do with Striker's latest grades?” I asked.

  “Bingo! I'll give you all the details when I see you in a little bit.”

  I told Lorraine to be careful, then returned to South Campus excited to hear her news. By the time I arrived at The Big Beanery at a quarter to six, the daytime crowd had dissipated. Most students were either eating dinner in the cafeteria or hanging out with their friends somewhere else on campus. I'd heard something about a giant snowboarding event on the western peak of the Wharton Mountains. I ordered a lemonade as I'd already drank way too much coffee during the day and grabbed a tall table near the front entrance to catch Lorraine as soon as she came through the door.