Formula for Murder

by Judith Mehl

  Kat murmured incoherently in a romantic tone. Nick whispered a sensual accompaniment, but nodded toward Burrows and strode away, shaking his head at the bad timing.

  Nick managed a cheerful greeting, “Hello detective, you look bone-weary. Anything I can do to help?” Burrows shuffled his feet, uncomfortable in the formal setting despite the boisterous crowd.

  “Raub wanted to talk. Got here as quick as I could but this shindig had already started. I’m not sure if he wanted me here just as a show of force, to make people feel they’re safe with the law around, or if it was something urgent. Any idea where I can find him?”

  Nick glanced toward Kat, noticed G. L. and Maddy nearby. “No, but I’ll help you look.”

  As she stood there, Kat couldn’t quell the odd feeling that something was out of place. A cold chill shuddered through her as she looked around for the source. Other than a scowling Abner in the corner, she found nothing, and eased into a conversation with Maddy.

  Maddy wandered off and Kat stayed to the side, watching Timothy, the sedate vice president, cut it up to the disco music. As Nick and Burrows moved off looking for Raub, Carlos appeared at her side. His innocuous comments about the administration looking like teenagers out on the dance floor put her at ease. Though she was surprised he attended the dinner without Maria, Kat was afraid to ask Carlos how she was. The peace and frivolity of the evening had been marred only during that one dinner conversation, where they’d discussed not only the nature of violence but also the increasing indifference to it these days. Kat had noticed Carlos frowning then, as if absorbed by the various comments, and attempted to ease him into conversation, picking up on some of what had been said earlier. “I cannot comprehend why people will let others get by with violence and injustice. How can they just stand by and let cruelty happen?”

  Carlos’ response immediately veered from the casual.

  He’d been experiencing a slow boil since the conversation at dinner. What did those academics know? How many of them had lived with violence daily? How many knew what it was to be helpless as they watched someone close to them scream and whimper through a beating. He could never separate the fact that when he “let” it happen he was a small child and he wasn’t culpable.

  Kat didn’t know anything about his childhood and didn’t realize the incendiary nature of her remark but she could see he was deeply troubled as he rambled on about the snooty professors who didn’t know anything. His attitude took her unawares, since she knew he was married to a professor and both he and Maria had close friends who also carried doctoral degrees.

  His almost incoherent discourse eventually revealed that his father attacked Carlos’s mother while Carlos stood by helplessly as a child. He’d lived with this horror.

  Dennis walked by with some of his friends from the athletics department. He juggled a drink, napkin, and piece of cake while talking over his shoulder, accidentally bumping Carlos as he passed. He apologized briefly and smiled at Kat, moving along quickly in the crowd.

  The nudge was all Carlos needed to recover and realize where he was. He mumbled something to her and headed for the refreshment table.

  Nick grabbed the opportunity to corner Burrows as soon as they moved away from the crowd and voice some of his concerns about the case. He admitted that G. L. was snooping around Carlos’s home and reported a Chevy in the garage. Burrows merely nodded. Nick had hoped the detective would have taken the find more seriously and said so. Burrows revealed he knew about the Chevy and had run a check with the DMV when the car chase was reported. That didn’t mean that it was the Chevy involved in the car chase and we didn’t have enough reason for a warrant.

  The detective’s next revelation surprised Nick. “Since several of the incidents showed Carlos Alvarez in a bad light I had him followed for the last couple of days. My man is outside by his car now. Figured he wouldn’t attempt anything in this crowd and he didn’t want to take the chance of losing him in here.

  Nick appeared not to know what to say. He straightened his perfectly aligned tie and studied his polished shoe tips. Finally he blurted out an apology for not assuming the police would be on top of things. As they moved around looking for Raub, Nick mentioned his other concern.

  “Kat knows something that might clear Abner, but she says she can’t tell you because she gave her word.” As they rounded a bend in the hallway and found themselves alone for a moment, Nick felt free to continue. “Abner fears the news would ruin his reputation at the university, but swears what he was doing was legal and unrelated to the murder. Kat wants to check out his alibi somehow. Is there some way she can talk to you privately, without it ever being written down?”

