“You could say that. Did you hear anything before Miles fell, Nancy?”
“I don’t know.” Nancy hesitated. “There may have been a struggle,” she admitted.
“You heard a struggle on the roof?” Clarissa demanded, suddenly feeling hopeful.
“Maybe,” Nancy said. “I’m not sure. It was late and I was tired. I wasn’t really paying attention. I just wanted to get home, you know? I think I heard something above me – it sounded like a scuffle.”
That was interesting! Intrigued, Clarissa eagerly asked, “Can you describe what you heard?”
“Not really,” Nancy said unhelpfully. Her eyes were shifty and her voice seemed to have become an octave higher. “I really need to prepare for my next appointment,” she said again, this time more forcefully. It was clear her patience was running thin.
“Okay,” Clarissa relented. “I’ll go.”
As Clarissa slowly stood up, she studied Nancy thoughtfully. The woman’s sudden change in behavior was concerning, to say the least. She had gone from being accommodating and warm to aloof and vague in a matter of seconds. The transformation had been rather shocking, really.
As soon as Clarissa had mentioned Miles Connor, Nancy’s body language had completely changed. It was as though she had morphed into another person. She had become tight-lipped and uncooperative, and she had been anxious to shoo Clarissa away. That was odd, to say the least. Why was she so uncomfortable?
“Were you close to the dean?” Clarissa asked before leaving, hoping for some answers.
“His office was right down the hall,” Nancy replied matter-of-factly. “You said so yourself.”
“Yes, but I mean were you –?”
“I really don’t have time for this right now,” Nancy interrupted.
“Oh. Right,” Clarissa nodded. “Well thanks for your time.”
After practically being shooed out of the office, Clarissa moved to the next name on her list. It was Hannah Woods, the student Matilda was so fond of. Hannah was also the Green City Police Department’s number one suspect in the dean’s murder.
Clarissa was eager to draw her own conclusions about the young woman.
Unfortunately, she quickly discovered that Hannah was absent from class.
It wasn’t a shock. After all, Hannah had already advised Matilda that she didn’t intend to go to class for a while. She was apparently too shaken up by Miles Connor’s death to do that. One could conclude that was suspicious behavior…but it was just as likely that Hannah was innocent and upset about being questioned by the police.
Even though Hannah wasn’t at class, Clarissa was still determined to get some answers. She waited around until class ended. Then she walked up to a group of students emerging from the lecture hall.
She listened to them chat amongst themselves for a moment or two before speaking to them.
“Have any of you seen Hannah Woods lately?” she asked.
“I’m pretty sure she’s lying low now that the dean is dead,” the shorter guy said.
“Yeah, I heard the cops questioned her. They think she pushed him!” his buddy chimed in.
“What do you think?” Clarissa asked.
The taller young man shrugged. “I don’t really know Hannah that well. We hang out with different crowds, you know? She never comes to parties or anything like that. She’s obsessed with getting good grades,” he scoffed.
“She let me borrow her notes a few times. And she tutored me once when I was flunking first year algebra,” the short guy volunteered. “She wasn’t so bad. I got a C in the course,” he added proudly. “That’s a passing grade!”
“So Hannah’s a smart girl, huh?”
“Smarter than us,” the shorter guy joked.
“Hey, speak for yourself!” his taller friend protested.
“Hannah is intense,” a young woman who had been listening chimed in. “She’s really obsessed with being the best. She wants to get the best grades and score extra credit whenever she can. She’s a perfectionist, I guess. She’s a total overachiever.”
“I heard something about a failing grade,” Clarissa said. “Do you know anything about that?”
“I heard she flunked one of Assman’s exams,” the shorter guy said.
“Uh, pardon?” Clarissa asked, thinking she must have misheard.
“Professor Osman,” the girl explained. “We all call him Assman. He’s kind of, well, an ass.”
“I see. And Hannah had a falling out with him?”
