by Parker, Ali
“I know we just had this conversation, but you need to talk to him about this. I can’t tell you the right answer. This is something you need to work out with him. I have a feeling the two of you will come to a satisfactory resolution.”
“I’m so confused,” I groaned. “I don’t understand why I can’t just have an easy life. Why does everything have to be so damn hard?”
“If it was too easy, you wouldn’t appreciate it. You wouldn’t have to fight so hard to get that happiness. If things are handed to you, you don’t appreciate them nearly as much. There is no real love without some pain.”
“I’m tired of pain,” I said with a sigh.
“I’m sorry sweetie, I really am, but I think this is part of the journey. You’re going to get to the good stuff. I’m very confident that good stuff includes him.”
“God, I hope you’re right. Now I need to figure out what to do. I don’t think I can live with myself if I let him take the brunt of the punishment. My conscience will never let that happen. That means, I’m going to have to confess and get fired. My conscience will be clear, but my belly will be empty, and I’ll be living in my car.”
She laughed. “As if it would be that bad. Mr. Hero will swoop in and save the day. Do what you think is right and you can’t go wrong.”
“I should probably go back to campus.”
“What are you going to do?”
I shook my head. “I honestly don’t know, but I’ll figure it out soon. I just need a minute.”
“Good luck. Call me later and let me know if you’re going to be in the unemployment line. You could always work for my mom.”
I groaned. “Great.”
I drove back to campus, spacing out as I sat at a light. I was going through all the pros and cons. Staying on at the college would suck. Getting fired sucked. Quitting sucked. It all sucked. Being a responsible adult sucked.
I parked my car in the faculty parking lot, turned off the engine and took a minute. I remembered the first day on the job when I had parked in the lot and felt an overwhelming sense of pride. I felt like I had won the lottery when I landed the job. Me, a young, green professor had landed a job at a prestigious university. It had all seemed too good to be true. Now, I believed it was.
Chapter 66
Christopher
I was being made to wait, which didn’t surprise me all that much. It was a power play. He wanted me to sit and stew. He probably assumed the longer he made me wait, the more inclined I would be to pay him a heftier sum. I considered myself a nice man, but I wasn’t a pushover. People often mistook my kindness for weakness. I wasn’t a weak man.
My anger was fueled by Leila’s stress. She was a damn good teacher and the dean had no idea what kind of gem he had. I was still mulling over the idea of paying him not to keep investigating. I would pay him whatever it took to keep Leila’s job safe.
I had tabled that idea. It would be showing my cards too soon. If I gave up Leila’s name when there was no possible way he would ever uncover her identity, I would be giving him too much information. I would watch him and try to determine just how much he knew. I felt I had a pretty good poker face. I hoped the dean didn’t.
“Mr. Evans, the dean will see you now,” a young woman said from behind a desk.
I got to my feet and walked towards the door. I wasn’t going to show any fear. I wasn’t afraid of him. I had come to terms with what I needed to do. In fact, while I’d been forced to sit and wait, I mulled over my boat options. It helped relax me. It gave me something to focus my attention on. I was going to embrace retirement.
“Dean,” I greeted walking into the office my tone stern.
He didn’t bother getting up from behind his desk. “Ah, Mr. Evans, I’m glad to see you’re ready to discuss the situation. Have a seat. Sorry about the delay, I was on an important call.”
“It’s really no problem,” I said, taking a seat. I relaxed my hands in my lap, the epitome of cool and casual. “I am ready to discuss the situation.”
“You’ve had time to think about my offer?”
“I have,” I said with a nod.
He smirked. “Honestly, I thought it would take you a bit longer, but I’m happy we can resolve this sooner rather than later. I knew you were a sensible man.”
“I appreciate that sentiment. I don’t like to dwell on things. I prefer to get things over and done with.”
His evil smile made me want to slap it right off his face. “I’m happy to hear that. What’s your decision?”
I took a deep breath. “I won’t be giving you the name of the person in the video. She’s not a student here and therefore it isn’t relevant to this situation.”
He leaned back in his chair. I could see he wasn’t happy with my announcement. “How did she get into the library?”
I shrugged. “It wasn’t like anyone was checking IDs.”
“So not only did you have sex in the library, violating the code of conduct, but you violated a safety rule by bringing someone onto campus without the proper credentials.”
“I suppose I did,” I said, not giving a damn what he thought.
“How did you know about the room in the library?” he asked, his intent stare meant to intimidate.
I smiled. “Everyone knows about the room in the library.”
That made him unhappy. “I see. I’ll have to put an end to that nonsense. It’s ridiculous how disrespectful people are these days.”
“And this is why we can’t have nice things,” I said with a smile. He did not appreciate my sarcasm. I didn’t give a shit.
“Okay, she might be off the hook, but that still leaves you dangling.”
“I suppose it does.”
“Your involvement in the situation could be chalked up to a reckless decision,” he started. “I think I could probably overlook the poor choice if there was a little something in it for me—the school, that is.”
