I continued to relate the history of the college and to describe the campus. Although years later, the campus still looked much like it did in the days when it was a boarding school. Most of the buildings had been renovated and updated to accommodate Wi-Fi and other modern conveniences.
With the murder at the rec center, McCann asked more questions about that structure. The original building had served as the entrance with offices and a small laundry facility. The rest of the building had been added about 10 years ago. To preserve the aged appearance of the campus, the structure and materials were chosen to match the entrance and the other buildings. The rec center was available for various fitness activities to students, faculty, and staff. It had much of the same equipment as any private gym.
The college required that all students take three semesters of physical education, so there was a traditional gymnasium that was used for basketball, gymnastics, dance, and so on, as well as a pool. Behind the rec center were additional venues for softball and volleyball. The college did not include golf on its campus, but instead had an arrangement with the Cold Creek Country Club for those students who wished to take golf.
Of course, this was at an additional cost for those students who were not already members of the country club set. The remaining buildings were the academic buildings, and all had a similar set up. All lined up along the four sides of the quadrangle. The Humanities building stood to the east of the Administration building. Normally, if the fountains were operating, they would obstruct my view of the rec center.
As I described the campus, the detective had drawn a rough sketch that pretty much captured the campus. He exhaled and offered, “I’m sorry to say although this college is probably on our map, I never knew it was here. I was transferred to the Appomattox office last month. I haven’t quite gotten my bearings,” he explained.
Leaning back, and thinking it through he added, “I’m a little surprised colleges like this can thrive and compete with the major state universities. UVA and Virginia Tech are good schools.”
“There are lots of advantages to the big universities. They have more options, more athletics, more of everything. But not always good things, even though the cost is lower than a private college,” I explained. “At Cold Creek, most of the students are from nearby. They come from here in Cold Creek. Some come from North Shore or Alta Vista or some of the other smaller towns not far from here. Some may even live at home instead of in the dorms. The rest are from Roanoke, Lynchburg or Appomattox.”
“For many of them, their parents think this is a safer setting. In some cases, for their kids, they don’t see any advantage of the larger university. Many of the freshmen don’t have a clear idea of what they want to do with their lives. They might get lost at a larger university. You might say that for many students Cold Creek College provides an opportunity for them to try living away from home and making their own decisions before they pursue a career or graduate school. Unfortunately, for some of the girls, this is something to do before they get married.”
“So, Sheridan, how did you end up here?” he asked with a raised eyebrow. He again dropped the official demeanor and seemed to relax a bit.
I laughed before answering, a little surprised, and even flattered with the shift in conversation. “I was getting burned out in my position as a psychologist at a residential center for troubled youth. I needed a change. I didn’t want to take up private practice, so I looked for an academic position. With no research behind me, the big universities weren’t an option. I think I also would have been trading stressors. This position came open at the right time, and here I am.” I added with a smile, “Most times I like my job, some days I think I am still dealing with troubled youth.“
I didn’t belabor the fact of a marriage that ended badly as a contributing factor to the change in my life’s direction. I left it up to him to decide if the ‘troubled youth’ I referred to were the students or other faculty.
He chuckled and our gazes locked again. But then he shook his head. The official demeanor slipped back in place. I was once again escorting him through the Psychology Department. Mitch and Jack were now in their offices.
Mitch was probably the only faculty member older than Jim Grant. He also was the most down to earth of us all. He was a clinical psychologist and still did some pro bono work in the community. He and his wife Dora had been a lot of support to me when I arrived in Cold Creek. He took efforts to make everyone feel worthwhile. He greeted McMann like an old buddy. He acknowledged up front that he had heard about the detective. Other than an eye roll in my direction, he took it all in stride. But that was Mitch.
Jack also didn’t seem to have any issues with McMann. McMann, however, looked a little puzzled by the preschool decorations of Jack’s office. Jack was a developmental psychologist and he played the part. He was mostly interested in preschoolers and his office reflected that. At times, he tried to be ‘cool’ right down to the long hair he sported, tied back with an elastic band. No one else was around so it was time for McMann to move on. By then, it was after 2 and I turned him over to the staff in Sociology.
Chapter 3
As I walked back to my office to try to get some work done, it occurred to me that of the Psychology Department, only Mandy, Priscilla, and Adam were missing. That meant only Adam could potentially be the victim. It suddenly dawned on me why McMann and Joe started with our department. Coming to me this late in the process, I felt a bit stupid for not realizing earlier the victim was one of us.
I tried to think of everything I could about Adam Millberg. Adam, like Kim, tended to teach the abnormal psychology class and then specific other classes on perception, learning, memory, social psychology, or such. In effect, he pretty much had only the psychology majors in his classes, and then usually in their junior and senior years.
About my age, he was attractive in a beach boy sort of way. He was blonde, hair a little longish, and dressed casually but with style that showcased the time he spent working out, an easy and contagious smile. He had a kind of charisma about him that was hard to describe, but his presence was palpable when he entered a room. He was what some would call a “chick magnet.”
