by Judith Mehl
He removed the shirt and threw it to her. Though the sexual tension reached a peak when she assessed his naked chest for size, she tossed him an oversized sweatshirt from her drawer. She had already studied his handwriting, what bits she could find of it, and determined that he had a healthy, normal, physical drive. Was she ready to deal with that? For now, she backed away from the personal and initiated a work-related discussion to distract her mind from his chiseled abdomen.
Nick gratefully accepted the cocoa, delighted that it wasn’t vinegar tea, but was wise enough not to mention it. He related his findings about Maria Alvarez, not that there was much new to Kat. He’d checked with some of the president’s council on Maria’s breakdown and received the official word on her illness, but didn’t know if they should pay a courtesy call, or give her name to Richard Burrows. He’d tried tracking the professor, Jeffrey Billings, but he had left Cummings State; he’d also tried finding his student at the time of the accident with no more luck.
They decided to contact Detective Burrows by phone and give him the names. His resources would be invaluable in tracking him down. Nick began the call while Kat poured more cocoa and added a plate of cookies, but before the line connected he hung up.
“I forgot; it’s Saturday.”
“Burrows never could get the days of the week straight when he was working a case. He’ll be working. If he’s not at his desk the dispatcher should be able to connect you through or take a message.”
Nick redialed and connected immediately to Detective Burrows. With a sheepish grin directed toward Kat, he provided the man the information on the vandalism, spelling the names. He also filled him in on their discussion with Abner and his suggestions of research theft.
“Yeah, true, it’s not likely, but bears investigating. Kat says he’s innocent. Says the handwriting is wrong.”
Nick grinned while Burrows made a comment not repeatable in front of Kat, then provided the information on Maria. He added, “Maria’s husband, Carlos, works for the university too. He’s the grant man. It’s his job to see that the faculty members have up-to-date information on what grants are available and to acquire general grants for the university.”
She did a thumbs up when he sat back down. “Good job on the Carlos stuff. I’d forgotten that connection. Doubt if there’s anything there. He’s been a by-the-book man since day one.”
“Burrows said it sounded suspicious to him; said he’d check it out. Thought maybe Charlie could have discovered something underhanded with the grants money.”
They discussed office work briefly. She filled him in on Jamie and her duties and offered to introduce her to Nick the following week. They outlined what work she could do to help out while they spend more time investigating. The Nobel Prize winner’s arrival for a special program shortly would require some planning.
They almost missed the early news, which aired a pre-taped interview with Mark Raub. Nick had spent hours coaching him in the right tone with the right buzz words to catch the media’s attention. The station requested the interview and Raub, with Nick’s help, was able to mold it to the best light for the university under the circumstances. Of course the station had wanted the latest on the murder. Nick, as spokesman, could have given them a few sentences but nothing of substance. They didn’t have any suspects. The police were working diligently to solve the crime but there was basically no news.
Nick convinced them that Raub and the campus security were working night and day to provide safety and counsel to the faculty, staff, and especially students. Thus they were willing to interview the campus security chief on what measures were being taken. Raub outlined the warnings and advice being offered on campus. He slid nicely from those into a sister topic, sexual assault on campuses and what was being done daily to protect the students. The subject was one that was garnering a high percentage of media time lately, a mixed blessing for universities.
Raub handled the topic with dexterity and the interviewer allowed him the time to explore the issue. He advised that anyone in the campus community walk with someone whenever possible, stay in well-lit area and away from alleys and cross the street if someone looks like they are following. He added, “If someone is following in a car, turn around and walk in the opposite direction or stop and call the police.”
“Are students at risk in their own rooms?” the interviewer asked.
“Actually they are much safer in the dorms because of the tight security and supervision. The exterior doors are locked 24-hours a day. Precautions are always wise though, especially if you’re in a secluded off-campus apartment.”
“Such as?”
“Keep your doors locked, even if leaving just for a minute. Lock the door before going to bed. Don’t hide keys in obvious hiding places — keep them on you. Avoid being alone in a building at night. Never confront or ignore a stranger.”
“Is that advice that applies to your average citizen also?”
“Most of this does, but especially, use common sense and be conscious of your surroundings at all times.”
Raub added that these and other guidelines are available from the Pennsylvania Crime Prevention Practitioners Association.
“Thank you. The perky interviewer turned to the viewers to sign off. “That was Mark Raub, chief of security at Mountain View University where the brutal murder of Professor Charles Abbott is still under investigation.
Nick and Kat agreed it wasn’t bad publicity, since the concern was already a hot topic in the news, and it filtered the anxiety over the murder.
She handed Nick his dried polo shirt and coyly checked out that chest one more time. It stripped work right out of her mind. His naked chest was a temptation. When he caught her glance as he settled the shirt around his waist, she thought she saw something in his eyes that revealed he wasn’t thinking of government officials either. But he walked toward the front door and she followed behind to say goodbye. Abruptly he turned around and faced her. She grabbed his arms for balance and as she moved to step back he wove his fingers through her hair and pulled her closer.