I smiled. “Well, you know what, I’ve done some thinking and I’ve decided I like my money in my pocket. I won’t be offering a donation to you or the school.”
His face fell, anger flashing in his eyes. “I see. Then you leave me no choice.”
“I suppose I don’t,” I said.
“Sir! Sir! You can’t go in there!”
I whipped my head around when the door was thrown open, bouncing off the wall. I saw Alan standing just outside the door. A uniformed cop and a man wearing a suit with a badge on his belt pushed their way inside.
“What’s going on here?” the dean demanded, jumping to his feet. “You can’t just barge in here.”
“Charles Johnson, you’re under arrest,” the suited man said.
I got to my feet, getting out of the way. I didn’t know what was happening, but I didn’t want to get mixed up in whatever was happening.
“Under arrest!” the dean exclaimed. “What are you talking about?”
The uniformed cop mirandized him while I stood watching the scene. I was afraid to draw attention to myself. I watched as the dean was pushed out of the room in handcuffs, the uniformed cop looking rather happy to be doing the arresting.
The man in the suit, who I was guessing was a detective, turned his attention on me. I felt like I needed to declare my innocence. “I have no idea what’s going on,” I said wearily.
He smiled. “I’m Detective Todd. I’ve been investigating the dean for the last six months. With your recent situation, I finally had the evidence I needed. Actually, his attempt to extort you was just the icing on the cake.”
I shook my head. “I don’t understand.”
Alan came into the room and shook the detective’s hand. “Thanks, Todd. I appreciate your quick response. I’ll have Christopher fill out an official statement later.”
“Thanks Alan, and tell your wife good job.”
The detective left, leaving me and Alan alone in the office. I stared at Alan, absolutely dumbfounded. “What the hell?”
Alan laughed. “Sorry I had to k
eep you in the dark, but we needed this all to play out just right.”
“We? Who is we?”
“The cops. My wife. Me.”
I studied him carefully. “Who are you?”
“I am who I say I am, but I did not sign up for more classes because I’m interested in pursuing any more education. The last thing I want to do in my golden years is study and take tests while hanging out with a bunch of kids. My wife made me do it.”
“Made you do what?” I asked feeling like I had skipped several chapters in a book and was missing the bulk of the story.
“Go undercover,” he said with a grin.
“As an old guy in college?”
“I’ve been talking to students and trying to get information on the dean. Almost a year ago, a young man from an affluent family came to my wife and asked for help. As it turns out, the dean had been extorting him for months. He pulled the same shit as he did with you. The kid got caught cheating on a test and instead of expelling him, he made an offer to let the kid stay enrolled as long as he made a healthy donation to the university, via the dean’s hands.”
“Wow. No shit?”
Alan nodded. “The kid wasn’t the only one. Once my wife set her private investigator on the case, more stories came up. She has plenty of people who are willing to give up the dean, but the police wanted hard evidence.”
“Let me guess, I’m the evidence?”
He grinned and pointed up at the camera in the corner of the room. “The dean thought that thing was turned off. It wasn’t. We had to get him on tape asking you for the money in exchange for leniency.”
I didn’t know what to think. I was floored. It all seemed unreal. “I don’t know what to say.”
Alan couldn’t seem to stop smiling. “You can breathe easy. No one is getting expelled or losing their job.”
“How did you know about the video?” I asked.
He grinned, pointing up at the camera. “The detective let me know someone was on the hook. I had no idea it was you guys until the police forwarded me a copy of it. They wanted me to identify the students in the video and make friends with them. As it turned out, I didn’t need to do much.”
“Does Leila know?”
“No, I couldn’t tell her. We had to wait and see if the dean would make the offer again. I’m sorry I let you guys get worked up. I didn’t want to give you false hope.”
I blew out a breath. “So, what does this mean now?”
“It means there’s a new job opening at the university,” he said with a laugh. “The cops have years of evidence. You just sealed the deal for the good dean. I hope they put him away for a long time.”
“I almost feel guilty,” I said. “He didn’t seem like that bad of a guy. I didn’t like him, but I don’t know if he’s exactly prison material.”
“Don’t. Do you know how many lives he has ruined? Students who couldn’t pay were expelled. Their academic careers ruined. He showed no mercy. One of the students he expelled is working at McDonald’s. He came in with a full-ride scholarship and made a poor choice with another young lady. The dean trumped up the charges against him. He lost his scholarship and had no means to pay for his education. The young lady, who was a very willing party to the sexual encounter, came from a wealthy family. Her family paid. She graduates this year while he is schlepping burgers. He’s a good kid. A real good kid who got a shitty deal.”
I wanted to wring the dean’s neck. I hated that he had gotten away with it for so long. I almost wished I would have enrolled earlier and been able to help out some of the other students who had been victimized by the dean.
“Then I’m glad he’s gone. Does that mean you’re dropping out?”
