by Beth Manz
"I'm sure he'll appreciate that. And I'm sure other professors in Hargrove will extend him their services as well."
"I feel bad for Dr. Collins," Blair said. "He's only here on loan because Dr. Taylor received that grant for neurological research in Boston." He looked up at Jim. "Dr. Collins has only been here since semester break--I'm sure he never thought he'd have to put up with the possibility of being attacked when he signed on to replace Dr. Taylor."
"What about students?" Jim asked his partner "Do you think any of your disabled students will resist using the buddy system?"
Blair's face twisted into a frown as he thought on Jim's question. "Maybe only one," he said at last. "I mean, I only have two handicapped students in my classes to begin with, but one of them...."
"A bit hard-headed, perhaps?" Eli offered.
"More like bitter," Blair explained. The three men stopped--they had reached the steps leading up to Hargrove Hall. "Do you know Dan Parker?" Blair asked Eli.
The older man shook his head. "Can't say that I do."
"He came to us from...." Blair's voice trailed off, his brows furrowing suddenly.
"What is it, Chief?" Jim asked, unable to mistake the sudden unease that came over his partner.
"You know, I never put this together before, but Dan transferred here from UW." He looked up at Jim. "He was injured in a swimming accident last year at the university pool. Paralyzed for life. You don't think there could be a connection between him and these attacks, do you?"
Jim shrugged one shoulder. "You never know. I'll check it out. Do you know why he transferred? Was there any trouble involved?"
"I don't think so. From what I've heard, he never quite adjusted to being on campus after the accident. So, he transferred to Rainier."
"Now I remember the boy," Eli told them, nodding slightly. "From talk I've heard from the staff, the young man carries quite a chip on his shoulder."
"And that's understandable after all he's been through, but I just don't think this buddy system will work with him. I think he's going to resent being 'watched over' by other students."
"Maybe you can sort of keep an eye on him, Chief."
Blair shook his head. "Dan's not in either of my night classes. I can check his schedule and see if he's taking any other night courses--maybe arrange to have someone watch him if he is. But I won't be able to help him myself."
"Don't worry about it, then." Jim grasped his friend's shoulder. "You can't save the world here. So you just concentrate on this Professor...."
"Collins," Blair supplied.
"Collins. In the meantime, I'll check this Parker kid's background just to rule out any connection there."
"Hey, who knows?" Blair said, smiling, "maybe the assailant won't strike again and all this buddy system will just end up being overkill."
"Who are you trying to kid, Sandburg?" Jim looked down at his friend, raised an eyebrow and shook his head. "This is Cascade, remember? You don't really believe we're going to get a break here, do you?"
Blair chuckled. "No, I guess not." He reached over and whapped Jim on the arm. "But you have to admit it was a nice thought while it lasted."
/
/
/
Blair leaned against the cool tile wall outside Dr. Collins' Introduction to Psychology class. Sandburg had finished teaching his own night class several minutes earlier and had quickly proceeded to the lecture hall used by the Psychology department in order to escort Ryan to his car.
He fidgeted as he waited, then squinted up at the clock that hung above the exit doors at the far end of the corridor. Jim had departed for the loft hours ago, leaving Blair to teach his night class with a parting admonishment for him to be careful if he ended up escorting Collins to his car following their respective night classes. An involuntary smile crept across Sandburg's face as he thought of Jim's concern. The man just can't help himself--he's always going to see himself as my Blessed Protector...
His fond reminiscence was shattered as the double doors to Dr. Collins' classroom were thrown open and a wave of chattering, laughing students spilled out into the corridor. Blair stood aside and waited until the last of the students had filed out. Then, pushing away from the wall and straightening, he entered the large lecture hall.
At the front of the classroom, Ryan Collins wheeled himself easily from the overhead projector set up in the center of the lecture platform to the desk on the left-hand side, where his briefcase sat open. He tossed a handful of papers into the briefcase, closed the satchel and pulled it into his lap.
"Dr. Collins?" Blair called out as the man turned toward the exit.
