Murder on Edwards Bay (The Maude Rogers Crime Novels Book 2)

by Linda L. Dunlap

  Her sister-in-law’s name was Jean Hamilton; she had kept her married name after the divorce, a fact that pleased Maude. Jean had been reticent to ever speak of her ex-husband’s death, even to his sister, for she was still angry with the man for dying the way he did, taking himself away from his daughter. She said she couldn’t understood how it had all happened, how his drug addictions took the best part of him away from both of them and there was nothing to be done to stop it.

  Jean divorced Leonard because she loved him. The pain of daily exposure to his downhill slide was something she refused for Lilly Ann and herself. Maude admired her for that too.

  The two women were not alike at all, with Maude’s height and Jean’s sweet disposition, yet they had remained on good terms for all the years since they had met, when Jean was a teenager, and lived next door to the Hamilton family. It was Jean’s family’s home that Maude bought as a rent house, upon graduating from the University of Oklahoma. She had needed to establish roots. Grace, Maude’s mother, had encouraged her to buy the vacated property and had been the caretaker during the days Maude was living out of state.

  Lilly Ann’s advisor at the Ellison University Medical School had chosen her because of her ability, intelligence, and flexibility in thinking, traits that were highly valued in her chosen occupation. Medical research was boring to some, but very interesting to Lilly Ann. In her mind, the opportunity to discover new cures for old diseases was extremely fulfilling. Both her aunt and her mother admired Lilly Ann, but they also agreed between themselves that it was not a career they would have chosen.

  On Monday, the third day of Maude’s visit, Lilly Ann asked her for a favor. She said that a friend of hers, a doctor who headed a research team in the center for disease control at the university, had disappeared, and had not responded to any of the phone calls or emails that were sent to him. She asked Maude if it was not too much trouble, would she find out what might have happened to the man. Lilly Ann admitted to being very worried about her friend.

  Three days without work to occupy her mind was about Maude’s limit, thus she jumped at the chance to help out with Lilly Ann’s straight forward request. The chance for a happy ending in disappearances was always good. Usually the one missing was out of touch for personal reasons. Lilly Ann said the doctor had left the research facility on Thursday about noon, and had been out of contact since, an unheard of amount of time for him to be gone without checking in to see how the program was faring.

  “So, let me get this part clear, Lilly Ann. This man is a coworker of yours and has disappeared?”

  “Not exactly,” her niece said, “He’s the leader of the project, a co-advisor to the professor that sponsors me at the university.”

  “This man works for the university?”

  “Yes, his specialty is nuclear medicine, and the project is kind of hush-hush. I asked once what he was working on, and Aaron, his name is Aaron Dennis, just gave me a blank stare, and said he would get back to me on that. I never asked him again, and he never got back to me, so I don’t know what he does.” Lilly Ann was out of breath with the long sentence, but she was brightening by the minute, entrusting her worries to her aunt.

  “Is the dean worried because your friend hasn’t been in contact?”

  “No, he says Aaron as a department head has plenty of time-off coming, and if he doesn’t want to be located, he has a right to his privacy.”

  “That’s what I was thinking,” Maude told her gently. “He’s probably just blocking out work for a few days, staying away from it.”

  “Maybe so, but it isn’t like him at all.”

  “How well do you know this man, Lilly Ann?”

  “Well, we dated for a while last summer.”

  “So you are concerned more than for just a friend?”

  “No, I don’t think so Aunt Maude. This just isn’t like him to be out of touch. I am concerned, but really, he is only a friend. I heard he was seeing someone else anyway.”

  “Do you know how to get in touch with her?” Maude was taking notes as she talked to her niece.

  “No, but I heard she lives in the fourth year dorm. Her name is Jenny Marx. She is kind of young for Aaron, but that’s their problem.” Lilly Ann seemed disturbed again; the thought of her friend dating an undergrad student at the university was unpleasant to her.

