by Nat Kennedy
“Are you getting a reader to scan your mind?” Kyle asked. When he registered the look Reggie was giving him, he nodded. “Because then they'd find your really big secret.” Kyle shook his head in commiseration. “Man, you're in a shitty situation.”
“I am, and I have to go prepare. If you want to practice later today, I should be home by six. Be here and exhausted by then.” Reggie grabbed his keys and headed for the door. “Lock the door, would you?”
“Hey, teach!” Kyle called out. “I know a way for you to help exhaust me!” Reggie closed the door on his student, trying to tame his grin.
Chapter 6
Michael Chancellor, Dean of the College; Helen Price, Human Resources; and Tina Geer, Student Safety, all faced him across a broad table. On the far end were Phillip Nelson and Sally Boltmier, his fellow engineering professors. Fake wood grains lined the glass table top. Helen tapped her pencil as she reviewed the paperwork, the sound tacking loudly against the glass.
“So, Mr. Wolfe, along with the original complaint, two other young women have come forward. One claims you exchanged sex for a passing grade.” Mrs. Price looked up at him from the damning papers. “What do you have to say?”
Reggie's jaw had dropped and it took him a moment to comprehend what Helen Price had just said. “She claimed what?”
Professor Nelson cleared his throat. “If I can say something?”
Mrs. Price nodded at him. “Go head.”
“Professor Wolfe is certainly a young professor, but he's never acted with anything but professionalism with his students. He offers extra hours to help those that are lagging behind. When I took over his class these last two weeks, all of his students had an excellent handle on the basics. None of them needed to have bribed their way to a passing score.”
Reggie glanced over at his colleague with thanks brewing from his eyes. Somebody believed in him.
Tina Geer pushed her glasses up on her nose. “We have found no proof of any untoward actions on the part of Professor Wolfe. The women who have come forward couldn't seem to remember exact dates, nor could they offer any witnesses on their behalf. However, considering the number of alleged victims, I am concerned about reinstating you.”
“You do know,” Professor Boltmier said, finally speaking up, “that Professor Wolfe's sister is a BWS mind reader.” Reggie glared over at Sally Boltmier, minutely shaking his head. He didn't want to bring up a mind reader again. “Why not just bring her in.”
Michael shook his head. “Professor Wolfe has already refused agent help in this case, and we couldn't use a relative anyway, no matter what vows she's taken.”
“Yes, Professor Wolfe, it would be much easier if you would just subject yourself to a mind reader. We could clear all of this up in no time,” said Ms. Geer.
“Why not subject the accusers to the read? Reggie hasn't done anything.” Professor Boltmier glared at Ms. Geer, her hands slowly curling into fists.
Though he appreciated having someone fight for him, Reggie silently prayed she would drop the reading line of thought. Everyone in the case got subjected to a mind Wielder, to account for stronger Mind Shields in some of those being read. Plus, it reduced the number of unnecessary reads when both parties would be subjected to the treatment. Bethany had explained it all to him. It was the way of the world.
“I did not pressure anyone into sexual contact. I have never asked any of my students out. I never touched them inappropriately. I've never had sexual relations with any of them. I've plenty of character witnesses to support this. There is no evidence that I have acted inappropriately.”
“Where were you Wednesday the fifth?” Ms. Geer asked.
“I taught my classes, one at 8 a.m., the other at 1 p.m. I had my regular office hours from 10 a.m. to noon. I had three students come during those hours, you already have their names. I had lunch at Hadley Café. I've no receipt, but I do eat there often. Some staff might remember me on that specific day. I sat in on the student's concrete canoe meeting at 3 p.m. then I graded papers in my office until about 5 p.m. I talked to Professor Boltmier a little.” Sally nodded her accession. “Then I walked home.” Through Calvino Park, where I saved a male Wielder from another male Wielder. “I stayed home for the rest of the evening.”
“Were you with anyone that evening?”
Reggie didn't like the angle of this question. What if someone had seen him with Kyle? But he didn't want Kyle dragged into this. Crap. If he dodged the question, he would only look more suspicious. “No. I was alone.”