He smiled as he studied the tawny highlights and said, “I can at least resolve one question.”
She smiled back. “What?”
“I’ve wanted to know what your hair feels like since the first time I saw you.”
“The first time you saw me you were crazed with fever.”
“I was ill, not dead.”
The fine fabric of his shirt was left open at the neck to expose his tanned throat. She felt an innate need to touch that skin. A need rose within him as she moved forward.
He tightened his hold and brushed his lips over hers, first tentatively, than more firmly. He moved his fingers expertly through her hair, first lightly stroking the springy locks, then cupping her head to hold her lips steady for savoring.
Desire flared. She tempered hers, waiting for the trust to come and add depth to her feelings. The trust was still shady, hard to grasp and didn’t come in time to save the mood. Nick’s presence bounced her from euphoric highs to depressing lows frequently. She didn’t have the aplomb to ask outright. “Did you have anything to do with Charlie’s death?” Nick noticed the doubt though not understanding the cause. He decided to leave it for now, but the sparks engendered by the kiss made the lightning nearby seem like a faint glow.
Chapter 14
Illegible writing can show one is out of touch with reality or unable to communicate needs and desires.
“Handwriting Analysis: The Complete Basic Book”
by Karen Amend and Mary Ruiz
Detective Burrows sauntered past the riot of chrysanthemums along the walkway to the science building, eyeing his open notebook with questions compiled for Dr. Simon Santora. As he neared the splashy golden flowers adjacent to the double doors, a fire alarm halted his steps. Seconds later he was bombarded by what seemed like hundreds of students racing from the building. He knew it was past lunchtime, and since he’d been on campus frequently, he knew this mad
rush was abnormal, as was the alarm. Then he saw campus security guiding students out the exits.
They easily determined that there was no fire or gas leak, merely a chemical experiment gone awry, producing the same smelly chemical that serves as a warning in natural gas. A high-pressure system and the smelly experiment had hampered the natural venting process.
Burrows found Santora by Kat’s description of a man with light hair, tanless skin, and nondescript glasses. Richard shot out quick, precise questions that Santora volleyed.
While setting out a few flasks on the bench top and grabbing some bottles of chemicals from the refrigerator Santora explained how Charlie had an article just two weeks ago in the Journal of American Chemical Society. He felt it was possible the barely-suppressed excitement revealed there could have led people to believe Charlie was close to a conclusion. Some circles might have found that challenging, just as Abner had told Nick and Kat.
Burrows asked him to back up a few courses, perhaps to basic high school chemistry, and try to explain whether Charlie was working on many experiments with different students, or one experiment with many students working jointly.
“It’s in a way the same experiment, just different aspects,” Simon explained patiently. The professor chooses his research platform and his sub-projects. He has a possible goal, but the research over the years can fragment into more tangents.
Burrows settled on one of the lab stools, carefully leaving room for his overflowing belt line, and waited for Simon’s explanation. “One student could be making a molecule, another purifying an enzyme, a third testing the hypothesis. Once they’ve drawn their conclusions at the end the researcher has to determine what’s next—the best way to approach the general scheme given the new information.”
Santora prepared to mix methylbenzoate with aniline for his organic class students to separate and identify the following day. His notebook was open nearby with the percentages he’d decided on earlier. Now the scent of bananas wafted around them as he worked, but he continued talking.
“The research can take a year in just getting the setup ready. For instance, to study the surface of a molecule and see how it reacts you have to first design and build a physical machine that would do that.”
“So the research mentioned in that article is basically the only project he was involved in?”
“Yes.”
Richard asked further questions about the research, trying to determine whether it could have been related to Charlie’s death. He appreciated the man’s zeal but was trying to focus on how this could drive someone to a violent crime. He still had to determine if it was premeditated or caused by an eruption of emotions during the course of a conversation.
Already getting lost in the logistics, Richard attempted to steer the discussion back to one of his main questions, “So how can this vandalism theory fit into Charlie’s death?”
The professor turned from his chemicals, giving the detective all his attention. “I have no clue how it fits into his death, but if you’re referring to the rumors that Charlie was a suspect in the possible theft, nothing was proven.”
“OK, so let’s suppose he took it. Then what would he do with it? How would it help?”
Using common language for Burrow’s sake, he laid out the scenario again. “It’s called cutting corners. Say you want to study an enzyme. The first step would be to purify it and make a substrate. To cut corners you could pick a molecule that has been made already or you could steal a purified enzyme.”
“How difficult is that?”
“You’d have to know the layout of someone’s lab. Know that it needs to be in an minus 80-degree freezer and pick your time. Such as covering with a lab break-in and the resultant aftermath.”
If Charlie wanted the enzyme to use in his research, all he had to do was ask and Billings would probably have provided it. It’s one of the reasons why a theft was questionable.”
Burrows, who’d been around at the time of the vandalism, was trying to remember the circumstances. “It was never proven there was a theft, right?”