Collins jumped slightly, jerking toward Blair's voice, clearly taken off guard by his unexpected presence.
Blair held his hands up in a gesture of apology. "Sorry. I thought you heard me."
Collins shook his head, a smile making its way across his face. "Not your fault. I was deep in thought." The professor was older than Blair, somewhere in his mid-forties, with sandy blonde hair and a neatly trimmed beard and mustache. The first time they'd met, Blair had thought he detected a slight scarring near the man's lower jaw, most of the damage hidden by the beard. He couldn't help but wonder if that scarring had been from an accident that had possibly put him in the chair in the first place.
Whatever the circumstances regarding his handicap, Ryan had a cheery, optimistic attitude. From what Blair had heard around campus and from what he'd observed himself, Collins was a good teacher, open with his students with a zealous fascination for his subject matter.
Collins eyes narrowed slightly as he studied Blair. "I didn't think you had any classes tonight, Dr. Sandburg. Working late?"
"Anthro 101, Tuesdays and Thursdays," Blair informed him with a grin. "And if we're going to continue working together, you need to start calling me Blair."
Collins smiled. "Only if you call me Ryan," he offered. "So, if I remember correctly, all Anthropology classes are taught in the physical science hall. What brings you to the psychology building?"
Blair leaned against the edge of the desk and folded his arms across his chest. "I assume you heard about the attack on Jack Kelso?"
Collins frowned and a cloud of concern settled across his handsome features. "Yes, I did. It's a terrible thing."
"Yeah, well, we think it might be an ongoing thing, too." Quickly, Blair told Ryan about the attacks at UW and the very real possibility that the man who had committed those crimes had now moved on to Rainier. "So until we catch this guy, we're instituting a buddy system.... And guess who your buddy is tonight?"
Ryan laughed lightly. "Thank you, Blair. I appreciate that."
"No problem." Blair moved toward the exit. "I'm planning on working late most nights until this is over, so I may be your buddy on a rather permanent basis. At least until this guy is caught."
"That's fine by me." Ryan wheeled beside Blair, his briefcase balanced on his lap. "What's that old saying about keeping your enemies close but your friends closer...."
"Actually," Blair said, pulling the door open and waiting for Ryan to wheel himself through the opening, "I think the saying is 'keep your friends close but your enemies closer.'"
Ryan looked up at Blair as he fell into step beside him again. "That's right. I always seem to get that one mixed up."
The two men exited the lecture hall together. As they crossed the parking lot, Blair scanned the shadowy area, watchful for signs of anything suspicious. Any one suspicious. But he saw nothing.
As the two men made their way to Collins' van, the wind picked up around them, sweeping over Blair and sending a chill down his back. Hunching his shoulders against the cold, he picked up his pace a bit and wished he were already home.
/
/
/
Jim looked up from the open file in front of him as the sound of Blair's jangling keys reached him. "Hey, Chief," he called out in greeting as his partner came through the door.
"Hey, man." Blair dumped
his keys in the basket beside the door before hanging his coat on the hook in the kitchen.
"Everything go okay?"
Blair dropped down on the couch across from Jim and ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah. I walked Ryan--Professor Collins--to his van. It's only the third or fourth time I've ever talked with him, but he seems like an okay guy." Leaning forward, he pinned Jim with a serious look. "Listen man, I think until this is over I'm going to spend most of my evenings at Rainier...just kind of keep an eye on things firsthand."
Jim nodded. "I thought you might suggest that. And I think it's a good idea, but Chief...." The detective paused. "I don't want you thinking you're supposed to stop this guy on your own, all right? You see anyone suspicious, you call me. You don't approach him, you don't try to detain him. Understand?"
Blair nodded. "I understand. Believe me, I want this guy caught, but I'm not about to do anything stupid that could lose him for us."
"I'm more concerned about you doing something that could get you hurt. I'm serious here, Sandburg, " Jim continued, fixing Blair with a firm scowl. "No heroics. You watch yourself and keep your distance if you see anything."