“He’s a tough prof,” the shorter guy explained. “Lots of students drop his classes because he’s such a pain. He fails more students than he passes, so I guess it’s not that surprising that Hannah had problems with him.”
“Where can I find him?” Clarissa asked eagerly. If he was such a terrible guy, then maybe he was worth investigating! At this stage, every possible lead had to be considered.
“You can’t find him. He’s away on medical leave right now,” the taller guy explained. “He had emergency surgery two weeks ago for a ruptured appendix or something.”
“Karma,” the girl murmured under her breath. Clearly she wasn’t fond of the man!
Hmm, there went that lead.
“Thanks guys,” Clarissa said gratefully. “You’ve all been really helpful.”
“Hey,” the taller guy interjected. “I don’t recognize you. Are you new here?”
“Not exactly,” Clarissa replied.
“Do you want to come to a party tonight?” he asked.
“You should,” the shorter guy jumped in. “Our parties are epic.”
“Thanks for the invite, but I’m far too old for a college party,” Clarissa smiled.
Secretly, she was completely thrilled that she had somehow managed to pass for a student. Twenty year olds wanted to hang out with her! A college party didn’t exactly sound like fun to Clarissa – those days were long behind her. But still, it was flattering to be invited!
Chapter 09
“Knock, knock!” Clarissa called in a silly voice that sounded nothing like her own.
“Who is it?” Parker called through his partially shut office door.
She took the opportunity to fling the door open and strike a pose. “It’s your amazing, wonderful, young-looking girlfriend!” she declared dramatically. She tossed her hair for good measure and then wiggled her eyebrows goofily.
After an afternoon of investigating a murder, all she wanted was to unwind. And, well, maybe she wanted to brag about being invited to a college party a bit too. It had been a long day and she was just happy to see the man who made her pulse race.
Parker looked puzzled, but he smiled broadly. “This is a nice surprise,” he said. “Come in!”
Clarissa walked into her boyfriend’s office – and then her jaw dropped.
“This is your office?” she demanded incredulously.
It was bigger than her entire living room! The floor was made of black and white marble and the walls were painted a soft shade of muted grey. Leather furniture was tastefully arranged and expensive looking artwork adorned the walls.
Sometimes Clarissa forgot Parker had been born into such a privileged life. His father was a filthy rich, arrogant businessman who had done very well for himself. Though Parker didn’t act entitled or spoiled, he was most definitely A Rich Person. It was a far cry from Clarissa’s own modest upbringing.
“Oh yeah, that’s right. This is your first visit to my office, isn’t it?” Parker got up from his desk and walked over to where Clarissa stood. He leaned down and gave her a peck on the lips. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“It’s good to see you,” Clarissa smiled. “Busy day, or can I steal you away for a bit?”
“Yes and yes,” Parker grinned. “What do you have in mind?”
“I could eat,” she replied. “Want to grab a bite?”
“Give me five minutes to return a phone call and then I’m all yours.”
“Take your time,” she told him. Then
she stepped out of his office to let him work in peace.
As Clarissa wandered the seemingly endless halls, she paused to admire various pieces of artwork. She was sure some of them cost more money than she made in an entire year. There was even an elaborate decorative waterfall against one wall. All she could do was gawk.
Parker’s office was like an art gallery, or perhaps a fancy, high-class spa. It was the complete opposite of Clarissa’s own at-home work space, which was frequently covered by laundry, cookie crumbs and cat hair!
She knew that Parker wasn’t one to brag about his wealth. In fact, he usually kept it under wraps. His soon-to-be-retired father was the showy one, the condescending braggart who loved to flaunt his accomplishments. This was his office building. Parker was simply taking over the family business for him.
Clarissa noticed a particularly interesting glass statue at the far end of the hall. She walked over and bent down to examine it, intrigued by the artistry that had gone into crafting it. That was when she heard abrupt, impatient-sounding footsteps behind her.
“You break it, you buy it,” a voice boomed snidely.
Clarissa whirled around to see none other than Elwood Tweed standing there.
