Strand of Deception

by Robin Caroll

  “I’m not at liberty to say. Thank you, Professor Emmel. You’ve been an enormous help. I’ll call you if I need anything else.”

  “Happy to help.” He lifted his briefcase and hurried from the coffee shop.

  Nick stared out the window as people walked by, seeming to enjoy the warmer weather for a change.

  A ladies’ man. Violent. Would attack a man from behind. How had Maddie ever gotten involved with such a creep?

  His phone buzzed. “Hagar.”

  “It’s Timmons, sir. Mr. Helm just checked Gina’s appointment book. She did have Adam Alexander as her Earth Sciences teacher. Get this . . . so did Cynthia Mantle. That study group that met on Thursday night? It was for Adam Alexander’s class.”

  “Call Collette Putman and see if she and Mantle can get into our office as soon as possible on Monday morning.”

  “Yes, sir. Mr. Helm is going to call the provost Monday morning.”

  “Good work, Timmons. Make a note for Helm to also try to meet with another faculty member, a Mr. Doak. See if he’ll talk about his altercation with Alexander.”

  “Thank you, sir. Is there anything else I can do?”

  “You’re off this afternoon, aren’t you?”

  “Yes, sir, but if you need me . . .”

  “No. I’ll talk with Tiddle. See if he remembers hearing Gina mention anything about Alexander, then I’m cutting out for the day as well. See you Monday.”

  Nick drove to Tiddle’s apartment, hoping against hope he’d be home and not at work. He glanced at the clock on the dash. He had plenty of time to get back and get ready to go hear Elvis tonight.

  Maddie had been so excited. The pure joy in her expression, almost childlike . . . it was worth the exorbitant price to get the sold-out tickets. He couldn’t wait to see her tonight. He’d just avoid talking about the case or Adam Alexander. That was definitely a hot button of hers.

  But why? She admitted he’d cheated on her. From everything he’d learned, the guy was a louse. Maddie was beautiful, smart, funny—why would she even be with such a loser?

  Tiddle’s car was in the lot. Nick bounded to the door and knocked.

  “Yeah?” Tiddle answered the door wearing jeans and no shirt. “Oh. Hang on.” He pushed the door closed before Nick could say anything.

  A minute later, he opened the door. This time, he wore a pullover. “Sorry about that. We had a late-night shoot and I didn’t get home until four this morning. I just woke up.” He waved Nick inside. “Come on in.”

  Nick noticed the apartment was messier than on his previous visit, but at least the suitcase wasn’t packed and ready to go by the door. The stench of dirty dishes assaulted Nick’s nostrils. He coughed and breathed through his mouth. “Sorry to barge in unannounced like this.”

  “It’s okay.” Tiddle sat on the edge of the chair. “Is there some news?”

  “Actually, I need to ask you a few questions. About Gina.”

  He sat a little straighter. “What about her?”

  “I know this is hard, but I need to know if she ever mentioned one of her teachers to you. Particularly her Earth Sciences teacher.”

  “Hmmm. Let me think.” Tiddle rubbed his chin. “That’s not the Asian chick? No, that was one of her math classes. The stuffy woman with the blue hair? No, that’s not it.” He grinned. “Wait, I remember. He’s the hot-for-teacher dude.”

  “Hot-for-teacher dude?”

  Tiddle grinned. “Based on the classic Van Halen song? Anyway, that’s what Gina called him because Cyn used to have a crush on him.”

  Oh, this was very interesting. “Cynthia Mantle had a crush on Adam Alexander?”

  “That’s his name—Alexander.” Tiddle shrugged as he propped his feet up on the coffee table. “Yeah. But don’t hold that against the dude. Cyn had crushed on just about all her male teachers under fifty.”

  “Did Gina ever mention anything specific about Mr. Alexander? Anything you can remember?”

  “I can’t think of anything right now.” Tiddle’s face puckered. “Why? Do you think he had something to do with Gina’s murder?”