"I will, Jim," Blair promised. He nodded toward the open files in front of his partner. "What's all this? You find something?"
Jim frowned. "I checked out Dan Parker's background and it seems he's been in a bit of trouble." Grabbing up a computer printout, he handed it to Blair. "Did you know about any of this?" He watched as his partner scanned down the sheet of paper.
"This is a rap sheet," Blair said, his eyes widening. "Parker has a rap sheet?"
"Seems your UW swimmer had an attitude problem long before he landed in that chair. You sure it was a swimming accident that put him there?"
Blair looked over at Jim, his brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"
"Look at his record, Chief. Drug dealing, assault, burglary. This kid was bad news. I doubt he hung out with the best crowd."
"Maybe that's the real reason he came to Rainier, then. To start over with a clean slate."
"Or to escape the people who were trying to hurt him."
"You think he's running?"
Jim rubbed tired eyes. "I don't know, Chief. But tomorrow I'm going to call the Seattle PD again, see what they have to say about Mr. Parker. Right now he's our only possible link to the person behind these attacks."
Part Three
Jim stared blankly at the computer before him, watched as the words blurred and melded into gibberish before his tired eyes. He blinked, rubbed at his face and tried unsuccessfully to suppress a yawn. It had been three days since Jack Kelso's beating and so far there had been no additional attacks. And no additional leads.
Jim had read and reread the reports sent over by the Seattle police and had gone over both Jack's statement and the statements given by the two coeds who interrupted his assault, but he was still no closer to identifying a suspect. Even the lead on Dan Parker had fizzled out. The kid's accident had been just that--an accident. His crimes in the Seattle area had been considered minor and he hadn't been in trouble since arriving at Rainier. Jim hadn't even bothered to set up an interview with the kid. He just didn't see the point.
He punched a button on his computer and the program brought up another screen. But as he glanced at the words before him, he yawned again. Slowly, his gaze shifted to Blair's desk, to the seat that had been empty for the last three days. Normally Blair would be here with him, talking over the possibilities, offering his opinions on the case. That was how Jim was used to working, the way he liked to work. Without Blair...he was just plain bored.
He looked toward Simon's office. The captain sat hunched over his desk, scribbling his way through a mound of paperwork that sat piled before him. Jim pushed to his feet, gathered up a few files, and made his way to the captain's office.
"Come," Simon called out at the sound of the knock on his door.
Jim leaned inside. "You have a minute, sir?"
Simon leaned back in his chair and motioned toward one of the seats in front of his desk. "Where's your partner? I haven't seen him around here the last couple of days."
"Sandburg's spending more time at the university, kind of keeping his eye on things there." Ellison sat down, not bothering to open the files he'd carried in with him.
"How's Kelso doing?"
"Good. He's home. His doctor wants him to take it easy for another week or so, then he can go back to work." He smiled wryly. "Jack's not happy about it, but he's following orders."
Simon nodded then leaned forward in his chair and clasped his hands before him on the desk. "Is there a reason you came in to see me, Jim?" He looked at the folders in his detective's hands. "You have a new lead?"
Jim glanced down at the files in his lap then back up at Simon. "No," he admitted with more than a little reluctance. "I don't have anything."
Simon's brow furrowed with concern. "You all right?"
"Yes. It's...it's just this case...." He shook his head. "It's so senseless, so pointless. I just can't get a handle on why it's happening. I thought I had a lead with Parker but that ended up going nowhere. We have no evidence, no suspects. I feel like I'm just waiting for someone else to get attacked so I might get lucky and find something I can use."
Simon shook his head. "Go home, Jim. You're tired and you can't do anything else on this case tonight."
"Yeah, I suppose you're right." Jim glanced at his watch. Sandburg wouldn't be home for another hour or so....
"You miss having the kid around, don't you?"
Surprised at the question, he glanced up to see Simon watching at him, a knowing look on his face."
The captain must have sensed his surprise because he answered the question before Jim had the chance to: "You're not the only one," Banks told him. A warning look superimposed itself over the wry smile on Simon's face. "But if you ever tell him I said that, you'll be directing traffic for a month."
