Death of the Ayn Rand Scholar

by Gray Cavender

  Jillian leaned toward Sarah a little. “OK…”

  “So, this is about an incident involving Professor Siemens, and…” she looked at nearby tables to see if anyone was listening-in on their conversation, then said, “And, I’m sorry to say, Professor Ian Naremore.”

  Jillian nodded and opened her IPAD, but her shoulders slumped a bit.

  Sarah referred to notes—some printed pages she’d pulled from her briefcase. “The incident occurred at a committee meeting…this was the University Curriculum Committee…two weeks ago. So, Professor Naremore was appearing before the Committee because he was trying to obtain approval for a new graduate course. Ordinarily, asking to create a new course doesn’t generate overview at the university level, but it did in this case because the course was to be a part of a proposed graduate Certificate on Regulation that would be managed through Justice Studies.”

  Jillian nodded that she understood.

  “Professor Siemens also appeared, speaking against the creation of the certificate. Apparently, she was at the committee meeting solely to oppose Professor Naremore’s certificate…she wasn’t otherwise on their agenda.”

  Jillian nodded and began to type.

  Sarah continued, reading from her notes. “Her major points were, first, that the new course was redundant to existing courses that Professor Naremore taught. Second, there was no demonstrable need for the proposed certificate in the area of regulation, but that, if there was to be such a certificate, it should be housed in the Economics Department. Third, she said that Professor Naremore had not provided the proper documentation for the University Committee to consider the matter.”

  Sarah looked up from her notes and said, “Obviously, Professor Siemens was very prepared in her opposition to his certificate…as if she’d read the proposal…in advance.“

  Sarah paused, waiting until a waiter refilled their water glasses and then left their table. “There was a discussion between Professor Naremore and Professor Siemens about his proposed certificate that quickly devolved into an argument, which became quite heated.” She read again, “Professor Naremore then physically threatened Professor Siemens…she alleged this in a statement she filed with our office.”

  Sarah looked-up, made eye contact with Jillian and said, “What Professor Siemens filed wasn’t a formal grievance…I’d characterize her filing as a precursor to a formal grievance, which she indicted would soon follow. In other words, she’d begun the process, but, she died before…” she tapered off, then added, “A colleague intervened and persuaded Professor Naremore to leave the committee meeting, defusing a situation that was becoming an ugly one.”

  Sarah paused again, then said, “We’re trying to decide whether or not there should be any follow-up on this incident. As I said, Professor Siemens didn’t actually file a formal grievance, but still, an allegation about problematic conduct by an ASU faculty member is serious. But again, it’s an informal allegation…so… And, in any case, your investigation takes precedence.”

  Jillian nodded.

  Sarah was quiet again. All around them was clamor of a busy, popular restaurant…dishes being cleared, others being served, people laughing, customers coming and going.

  Sarah broke the silence. “I imagine a murder investigation is hard enough, then…this business on top of the usual…issues.” She pointed to the printed pages, which she laid on the table.

  Sarah smiled and said, “You know, before I came here today, I pulled your employee file and re-read everything that went on when you were vetted for the ASU job. My recollection was correct…you not only had a strong letter of recommendation from Professor Naremore, I actually called him…myself, and talked with him about you. He gave you a glowing recommendation, Jillian.”

  “Brother,” was all she could manage, her first words since Sarah had begun these comments. She gave another, longer sigh. Then, “OK, I think you’d better tell me more about the grievance process in this case…were you handling the grievance?”

  “No, one of my colleagues, Kathleen Jermyn, caught this one…she handles the lion’s share of the grievances that come to us. She mentioned it to me, but only in passing…you know, ‘here’s an interesting one’…something like that. Then, when the news came down about Professor Siemens being…well, murdered…this is still hard to wrap my head around…anyway, Kathleen thought this incident might be important. She knew that you and I are friends, so she and I talked…and we also discussed the situation with our supervisor, and everyone agreed that I needed to get this information to you…ASAP. So, here it is,” she said, and pushed the pages across the table.

  Even as she tried to clear her mind, Jillian flashed on the scheduled interview tomorrow with Professor Naremore. She didn’t mention this, though. Instead, after mentally shaking her head clear, she said, “Two things jump out at me, Sarah. You said Professor Siemens wasn’t on the committee’s agenda that day…she was there specifically to oppose Professor Naremore’s certificate. And, second, you said she appeared to have read his proposal in advance. How are those things possible?”

  Sarah thought for a few second, then said, “Well, as for point one, the committee’s agenda isn’t secret, it’s public information because it’s a public meeting. The second point is harder…getting Professor Naremore’s proposal in advance…I don’t know how she managed that…it’s just that she seems to have read it. But as for how…I don’t know.”

  Jillian nodded. “So, who chairs the University Curriculum Committee?”

  Sarah reached across for the pages, turned them sideways, and said, “OK, the committee Chair is Steve Sylvester…he a professor in…Accounting. But, my sense about these university-level committees is that staff people play a major role in managing the agenda and most of the actual business. In this case that would be…Louisa Disis.