Parker’s father was a real piece of work. Sure, he looked respectable in his expensive designer suit and too-shiny shoes, but appearances could be deceiving. He may have been someone who demanded respect, but as far as Clarissa was concerned, he didn’t deserve any.
The pig-headed entrepreneur was one of her least favorite people. He had purchased and unapologetically shut down the only newspaper in Sugarcomb Lake. Clarissa had been left jobless thanks to him.
Things had worked out and she now ran her own publication…but the stupid old jerk had really caused her a lot of unnecessary stress. She was well aware that he was willing to step on anyone if it meant making a buck. She supposed that was why he was so rich.
“Get me a coffee!” Elwood barked.
“Excuse me?” Clarissa asked, taken aback.
She and Elwood had met in the past, back before she had started dating Parker. But apparently he didn’t remember her. There was zero recognition on his big, sneering, spray-tanned face. All she saw there was entitlement.
He peered at her as if just seeing her for the first time. He took in her old faded jeans and comfy sneakers. Then he sneered at her casual attire. “You don’t work here, do you?” he demanded. “If you did, you’d have been fired by now for dressing like that!”
Then before Clarissa could answer, he turned and marched toward Parker’s office.
As it turned out, Parker happened to be coming out of his office at that very moment. He was whistling under his breath. He appeared to be happy and relaxed. Then, right after he shut off the lights in his office, he came face-to-face with his father.
Parker’s face immediately fell. “What are you doing here?” he asked.
“It’s my office! I built this empire from the ground up!” Elwood roared, oozing entitlement and condescension. “I’ve entrusted you to take over when I retire and this is how you repay me? By sneaking out early? Your work ethic stinks!”
“I’m only stepping out for dinner,” Parker insisted, standing his ground. “I worked through lunch today, and I’ve worked late every night this week. In fact, I can’t even seem to recall when I last took an entire day off.”
“I don’t care!” Elwood raged. Then he turned around and looked at Clarissa with disdain. “Who’s this?” he demanded. “Are you really blowing off work to go gallivanting around town with someone who looks like she got dressed in the dark?!”
“Hey,” Parker protested, taking a step forward. “Don’t be so rude.”
Elwood flew into a rage at that. His face turned bright red and he got all sweaty. “I give you the world on a platter and this is how you repay me? Don’t you dare tell me how to act! You’d better watch yourself! You’ll never amount to anything if you keep this up!”
Parker looked like he was about to yell at his father. And truthfully, Clarissa would have very much enjoyed witnessing that old goat being put in his place. But unfortunately, Parker didn’t get the opportunity. Before he could even open his mouth, Elwood stormed out.
“I’m really sorry about that,” Parker told Clarissa, obviously flustered. “I didn’t know my father was coming in today. Otherwise I would have warned you. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Clarissa assured him, her heart going out to him. She reached out and took her boyfriend’s hand. “For what it’s worth, your father couldn’t be more wrong. He said you’ll never amount to anything. That’s nonsense. You already have a lot to be proud of.”
Parker leaned down and kissed Clarissa on the cheek. “Thanks. And for what it’s worth, I think what you’re wearing looks great,” he told her, referencing her worn sneakers and faded jeans. “You look fantastic no matter what you wear.”
“Thank you! Should we get out of here?” Clarissa suggested.
“Yes please!”
The shaken couple walked out of the tall, downtown building that housed the Tweed publishing company. They were immediately bathed in warm sunlight. They stood there on the sidewalk out front both looking like they had emerged from battle.
In a way, that was sort of true.
They had been attacked, unprovoked, by a hostile enemy. Clarissa wasn’t quite sure why Elwood was so mean. She especially didn’t understand why he was so terrible to his very own son, of all people.
Parker was so nice, and his dad was such a jerk to him.
Elwood, she concluded, was simply a miserable, nasty person.