  “I can’t say at this time.” Nick pushed to his feet. “Thank you.”

  Tiddle got to his feet as well. “Sure. If I can help any more . . .”

  “I know where to find you.” Nick let himself out before he passed out.

  Even in his roughest college days, he never let the dishes pile up enough to smell that bad. Good thing he had a cast-iron stomach.

  His mind raced through possibilities as he strode to the car. What if Alexander had an affair with Mantle and Gina found out and threatened to go to the university about it? Alexander risked losing his job if another report was made on him. Maybe she went to confront him and they got into an argument. He shoved her, then killed her to keep her quiet so he wouldn’t lose his job.

  His phone buzzed. “Hagar.”

  “Hello, Nicholas.”

  As if his day just had to get worse. He laid his forehead against the steering wheel. “Hi, Dad. How’s the weather in Florida?”

  “Fine. Listen, your mother is worried about Ashley. She hasn’t heard from her in almost a month, and you know how your mother frets.”

  They couldn’t hold on to Roger’s fiancée forever. It was bad enough that they’d been so disappointed when Nick wouldn’t step into Roger’s shoes and ask her out. She’d been trying to disentangle herself from his mother since their move.

  “Dad, I’ve tried to tell Mom that Ashley’s moved on with her life. It’s time to let her go.” Last month, he’d run into Ashley and her new man. She had a ring on her finger. Seeing her with a guy other than Roger had struck Nick, something he hadn’t considered. What would his mother say if she knew Ashley was engaged, and would be, heaven forbid, married?

  “But your mother loves Ashley so much.”

  And holding on to her was a way of holding on to Roger.

  Nick sighed. “Ashley’s a beautiful woman who is pushing forty. Mom can’t expect Ashley to remain Roger’s girlfriend forever. It’s time she accepts that.”

  Disapproval hung heavy over the phone.

  “Look, I’ll try to get in touch with Ashley and have her call Mom. I’m just in the middle of a very important case and—”

  “Just ask Ashley to call your mother. I don’t like to see her upset.”

  “I’ll try. Listen, Dad, I’ve met a—”

  “I’m sorry, Nick. Your mother’s calling for me. She needs me to open a jar. I’ll talk to you later. Good-bye.” And the phone went dead.

  Nick resisted the urge to bang his head, hit the steering wheel, or get out and kick the tires. Nothing he did, no measure of success, would ever measure up to the memory of Roger. At least not to his father. He should be used to it by now.

  Coming in second best was never something you got used to.

  Now he needed a very hot, very long shower before his date with Maddie. Could he measure up to her memories of Adam Alexander?

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  “Until we meet again, may God bless you as He has blessed me.”

  Elvis Presley

  Maddie joined Darren as he headed to the church’s Kid’s Life area. “It was a good service this morning.”

  Darren smiled. “I really liked the praise and worship songs today. Really inspired me.” He rounded the corner of the hallway.

  “Yeah. Me too.”

  He stopped and put a hand on her arm. “Are you okay, Maddie? Are you worried about tomorrow? Nick asked me to be available to testify about Sloan if needed. He said you’d decided not to attend.”

  “I’m not planning on it.”

  “Then what’s wrong?”

  “Do you have a second?”

  He shifted out of the w
alkway, tugging her with him so others could get around them. “Sure. What’s up?”

  “I’m confused, Darren.”

  He leaned against the wall. “About?”

  “Nick.”

  He pushed off the wall and stiffened.

  “Look, I know he’s your boss, and I shouldn’t talk to you about him, but I’ve got no one else.” She felt so alone in this . . . like she was swimming against the current.

  “What about Eva? Don’t you ladies normally talk about us guys and how clueless we are?” He waggled his eyebrows.

  “What I need advice on about Nick, Eva can’t help.”

  “You need a guy’s perspective, huh?”

  “I need a male Christian’s perspective.”