  “Okay, so maybe I am a little jealous, but it isn’t serious. Aaron and I decided to call it quits a long time ago. We had too many disagreements.”

  “Sure, okay. Wanted to make sure that I’m not chasing my tail-looking for someone who isn’t really missing-who’s just out of pocket for a while. You wouldn’t be the first woman to worry about a man because he didn’t call.”

  “No, Aunt Maude, I’m really worried about him.” Lilly Ann spoke softly, concern in her voice.

  “Then I’ll do what I can, without stepping on anyone’s toes. Has he been reported missing?”

  “No, like I said, the dean thinks there is no reason for concern. But I do. I just know Aaron wouldn’t leave town, and not get in touch with someone, if he couldn’t be here on a regular work day.”

  The coffee was finished, her first unfiltered lit and smoked, with three more to go before midnight. That was the limit she allowed herself now, her compromise. Yeah, she knew the cigarettes were bad, that she was a high risk for lung cancer, and it scared the crap out of her. But at least she was trying to cut back. It was the first time in her smoking days that she had seriously considered the fallout from the smoke she pulled into her lungs.

  She called the university and asked to speak to someone in the dean’s office, but found that to be impossible, because the front desk people wanted to help her instead. They were the first line of attack when the boss didn’t want to be bothered. Finally, Maude decided to put the phone away, and make a trip to the dean’s office. It wasn’t far; in fact it was close enough to walk. She put on her walking shoes and a light jacket, because the wind was cold even though in the sun, it was mostly just chilly.

  The university was located within three blocks of the house, a fact that pleased Lilly Ann. Maude enjoyed walking when her knees weren’t hurting, and so far, the trip had been good for her. Nothing much was bothering her that a couple of ibuprofen couldn’t handle. Moderate joint pain was something she and many others her age learned to live with.

  The dean’s office was easy to find, as was the location of the fourth year dorms, a place Maude intended to visit later in the day. First on her to-do list was the visit to the man who did the firing, and part of the hiring of professors for the university. She wanted to hear it from his lips, that there was no reason for concern about Aaron Dennis, before she went off half-cocked, asking questions from other people.

  The dean’s name was on the door-Dean Albert Micah Stone-with a load of letters following behind the name. Maude was already through the door when one of the ladies behind a desk hailed her from across the room.

  “Hello,” she said, “May I help you? I’m Mrs. Clark, Dean Stone’s secretary. If you are hoping to get information about your grandchild, please have a seat, and someone from admissions will be with you in a while.”

  “No, that’s not why I am here. I’m a homicide detective, and I would like to see the dean in an unofficial capacity.” She pulled her shield, and showed it to the woman at the desk, observing the knowing smile on the woman’s face.

  “Oh, Dean Stone doesn’t contribute to police agencies! You will have to go to the business office, and speak to our comptroller about donations.”

  The woman had touched a nerve in Maude. Begging for money or for anything else was out of the question, and for the woman to assume wrongly about her reason for being there was very aggravating.

  “No, you misunderstood what I said. I need to see Dean Stone to ask him some questions about someone who might be missing.”

  “Well for goodness sakes, why didn’t you say so?” the woman was really beginning to get on Maude’s nerves.

/>   “Do you think I could speak to him for just a minute? Or do I need an appointment?” Maude was trying her best to be civilized. Her partner Joe Allen was a great one for trying to make her a more social creature. She hoped he would have approved of the patience she was showing.

  “Oh no, Dean Stone doesn’t keep up with all the students in the university. How would he know if someone was missing?” Maude gritted her teeth and tried again.

  “This is not about a student; it’s about one of your professors. Will you please, ask him to see me for a minute? Then I’ll go away, and won’t bother you again.”

  “Oh, no bother, but you should have stated your business from the beginning, Miss Rogers. We have a great deal to do in this office, and you would be better served to speak your piece from the very beginning, and not waste my time. Now, hold on a minute while I call Dean Stone.”

  Maude could hear the other receptionists and staff tittering at their desks. This must be a regular routine she does, Maude thought.

