Murder at Cold Creek College

by Christa Nardi

  “I know why you would prefer walking here rather than in the rec center. It’s very quiet and peaceful,” Brett commented as he took it all in and seemed to relax. The trees in some places formed a canopy and offered some shade. An occasional breeze moved the leaves opening the canopy to let sun in much like a skylight.

  “Yup, no real ‘noise’ other than the breeze through the trees and the warblers and other birds. And it changes with seasons. Spring brings the periwinkle, dogwood and columbine, followed by violets and marigolds. There are some other flowers too, but those are the ones I can identify,” I added as I enjoyed the natural beauty. “The horticulture club made sure to mix colors and heights to show off the flora, and they keep it well tended, with some help from a local company.”

  He nodded and then asked, “So how did you come by the Irish, Sheridan?” I was a little surprised at the sudden change in the conversation, and pleased at how attentive he had been to our various conversations.

  “Both my mother’s and father’s families were Irish stock. My mother’s family – the line was originally O’Schaughnessey, but then they dropped the “O” part. My father didn’t know of any changes to the Hendley, but who knows. My sister and I tried to do a family tree, but the different variations of the Irish names and combinations became a little too confusing.” I shrugged and then asked, “And what about the McMann? Is that Irish or Scotch?”

  “Ah, McMann? Irish, but I suspect it changed over time as well. I never looked into it. My mother’s parents were O’Brien and Hennessey, definitely Irish. I guess none of us ever were very interested in tracing the family tree,” he answered, a somewhat puzzled expression crossing his face momentarily.

  “’None of us’?” I asked, curious at his phrasing.

  He chuckled and added, “Not that many, though I think my ma felt like there were. Three boys and we are close in age, so we were a triple threat. I look back and wonder how she managed.” He shook his head as if remembering some of the trouble they had gotten into.

  “So are you the oldest, youngest, what?”

  He answered, smiling, “I’m the middle one. Terry, the oldest, is the CEO of Westward Inc. and Patrick, the youngest is still trying to find himself, I think. He has been in finance and marketing, and is currently working at a public relations firm. Pat is by far the most social of the three of us.”

  He put his hand on mine, and asked, “So Sheridan, tell me about yourself – not only about your prior job. No wedding band and you live alone. Ever married?” His voice was relaxed and he was smiling. His eyes seemed softer than they had before. And he certainly had cut to the chase.

  “I’m divorced. No children, sheltie named Charlie. One sister, Kaylie, and one brother, Kevin. I’m also a middle child. Originally from Delaware,” I answered. “And what about you?” I wasn’t sure what else to say, and that seemed to cover the basics. I didn’t want to go into the whole divorce thing.

  “Divorced as well. I have one daughter, 12 years old going on 30,” he said wistfully. “She and her mother live in Richmond. Madison comes to stay with me most school vacations or long weekends, and I try to get over there one weekend a month. Other than that, we talk on the phone a lot.”

  “I’m sorry. That must be hard,” I offered quietly.

  “It is, but nothing to be done about it,” he said with a shrug. “We married young. We grew apart, wanted different things.”

  “So how long have you been in law enforcement?” I asked, trying to move away from what seemed like a touchy subject for both of us and back to more neutral ground.

  “Oh, I did four years in the Army as an MP, and looked into law enforcement when I got out. I worked for the Bedford police force for about 10 years, and then moved to the State police. I gradually moved up the ranks to Detective. I was at the Roanoke field office, but when the position came up in Appomattox, I requested the transfer. It’s closer to Richmond,” he explained.

  “What do you like most about your job?” I asked, more than a little curious about what made him tick.

  “I have to say, I prefer the detective part much more than I ever did patrol. There are some additional pressures, but I like trying to figure things out. Kind of like putting a puzzle together and figuring out how all the pieces of information fit together to tell a story.” He smiled and I smiled back. “So what drew you to psychology?”

