“Wait a minute. Are you saying she offered sex for a grade?”
“Exactly. To be precise, an A grade.”
“Did you report this to anyone?”
“Nooo. I didn’t really know what to do. “
“So you did nothing?”
“Well, I mean, I spent a lot of time thinking about my options.”
“Dr. Ryan, for a law professor, this wasn’t very bright,” Markham said, taking off his glasses.
“Business Law, not Criminal Law. There is a difference.”
“Maybe so but it certainly would have been reasonable to let someone know about this alleged blackmail for grade scheme.
“It isn’t alleged. It’s a fact. Besides, who would I call exactly?”
“Well for starters how about Dean Richards?
Terry just looked at them. They were right. Why hadn’t he called Dean Richards immediately? Markham was right, it wasn’t very bright
“And did you?” Markham asked.
“Sorry, I was thinking about what you said. Did I what? Give her the A? No way,” he said.
“No. I mean, did you offer to raise her grade in exchange for sex?”
“Hell no. No way. She was just trying to blackmail me into giving her a grade that she didn’t earn. She was nice looking and all of that, but no suggestion was ever made about sex for a grade. At least not by me. She is the one that came up with that crap. She offered me sex. I turned her down,” Terry said emphatically.
“No improper exchange took place? Ever?” Blazer asked.
“No. I’m telling you. She was the one that brought up that angle. I was totally caught off guard by her attitude and remarks. Look, I did some checking and she has received A's from every male teacher she has had. I strongly suspect if you ask them, they will have a similar story. Assuming they aren’t afraid to tell you about it,” Terry said.
“Let’s not cross that bridge until we come to it. For now let’s just focus on your situation,” Markham said. “I want you to give me as much detail about where you went, who you were with and times. Please, just think about it for a few minutes. This is very important. I want you to be absolutely sure we can document everything you tell us.”
“From when to when?”
“From the minute Sharon Lewis left your office until right this minute,”
“Gee, I doubt I can do that. I mean, I know generally where I went, but every minute since last Tuesday?”
“Just start with when she left and take it from there. We can go back and fill in the blanks when necessary,” Blazer said.
CHAPTER FIVE
For the next hour Terry gave as much detail about the past four days as he could clearly remember. It took some doing but in the end, he was able to recall more than he thought he would. Blazer was very good at taking notes and backing him up when something didn’t quite make sense. By the time they were finished, the attorney had used up almost the entire pad of paper.
“So, you never saw or contacted Sharon Lewis once she left your office on that Tuesday is that correct?”
“Yep. That was the last contact I had with her,” he lied.
He didn’t want to bring up the confrontation that took place on Sunday. He didn’t see how it could help him and she may even say they had sex when no one was around. No one had been around that Sunday and he would have no one to back up his claim of innocents.
It was a risk, but one he was willing to take. Still, he felt guilty about it. It was not his style to make up a lie, especially something as important as this.
“And you don’t know where she lives and never went to her house?”
“Heavens no. I have no idea where she lives, let alone been to her house,” Terry said, surprised at the question.
“Well, here’s the problem. You logged on to the main frame and called up her history.”
“Yeah. I wanted to see who else she had taken classes with and what kind of grades they had given her,” Terry said.
“Yes. You said that, but the problem is that her address is in that information as well, along with her phone number.”
“And?”
“And when you say you don’t know where she lives, it seems kind of funny that her address was right on the screen in front of you,” Markham said.
“It may have been on the screen but I wasn’t looking for that. I was trying to find out her instructors and grades. That just happens to be on the student information screen,” Terry protested.
“Still, the point is, you could have seen it.”
“Well, if I did, it didn’t register,” Terry replied insistently.
“All right Dr. Ryan. I think that is it for now. You will want to reflect on this further I am sure. If you think of anything you have said that you need to change, let us know immediately,” Markham said, handing him a business card.
“I doubt I will. I think you have everything I can remember,” Terry said.
Did they know about her visit on Sunday? How could they? Did she tell them and they were testing him? Damn. He would just have to see what happened before he started changing his story. How would that look?
“The brain is a strange thing. Sometimes we block things out and they come to us later. Just call if you think of anything at all,” Markham said again.
Maybe they did know about Sunday. If this was a test of his honesty, he was going to fail miserably. What if someone seen her come to his office or had she told someone she was meeting him? Damn. Maybe I should just clear it up now. But he didn’t.
“Yes, and make sure you tell the exact same story to the police. I would imagine they will be in contact very soon. Maybe even later on today. Just give the same answers,” Blazer added.
“One other thing. When she threatened to blackmail you, did you get physical with here in any way?” Markham added.
“Hit her. No, I may not be bright but I am not stupid. You said the police would be here to talk to me? Why would they care about this? I don’t understand,” Terry stammered.
“Well, you were one of the last people to see her before she disappeared,” Blazer said, frowning.