  “Oh.” He looked about as uncomfortable as Elvis in a room full of female fans.

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything. I don’t want to put you in a sticky position. Just forget it.”

  His hand on her shoulder stopped her from moving away. “No. It’s fine.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah. What’s on your mind?”

  “Nick’s salvation.”

  He nodded. “I hear you. I’ve been praying for him.”

  Her entire insides crushed.

  Darren smiled. “You’re falling in love with him, aren’t you?”

  She blinked back the tears. “He’s generous and funny and strong and gentle. He makes me laugh and stupid and happy. He even took me to the Elvis Lives concert last night, and didn’t make fun of my singing along with the artists onstage at the top of my lungs.” And he had stood right beside her, clapping his hands and making himself have fun, just because she loved it.

  “He’s pretty taken with you as well, Maddie.” Darren pulled her from her memories of last night.

  “But if he doesn’t have a personal relationship with Jesus, Darren . . . there’s no chance for us to be together.” There went her true chance at a happily-ever-after. She would mourn the loss of this relationship like no other. She feared she might never recover.

  “I think he has hit a fork in his spiritual road. I think he’s at the crossroads, still trying to decide which way to go.” He smiled. “He has a strong moral fiber, doesn’t even like to mislead suspects when we’re questioning them, even though the law certainly allows—in fact, encourages that to get suspects to tell the truth.”

  “But strong moral fiber isn’t enough. You know what Scripture says.”

  Darren nodded. “I do. But here’s the kicker for me, I wasn’t a Christian when I met Georgia. Heck, neither was she. But Jesus called her and she listened.” He smiled as his eyes took on that faraway glaze. “She came to me and Rafe in our college dump and said, “‘Darren, Rafe . . . y’all have to understand. Our lives have purpose. Meaning. We aren’t just here by some fluke. God’s been orchestrating our lives from before we were born.’” He grinned at Maddie. “Georgia’s smile . . . her enthusiasm—she hadn’t stopped until both Rafe and I had followed her to church and met with the pastor.”

  She’d never realized Rafe hadn’t been a Christian before then. Their parents had been missionaries for goodness sakes.

  “I can see by your expression that you didn’t know that about your brother, huh?”

  She shook her head. “But we were raised in the church, Mom and Dad—”

  “Did their job as parents. They told you the gospel, they took you to church, they gave you all the information you needed. But, and this is true for every Christian, the choice to follow Christ has to be each person’s own decision. Rafe had to make his own.” Darren chuckled. “Although Georgia made it hard. She was bound and determined we get as passionate about Jesus as she.”

  Maddie smiled. “That’s a nice story. Thank you for sharing it with me.”

  “My point is that I wasn’t a Christian when I fell in love with Georgia, but it was God’s plan that we be together in this life. I know He has a plan for everything. He loves Nick more than you or anyone else can. He hasn’t given up on Nick . . . I don’t think you should either.”

  “You’ve given me a lot to think about.”

  “To pray about. I’ll keep praying for Nick. And I’ll pray for you as well over this matter. For both of you to have wisdom.”

  “Thanks, Darren. I really appreciate it.”

  “Let’s go get that little blond dynamo of mine and see if she wants some lunch.” He headed down the hall to Savannah’s Sunday-school classroom.

  “Speaking of dynamos, want to talk about Eva?”

  He only hesitated a moment. “There’s not really much to tell.”

  She fell into step beside him. “Are you sure?”

  Darren turned outside of Savannah’s class. “For right now, I’m just enjoying getting to know her. Who knows what tomorrow will bring?”

  Savannah came to the doorway, bouncing up and down like only a five-year-old can. “Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! Oh, Aunt Maddie!”

  He lifted his daughter and snuggled her neck until she laughed. “I learned that we should live for today because tomorrows aren’t guaranteed.”