Clarissa looked around nervously. She was relieved to discover that Elwood was long gone. She really didn’t want another confrontation with that insufferable old goat! One ugly encounter was more than enough for one day. Actually, it was more than enough for one lifetime.
Rather than dine at a restaurant, Clarissa and Parker bought pizza from a street vendor. Then they took it to a nearby park so they could continue to enjoy the sunshine. There, they sat on a bench that overlooked a small lake.
It was a pretty view, but Parker didn’t seem to be paying attention to it.
“What?” Clarissa finally asked when she couldn’t ignore his staring any longer.
“Huh?”
“You’re staring. Do I have tomato sauce on my face or something?”
“Oh. No,” Parker replied, looking sheepish. He recovered quickly and put his arm around Clarissa. “Do you know how happy I was when you showed up at the office today?” he asked. “Being with you is always the best part of my day.”
Clarissa grinned and tossed the remainder of her pizza crust to some nearby birds. “Remember the last time we ate in the park?” she asked, her eyes sparkling at the fond memory.
“Of course I do. We sat and talked. Well, you talked.”
“Are you saying I talk too much?” Clarissa teased.
“No, I’m saying I hung on your every word. I remember how beautiful you looked as the sun was setting. I couldn’t take my eyes off you,” Parker chuckled. “I still can’t. You’re amazing, you know that? I’m a really lucky guy.”
Clarissa practically melted right on the spot. Her heart swelled so big it felt like it might burst. How had she ever considered Parker her professional rival, her arch nemesis? He was hands down the sweetest, nicest man she had ever met.
And by the sound of it, he was every bit as infatuated with her as she was with him.
Her smile couldn’t have been any bigger.
She smiled so hard her face hurt. She smiled all the way back to Sugarcomb Lake. She even smiled when other drivers honked at her in annoyance for cutting them off. Nothing could interfere with the great mood Clarissa was in!
That is, until she got home.
When Clarissa pulled into her driveway, she saw that her aunt was waiting for her on the front porch. And a moment later, everything the young reporter had thought she knew came crashing down around her.
Chapter 10
“What are you so happy about?” Matilda demanded the second she got a good look at her niece.
“Nothing,” Clarissa beamed.
“If you were smiling any bigger, your face would crack! Spit it out!” Matilda urged.
Clarissa couldn’t play coy a moment longer.
She’d had such an incredible date with her amazing boyfriend that she just had to tell someone! Normally she would have run to the phone and called her best friend…but Matilda was right there in front of her asking for details. Why not share her happy news?
“I just got back from a date with Parker and it was wonderful,” Clarissa gushed, moony-eyed.
Matilda smirked. “I should have known,” she said smugly.
That was an odd reaction, but whatever. Sometimes Matilda was weird. Brushing her aunt’s strange remark aside, Clarissa unlocked the front door. “I’m seeing him again tomorrow night,” she told her aunt giddily.
“You’re welcome,” Matilda giggled.
“Huh?”
“Remember that so-called perfume I spilled on you the other night? Well I may have told a little white lie. It wasn’t actually perfume. It was actually a love potion!” Matilda explained. She looked rather proud of herself, like she expected a thank you or something.
The news stopped Clarissa right in her tracks.
“Wait…you cast a love spell?” she demanded, barely able to believe her ears.
“Yes!” Matilda chirped brightly. She seemed completely unapologetic about her meddling.
“Why would you do that?” Clarissa gasped, all the color draining from her face.
“Okay fine, I’ll admit it. The love potion was supposed to be for me to use on Cliff,” Matilda confessed. “I was nervous and got clumsy. I didn’t mean to spill it on you. But,” she added quickly, “I think it’s all worked out quite nicely, don’t you?”
“Are you kidding me? You cast a spell on my boyfriend?! Don’t you see anything wrong with that?” Clarissa was getting upset now. “You can’t just go around casting spells on people, Matilda! Don’t you get how messed up that is?”
A Drop of Magic (A Sugarcomb Lake Cozy Mystery Book 3) Page 5