  “God, what is Katharine up to now! Can’t she stay out of trouble for one day?”

  “Now chief, I know it sounds bad but it’s not Kat’s fault that people confide in her.” Nick decided now was not the time to mention how she went out in the dead of night to meet what could have been the killer.

  Fortunately, Burrows saw Raub at the end of the corridor and hailed him discreetly. He told Nick he’d talk with Katharine when he was finished. Burrows and Raub briefly conversed, updating Raub on the latest, meager findings. The chief of campus security said his men had reported no strangers noticed on campus and that frustration was mounting at no new leads.

  Nick wove his way back to where he’d last seen Kat, G. L., and Maddy, fighting his way around the edges of the dance floor. The intense beat of “Dreams” by the Cranberries drowned out any chance of catching tidbits of conversations as he inched his way through the crowd. Sloan waylaid him as he was looking around. She made a dazzling display with her skinny sequined dress and bare shoulders. Before he knew it, he was on the dance floor watching her flash in the strobe lights.

  G. L., mesmerized by Maddy’s upbeat chatter, was aware enough to notice Kat heading towards the rest rooms, before turning back to Maddy. Unbeknownst to Kat, Madeline had hunted up a recent sample of Carlos’s handwriting. She’d also studied Nick’s but found nothing of concern. Kat was the expert but Maddy absorbed nuances and knew that Kat, enamored with Nick, might fudge on the details in his favor. She risked G. L.’s disdain at her and Kat’s quirky hobby and while dancing to one of the slower, more sedate tunes, shared the information she’d discovered about Carlos with him. She needed an ally to protect Kat, and since G. L. was already in that role, she felt he might be willing to help.

  She explained about handwriting analysis and described what she’d found in the sample. “His handwriting has the trait of suddenly slanting rightward on the ending ‘d,’ revealing someone who has lost mental and emotional control.” She looked at G. L. for signs of disbelief, and finding none, continued.

  “It’s much more complicated than that. I’ve access to several samples of his writing and was able to do a thorough review. His earlier handwriting showed problems, but nothing this serious. This looks like he’s prone to explosive behavior. I’m worried.”

  She had stopped dancing and pulled G. L. to the side of the room in an effort to concentrate his attention on what she was saying. He could see the concern in her face and hear the fear edging her words as she made her point. He didn’t feel free to reveal his findings about Carlos but her information only confirmed what he’d already learned about the man. He moved Maddy to the sidelines, hoping to find Nick.

  Kat noticed Nick’s preoccupation with the campus vamp, and went out to the portico in a huff. Abner, watching her closely, followed quickly behind. She turned left out the door and he veered right, slipping into the shadows. He wanted to make sure she was not meeting anyone.

  Kat stood alone, shoulders slumped, hands in her pockets, contemplating Nick’s desertion. She understood Sloan and knew she was harmless, even liked her to a point. Though wise enough to know it was Sloan who had been making another play for Nick, she was too newly in love to forgive Nick for succumbing. He looked so enthralled. Maybe he wasn’t as in love with her as he seemed. She knew so little abo
ut him. On the one hand, she felt comfortable having him as a protector, while on the other, she wondered if she should have trusted so unstintingly. What did she know about him after all? He arrived the night of the murder, took charge, and seemed one step behind whenever anything happened to her. Deep in thought, she didn’t notice Abner approach through the shadows.

  She shifted out of the wind; glad she’d grabbed her coat off the rack before she came out. The rain was drifting silently down, only visible in the light from the street lamp on the far corner. Abner suddenly appeared in front of her, startling her from her reverie. She’d convinced herself days ago that Abner was not the killer, but feeling him crowding her into the corner gave her second thoughts. Her shaky voice revealed her concern. “What do you want, Abner?”

  He whispered, “You promised you’d help me out. What have you come up with?”