As I thought about it, the likelihood that it was him became even stronger. He was one of those men who seemed to think that every woman obviously was interested in him and would welcome his arm around them or his hand strategically placed.
I had been surprised when Kim confided to me that when she first came to Cold Creek, she had dated Adam for a while. I think that was between wife number 3 and number 4. I recalled that he got divorced again, but wasn’t sure if he remarried. I also remembered hearing that he and Ali dated at some point. That was also before my time and also ended badly.
He came on to me as well, but I declined multiple times, and very bluntly. Since then my interactions with him were always stilted. It seemed to be a constant effort on my part to let him know his advances were not welcome. I didn’t feel I could ever let my guard down around him. I didn’t trust him in my gut.
There were also rumors from back in the days before sexual harassment was defined and monitored. Some said his behaviors toward female students were not always the most appropriate. Policies on faculty-student relationships were pretty clear these days. I wasn’t so sure that his behavior changed all that much, but no complaints had been filed. It was certainly possible that he had pushed a little too hard or managed to make someone mad.
I groaned and tried to get back into setting up everything for my course. Murder or no, I was pretty sure I was going to have to teach next week. I’d managed to upload podcasts and a couple of video clips to supplement the lectures for the first week, when Kim came by. She seemed a little calmer if not yet back to her usual upbeat self.
She glanced at my computer and commented that she was doing the same thing for her abnormal psychology class. We complained a bit about the latest online support system and the approaching semester. Both of us seemed to be avoiding
the subject of the murder.
I wondered if she‘d seen Adam at the rec center and so I asked in my most casual voice, “Kim, I didn’t see Adam today. Have you seen him around?”
She immediately responded, a bit on the defensive, “No, why do you ask?” I noticed that she seemed more on edge than a few minutes ago.
“Oh, Kim, you’re not seeing him again are you?” I asked, feeling that this was not going to be a good thing. Their previous relationship hadn’t ended well. Actually, I don’t think he was affected one way or the other. She hadn’t fared as well, feeling a fool.
She shook her head and opened her mouth, but didn’t immediately say anything. “Okay, so I went to dinner with him a few times. At least this time I know he’s not serious. I know the game, but I like the attention and the company,” she said with a sigh.
I nodded my agreement with her. Cold Creek is not exactly a hotbed for singles unless you happen to be a college student or in that age bracket. Because of the college, most of the social venues also catered to a younger crowd. With predominantly students from the surrounding areas, any other social venues were family oriented.
At one point we’d both tried one of the on-line dating services, but the nearest potential matches often ended up being about an hour away. That put them in Roanoke to the west or Richmond and Petersburg to the east. The distance was not exactly convenient for beginning a relationship or even having a date. Even Appomattox would have been closer, but no matches from there. A few in neighboring small towns, but slim pickings.
Adam was one of the few male faculty members who was not married or gay, other than Doug that is. We’d joked about a date with Doug, but neither of us could imagine such a thing. There were a lot more single women faculty and staff than men, as Adam had discovered. Even in the community, and with the universally high divorce rate, there were few available males.
I dated the dentist in town a few times. Wayne was nice enough, but basically boring unless you wanted to discuss the terrain of your molars and the crevices while you ate your dinner. Kim dated one or two men she met through community groups, but never more than once. Somehow, among the society set, it was still a man’s world, and women were supposed to know their place. More importantly, well-educated women didn’t seem to have a place in their social circles. Then there was the fact that we were both psychologists.
“Then why do you seem defensive?” I countered, picking up on the underlying emotion that didn’t match her words.
“Because I knew you’d give me a hard time, and tell me how stupid I am,” she responded with a smirk. We both laughed and that seemed to break the tension. Kim left, and I was back to my online supports for classes. I looked at my watch, it was after 4, and I was at a good point to stop. I shut down my computer and gathered my belongings. All at once, I sensed that someone was at my door. Turning around, Detective McMann stood there, leaning against the door jamb and looking great.
“Getting ready to leave for the day?” he asked. When I nodded to the affirmative, he added, “Mind if I take up a bit more of your time?” I put down my bag, waved to the chair, and sat back down.
He cleared his throat, and then, with very little emotion, said, “The victim this morning was Adam Millberg. Now that his family has been notified, I need to ask you some more specific questions about him.”
I nodded and said, without realizing it was out loud, “I knew it.”
“Excuse me, did you say ‘you knew it’? How?” he countered, now looking a bit confused and possibly even angry.
I shrugged my shoulders and explained that it was process of elimination. Adam was the only male not accounted for. And there had to be a reason for a detective to be in our department so soon in the investigation, when we weren’t the closest to the rec center. He seemed to relax a little. I realized his first reaction might have been to think that I had withheld information earlier.
“Good deductive skills. What can you tell me about Millberg?” he asked. He seemed to mean the compliment, rather than being condescending. I certainly didn’t tell him how long it took for me to figure it out.
