Murder in the Theater (Cold Creek Book 4)

by Christa Nardi

  “Are people practicing and rehearsing? Who’s directing the play?” I hadn’t given it much thought and there wasn’t a lot of activity when we were there earlier in the week.

  “I am directing the play for now. We are rehearsing – or trying to anyway.” He looked away again.

  “Dr. Gorganz, have you heard anything or has anyone said anything that might help Isaac?”

  “Please, call me Jule. Not really. There’s tension and a dark cloud overhead when we go on stage. Although Goeff has tried and I’ve tried, there’s still a hint of the chalk lines on the stage where he was found. Almost ghostly. You’d think it would help for this particular play to have a bit of a ghost. Then there was the problem with the beam falling. Geoff got it back in place, but didn’t have any explanation. May have just been jostled enough over time. Unfortunately, everyone’s so tense it’s hard to portray the upbeat moments of the story.”

  “That makes sense. Maybe do the future or present and use that tension?”

  He made eye contact with me for the first time and smiled. “Do you have an interest in theater?”

  “No, no, not at all, except as someone with a ticket in the audience.”

  We chatted some more and I found I liked this man. His habit of looking away before he spoke was a bit off-putting. For sure, he was a unique character. As we stood up to leave, he took my tray as well as his. I walked beside him and he was taller than I expected. He was definitely not the person who had stopped me in the quad, threatened me, and knocked me down.

  On a whim, I turned to him and asked, “Is there a scene – or scenes I guess – with someone dressed all in black – hooded full length cape – with a mask covering their face?”

  His eyebrows knitted and lines formed on his forehead. “In this play? No masks at all. Marley is dressed in black, but not like you described. Why would he be?”

  “I don’t know.” I shrugged and explained, “I saw a costume like that and wondered if it was from the play. It kind of reminded me of Star Wars to be honest, but I thought I’d ask. Maybe it was left over from Halloween.”

  He looked off and shook his head. “There was an old box with something black in Adelaide’s office, but I can’t imagine it would be used in this play.”

  As we approached the fountain, he nodded and walked toward the Fine Arts building. I headed back to the Humanities building very aware of anyone walking near me or toward me and feeling a bit paranoid. The fresh air and sunshine helped some. I waved to Kim as I passed her office. She had yet another student with her.

  Back at my desk, I emailed Brett and told him about the caped, hooded, masked person and the not so veiled threat. As I’d eaten lunch, I’d decided the person was a woman, but that may have been because of Dr. Gorganz’s coincidental arrival at the cafeteria. Obviously, I needed to alert Kim. That could wait, my class couldn’t.

  After class, I snagged Kim for a few minutes before she had to teach to tell her about the person in the quad. We joked that perhaps we needed to follow our own advice about traveling in pairs. She had to run, but said she’d come by after her class when I mentioned lunch with Dr. Gorganz.

  In my office, my phone showed a missed call from Brett and a text message. I texted back I was in my office and my phone rang immediately. He wanted to know about the person and I did my best to describe the person, most likely a woman. Then I told him about lunch with Dr. Gorganz and his comment about an old box with something black in Adelaide’s office. Brett cautioned me that two people could be working together. In effect, Dr. Gorganz and the caped crusader could be a team. He also pointed out Dr. Gorganz could be trying to place the blame on Adelaide. I assured him both Kim and I would be more vigilant.

  I checked my email and groaned when I saw yet another message from Tonya and one from Grant. As I suspected, both Cramer and Coulter wanted an update. Grant’s email was a forward of one from Cramer. I replied to Tonya’s email and cc’d Grant that Isaac would be transferred to Lynchburg on Friday followed by jury selection on Monday. I pointed out the case was no longer big news and hopefully the trial would exonerate Isaac. Not what they wanted to hear and I didn’t state the obvious that with the trial would be news coverage.

  I scanned and deleted emails and almost deleted one from Adelaide. The “from” line was her name and then her email – silverfaery@ and her email provider. One question answered before I even opened the message.