  She shrugged, “I’m sorry, Abner, nothing yet. I do promise you I’m working on it.” Internally, she prayed that Nick was coming up with a solution because she hadn’t. Meanwhile, instinct prodded her to ask, “Was that you following me after we left the park?”

  “Yes, but I lost you. Where did you go?”

  She ignored his question and replaced it with one of her own. “Why were you following me?”

  “After I got in the car I felt bad that I’d called you out alone that late. I wanted to make sure you got home safely. But like I said, I lost you.” He scowled and reiterated the urgency of his request.

  She agreed again to find a solution to clear him and he nodded and faded into the night, fear weighting his shoulders.

  Her thoughts returned to Nick, who was still dancing energetically with Sloan for all she knew. Was it jealousy? Or an awakening of her senses that had her questioning him? Could he make love to her one moment and want to harm her the next? She vowed not to trust so easily from now on. She’d made mistakes. Shouldn’t have been so vocal in her rush to find a killer. That would change too. For now, she decided to hold a firm reign on her emotions, keep her eyes open, and her mouth shut.

  Kat kept tight to the wall to keep out of the enveloping mist. While she stood there hoarding her hurt feelings, Carlos walked past leaving behind a lingering scent of bananas. The scent awakened Kat from her reverie to watch cautiously.

  Thickening rain caused him to stop abruptly and shrug into his raincoat. A dark green raincoat with a hood. The one Kat saw rushing past her on the stairs in the science building that tragic night. That evening’s events clicked into place with increasing rapidity. In recent days, when she’d seen Carlos, he’d been wearing a flannel jacket. When she realized who’d bumped into her the night of the murder, she gasped and it drew his attention. He approached menacingly. The light from the party blazed into the night, dying off quickly in the fog. A fear of being outlined so brightly urged her into the dark beyond. She couldn’t see a weapon but was too afraid to push the issue.

  “I came to find you. I couldn’t play this cat and mouse game any more. I loose track. Am I the cat or the mouse? Why must you pursue me?”

  When she hesitated, he bumped into her and growled, “Move!” Fear walked beside her the entire length of the path, keeping step with the pounding of her heart. Every time she paused, he pushed her forward. She glanced back at the party; it’s festive lights fading quickly in the fog. Each step drove her further from the haven it could provide. If she broke away, it was becoming less and less likely a place for escape. They were headed into the park now, a dismally deserted refuge in the rain.

  The still dry leaves crunched underfoot, the only sound in the silence of the night. Carlos was following less closely for a few moments. She took advantage; twisted away; lost no time looking back. Carlos lunged forward after her. She knew he wasn’t forcing her into the woods to start a casual conversation. She didn’t know exactly what he wanted, but thought it wise not to stop and find out. She plunged onward off the path and into the trees.

  She ran. He followed. Her heart beating wildly, she tore through the trees, slipping and sliding in the rain. Twigs crackled behind her. She leapt forward, skidded and fell. She injured her wrist in the fall and the throbbing kept rhythm with her racing heart.

  Scrambling to her feet, she took off again. The park was barely lit, catching only ragged edges of light from the nearby buildings. Instinct for survival fueled energy into her sagging limbs, coaxing one last effort before she became engulfed in the blackness of fear. It began to rain in earnest, plopping drop by bigger drop onto the leaves beneath her fleeing feet. She stopped, turned quietly. Carlos was standing there, right behind her.

  She stared at him. Tremors shook her chilled frame.

  Chapter 30

  Excessive progression from a thread, flattened to non-existent letter form, symbolizes flight from the Self into an indeterminate, external ideal. With discordant writing it suggests a predisposition to mental illness.

  “Learn Graphology: A Practical Course in Fifteen Lessons” by Gabrielle Beauchataud

  Nick tore away from Sloan the second the dance ended, barely gracious. “Sloan, it was delightful, but I’ve got to run.” He’d begun to realize how long it had been since he’d seen Kat. After the constant vigilance of the past days he felt bereft, and fear seeped in. He found G. L. and Maddy as they finished their conversation about Carlos on the edge of the dance floor.