“Disappeared? What are you talking about? I thought you were talking about her trying to blackmail me for a better grade. I don’t know anything about her disappearing,” Terry said.
“You didn’t read Saturday or Sunday's paper? It was the headlines on both days,” Markham said, looking at Terry pensively.
“I hardly ever read the papers. They just upset me. Everything is so political now days. They never report the facts, just their perspective of the facts. They make the facts fit the story. I hate to read them,” Terry told them.
“And you didn’t listen to the news?”
“I just flipped through the channels. I mostly watch Discovery and the History Channel. Everything else is drivel.”
“Dr. Ryan. Please excuse me for saying this, but for a professor you seem out of touch with reality. How can you keep up with the current laws if you don’t keep up with the news?”
“I read the law reviews. I read the Washington Weekly. I read factual articles, not articles written by left-wing bleeding hearts,” Terry said firmly.
Markham and Blazer just looked at each other. Academia people were indeed strange.
“Sharon was last seen on Tuesday night. Her boyfriend reported her missing on Friday. He thought she had gone to see her sister but when she didn’t come home he called the police. It was in the papers on Saturday and Sunday as the lead story. They have been searching all over the county for her. So far, they have nothing that they are divulging,” Markham told him.
“That’s terrible. I can’t believe something could have happened to her. I mean, I think what she was trying to do was bad but not enough to wish that on her,” Terry said.
How could this be, he thought? He had seen her on Sunday. She hadn’t disappeared. She was up to something. What should I do, he thought to himself? If I change my story now it will look even worse. Stay calm
and don’t give anything away.
“Wish what on her?” Blazer asked.
“What? I meant, wish something bad happening to her,” Terry replied.
He would have to be more careful with what he said from now on he realized.
“Ah,” was all Blazer replied.
“So you think the police will come to see me?”
“No doubt about it. I’m sure they will talk to many students as well as her instructors,” Blazer said.
“Its routine procedure for them to talk to anyone who has had contact with her,” Markham added.
“This is so strange. What a bizarre twist,” Terry said, shaking his head.
“Just keep your answers simple and don’t volunteer anything more than what they ask you. If you feel like you need help, call us immediately and refuse to answer any further questions. We will take it from there,” Markham said.
Terry was still shaking his head when they left. What in the world was going on? Making sure he stopped her from blackmailing him was certainly his goal but now this. He wondered how it would all play out.
As he sat at his desk, Janet stuck her head in the door and said, “Is everything all right? You look pale.”
“Sure. I think so.”
“Isn’t it awful about the Lewis girl? Everyone is talking about it. She was such a pretty girl. She was very friendly when she left your office last week.”
“You saw her? I thought you weren’t in. She knocked on the door unannounced,” Terry said.
“I had gone to the lounge to get a coke, she was just leaving as I came back. Nice girl,” Janet said.
“Well, maybe she will turn up soon. I mean, she could have gone off someplace just to get away for a while. Students do that sometimes after finals and the end of the semester,” Terry said hopefully.
“You'd think she would tell her boyfriend though. I hope nothing serious has happened to her,” Janet said.
“I’m sure she will turn up safe and sound. She seems very resourceful. I’m sure she can hold her own,” Terry replied.
“Yes, she did seem assured of herself,” Janet added.
“Listen, I need to take the rest of the afternoon off. I’ll finish turning in my final grades tomorrow. I have some errands to run,” he said, ushering Janet out of his office.
“All right, see you tomorrow Dr. Ryan.”
Terry walked slowly to his car, deep in thought. What in the heck could have happened to her? Surely something serious couldn’t have happened.
If it had, how would it look? He was one of the last to see her. She was trying to blackmail him and was threatening to go to the Dean if he didn’t give in. This could get ugly. He had no idea how ugly it could get.
CHAPTER SIX
“Hi, I’m Randy Nelson,” the police officer said shaking Terry’s hand.
“Terry Ryan.”
“I thought it was Doctor Terry Ryan?”
“It is. I’m just not big on the whole doctor thing,” Terry told him.
“Hum. Most people like to flaunt it, especially when dealing with the police,” Randy said.
“Sorry to disappoint you, please, have a seat. Would you like something to drink?”
“I’m fine, thanks. Dr. Ryan...”
“Terry,” Ryan interrupted.
“All right, Terry. I need to ask you a few questions about a student of yours. Sharon Lewis. I assume you are aware that she is missing?”
“Actually, I just found out this morning. The University Legal Department dropped buy and asked me some questions. That was the first I had heard of it.”
“Really? It has been all over the news,” Randy said.
“Like I told them, I seldom ever read the news or even watch it on television. It’s too depressing,” Terry said.
“I see. And what can you tell me about Sharon Lewis?”
“Not much really. She was in my Business Law class. She was a poor student. She didn’t show up for a lot of the classes. Other than that, I don’t know much about her.”
“She was nice looking,” Randy said.