  “Dr. Hendley. I’d like to thank you and Dr. Pennzel for taking the time to meet with me earlier this week. It is very important we put this incident behind us. As you know, the standard in the theater is ‘the show must go on’ so I hope you have sufficiently established Isaac’s innocence. We need him for the show. Sincerely, Adelaide.”

  Short and sweet. For a brief minute, I wondered how she got my email, but remembered she knew many people on campus and any one of them could have given it to her or she could have done a web search for me as I’d done for her. In person and this email, she was a lot more positive and professional than her responses as “silverfaery” to Thompson’s blog.

  I’d finished my preparation for the next few days of classes when Kim came by. She sank into the chair and shook her head. The sexuality class always had this effect. While she recovered, I told her about my coincidental lunch date and we talked more about the person who’d threatened me.

  CHAPTER 21

  The knock on my door jamb broke my concentration on the article in front of me. I looked up to see Joe Janis. As hard as I tried to stop it, the groan escaped. I’d known he’d be around sometime, and he’d been remarkably absent since the incident at the counseling center. With the upcoming jury selection and trial, it made sense he’d be on the job and following the story.

  “Morning, Dr. H. I’d like a few minutes of your time to talk about the murder in Altavista and Isaac Waxman.”

  “Morning yourself, Joe. Only a few minutes though.” Not my preferred activity, but the man did need to do his job. “Have a seat.”

  Seated, Joe pulled out his recorder. “I’m going to record the interview so I can check my notes later.”

  I considered telling him no, but I believed Joe to be ethical. Although he could be a problem when he tried to get information, in the past at least, he’d not manipulated or altered the information he obtained.

  “Dr. H, what is your involvement with the Thompson case? Are you involved officially?”

  “No, Joe, not this time. You know me, always curious about human nature and I love a good mystery. In this case, I also think the prosecution has the wrong person.” Joe’s mouth twitched in response to my sliding in a statement about Isaac’s innocence.

  “What is your relationship to Isaac? To Thompson?”

  “I’ve never met either one of them. I am, as you know, friends with Isaac’s uncle. To get ahead of you, I never even knew there was a community theater in Altavista or heard of Thompson before this tragedy.”

  “Can you tell me how Isaac got involved with the theater in Altavista?”

  “Isaac specifically?”

  Joe nodded.

  “I haven’t had the opportunity to talk with Isaac so I don’t know for sure.”

  “Can you shed any light on the theater and the involvement of Cold Creek College students in the theater and this production?”

  “The best person for you to talk to about that would be Julien Gorganz, a faculty member over in Fine Arts, and on the Board at the theatre. But I’m sure you already know that.”

  Joe huffed. “Yes, I already talked to him. He didn’t talk back though – stonewalled me. I hoped you could fill in the blanks for me.”

  “Sorry, Joe. Have you talked to any of the other faculty over there?” It occurred to me other faculty might be involved.

  “A couple. Most did exactly what you did – told me to talk to Gorganz. One of them made comments about and suggested I talk to a female faculty member – Laura Patrissi. Others wouldn’t talk. And it’s always suspicious when
people won’t talk, won’t say anything one way or the other.”

  He leaned back in the chair as if to say “your turn.”

  I asked, “Did you meet with Dr. Patrissi?”

  He scowled and sat forward. “She talked – or should I say ranted – about the great loss to theater, her undying love, and so on. I guess she told you the same things?”

  I nodded. “Did she say anything about the murder? Who she thought did it?”

  “Needless to say, she didn’t confess and didn’t accuse anyone. She … she wasn’t very lucid some of the time. Grief-stricken as I’m sure you know.”

  I nodded. “It is a sad time for all, especially for those close to him. And the production must go on of course.”

  We volleyed back and forth for another 10 minutes, each of us trying to see if anything we didn’t know shook out. At every chance I had, I slipped in once again the need to be careful and open-minded and to remember this happened in Altavista not here in Cold Creek.