He laughed. “Yes. I’m retired. I want to stay retired. I got roped into this and I have served my time.”
“I need to call Leila. I don’t want her stressing about this for another minute. Thank you so much for everything.”
“Tell her thank you for her help, even if it was unwittingly.”
“I will.”
“Christopher,” he said, stopping me from leaving.
“What’s up?”
“Take care of her,” he said, his tone soft. “She’s a really good person. I like her. I think she’s exactly what you need in your life. I’ve seen the change in you over the past couple of weeks. You two are good for each other.”
I smiled, nodding my head. “I know you’re right. She’s been great. Olin likes her too.”
Alan smiled. “That’s when you know you have a keeper.”
I chuckled. “No kidding. The kid doesn’t even like me most days, but he’s okay with her. At least this week he is. I know it could turn on a dime, but I don’t think it will.”
“I’ll let you get out of here. You two have celebrating to do.”
I winked. “Damn straight we do.”
“The detective or DA will likely be reaching out to you. They’ll need official statements from you and Leila.”
“I’ll let her know.”
I walked out, my phone already to my ear. She didn’t answer. I walked to her classroom, popping my head into the empty room. If she wasn’t in class than I hoped she would be in her office. I quickly made my way to the building. I couldn’t wait to tell her the good news. I had a feeling the moment she saw me and the impossible to miss smile, she’d figure it out.
Chapter 67
Leila
I tossed another file folder into the box. I was taking everything that was my personal property. My lesson plans and my research were mine. I wasn’t about to leave them behind for someone else to poach. I had put in the time and energy into creating my lectures and tests. They were my personal property and if the dean tried to stop me, I’d give him hell.
I threw in the answer sheet to the multiple-choice test as well. My replacement would have to grade the tests sitting on my desks without the answer sheet. It was my way of thumbing my nose at the institution. I found myself angry. I wasn’t even sad. I was pissed.
I had come back to campus thinking I could just pick up where I had left off. I couldn’t. I realized I would never feel secure in my job. I would always be looking over my shoulder, waiting for the dean to surprise me with an accusation or an insinuation.
I thought about how he had tried to blackmail Christopher and realized he was not the kind of man I wanted to work for. I didn’t even want to be in the same city with him. He was an asshole. Christopher was willing to get expelled for me. I was willing to quit for him. I needed him to see how much I cared about him. How much I was willing to sacrifice for him.
Technically, quitting was a little bit for me, but mostly for him. I had no idea what I was going to do next, but anything was better than having to look the dean in the face and continue to deny it was me in the video. I didn’t have the mental strength to pretend to like him when I knew what he had done to Christopher.
After clearing out my desk, I turned to look around the small office. I saw the picture on the wall and felt a tug of nostalgia. I was going to miss that class—all my classes. I pulled it off the wall and carefully put it in the box. It was hard to believe that I could pack up three years of memories in a single box in ten minutes.
“There you are,” Christopher said, pushing open the door.
“Oh my gosh! You’re here!”
He smiled. “I tried calling.”
“I’m sorry. My phone is in my purse.”
“What are you doing?” he asked looking around the office.
“Packing.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m going to tell the dean to kiss my ass. I quit.”
He frowned. “Leila, why would you do that?”
“Because I don’t want to work for a man who is always going to be scrutinizing me. I don’t want to work for a man who could threaten to ruin a man’s academic career unless he could pay him the right amount of money. I want no part of that. Besides, my guilt would eat at me. And, I would never let y
ou do this alone. You are not to blame.”
He was smiling as he stared at me. He closed the door before throwing the lock. “You’re amazing,” he said resting his hands on my hips.
“How did it go?” I asked, more concerned about his meeting than how amazing he thought I was. I didn’t feel amazing.
He kissed me, holding me close and showering me with affection. “You’re going to want to sit down for this.”
“What happened?” I asked with dread.
“The dean is no longer our problem.”
I flinched, leaning away from him. “What did you do?” I whispered, images of the dean’s bloodied face popping into my head.
“I didn’t do anything,” he said with a grin that was making me very nervous.
I didn’t know if I would make a good accomplice. I would have to move far away. I would never get through an interrogation. I was going to go to ground. Christopher and I would be fugitives. Could I live a life on the run? “I’ll be your alibi,” I blurted out.
He got a puzzled look on his face. “What?”
“Whatever it is you did, I understand. He backed you into a corner.”
He burst into laughter. “Leila, I didn’t hurt the man. Alan did.”
I slapped a hand over my face. “Oh God! This is all because of me.”
“No, it’s all because of the dean. He’s going to jail and hopefully to prison once the district attorney gets through with him.”
I shook my head, trying to clear the jumbled thoughts. “What are you talking about?”
“The dean is an extortionist. The police have been watching him for months. Alan was a plant. He’s been trying to get information about the dean’s activities. Our videotape was exactly what they needed. I was sitting in the dean’s office, ready to face the music, when the police busted in and hauled him off in handcuffs.”