  G. L. shrugged sheepishly, admitting he didn’t know what had become of Kat. “The last I saw, it looked like she was heading to the rest room. But that was a while ago.”

  Nick looked to Maddy expectantly.

  “Sorry, Nick. I was trying to convince G. L. that we should look more closely at Carlos. I don’t trust that man. I lost track of time too.”

  Nick nodded, turning his mind to organizing a search without being obvious to the crowd. “G. L. hunt around the room. Maddy, come with me and check the rest room. If she’s not there let me know.”

  As quickly as the crowd of chatting women around the door allowed, Maddy checked inside and rushed out, shaking her head negatively. Nick waved her toward the west corridor and quietly spoke, “Find Burrows or Raub. Tell them we’ve lost her. I’ll look outside.”

  Distracted by a faint sound behind him, Carlos turned for an instant, allowing Kat to pick up a broken branch from the ground. It was short, but sturdy enough to return some of her confidence. When he just stared at her, not lunging as she expected, she wondered if he was as crazed as she feared. Using the branch as protection, she took a moment to step back and ask, “Why, Carlos?”

  He seemed to understand what she was referring to, but shook his head, confusion radiating from him even in the dark. Was he refusing to answer? Or unable to? She tried again. “Carlos, what happened with Charlie?”

  “Don’t you understand? This isn’t like me. I can’t stand violent men. It’s like they were saying in there tonight. Overbearing men are disgusting. I couldn’t be that way with Maria. But she wouldn’t stop. She kept pushing. Charlie was making her life so miserable. He wasn’t beating her but he might as well have.”

  Still uncertain, Kat inched back further out of range. “You were trying to protect her?”

  He circled, almost aimlessly, lost in thought. “They didn’t understand in there. They didn’t know what it was like to watch my father beat my mother and not be able to help.” He wrung his hands, remembering. Then freed them, bringing Kat back into focus as he did so. “I helped Maria. Now you’ve gotten in the way. I wanted you to leave it alone. Maria still needs me. I can’t leave her. You’ll have to go.” His eyes had held a bitterness no man should feel; his mouth set in a thin line, his face pale from fatigue or pain. Now they darkened with feverish intent.

  Kat decided her questions had gained her nothing. Before she could race off he was upon her. She threatened him with the branch, causing him to briefly back off. He stalked more cautiously now, How could this be the same man who joked about the sacredness of church runners? His earlier uncertainty turned quickly to a sinis
ter confidence.

  Fear crawled up her spine. She lanced out at him with the branch, the blow knocking him down. She turned to run and hide.

  Carlos rose and began searching methodically as the rain poured down around him. She hid behind a tree, holding her breath as he neared. The park, a tranquil image by day with its walks, shrubs, and trees, was forbidding at night, the shadows and shapes appearing ominous, lurking. As she hid, she tried to find a way out her situation. Should she look for a diversion? Run? Which way? She heard Nick calling. Thought about responding. She peered out and saw Carlos, skulking nearby. Her chance to scream had passed. He was too near. Why hadn’t she thought to walk right into the dance area. He wouldn’t have followed then. Easy to use hindsight. For now, she needed distance.

  Kat moved stealthily deeper into the trees. She avoided the statuary in the far corner, fearing the lighting would work against her. The obelisks were enveloped in a murky shroud not quite penetrated by their lights; nonetheless, she kept to the darker side of the park. She froze into the shadows, glancing up briefly to the forbidding sky, grateful for the lack of moonlight, and the refreshing rain. She wondered if this would be the last time she’d feel the rain. Could Carlos really mean to kill her? She pictured Charlie on the floor of the lab, lifeless. She allowed herself only a second to contemplate her predicament, than attempted to calm her breathing to shallow, more quiet gasps.

  She would not give up. Idly she pondered why there was no one in sight. Where were the 3,500 students who lived almost within shouting distance? Almost, but not quite. She wished she’d stayed nearer the dance. Maybe someone would have heard her cry. Second thoughts came so easy, with great clarity. Too late.