  Sarah punched several buttons on her cell phone, and in less than 30 seconds, texted Jillian ASU phone numbers for Professor Sylvester and Ms. Disis. After her cell swooshed that the texts had been sent, she said, “So, Kathleen had started her work-up on the grievance.”

  “That’s great. What was she finding?”

  “She’d contacted Professor Sylvester, who said that the other professor, the one who convinced Professor Naremore to leave the meeting, was a music professor named…” Sarah again looked at one of the sideways pages she’d given Jillian. ”Jeff LeJohns. He was at the meeting advocating for his own graduate certificate…something in music, of course,” she smiled.

  “Professor Sylvester told Kathleen that he thought that LeJohns and Naremore knew one another, which helped in getting Professor Naremore to leave the meeting. Kathleen then contacted Professor LeJohns, and he confirmed that, yes, the incident did happen. This was only a preliminary call, and she hasn’t followed-up with him. And, she hadn’t contacted Ms. Disis, yet…the staff person. We stopped everything till we could get all this information to you.” She scrolled on her cell phone and texted Jillian Professor LeJohns’ ASU phone number.

  “We did the right thing, didn’t we, getting this information to you?”

  “Absolutely, Sarah…thank you.”

  Sarah asked, “I mean, it seems relevant, right?”

  “Oh yes. At the risk of saying too much, it goes to motive. It was in Professor Naremore’s interest that Professor Siemens not complete the formal grievance, so…” She sighed again.

  “I guess this job can wear on you…too many victims, huh?”

  Jillian nodded and said, “That’s for sure…and definitely too many criminals…bad people doing bad things. And worse, good people doing bad things. Sometimes I wonder if this was a good career choice. You know?”

  Their teas came, the server said their food would be ‘up’ soon, and left.

  Sarah said, “Do you remember during your job interview when I asked you a question about being a police detective? You said, and this is either
a quote or close to it…you said that what you wanted was to ‘do the right thing’ and take problematic people off the street. You didn’t say ‘the bad guys’ like TV detectives…you said ’problematic people.’ And that impressed me.”

  Before Jillian could respond, Sarah continued, “You also said that you worried about what happened to people after you arrested them. Problematic people off the street, yes, but you worried about our prison system. Which you described as ‘broken,’ especially with people of color.”

  “Good memory, but did I actually say all that?”

  “Yes, you did, and it really impressed me. You seemed determined to do the right thing, and you were thoughtful about it. After you got the job, I decided that I’d like a friend who thought like you think. I’ve never had a friend who’s a detective…well, actually I have a cousin who is a police officer.”

  “And?”

  “Oh, he’s a jerk. So OK, not a good example.”

  They laughed, and Sarah continued, “But his being a jerk is unrelated to being a cop. He was a jerk when we were kids. And he’s a jerk now that he’s a cop. He’d be a jerk if he was a lawyer. Actually, he’d probably be an even bigger jerk.”

  They laughed again, and it lightened the mood at the table.

  Their food arrived, they used some extra plates to share bites, and both asked for tea refills.

  Jillian said, “I guess in some ways maybe being a lawyer also generates reflections. Did you leave private practice because you had to defend clients who you didn’t like?”

  So, I didn’t handle any criminal defense work. Actually, Bentley and Waffard—my former firm—does virtually no criminal defense work. But you are right about one thing…a lawyer, especially one who’s just starting out, doesn’t get to choose her clients. I worked for clients in business-related cases where, to be honest, the only reason that I cared about winning was that they were my client…and it was my job.

  She thought as she chewed a bite of salad that Jillian had shared. “Honestly, though, there were times when I really did care…when my client was in the right. And it is exciting to win…especially if it’s a big judgement for your client. I mean, I am a lawyer.”

  “I just wondered about coming to ASU. I assume it was a pay cut.”

  “That’s for sure. But no, the reason I came to ASU was so that I could have a life. So that I could create a life,” she smiled and patted to her tummy.

  “Zack and I wanted to have kids and that’s hard when the name of the game is billable hours. I mean, look at this,” she said and pointed to her large smart phone on the table beside her plate. “I still set my phone out when I’m eating, in case a client calls. There were even protocols about how to handle this, about what to say if a client calls while you’re eating. But you do have to answer the phone.”

  “You mean ASU requires that?”

  “No, it’s just habit from my days at Bentley and Wafford. My point is that being a lawyer in a private firm is a serious business…seriously big business. Which is why I left. It’s hard to work 70 hours a week and also have kids. Of course, ASU is a big client, too, and there’ll probably be times that I have to defend ASU when I think we’re in the wrong…or at least not in what I’d view as being on the right side. But, if you’re a lawyer, you loyalty is to your client.”

  “So, if President Davidos was involved…” Jillian asked and tilted her head.

  “Actually, that a very good example. No, I…our office represents ASU. And while ordinarily that would most definitely include President Davidos, he’d have to hire his own counsel if you charged him with murder.” She grimaced, then added, “That’s what a lot of people don’t realize…you know, for example if they try to bring some complaint to us because they think that ASU is in the wrong, and that we’ll help them. Doesn’t work that way. Our client—right or wrong—is ASU.”

  “So, what about the Sexual Assault Task Force?”