  I laughed and said, “The puzzles I put together relate to trying to explain why people behave the way they do.” A little more serious, I added, “Children sometimes have problems, but they aren’t always the only ones contributing to those problems. I like trying to figure out the why of the behavior and the how of changing it. Sometimes it’s more challenging, and sometimes there is nothing I can do to change the behavior. Then they end up on your desk. But I like the challenge of trying to figure it out.”

  “But now you’re here?”

  “Yeah, well, like I told you, I decided I needed a change, at least in part due to my failing marriage. My husband also worked at the residential school and so did his girlfriend,” I explained.

  Brett’s eyebrows arched, and I continued, “I also was getting a bit burned out like I said before. Now I teach about the ways and why of human behavior. I also have the challenge of figuring out young adults as they try to discover who they are. Initially, I wasn’t sure I would like teaching, but I do.”

  Squeezing my hand, he chuckled and teased, “And somewhere along the way, you get to try to figure out your colleagues, some of whom….” And he shook his head rather than finishing his sentence.

  Looking at his watch, he suggested we finish our walk and head back to the Humanities building. He put his arm around me as we walked and the temperature seemed to go up a few degrees. He dropped it only as we came out of the arboretum and back onto the quad.

  Back in the building, the warm feeling that had started to permeate my thoughts seemed to fall away. Brett was back in professional mode and Kim wasn’t back in her office. In my office I tried to focus on my course prep again and checked my email. As I had done the rest of the week, I decided to call it quits around 4 o’clock, and almost like clock work, Brett was leaning against the door jamb looking very tempting.

  “You are a creature of habit, aren’t you?” he asked with a grin. “I wanted to stop by and let you know that I called the Chief to check on the progress of the case. He confided that he called in your friend Kim, but didn’t have enough to hold her, so he had to cut her loose.”

  I smiled and relaxed a little. “Thanks for letting me know. I was getting worried. She probably went home.”

  “Probably. So do you have plans for dinner? I’m starving,” he added.

  “No plans,” I answered, not quite sure how I was supposed to be feeling, and feeling a little nervous.

  “Care to join me, then?” he asked and then added, “You can pick the restaurant.” He smiled and looked so earnest, I had to smile back.

  “Sure, but the restaurant choices in Cold Creek are pretty limited. Have you tried the Grill?” I suggested. Other than the pizzeria, a Chinese restaurant, a Starbucks, and a few other fast food chains, there weren’t too many restaurants in Cold Creek.

  “No, but I’m game. Let’s go. I’m parked about four blocks down Main Street, heading east – your guess last night wasn’t too far off,” he said, still smiling.

  “We can walk to the Grill, then. It’s not too far from your car!” I explained, grabbing my bag. He nodded and moved out of the doorway. We left and we made small talk as we walked to the restaurant.

  There were no remnants of the memorial and the campus was fairly empty, as would be expected for the week before classes. Brett asked about the fountains, and I explained that they usually get turned on when classes started and turned off when classes were not in session. As we walked, I pointed out the driveway that led to the dorms, behind the Student Union. There was considerably more activity now than earlier in the week with students moving in.


  It was still early, so the Grill was fairly quiet and we got a booth toward the back. The waitress, Zoe, was the same one who had waited on Kim and me the night before. She gave me a questioning look and a wink. I shrugged and smiled. Of course, that triggered a similar questioning look from Brett.

  I explained that she waited on me a lot and probably wondered who he was. He sighed and shook his head, and we discussed the problems of small towns. The thing was though, somehow Adam had managed to be involved with multiple women, one after the other, or it seemed, several at once. Somehow he had managed to do that and stay under the radar. That was not an easy feat in a small town.

  Zoe came and took our order after she made a comment about the steak sauce. That meant I had to explain what happened with Kim the night before. I tried to describe the steak sauce exploding from the jar but somehow ended up laughing all over again. Zoe joined me in the laughter and Brett chuckled. I wasn’t quite sure if he was chuckling at the picture we’d painted or at us.