His first lie. He prayed it wouldn't come back to haunt him.
“I suggest we let Professor Wolfe resume teaching his classes upon return from fall break,” the Dean said. Reggie frowned, that kept him out of the classroom for an extra week. “These are unfounded claims attacking a young and attractive professor. Obviously these women felt somehow rebuffed by Professor Wolfe and are retaliating in any way to save face.”
“Agreed,” Professor Boltmier said.
“I agree as well,” said Helen Price. “We are paying Professor Wolfe to teach, not sit at home and watch television.”
Hope lifted Reggie's spirits. He stared at the Student Safety manager, smiled slightly, not enough to look like a schmoozer, but enough to show his good nature.
Tina Geer scribbled something down on a form. “Agreed. Upon return from fall break, you shall be reinstated. The paperwork will be in your box. Dismissed.” She stood and marched out of the office.
Reggie leaned back in his chair and whooped.
~~~
A local pop radio station was piped into the small burrito joint on McKenzie Street, three blocks from Reggie's house. Fall leaves and turkeys were painted on the windows. Bethany had instigated an early dinner, and he couldn't turn down a face to face meeting with his sister. He hoped she'd stay for at least an hour.
Bethany lifted a glass of ice tea and clinked it against Reggie's. “So glad that mess got worked out.” They sat under a grass umbrella in a Hawaiian themed Mexican restaurant. It was one of those quirky juxtapositions that could only exist in a college town. Bethany insisted she would make time for her baby brother, and Reggie sorely wanted to talk to someone who knew all his secrets.
He thought about that a moment. There was someone else in his life now who was slowly catching up to Bethany in the secret knowing category.
“And they won't tell you who the accuser was?” She set the cup down, a print of pink lipstick stained the edge of the plastic.
Reggie shook his head as he sipped his pop. “No, and I can see why. But I have an idea of who it might be.”
“Tell me, and I'll find out for sure.” Her shoulder length hair was pulled back in a loose bun, letting escaped curls frame her face, softening her strict features. Whenever she talked about protecting Reggie in any way, a fierceness set her pale blue eyes to ice cold.
“Beth... I don't need you to break the poor woman's mind.”
“I wouldn't break it, just rattle her up a bit.” Her lips curled up at the edge, her smile crooked in its wickedness. She unwrapped her burrito. “It's a lesson she sorely needs.”
“I just don't know why she targeted me.” Reggie ran his hands over his face, trying to scrub his confusion away. It didn't work.
“Because, dear brother, if you hadn't noticed, you are pretty to look at. She probably was batting her eyelashes at you since day one, and you ignored her. Why won't you listen to me? Woman. Scorned. Prepare to pay. You've heard it before, I'm sure.” She chuckled. It was good to hear her laugh.
“But, I didn't do anything to lead any of my students on!”
“Quit being dense.” She threw her napkin at his head, which he easily dodged. “So, how's the kid? You still helping him?”
“Of course, he's doing better. Well, he's not so tangled. He hasn't Wielded since I've been working with him. I told him to come by, so the 'Authorities can look him over.'” He took a bite of his burrito.
“You're so cruel. And you thi
nk he hasn't been using… don't be naïve.” She took a long chug of her tea.
Reggie swallowed, shaking his head. “No, really. I would see the re-entanglement. He hasn't.”
She absorbed that info. “Wow, I'm impressed. Any madness?”
“I haven't noticed any.” Reggie offered his sister a big grin. “I think he's going to be okay.”
“You really like this kid,” Bethany said, all grins and joviality gone. Reggie shifted in his chair. “So, how much have you helped him? How are you doing?”
Reggie shook his head once, dismissing her concern. “I'm fine.”
“No, you're not. You can't untangle yourself, you idiot. Don't overdo it.”
He caught his sister's eyes, held them. “I don't tangle. I'm fine.”
“You know what I mean.” She scoffed. “And I believe that like I believe in the kindness of strangers. I worry about you. You put up these signs to help people, and there is no doubt you can help them like nobody else I've seen, but you put yourself in danger. Someday you'll be so Corrupted you won't be able to teach. To leave the house. How would that make you feel?”