“I think he’s been on the faculty for about 10 years. I seem to recall he got a 10-year pin last spring. He’s from somewhere in the Midwest I think. I always got the impression he came from money. He was always well-dressed, drove expensive cars. He certainly never seemed to lack for money, and the salaries here aren’t that great. He teaches mostly the upper level classes with psychology majors. I guess that should be ‘taught’.” I shrugged, and realized that I was actually very hesitant to talk about Adam. I especially didn’t want to talk about his relationship with Ali or Kim.
“Sheridan, was he well-liked? Anyone have a grudge against him that you are aware of? Ever hear anyone threaten him? Any arguments?” McMann asked, looking a little frustrated with my rather minimal and academic description of him.
“Um, uh, I don’t remember ever hearing anyone threaten him, no. He could get into it with any of us over which classroom his class was in or what time, but if that was motive for murder, most of us would be dead.”
Taking a deep breath, I continued, “Was he well-liked? Depends on who you ask I guess. And when. I don’t mean to speak poorly of him when he can’t defend himself, but truth be told, Adam was a class A jerk and a womanizer. I don’t think he ever made eye contact with a female. His gaze was always chest level. He was very smooth and played to people’s weaknesses. Lots of women, including his multiple wives, as well as possibly a few husbands and fathers could hold a grudge.” I knew that I could have been more explicit, but I wasn’t lying. I had to figure out how to help eliminate both Ali and Kim as suspects.
“Sounds like a real great guy,” he responded, sarcasm evident. He was making good eye contact, almost exaggerated. “What about you and Millberg?” he asked. I could tell he was clenching his teeth in reaction to my description and waiting for my answer.
“My first introduction to Adam was when I interviewed and they held a reception for me. I noticed him when he walked into the room. He had a way of drawing attention without being loud or obnoxious. It was part of his charm. Very smooth. Fortunately, I watched him as he worked the crowd. Talking to the men, hands roaming on the women. By the time he was introduced to me, I wasn’t sure I even wanted to shake his hand. But hand shaking wasn’t his style, and I got pretty good at avoiding his advances or very purposely moving his hand.”
I paused and then added, “This used to be Doug’s office, and I was in the office Doug is in now, next to Adam’s. The tension was such that Doug offered to switch offices with me so I wouldn’t be such a convenient target. So I guess I could be a suspect as much as anyone.”
“I will have to reconsider my impression of Doug. He wasn’t particularly talkative, but if he stepped in to help you out, that’s a point in his favor.” He cleared his throat, and asked, “Anything else I should keep in mind about Millberg?” He was obviously ignoring my comment about being a suspect. He neither denied nor affirmed it.
I shook my head, and then he went back over the notes from this morning on when I arrived, that Terra and Ali were already here, when Kim arrived, that Max, Jim, and Doug were all here. He also made it very obvious that I couldn’t provide anyone an alibi for when the murder occurred, including me.
He asked about Mandy and Priscilla since he hadn’t met them, first in general and then in relation to Adam. I couldn’t offer much by way of information on either of them. They were newer faculty, only hired within the past two years. Both were married and in their thirties. They tended to socialize with each other because they had similar interests and kids the same ages. Priscilla covered some of the same courses as Adam. That would give her more opportunity or occasion to interact with him. On the other hand, Priscilla almost bristled with tension and wasn’t not particularly social.
As I told McMann, I didn’t think their being married would have stopped Adam, but I had no reason to believe that either of them had be
en involved with him. In fact, though I didn’t mention it to McMann, I didn’t think they were his type. Besides being tightly wound, Priscilla was a brunette. Adam’s preference was for blondes or red heads. Mandy’s two-year old meant that most often she was only here when absolutely necessary. That alone would have limited Adam’s contact with her.
He asked about Katie, with a hint of a smile. I felt a flash of jealousy that she had impressed him. I told him that I didn’t know if Katie and Adam were ever involved, but that was based on all I’d heard about his relationships before I came to Cold Creek.
McMann also asked about the male faculty, but I couldn’t tell him much there. As far as I knew, Adam only was interested in women and the men didn’t comment on his exploits to me. I hadn’t ever observed him socially with any of the male faculty. It was after 5 o’clock when the detective finally closed his notebook. Running his hand through his hair again, he offered to walk me out. It was pretty deserted and we didn’t run into anyone as we left. I noticed there was still a lot of activity near the rec center, and shot him a questioning look.
“They are still working on the scene. They should be done tonight, but I’m afraid the rec center will probably be closed for another day or two. You work out over there?” he asked.
“Only if it is too hot or too cold or too wet to walk in the arboretum.” I pointed in the general direction. “I’d rather walk outside and there is a mile long track of sorts.”
He nodded, and as we reached my car, he made like to tip his hat, except he wasn’t wearing one, and commented that he’d probably see me in the morning. As I pulled out, I noticed him walking toward the rec center. I wasn’t sure why the State police were involved for a local murder. It didn’t make any sense.
Murder at Cold Creek College Page 3