  “That’s good news. This is one of those situations when my client, ASU, is trying to do the right thing. So I can be happy about being loyal to the client. It’s also why ASU has assembled such a high-minded task force.”

  They toasted.

  “But seriously, Jillian, your answers did impress me back during that interview. You made it clear that you’ll do your job as a detective, but that you do think about these other important things.”

  “Well, thanks.”

  “I do have one more question, though—and this is about Professor Siemens’ grievance…her not-quite-yet-a grievance.”

  “OK, shoot.”

  “What would you like our office to do…proceed…or stand down?”

  “For now, stand down. Whatever else is going on here…this is part of a murder investigation.”

  As they hugged their goodbyes on the sidewalk outside Postinos, Jillian made it a point to smile and congratulate Sarah again on her pregnancy. She didn’t want the information about the incident with Professor Naremore to distract from her exciting good news.

  Sarah headed back toward her parking structure at the Foundation Building, and Jillian walked in the opposite direction. Within 20 yards after they parted, she dictated a text to Wes. “You busy?” She kept walking.

  “I’m always busy,” Wes answered even before she’d reached 5th, and included a smiley emoji. “What’s up? Call me.”

  He answered on the first ring. After she recounted Sarah’s information about the incident at the University Curriculum Committee meeting, he said, “Man oh man…how do you spell motive?” Then, after a couple of seconds of silence, added, “Sorry, Jilly…you OK?”

  “It bothers me, Wes, but yes, sure. I’m almost to the Tempe Transportation Center, catching a bus home…and while I wait, I’ll call the committee chair—his name’s Sylvester—and the staffer—Disis. But first, I want to try to reach Professor LeJohns…he’s the guy who convinced Professor Naremore to leave the meeting.”

  “You have their phone numbers?”

  “Their ASU numbers, yes.”

  “Do this, Jilly, text me whether you reach them or not…they could be gone for the day. If you don’t reach them, I’ll get their home numbers and give all of them a buzz. I can touch base, but mainly, I’ll try to set-up interviews with them tomorrow…let’s try to wedge them in before our meet with Naremore. Text me when you get home and I’ll let you know what’s what. Sound like a plan?”

  “Sounds good, Wes.”

  Jillian called the three ASU numbers while she waited for a Jupiter at the Tempe Transportation Center. As Wes had predicted, she got three voice mails. She texted Wes to let him know.

  As she waited for the bus, she thought of what Wes had said: “motive.” It was definitely that.

  When she was on the bus and headed home, she reviewed the notes she had taken with Sarah—three times—and then returned to her earlier interview with Professor Naremore, and reread it…twice. She stared at his chilling words about being glad that Professor Siemens was dead.

  She wondered how Professor Siemens had known that Professor Naremore’s would be appearing at the committee meeting, and how she’d come by a copy of his proposal. Sarah had said the committee chair was an Accounting professor… ”which means he’s a business prof,” Jillian thought, “so maybe he gave her a heads-up about Professor Naremore’s proposal AND also a copy of it…that would explain why she was so prepared.” Obviously, they’d ask him about that.

  She grimaced because now, they’d also have a new line of questions for Professor Naremore. She dreaded it…dreaded the implications of it.

  Once home, Jillian hurried through her ‘getting home’ rituals. She figured that, by now, Wes would have located the home phones and called Sylvester, Disis, and LeJohns. She texted him though, just to be sure…she didn’t want to interrupt Wes if he was on the phone with one of them.

  He quickly called and as
soon as she answered, “Hi Wes,” he said, “OK, here’s what I got. The first guy, Professor Sylvester, wasn’t home, so I left a message. Louisa Disis didn’t answer, either, and I was in the process of leaving her a message, when she picked-up. She said she thought I was a solicitor. Oh well…anyway, first, I’d describe her a fairly snarky. And second, she’s definitely no fan of Professor Naremore. She said, and I quote, ‘that man has got an attitude problem…and he’s a menace to society.’ When I tried to unpack all that, I mainly got that she had her bureaucratic hackles up, and was not happy with his certificate proposal…whatever that is. Once she got her bureaucratic recriminations over and done with, she did say that he had, indeed, threatened Professor Siemens…that she was afraid he’d hurt her, and that she was, and I quote again, ‘a step away from calling campus security.’ We’re on with her at 9:30…that the first she could ‘work us in.’ Very important woman, this Louisa Disis. By the way, Jilly, just exactly what is a certificate?

  “Lots of students these days have double majors, you know, like Ersula. Others have one or even several minors. And, now, for grad students, and undergrad, too, there are all sorts of certificate programs. A student takes three or four specified courses and gets a concentration in some area…it’s listed on their transcript. For instance, in my program, there are certificates in Economic Justice or in Socio-legal studies. They can even include courses in other departments. I guess that’s what Professor Naremore was doing…adding one in Regulation…and his was going to be at the grad level.”

  “OK, got it. I also called Professor Jeff LeJohns, who was home. Right off the bat he said that, given what had happened to Professor Siemens, he wasn’t surprised to be hearing from us. Anyway, he said that he’s actually friends with Professor Naremore and his partner…”