  Orders placed, there was silence for a bit, and then conversation. The same occurred once our food arrived. Sometimes the silence was comfortable, sometimes awkward. I wasn’t sure if this was a date or not, but it sure felt reminiscent of a first date. The consolation was that he looked to be as uncomfortable as me.

  We’d about finished eating when I noticed Zoe gesturing to me about something, but I didn’t quite understand. And then I did, as Wayne walked in our direction.

  “Sheridan, how are you holding up?” he asked, very solicitous and proper and directing his question to me. He obviously avoided looking at Brett.

  “I’m doing well. Wayne Cantor, Brett McMann. Wayne is the dentist here in Cold Creek,” I added as I made introductions. The two men shook hands but both seemed to be focused on me.

  “I’ve been worried about you Sheridan,” Wayne explained. “I had hoped you would accept my invitation for dinner if you needed company or solace with all this mess about Dr. Millberg.” He continued to ignore Brett as he spoke.

  “Thank you for your concern, but I’m okay,” I responded. I blatantly ignored his comment about his invitation. Brett watched this interaction with interest. Although he had initially seemed put off when Wayne came over, now he seemed to be suppressing a smirk.

  Wayne and I went back and forth a couple more times. Wayne again suggested we go out and ignored Brett, and I declined as tactfully as I could. In the meantime, thankfully Zoe brought us our check and Brett paid. I was too busy volleying and dodging with Wayne to argue about the check. Zoe shrugged, winked, and took the money.

  I was about to lose my patience, when at an opportune pause, Brett said, “Wayne, nice to meet you.” He stood up and extended his hand to me. “Sheridan, you about ready to go?”

  In his own way, Brett gave a clear message to Wayne that this was a date, even if it wasn’t. Just as plainly, he communicated that the interaction with Wayne was at a close. Wayne’s mouth dropped and he didn’t respond. As they stood together, I noted that Brett had a couple of inches on Wayne. Brett also had a more rugged and strong look to him. Wayne was simply Wayne.

  I said good night to Wayne as I slipped out of the booth. As we exited the restaurant, Brett put his arm around me. I didn’t look back at Wayne as we left. I also didn’t have a clue what to say to Brett. I was a bit embarrassed by the whole scene.

  Brett broke the silence first. He suggested I find a new dentist and I started laughing. We laughed almost all the way to his car, marked as State Police, and then he drove me to my car.

  As I unlocked my car, he said, “Well, Wayne aside, I enjoyed dinner tonight.” He leaned down and kissed me, first a barely kiss, and then a more definite kiss when I responded. “That was pretty good, too,” he added.

  “It was, and thank you for dinner, too,” I answered smiling, and feeling tingles throughout my body. We stood in the parking lot with both our car doors open for what seemed like a long time, even if it was probably only a few minutes. Brett finally broke the silence.

  “I’m heading back to the field office, but I’ll be back on Monday. Maybe we can do this again then?” he asked, almost a bit tentative.

  I answered, “That sounds good. I’d like that.”

  He leaned down and kissed me again with meaning, and tipped his non-existent hat with a “be sure to lock your doors now.”

  The good night ritual left me tingling and smiling from ear to ear. Someone once told me that when something bad happens, to look for the silver lining. Brett seemed like my silver lining to Adam’s murder. I’d have to thank whomever it was who had called the State Police in on the case.

  I held that thought all the way home. Once there, I took care of Charlie who acted like I had neglected her for days, instead of only being a couple of hours later than usual. As I fed her, I realized I still had to somehow help remove Ali and Kim from the “persons of interest” list. I wasn’t sure if Ali was still on the list, but it seemed Kim surely was.

  I wanted to give Kim a call and find out what the Chief had wanted. I wondered if she had found an attorney, but it had been a very long and stressful day. I knew I was tired, and I didn’t want to wake her if she had turned in early. She’d looked like she needed sleep.

