by Erin Wade
“No, ma’am. It all sorta runs together in my mind.”
“Your date was Grace Brandywine, right?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Did you leave the party around midnight?”
“No, ma’am.”
“If you were at the party, why didn’t you see Coach Tucker leave?”
Joey’s blush deepened. “I was upstairs with someone.”
Ah! I think I’ve just caught Brandy and Professor Shaw in a lie, Ryan thought.
“Who were you with upstairs, Joey?”
“I’d rather not say.” Joey ducked his head lower.
“I’d rather you did.” Ryan’s stern voice was flat. “We’re you with Brandy?”
“Oh, no, ma’am. Brandy left early. She took Professor Shaw to her dorm. I later found out that Coach Tucker had put drugs in the professor’s wine.”
“So, who were you with, Joey? Who can provide you an alibi for the time of Coach Tucker’s murder?”
Joey locked gazes with Ryan. “Surely you don’t think I killed Coach Tucker?”
“If you don’t have an alibi, I’m going to assume—”
“Loraine Munoz,” Joey blurted. “Please don’t tell Brandy. She’ll kill me.”
Ryan shoved her notepad in front of Joey and handed him a pen. “Please write Miss Munoz’s phone number on here. I’ll need to call her to verify your alibi.
“Joey, who told you Coach Tucker was mutilated?”
“I really can’t say, ma’am. Everyone was talking about it in the frat house when I came downstairs that morning.”
“Did Miss Munoz come down with you?” Ryan asked.
“Yes, ma’am. We spent the night together. Please don’t tell Brandy.”
##
Regan stopped by the supermarket on her way home. She had decided on spaghetti and meat sauce with French bread and salad. It was her go-to meal in a pinch, and her meat sauce was to die for, if she did say so herself.
An hour later, she surveyed her private sanctuary. Her apartment was immaculate, and wine was already chilling in the refrigerator. She put the sauce on to simmer while she took a shower. Everything was ready when Brandy rang the doorbell.
Regan wiped her palms on her apron. She was surprised at her excitement. The thought of spending the evening with Brandy was appealing to her. She opened the door.
Regan couldn’t hide her smile. It was obvious that Brandy had taken extra care to look her best for their dinner. She nearly panicked. This is beginning to feel like a date.
“Wow! You’re so hot.” Brandy scanned her professor from the top of her head to the tips of her painted toenails. “I love the way those jeans hug your hips, and that sweater accentuates all your gorgeous curves.” Brandy ran the tip of her tongue along her lips.
Regan stared at the brazen young woman without moving. This is a bad idea, she thought.
“I brought wine.” Brandy moved into the apartment and closed the door behind her. “I pegged you as a red wine drinker. Of course, it might not go with what you’ve prepared for dinner.”
Regan looked at the bottle of Bordeaux. “This is a Chateau Lafite Rothschild Pauillac. You shouldn’t be spending this kind of money for wine.”
“I didn’t.” Brandy giggled. “I took it from my dad’s wine cellar.”
Regan cocked an eyebrow. “Why does that not surprise me?”
“So, will it go with our dinner?” Brandy’s smile was infectious.
“Yes, it’s perfect. Give me your jacket. I’ll hang it up.”
Brandy followed Regan into the kitchen. “If you’ll give me a corkscrew, I’ll open the wine and let it breathe while we get dinner on the table.”
“Top drawer on your left,” Regan said as she stirred the spaghetti sauce.
“Oh my God!” Brandy sniffed the air. “That smells like heaven. How can you be so damn gorgeous and cook too?”
“Brandy, I don’t think—”
“Sorry, Professor. I was way out of line. It won’t happen again. I didn’t mean anything by it. I just have a knack for saying what I’m thinking. If it’s in my mind it comes out my mouth.”
Regan served their food and carried it to the dinning table.
“Are we going to study Shakespeare the entire semester?” Brandy queried as she located glasses and poured their wine.
“It is a course on Shakespeare,” Regan reminded her as they sat down at the table. “Or I could give you a break and have the class do a report on The Purloined Letter.”
“No, no. Shakespeare is just fine. Don’t give us Poe.” Bandy groaned as if mortally wounded.
“You don’t like Poe?”
“Some of his stuff is great. I mean, the story lines. Like The Pit and the Pendulum, The Tell-Tale Heart, and The Masque of the Red Death. Oh, and you must love The Cask of Amontillado. But The Purloined Letter is a trip to boredom.
“Honestly, Professor, if Poe submitted his writings to a publishing house today, they’d rubber-stamp Rejected all over them.”
“I suppose you like The Fall of the House of Usher too.” Regan frowned.
“It was interesting,” Brandy said.
“Do you know what I find interesting?” Regan held out her glass for more wine. “That you’re drawn to the ones where the main characters were obviously demented.”
“So, what does that say about me?” Brandy made an evil face. “I could be a serial killer?”
“I doubt it.” Regan chuckled. “You’re too pretty to—” She stopped as she realized she was flirting with Brandy.
“You think I’m pretty?” Brandy’s eyes twinkled. “Are you attracted to me?”
Hell yes, I’m attracted to you, Regan thought as she stood and walked to the living room. “Where’s your Spanish book? Do you have a study sheet?”
“I should go, Regan.” Brandy pulled her jacket from the coat tree. “Thank you for the best meal I’ve had in a long time and the most stimulating conversation I’ve ever had.” She leaned down and kissed Regan on the cheek. “Good night, Professor.”
##
Brandy tossed a thick envelope onto Ryan’s desk.
“What’s this?” Agent King asked, frowning.
“Just in case you haven’t found them yet, it’s over a hundred reasons why Coach Tucker was murdered—and that many people with motives.”
King rolled her eyes. “I picked these up yesterday. What compelled you to get them?”
“I don’t want you looking at Joey for Tucker’s death.” Brandy sat down in the chair across from the FBI agent. “He told me you really grilled him on that point.”
“I’ve marked your boyfriend off my list,” Ryan said. “It seems he has an airtight alibi.”
“Let me guess, Loraine Munoz?” Brandy snorted.
Ryan nodded. “She swears they were awake all night long.”
“Yeah, Joey could do that. He has the stamina of a racehorse.”
“Do you know anyone who was molested by Tucker but didn’t report it?” Ryan asked.
“If I did I wouldn’t tell you.” Brandy’s eyes darkened. “The bastard got what he deserved. If he’d raped Professor Shaw, I would have killed him myself.”
Shakespeare Under Cover will be available the first quarter of 2019. Don’t miss it.
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