  “Thank you for coming in so early on a Monday, Ms. Mantle.” Nick pulled out the chair across the conference-room table from the two ladies and sat. “Ms. Putman.”

  The lawyer nodded.

  “I just have a few questions, Ms. Mantle. I’m hoping you’ll be able to shed some insight on one of yours and Gina’s teachers.”

  A confused expression marched across Mantle’s face. “Our teacher?”

  “Yes. Mr. Alexander. I believe he’s your Earth Sciences teacher, correct?”

  “Yes.”

  “And his class is the subject matter for the study group you and Gina both belonged to that meets on Thursday nights, correct?”

  “Right. We meet at McWherter Library at eight, then stop studying around eleven. We usually go out for pizza at Garibaldi’s after.”

  “Ms. Mantle, what is the nature of your relationship with Mr. Alexander, your Earth Sciences teacher?”

  Her face grew taut and pale. “He’s my teacher.”

  Putman sat up straighter. “I’m not sure how this relates to your investigation, Agent.” She leaned over and whispered in Mantle’s ear.

  “Oh, I think Ms. Mantle knows exactly how this relates to my investigation.” He stabbed her with his stare. “I’m not asking these questions out of the blue, Ms. Mantle. Do you need me to repeat the question?”

  “No.” She whispered in her attorney’s ear.

  Putman looked at Nick, then whispered back.

  “I went out with Adam a couple of times.” Mantle looked like she’d eaten something that didn’t agree with her.

  “Adam Alexander, your teacher?”

  “Yes.” She swallowed. “I’m an adult, you know. There’s nothing wrong with it.”

  “Were you aware that Mr. Alexander had been warned by the university not to fraternize with female students?”

  She shrugged and looked at her lawyer.

  “That’s hearsay, Agent.”

  “We aren’t in court, Counselor. I’m just asking if she knew.”

  Putman nodded at Mantle.

  “He told me we had to keep our relationship a secret on campus because the provost would fire him if he found out.”

  Even stronger motive. Losing his livelihood was powerful incentive for Alexander to keep his relationship with Mantle a secret. “But he didn’t end your relationship? You just exercised caution on campus, correct?”

  “Right. We avoided going to the regular hangouts. We went places where there were fewer students.”

  Something Tiddle had said to Mantle about her using Gina raced through his mind. “So, where did you go? You and Mr. Alexander?”

 
“Just places.”

  “For instance?”

  Mantle looked at her lawyer.

  “I don’t see how this is relevant,” Putman said.

  “Did you go to Gina Ford’s town house? With Mr. Alexander?”

  Mantle swallowed and stared at her attorney.

  Ah, he’d scored. “Ms. Mantle, did you and Mr. Alexander go to Gina Ford’s home?”

  “Yes.”

  “What was Gina’s reaction?”

  Mantle’s face went red. She leaned over and whispered in her lawyer’s ear again.

  “Ms. Mantle, I’m asking what Gina’s reaction was to your bringing Mr. Alexander, her teacher, to her town house.”

  “One moment.” Ms. Putman put her head beside Mantle’s. The whispering back and forth was fast and furious.

  Nick swallowed the urge to smile. This could nail Alexander’s coffin. At least be enough to bring him in for questioning.

  Ms. Putman glanced over him, then went back to her whisper-fest with her client.

  Maybe Mantle was in on the murder with Alexander. Maybe she’d helped him, or at least covered up for him.

  “The first time, she wasn’t very happy with me. She told me she didn’t approve of such a relationship as it was wrong.”

  “And the next time?”

  Mantle suddenly became very interested in the table’s scratches. “She told me I couldn’t bring him over there again.” She ran her fingernail over the notches.

  Nick studied her. The way she slumped in the chair. How she wouldn’t even glance up, not even at her lawyer. “Did you bring him over to Gina’s house again, after she told you not to?”

  She nodded.

  “What did Gina say?”

  Mantle looked at Putman, then back at him. “She didn’t know. At first.”