  Chapter 7

  I woke up Friday morning with mixed feelings. On the plus side, I had managed to get at least the first weeks’ worth of classes set up. I’d have to tweak a bit once I gauged the students in the classes, but I didn’t feel panicked about classes starting on Monday. I needed to make copies of syllabi, and I still needed to physically check out the bookstore and make sure my books were in. I was going through all of this in my head as I showered, dressed, let Charlie out, and drove to work. I smiled and almost giggled at the thought that I might even have a new man in my life.

  On the other hand, thinking of Brett reminded me we had a murder to deal with and that my friend was somehow caught in the middle of the whole thing. I suspected Jim would be letting us know what was to happen with Adam’s classes and advisees today. He had run out of time. I still had to figure out some way to clear Kim and I was liable to be even busier today with students.

  I parked and went to my office. Heading to the main office to make my copies before everyone else lined up to do the same, I checked in on Ali and Terra. Ali smiled and said “good morning” and Terra shrugged her shoulders. I asked if Joe knew anything, but she shook her head. She mentioned that Officer Hirsch from the Cold Creek police would probably be looking for me. It was my turn to shrug.

  Copies made and back in my office, there was the email from Jim I had been expecting. It seemed he had arranged to hire someone to temporarily fill Adam’s teaching responsibilities, someone named Todd Flats. Unfortunately he would not be able to start until October 1. Jim’s email went on to say that until then, Kim would cover the section of abnormal, which I already knew. Doug would have to cover the sensation and perception course, and Max was to cover the learning and memory class.

  I sighed with relief, and reflected that the assignments made sense, given Kim, Doug and Max. I suspected Max would be in to complain about the overload though. Jim also announced that he would be assigning Adam’s advisees to the remaining faculty. Each of us would get one or two. He told us to see Terra for the list of Adam’s students and to let him know if there was a student or students we would like to take on. The rest would be randomly assigned. That was also going to frost Max big time.

  As I contemplated the changes, I googled Todd Flats. He was another young psychologist. Looking at his CV, it looked like he would not actually graduate until December. That might explain why he was available for the temporary position. I realized that on top of everything else we would also have to do a faculty search.

  I suspected Jim would dump the task of writing up the job description and chairing the search on me. He had done that for the previous search, so at least I had one I could resurrect. I was still reading through Todd’s information when Mitch showed up.

&nbs
p; “Morning. Anything new?” he asked as he moved my bag and made himself comfortable. Mitch was still in summer attire – shorts and polo shirt.

  “I guess you saw the email from Jim?” I asked. He nodded and I continued. “I was wondering if I should volunteer to advise the student who came to see me. What do you think?”

  On the one hand, it made sense because I at least knew she would be dealing with issues with Adam, and possibly with his advising style. On the other hand, it might be awkward for all the same reasons. And there was a fine line between advising and providing therapy that shouldn’t be crossed.

  “You’re not responsible for everyone, you know,” he answered, knowing me too well and knowing I was seriously thinking about it.

  He continued, “Why don’t you wait and see. It’s not like you have been involved with her academically. Didn’t you say she never even took one of your classes?”

  I responded, “You’re right, I know you’re right.”

  Changing the subject, I asked, “Know anything else about the investigation?” Mitch had his own in-roads into the local politics and often was in the know before announcements were official.

  “Not really. For whatever reason, there is no longer any real interest in Ali. I heard about Chief Pfeiffe having Kim come in to the station, though. Officer Hirsch stopped by to see me, but he’s not as thorough as your detective. He seemed like a good man, but he’s still feeling his way. But then, it’s not like we often have murders in Cold Creek. He’s had no occasion to sharpen his skills.”

  He shook his head before continuing, “I think it is possible Adam made as many people mad as he made women fall for him. And what I don’t get is how they each thought it would be different for them. It’s not like his affairs were a big secret or that these were stupid women.” He shook his head again.

  “Yeah, you would think intelligent women could figure out that a man who strays will continue to stray. Speaking of which, did I tell you my old neighbor said that Janie caught Derek with the woman who took my job and there was a big blow up? Obviously, she hadn’t figured he would do the same to her.” Derek was my ex, and Janie was the psychology intern he was fooling around with and eventually married. I shook my head and shrugged.