  “Thanks for at least talking to me, Dr. H. I know many who won’t or yell and curse when they see me at their door.”

  “Who else do you need to see?”

  “Already tried everyone in Fine Arts – no one would say a word. Almost felt like they’d been issued a gag order. I stopped random students in the quad, but most didn’t recall the murder or at the very least said they were too busy. I get the protective shield around the college. Admin has to be concerned about the funding stream and Cold Creek is very conservative – at least according to Dr. Bentley.”

  He stood and I shook his hand. The most positive outcome from my conversation with Joe was he didn’t seem to know any more than we did. I sensed from his tone he’d lost some of the zeal he’d had at the beginning with his infringement on the counseling center.

  I no sooner envisioned Joe’s attempt to interview Mitch and Mitch appeared at my door. The grimace on his face and purposeful stomp into my office had me on my feet to close the door.

  “Hi Mitch. How are you?”

  “Why do people have to make things so difficult? We have a legal system. It’s not foolproof by any means, but until there’s an agreed upon alternative, it’s what we have and a lot better than vigilante justice.” He shook his head and I waited.

  “I saw Joe now in the hall. He stopped by my office earlier. I’m afraid I let him have it. No one should be tried in the press, no matter who they are. I was on my way to warn you he was on the prowl, and Grant snagged me. For the last 20 minutes or so he berated me. Sheridan, he actually accused you of harboring a fugitive and not allowing the College to take action against Isaac. Even if Isaac were guilty, the College is not responsible for something that happened in Altavista. What the heck is he thinking?”

  Part of me wanted to laugh. Mitch was inflamed at the things that had upset me, as well as apparently on my behalf. The other part of me was peeved Grant portrayed me as the bad guy here.

  “Scary for sure. The thought has been if they expelled Isaac as soon as he was arrested they could ignore he was ever a student here. Like the news wouldn’t still mention he’d been a student here. Grant didn’t come up with the idea. I told them they’d be looking at a lawsuit when Isaac was not found guilty. I keep waiting for the notice I’ve been fired for insubordination. I’m not sure why they didn’t consult with legal counsel. Maybe my comments led them to that.”

  Mitch shook his head again. “So what is the status?”

  I shrugged. “The whole case against Isaac is circumstantial. Thompson kicked him out of the play. That’s supposed to be the motive, but there are others who have motive as well. Isaac had an appointment with Thompson that night, but no one actually saw Isaac there and it was common knowledge Thompson often hung around the theater until late. The means was Thompson’s own gun, known to be kept in his desk, loaded, by many if not all who ever worked with this group of people. The only un-circumstantial thing is Isaac’s thumbprint on the gun.”

  Mitch stared with a neutral expression and then shook his head. “So they nabbed the first person they found and so far it’s stuck? Unbelievable.”

  “Yup. That’s about it.”

  “How are things going with you and your involvement, along with Brett and Kim and Marty?”

  I took a deep breath and exhaled. “Better. There are still some issues with trust on Marty’s side. Now with the trial is set for next week, the tension is rising again. Not sure how this will all work out. Did you give Grant any words of wisdom? Get me off the hot seat?”

  Mitch chuckled. “Grant said you told him the same thing I did so at least you’re not alone on the hot seat. I did alert him that the other day a couple of students expressed concerns about their safety and asked about building security.”

  “What? What happened?” I wondered if it was Dr. Patrissi’s visit.

  “I’m not sure. What I heard and shared with Grant was that some woman was running through the building screaming. Students didn’t know what to do or who to tell. Sorry, Sheridan, we now have the chore of putting together some kind of message or poster or card to tell students what to do, who to contact, if they see any behavior that worries or frightens them. Grant likened it to the notices in the airport about suspicious activity. Probably will need to talk to security in the process.”

  One more thing. “The three of us can meet after this all dies down and come up with something for the bulletin boards in each building. Hmmm. Maybe we could get a student or students to design it.”

  Mitch smiled and stood up. “That sounds like a plan. I have to run, but needed to vent and wanted an update.”