  Dean Stone was overweight, probably in his fifties, with iron gray hair and square glasses, a narrow nose and wide mouth. His striped suit was impeccable, however, without blemish or wrinkle. Maude knew it was important that she be on good terms with the man, therefore, she approached him with her badge in hand, ready to ask her questions and be on her way, back to the house and the rocking chair on the porch.

  “I’m Detective Maude Rogers from Madison, Texas, just up the way and west of here. I wonder if I might ask you about one of your professors, Doctor Aaron Dennis?”

  “Oh my,” the man said with a frown, “Has something happened? Has he done something wrong?”

  “No Dean Stone, I’m doing a favor for my niece. She believes that your employee is missing without cause and wants me to find out about him. I’m hoping you can set her mind at ease.”

  “Detective Rogers, I don’t know where Doctor Dennis went nor what he had in mind when he left, but I know that he certainly has the time coming for vacation days. Doctor Dennis is one of our brightest stars, coming to us from UCLA, working on a project for the US Government. I suppose I can tell you that much, even though I have no idea what it is about.”

  “Dean Stone, when was the last time you saw Doctor Dennis, and please try to remember his last words to you.”

  “Well, I saw him briefly on Thursday afternoon after he finished a lecture. He was speaking to one of the fourth year classes about the future of chemical warfare, and the responsibility of the medical community to find antidotes for every new rogue disease.”

  “Wow, that’s a mouthful.” Maude said, thinking of the despair such wartime weapons caused in the world.

  “Yes, it was. I was fascinated by Doctor Dennis’s information. He’s very up on all that. Now, how can I help you?”

  “Did he say anything at all about leaving for the weekend?” Maude asked.

  “No, as a matter of fact, he seemed rather quiet about his plans. I remember telling him to enjoy the afternoon, and he simply nodded at me and kept on walking away, as though to avoid any questions from me.”

  “Is that not his normal behavior?” She asked him.

  “No, not normal at all. He’s usually very friendly, wants to talk after one of his presentations. I noticed the difference in his attitude right off, but of course I didn’t pry.”

  “What do you think Dean Stone? Is he just out of the office, or do you think something might have happened to him?”

  “I really don’t know. It was strange, the way he behaved, in such a hurry to get away. Not at all like him. But don’t get me wrong, he is perfectly at liberty to come and go as he pleases. The contract that Doctor Dennis has with the university gives him a great deal of freedom.”

  “So, what exactly does the doctor work on, here at the university, that the US Government would have an interest in, or care about?” Maude’s stomach was already acting up, always a sure reaction to unpleasant facts.

  “Detective, I have no idea. I was never told, and each time I asked him about it, Doctor Dennis sidestepped the question by telling me it was nothing serious. Meanwhile he has been an asset to the university.”

  “Are there any rules against professors dating students on campus?” Maude asked him offhandedly, unwilling to break the confidence that Lilly Ann had shared.

  “Well, we try to discourage it, although I daresay it goes on without our knowledge. Do you think Doctor Dennis is seeing someone on campus?” Dean Stone seemed agitated at the thought.

  “Oh, I don’t know anything, really, just asking about the university’s fraternization policy.” She had figured him right, and it wasn’t her place to break the news to him that Dennis might be dating a student.

  “Would you mind if I ask around campus, to get a little more information about the doctor? I promise I’ll be discreet.” Maude hoped it would be that simple. The good doctor dating a student and keeping it a secret-he might even be on campus in some love nest.

  “I…suppose it would be alright, but you must promise to keep me informed of your findings?”

  “Sure,” Maude told him, “No problem. I hope it’s all for nothing.”

  The fourth year women’s dorm was away from the others, the sentiment clear, ‘we’re adults and almost done here.’ The four story building was old, with wide glass paned windows that probably leaked cold air into the girls’ bedrooms during the winter weather. Some of the bricks had crumbled along the corners of the structure, their rough broken edges adding to the overall picture of sentimental negligence. But that didn’t seem to matter much; it was the prestige of finally getting there that made the dorm desirable.