Reggie scowled at her, pushed his burrito away. “New subject, sis. How about we talk about Paul?” He sucked cola up the straw, letting the hit of sugar infuse his body with energy.
It was Bethany's turn to scowl. “Fine. I'll drop it. Just don't be reckless.”
Reggie knew she was right, but he also knew he was Kyle and other men's only hope.
“Excited about Mel's recital?” Reggie asked, forcing the conversation back to Bethany's minefield.
Bethany's brows, previously knit with concern for him, suddenly changed positions and her eyes unfocused as she flipped through her mental calendar. “Of course I am. It's —”
“This weekend. The Thanksgiving performance. You do know, Thanksgiving is in a week. Speaking of, do you want to come to my house? I'll make those yams Paul loves.”
Bethany leaned against the table on her elbows, digging her fingers into her hair, food forgotten. “Thanksgiving... I hadn't even thought about dinner. Crap. This case, it's perhaps our hook into one of the cults. We've got someone on the inside, and it's not... Well, it's taken over my life.”
“That settles it. I'll plan it with Paul. I'll call him, smooth things over for dinner.” He couldn't believe Bethany didn't have this all worked out. Then Reggie caught himself. It was typical Bethany, and it was the reason her marriage was on the rocks.
Bethany's expression drizzled into vacancy. She ran her finger over the lip of her cup, wiping at the waxy lipstick. Then she forced on a smile that looked sickly, almost senile. “I'll talk to him. I'll get the turkey, but if you could cook it....”
Reggie reached over their forgotten food and squeezed his sister's hand. “Yeah. Sure. It'll be fun. I'll candy the yams and make the mashed potatoes, too.” He smiled at his sister. He loved her so much; he hated seeing her in pain.
The door opened, letting in a gust of cool air, and in strolled Kyle, dressed in striped athletic pants and a Columbia Sportswear jacket. He wore a gray knit hat and matching mittens that had the flair of something hand stitched. Locks of black hair poked out from the edge of his hat, his flattened bangs nearly hiding he hoop of gold in his brow. His eyes lit up when he saw Reggie, there was no denying it. Reggie smiled back. But when Kyle noticed Bethany, the evil BWS agent, he quickly slipped on his scowl.
“Hiya, teach. Agent Wolfe-Martin.” He pressed his lips together, nodded slightly, while avoiding their eyes as he tugged off his mittens.
“Sit down, Kyle. Coffee? Tea?” Bethany offered as she stood.
“Coffee please. Black.”
She snorted in laughter and went to the register.
“So, she's really your sister?” Kyle said, leaning forward to speak quietly to Reggie.
“Sure is.”
“She's a lot older than you.”
Reggie leaned in, adding to their secret conversation. “I was a late baby. She practically raised me.”
“So,” Kyle said solemnly, “How did it go? With the hearing or whatever?”
Reggie grinned. “I'm back to teaching after holiday.” He lifted his glass and sucked down half the remaining volume through his straw. Kyle high-fived him. “There was no foundation to the accusations. So, we should discuss a new schedule for you to come over and train.”
The door opened again. The cool air caused Reggie to shiver. Bethany was returning with the coffee and nearly bumped one of the women who'd just entered. The woman turned her head, following Bethany, then she shifted her eyes to look at Reggie.
It was his student, Sandra Scott. She was the one he pegged for the harassment case.
“What is it?” Kyle asked and he twisted in his seat. “Who is that? She piss you off or something?”
Sandra joined her friend and ordered from the cashier. Reggie blinked his eyes. “What?”
“Teach, you're totally glaring at that chick.”
Bethany sat down and offered Kyle his coffee. “Black as sin.”
Kyle laughed. “Just like my soul,” he said with exaggeration. He slurped from the cup, finishing with a lip-smacking flourish.
“I see you're doing well, Kyle,” Bethany began, but Reggie wasn't paying attention.
He watched his student order and wait at the register for her food. She studiously avoided looking at him though she sported a knowing smirk like a conniving cat. All semester she'd been so insistent on getting his attention, and now this cold, amused look.