“Right. It was more than likely pure vandalism. The rumors about Charlie taking it were sour grapes in my mind.”
The detective sought Dr. Santora’s opinion on whether someone from the sponsoring corporation would have any reason to kill Dr. Abbott.
Simon thought not. “What would be the gain?”
“Even if the research wasn’t going well?”
Simon went back to the storage cabinet for a minute but showed little concern. “They’re used to that. Happens all the time.”
He continued, “When they’re lucky and the research pans out, it makes up for those grants that went nowhere. Those in the sponsoring corporation know to be patient but once the findings are confirmed the researcher in turn has to be patient. The paying company wants to control the disbursement of the information, if they allow it at all. Depends a lot on the particular research. Their main concern is getting their product on the market first.”
Kat wandered in and tried to stay discreetly in the background, but Burrow’s instincts notified him when she arrived. He finally turned to her and said, “OK, Katharine. What’s up?”
Kat smiled and moved closer to Simon and her old friend, opting for a straightforward answer. “I was checking up on you.”
Raising his eyes heavenward he then grinned. “Well, at least she’s telling the truth for once. No subterfuge. I like that. We’ll let her stay.”
Turning to Kat he explained, “He’s telling me about Dr. Abbott’s research.”
Santora stopped setting up his test experiment and followed through with more background. “Charlie’s experiment was working with nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, called NAD+ for short. It’s a coenzyme that is in all living things. It’s used in hundreds of thousands of processes. It transfers a hydride, which is hydrogen, with a pair of electrons.”
Burrows scanned the bench top and found most of the clutter situated under what looked like his kitchen stove hood, but this one had bars and dangling lines and this hood came down and around to form a box four feet deep. With the sinks and hot plate nearby it looked much like a kitchen, though admittedly it was cleaner than his own. He dreaded what someone could cook up in here with a devious mind. He was glad the murderer seemed straightforward—no infectious viruses or plagues to worry about.
For now he could find no reason to be suspicious of the man so he attempted to concentrate on what he was saying. The smell, which had distracted him at first, became almost overpowering before he stepped back from it. The scientist’s booming voice once into a subject belied Simon’s faded appearance. He was working under the hood, and, noticing Richard’s discomfort, explained.
“The first one smelled like bananas and isn’t too bad but the aniline smells like rotting fish. It’s one of the reasons we do it under the hood with the ventilation on. Besides, it’s safest to work with volatile compounds under the hood.”
Kat took a whiff of each, puzzled. Before she could detect why, she noticed some handwritten papers signed by Simon. A quick glance detected legible writing and good self image. It confirmed her feeling that the man was in the clear.
Santora went back to talking about Charlie’s research but could see he was losing the detective so he simplified even further. “It’s a critical compound. We all know this molecule structure, and to be honest, most believe it functions a certain way. Charlie thought it functioned differently. He was trying to examine the method of transfer by slowing down the intermediate step enough to well, see it, basically.”
Kat appeared to wander aimlessly around the perimeter of the room. By outward appearance it seemed she couldn’t follow what Simon was saying. Burrows knew better but was ignoring her, attempting to concentrate on Simon’s explanation.
Kat stopped and frowning, interrupted Simon. “You’re talking about essential compounds that allow the body to run correctly, right? We eat certain foods with particular vitamins like
thiamine, riboflavin, and nicotinamide so that our bodies can produce these NAD+ molecules.”
The chemist hesitated in mid-stride, not hiding his surprise at her knowledge. Burrows hid his grin as Simon re-evaluated his analysis of Kat and watched her more closely as she continued to circle around the room.
“Right. They play a role in hundreds of biochemical reactions. They and the vitamins are essential to producing ATP, the main energy currency of cells.”
Burrows still struggled to comprehend. “OK, you’ve convinced me. It’s important to the production of energy. Why do we need to know how it works? What would be the gain?”
Simon waved his hands in the air excitedly as if it had been his experiment. “For the pure knowledge of it. People have been trying to figure this out for hundreds of years. It almost sustains life for living systems and scientists don’t know for sure how it works. To a scientist, that’s enough reason.”
Beginning to understand the scope, if not the science of the project, he nodded.
“Overall understanding of life—not just the human body? Sounds damn impressive. So how close was he? And why doesn’t everyone think he was murdered for his research?”
Pleased with the detective’s initial grasp on the situation, Simon nodded, and excused himself as he walked across the room to find a smaller beaker. He continued talking over his shoulder. “Like I said, most scientists don’t agree.”
Kat quickly whispered in Burrows’s ear. “Let’s drop this aspect for a minute. I’ll talk to you outside when we’re finished here. I have a thought.”
“Why aren’t I surprised? Let me finish some of my other questions, then we’ll talk.”
Simon returned as Richard consulted his notes. “Why is your lab so much smaller than the one Dr. Abbott used?”
Knowing that the students’ success relied on his accuracy, Simon set aside his experiment again. “This is a professor’s lab. Each professor has one. It’s where we usually do our experiments. Charlie had one too. He just wasn’t using it that night.”