“I suppose. I have over one hundred students in that class alone. I don’t really get to know them very well unless they are exceptional students,” he said.
“And she wasn’t exceptional?”
“Far from it.”
“Not even looking?”
“I really couldn’t say. I suppose she was attractive, but like I said, I don’t remember too much about her.”
“And when was the last time you saw Sharon?”
“Ah, on Tuesday of last week. She came by to check on her grade,” Terry said.
He didn’t want to offer any more than he was asked for. He was trying to follow the attorney’s instructions.
“That’s kind of strange.”
“Why?”
“Well, you said you didn’t notice her much and then here she was in your office. I would think you got a very good look at her then,” Randy said.
“I meant, I saw her, yes, she was attractive. So are a lot of women students on campus. Just look around. But that is all I really know about her. That, and the fact she seldom came to class. I meant that I know nothing about her personally.”
“I see. Well, I think I do. According to the main frame logs, you tickled her file, or so I was told by some computer geek over at CIT.”
“Yes. You see, after she came by, I wanted to check and see how she was doing in her other classes. I wanted to make sure I was being fair.”
“And were you?”
“My grade would have been considerably lower than most of her past grades,” Terry said.
“How much lower?”
“An F.”
“I’d say that was fairly low,” Randy replied, “When did you see her next?”
“I didn’t. That was the last time I saw her,” he lied.
Randy looked at him for a second before asking, “How was she when she left? Mad, happy, upset, crying?”
“I don’t know. Concerned maybe.”
“Concerned? What does someone that is concerned, look like?” Randy asked.
“I don’t know. Not exactly upset but, you know, concerned.”
“Hum. Maybe I should go back and get my Doctorate so I could understand a concerned look,” Ryan muttered. Terry didn’t respond.
“What did she mean by, wait a second,” he said, looking through his note pad, “Just do it, it will all work out best, or something along those lines.”
“I’m not sure. I guess I wasn’t paying attention. If she said it, it must have not been very loud,” Terry offered.
“Well it was loud enough for your secretary to hear,” Randy said.
“Sorry. I can’t help you. I just don’t recall that part,” Terry insisted.
Immediately he felt guilty for lying again. Not only that, he hadn’t told the attorneys about her parting comment.
“Look, Detective Nelson, let me get this off my chest. I just lied to you. I do remember the comment. She was upset with her grade because she was going to fail and was trying to talk me into giving her a higher grade. That’s the truth of the matter,” Terry told him.
“I appreciate that, Terry. What was she trying to get out of the class?”
“An A.”
“Wow. How did she expect you to change an F to an A? I did it once in high school with an ink pen, but my old man found out and beat my tail. This is a little different,” Nelson said.
“She was threatening to go to the Dean and say I had offered her an A for sex,” Terry told him.
“And did you?”
“Hell no. I most certainly did not. I never even made the least suggestion. In fact I told her that there was no way she could get an A or anything else. She offered me either sex or blackmail. I didn’t go for either” Terry said heatedly.
“All right Terry. What did she say when you told her no?”
“She said she would give me to Monday to think it over. If I didn’t change my mind she would go
to the Dean.”
“And of course on Monday…”
“She never showed. Instead the University's attorneys came by and that was when I found out she was missing,” Terry said.
“All right Terry. I’m sure I’ll have some other questions for you later. For now I think I have all I need. I do appreciate your candor.”
“I just didn’t want to tell you a lie that I couldn’t live with. I am puzzled by all of this as much as you are,” Terry told him.
“I doubt it,” was Nelson’s parting remark.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The day was going slowly for Detective John Logan. He was getting caught up on his paper work and it was one of things he hated about his job. He always procrastinated until someone, usually the captain, started yelling. This time was no different.
Detective Logan was considered slow and methodical by his peers but they also acknowledged that he was one of the best detectives in the city. Because he was so probing he would not overlook things that others dismissed. The younger detectives hated to be paired with him because he just wasn’t modern enough. It didn’t matter to John. He would rather work alone anytime.
Only a few partners had ever worked out for him. Most just threw up their hands and rolled their eyes at his methods. When the chips were down and it was a high profile case, both the captain and police commissioner would always make sure Logan caught the case. If it could be solved, he would be the one to do it and it would hold up in court.
John lived alone in a small house in the suburbs and did not know one single neighbor’s name. They rarely saw him at all. He would often leave before anyone else was up and arrive home late at night. It wasn’t so much that he was a workaholic as it was that he simply didn’t have much more to do with his time.
His daughter was grown and living in L.A. and his wife had died ten years earlier. The rest of his relatives were spread out across the country so all he really had were a few acquaintances and his job. John was not a stylish dresser by any stretch of the imagination. Brown and blue together worked just fine for him, as did almost any other color combination. How he dressed wasn’t a concern. Getting criminals off the street was.
BLONDE DECEPTION - The Logan Files Page 3