Reggie watched the women leave with their take-out and walk down the sidewalk until they disappeared.
“And how are you doing? Excited for the holiday?” Reggie heard Kyle ask once he tuned in again. Reggie's eyes zipped to his sister, wishing Kyle would have just avoided the easy and empty conversation topic. Why couldn't he have brought up religion, or politics?
“Of course. I'm hoping the whole family can spend some time together.” She looked mostly normal when she smiled at Reggie. He smiled back, playing for normal as well.
“Reg, you okay?” Bethany asked, squinting at him. Guess he failed.
“Yeah, fine. Just saw a student. She saw me, but didn't say hi. Thought it was odd.”
Kyle shrugged. “You're out of the classroom. Maybe she didn't recognize you without your tweed.” He dashed Reggie a mocking grin.
“So...” Out with it. “I think that was her,” he said to his sister. “The student that brought up the case against me.”
A beeping drew Bethany to her phone. She checked her text. “Oh damn, I gotta go. Who, Reggie. What's her name?” Bethany stood and tugged on her coat. “I'm just going to check her out, see if she'd done anything like this before.”
Feeling a little sick, Reggie admitted, “Sandra Scott.”
Bethany's eyes narrowed as she tucked that information away. Then she turned to their private charity case. “Kyle, keep your nose clean. Reg is giving me regular reports on you!” She pointed her finger at the younger man and then reached around her brother to give him a hug. He squeezed her back.
“I'll look into it, okay. See you at Thanksgiving,” she said.
“The recital!” he reminded her as she left the café.
Kyle downed the rest of his coffee. “You sure that was her?”
Reggie shook his head. “Not one hundred percent.”
“Well, I can ask around about her too—”
“No, just leave her alone. She could be innocent.” Last thing Reggie wanted was to upturn an innocent student's life.
“Fine,” Kyle jumped to his feet. “Let's go. I'm fueled by caffeine now!”
Chapter 7
Reggie's mind was wrapped around Sandra as he rode his bike alongside Kyle. The other Wielder panted heavily as they struggled up a hill, then down the next to Milford Manor Mobile Home Park. They wove their way through the narrow roads to the train tracks on the opposite side. Full dark now, Reggie's headlight offered most of the light that hit their path. He slo
wed down to make sure Kyle could see.
“Ah, another romantic… night… at the tracks,” Kyle huffed. His feet crunched in the gravel next to the train tracks and the air was heavy with the scent of creosote.
“You tired yet?” Reggie asked. They hit a lightly trafficked road that moved them out of the industrial zone back in to low-rent residential.
“Hell yeah! Let's go back… to your place. I can see… my breath.”
It had gotten cold, but Reggie's mind hadn't been in his body, in the here and now. In the dark night as it wrapped around them. It had been with Sandra.
It had to have been her. He thought back to all of her office hour visits. Of spotting her on campus along his routine walks from home to class to the cafeteria. Of the too-friendly, too-sly smiles she would give him. The invite to dinner. She had to have brought the sexual harassment charges against him. Who else could it have been? But why the other women? What did she have on them?
“You bitch! Get back here. Oh my God! That's my purse! You fat bitch!”
Reggie nearly crashed into the curb as he rubber-necked to find the origin of the cries.
A woman dashed from behind a run-down cottage, bag gripped in her hand. She was a heavy woman, but she ran by with a speed that was actually astounding.
Another woman trotted out onto the lawn, cell phone in hand as she started yammering into it.
“We could help. Stop the thief.” Kyle gestured towards the running woman.
“Don't you dare Wield,” Reggie muttered, not wanting to be overwhelmed. “Don't get involved.” The thief was already two blocks away.
Kyle spun on Reggie, pulling his attention away from the criminal. “What is the point in having power if you don't use it?”
Reggie was incredulous. “How about keeping your sanity?”
“You're neutering yourself!” Kyle lunged away, sprinting after the mugger.
“I'm saving myself!” he screamed out after Kyle. “Goddamn it.” Reggie popped on his bike, shifting his gears to give him speed. “Do not use your power,” he ordered as he raced by.