Jim laughed. "Don't worry, sir. Your secret is safe with me." Standing, he dumped the files on Simon's desk. "You wanna get some dinner? I'm tired of eating alone."
"Wonder Burger?" Simon hinted, a look of keen anticipation spreading across his features.
Jim smiled broadly. "You are man after my own heart, sir."
/
/
/
Blair finished grading the last of his exams and tossed them into his overflowing out box. He hadn't been this caught up on his work at Rainier since just before graduation last spring. Pulling off his glasses, he leaned back in his chair and glanced outside. The sun had set over an hour ago and so far things had remained quiet. Just like last night...and the night before that...and the night before that.
He shook his head at the thought. "You'd think I wanted someone to be attacked," he scolded himself. But it wasn't that. It was the not knowing, the waiting. He'd been relieved when Jim told him that he didn't think Dan Parker was directly connected to the case. But that relief had been short-lived, because with it came the realization that they were basically back to square one. Back to waiting....
The whole case was putting him out of sorts. He was spending far too many days away from the station and away from his partner. He liked the balance he'd found in his life, the balance between his work with Jim and his work at Rainier. But now the balance was being tipped too far in one direction, throwing his world off-kilter.
"You ready, Blair?"
He looked toward his door at the sound of the familiar voice. Ryan Collins waited in the open doorway, his gaze expectant. "Yeah, man, more than ready." Pushing to his feet, Sandburg grabbed up his backpack, slung it over his shoulder, and followed Ryan into the corridor, locking his office door behind him.
Blair inhaled deeply as they stepped outside, breathing in the first perfumed scents of spring. The night was cool. He rolled his tired shoulders and readjusted the backpack into a more comfortable position. He was tired, he was worried over the case, and he was glad to finally be going home.
"You all right, Blair? You seem a bit distracted tonight."
Blair looked down at Ryan as he wheeled along beside him. "Fine. I'm just a bit anxious, I guess."
Ryan nodded. "Wondering if this guy is ever going to show again?"
"Exactly. I'm ready to get back to my usual routine."
"You mean working with the police."
Blair cocked his head to one side, surprised by the statement. He smiled. "You been checking up on me?"
Ryan chuckled. "Not at all. No need, really. Your work with Detective Ellison seems to be the stuff of legends around here."
Blair raised an eyebrow at his colleague. "Legends, huh? I don't know if that's good or bad."
"Depends on the story," Ryan answered lightly. "I'm not sure how many of them I believe. Some are pretty wild. Especially the one regarding some rather...um...over-enthusiastic tarantulas."
Blair laughed and shivered dramatically. "Don't remind me, man. Just the thought of that case still gives me the creeps." He smiled down at Ryan. "But I wouldn't change a minute of it. I love my work at the police department, my work with Jim. It's--" But his words cut off suddenly as a disturbing sound reached him--the sound of flesh being struck. Ahead, he could see an overturned wheelchair, one man on the ground, another standing over him, the attacker's fist striking the fallen man over and over. The assailant's face and hair were concealed by a ski mask.
"Oh, no," he breathed out. Quickly shrugging his backpack from his shoulder, he dropped it to Ryan's lap. "My cell phone's in there, Ryan. Call 911!" He didn't wait to see if the professor would follow his instructions. Without thinking of the possible consequences, he sprinted toward the two men. "Hey!" he yelled as he ran. "Stop!"
The assailant's head jerked up at the sound of Blair's voice. "Dammit," he growled and, after landing one more punch to his victim, turned and dashed toward the empty parking lot just behind him.
"Stop, you bastard!" Blair yelled, giving chase.
But the man didn't slow his gait. Neither did Blair. Jumping a low guard rail, he raced after the man who had been plaguing the two Northwest college campuses. His heart pounded in rhythm with his breathing. Gritting his teeth, he pushed himself harder, closing the gap between himself and the fleeing assailant. The man glanced over his shoulder and Blair heard him let out a gasp of surprise at how close Blair was to catching him.