  Each floor had a small patio in the back of the building, where students would sometimes enjoy the sunlight, or the late evening air, in rickety chairs they had scrounged from someone’s pool or the thrift stores in the city. Four of the young women who lived in the dorm were outside throwing a basketball into a net, mostly missing the hoop, but sometimes scoring a point. Maude approached them, trying not to startle anyone who lived there.

  “Hi.” She said. “My name is Maude Rogers and I’m looking for Jenny Marx. Can someone call her down for me? I need to ask her some questions.” She pulled her shield, flashed the star for a moment then returned it to her pocket. She smiled at the girls, showing them that she was harmless.

  Two of the players looked quickly at each another then ignored Maude, flipping the basketball back and forth, practicing defensive moves.

  “I don’t know her,” one of the other girls said, trying to be helpful. “Just know she lives here. Don’t know her room number. You can go in the front door, speak to the Room Attendant. The RA can tell you where she lives, and call her on the phone.”

  “Much obliged,” Maude said, starting to turn away. “On second thought, I know Jenny is dating a professor here. I am trying to find out where he might have gone for the weekend. If you know anything, I would appreciate hearing about it.”

  Both girls who had ignored her looked again at one another, and one shook her head slightly. “Sorry.”

  “Okay. I know she’s your friend, but if you know anything that’s important to the police, you’re obligated to tell it.” Maude knew she was pushing her luck, but she laid it out for the young women to consider.

  The girl who had shaken her head stopped fooling with the ball. “Yeah, Jenny is my friend. I don’t want to get her into any trouble.”

  “I can understand that.” Maude said. “I don’t want to cause her any trouble either.”

  “She went away for the weekend, with her boyfriend. They went to a resort on Edwards Bay. Do you know where that is?”

  “No, but I can find it. Do you know when she was coming back?” Maude asked.

  “Well, that’s the thing. She was supposed to be back yesterday. She called Saturday and said it would be late when she returned last night, but she would be back. I’m getting worried; she’s not back and doesn’t answer my calls.”

  “So when di
d she leave?” Maude asked.

  “Thursday night. They were just going for a long weekend.”

  “They? Who did she go with?” Already knowing the answer, the bad feeling in her gut, getting worse, Maude had to hear it from the girl’s lips.

  “Professor Dennis,” the girl whispered. “Aaron Dennis.”

  “Does your friend have a cell phone?”

  “Yeah. I can write the number down for you.” The girl was concerned, even scared for her friend, willing to do what was necessary to find her. Maude admired loyalty, but abhorred ignorance. When a person’s welfare was in jeopardy, it was time to come clean. She thanked the girl then went inside the building.

  Once inside the dorm, Maude was told by at least two girls to sit and wait, that someone would be there to talk to her. Remembering her own years at the university in Oklahoma, she understood the reasons for the young women’s behavior. The rules were made for their protection and privacy, their home away from home, paid for by parents or scholarship. Maude was content to wait.

  The RA came into the waiting area and said hello. A tall girl, with green eyes and spiky brown hair, she appeared to be a little older than the others. It was her job to keep order in the dorm, a job that she appeared to take seriously.

  “What can I do for you?” she asked Maude.

  “Any information you can give me about Jenny Marx.” She showed the young woman her shield then put it out of sight.

  “What has Jenny done?” The Room Attendant seemed ready to take it personally, if Jenny had screwed up and brought shame upon the dorm.

  “Nothing, young lady; Jenny is a subject of concern. She hasn’t returned from a holiday. Wonder if you can tell me anything that might help?”

  “No, I don’t know where she is. She didn’t share that information with me, but I have the phone number for her parents. Maybe she went there for the weekend and got lazy. She isn’t the first person to miss class. Wait just a minute, I’ll get the number.” The girl ran upstairs and Maude waited for her to return, but thirty minutes later, she knew she had been duped.