  After he left, I made a note on my to-do list to address the concern. Email, grading, and my next class still needed my attention. Hard at work, I didn’t notice Max at my door until he started to speak.

  “Sheridan, did that newspaper reporter find you? He came to see me this morning and he agrees with me on how conservative the people in Cold Creek are. You know what I think? I think the paper will crucify Isaac and parents will stop sending their students here.”

  He started off in a whisper but his voice crescendoed as he spoke. I opened my mouth to answer, but he kept on talking.

  “He knew about the crazy lady too. I think Terra is his spy here and she goes home and tells him everything that happens here. You better be careful what you say to her.”

  His head bobbed and with a quick look at the clock, I decided to nod and not argue with him. I stood and explained I needed to go teach. He continued to share his views as I gathered up my notes and closed up my office door. I headed down the stairs, determined to get another cup of coffee.

  Before I knew it, my class was over and I was back in my office. A telephone message had been tacked on my door saying Adelaide Mercer had called and requested I call her back. I dialed her number and the call went straight to voice mail. I left a message. It had been a long day.

  CHAPTER 22

  The next day, after my early morning class, my inbox was overflowing and my office phone showed two voice mails. I listened to the voicemail from Adelaide first. Her message indicated she had information that might help Isaac and wanted to meet with me. The next message was from Dr. Gorganz. He referenced an email he sent me and said he hoped to see me soon. I searched my email and found his message.

  “I think I know who killed Thompson. Meet me in the Arboretum at the third bench, red trail, at 10:30 today. Jule”

  The clock on my computer read 10:15 so I only had a few minutes if I was to get there by 10:30. I’d have to call Adelaide back after I met with him. I jogged down to Kim’s office but she wasn’t there. I texted her and called Brett. Brett’s phone went straight to voicemail so I left a message. At least he was in North Shore again today. Still leery of meeting with Dr. Gorganz alone, I tried Chief Hirsch. He wasn’t available either, so I left another message.

  I wanted to be sure someone knew where I was going and why. Justin Blake met someone in the Arboretum and ended up dead. Not my ch
oice this morning. I pinned a note on my door.

  As I left the building, I detoured to my car and grabbed my big flashlight. It didn’t shoot bullets but it was heavy enough to use as a weapon if I was close enough. I speed-walked to the Arboretum with only a minute to spare, phone in my hand, 9-1 already typed – only the second “1” and the police were a click away.

  I entered the Arboretum and by force of habit took the black trail. I corrected and left the black trail for the red trail. This one was a shorter trail that circled back. As I neared the third curve in the trail, I heard loud voices. It sounded like Adelaide. She and Dr. Gorganz were engaged in a loud disagreement. I stepped back as I caught words like “Thompson” and “murder” along with accusations. They continued to shout at each other.

  I recalled Brett’s warning that Dr. Gorganz could be working with whomever had threatened me and that certainly could be Adelaide. This could all be a set up – a scene they were putting on for my behalf. I decided to play it safe though, backed up a few yards, added the second “1” and pressed call. In a whisper, I tried to explain the situation to the dispatcher but I wasn’t sure she understood. I texted Brett and Kim. As a backup, I set my phone to record and moved a little closer, careful not to make any noise.

  “Jule, don’t you understand? You can now be the Director and I’ll be Chair. We can work together to make this work. Isn’t that what you wanted all along?”

  “I didn’t want Thompson in control. He’s destroyed everything you worked for. I didn’t want him dead though.”

  “Don’t you see? That was the only way. I tried to talk to him many times. He could be so charming you know. But then he never heard or understood how much harm he was doing.”

  “What did you do Adelaide?”

  “He made a mess of the theater and destroyed my community of actors. He dumped me for that witch but still wanted me to guide him. His handling of Isaac and A Christmas Carol was the last straw. This is a story about waking up and realizing the way you should live and the way you should treat people. I thought convincing him to do this play, he would get the message. Instead he was so clueless about himself and what he was doing, he was ruining this play and the theater.”