Summa Cum Liar

by Ali Franklin

  “Ryan,” said Oscar. “You cannot negotiate on behalf of the college. You should have pulled me in.” Ryan knew from his tone that Oscar was more than a little annoyed with her.

  “It was the middle of the night. Besides, I told him it wasn’t my call.”

  “What you expect the faculty to do now?” asked Victoria

  “I didn’t make any promises,” said Ryan. “And you’re missing the point. I found out what he wants.”

  “But we can’t give it to him,” said Victoria. “I can’t ask the faculty to resign just in case this lowlife knows something embarrassing about them.”

  “Obviously not,” said Ryan. “But we know more about him now.”

  Ryan heard a voice from the crowd. She looked up to see Gregory Carpenter standing in the front row.

  “Dr. McCabe, would you care to share your news with the rest of us—who got here on time?”

  Ryan looked at Oscar and Victoria. “We’ll have to talk about this after the meeting. For now, I’m going to fill them in on what we knew up until last night.”

  Oscar and Victoria nodded.

  Ryan turned on the microphone. “I apologize for the interruption. As you know, time is of the essence in this situation.”

  She looked out and saw various levels of concern on the assembled faces. They displayed everything from amusement to mild concern and disgust. One of the concerned faces belonged to Nicki Statton, who was now standing just inside the back door of the ballroom. Ryan felt a surge of confidence at the site of her stalwart friend.

  Raising her eyebrows, Nicki pointed to herself and used two fingers to make a walking motion with her hands. Ryan shook her head, signaling Nicki to stay where she was. She knew the next few minutes could get heated, and she wanted to keep the faculty members’ anger away from the chief.

  Ryan spent the next ten minutes telling the faculty what they knew about the Paladin. She couched it in the best possible terms, but she couldn’t disguise the fact that they hadn’t made much progress toward stopping him. She gave them the only positive news she had to offer.

  “Faith Cho left us an extensive profile of the Paladin based on previous communications. With her information, we hope it won’t be long before we put a stop to this activity.”

  She looked at Oscar. “I don’t know what else to tell them.”

  He nodded, then looked out at the crowd. “Any questions?”

  Several people stood at the same time.

  Oscar stood and motioned them to resume their seats. “Okay, let’s do it just like we used to in school. Please raise your hands if you have a question.”

  He called on Rick Jensen first.

  “What are you going to do to the professors who fall victim to the Paladin?”

  “If we learn about wrongdoing by a professor, we will handle it the way we would in any other case,” said Oscar.

  Rick made a note on a little pad of paper and sat. Next up was Gregory Carpenter:

  “Oscar, will the college be providing legal assistance to anyone who is libeled by the Paladin?”

  “The same rules would apply as with any other crime you fell victim to as a result of your work with the college. We’ll have to get the specifics from our general counsel.”

  Heather Vanvelzor in the Mathematics department asked, “Just how bad does something have to be to land one of us on the Paladin’s radar?”

  “I beg your pardon?” said Oscar.

  “Obviously, he thinks it’s bad for professors to sleep with students and have abortions. What if some of us did things that weren’t quite as bad as that? Should we be worried?”

  Ryan saw Oscar come perilously close to a facepalm. Seriously?

  They were saved from having answer the ridiculous question by Gregory Carpenter, who jumped out of his chair again. He turned to face the audience, hands held high.

  “Colleagues, this is no time for petty self-interests. This malefactor is putting our very livelihoods at risk. He is essentially putting the entire college at risk, meaning that we could all be in the unemployment line because of something one of you did.”

  He began walking up and down the center aisle of the room, pointing at various people. “You might think what you did isn’t so bad. But if it results in the rest of us being out of work, you’ve done the wrong thing.”

  Ryan and Oscar exchanged a glance.

  Carpenter continued. “If you suspect you are on the Paladin’s list, you owe it to the rest of us to turn yourself in.”

  The room erupted with faculty members who believed otherwise. Some laughed, some shouted, some gathered their things to leave the meeting.

  Oscar stood and banged the mic stand on the table to recall everyone’s attention. “Gregory, I appreciate your point of view. None of us wants to see this damage the college. But we’re not asking anyone to make a list of their sins.”

  Victoria pulled the microphone closer. “I second that. Our time would be better spent by thinking about who is behind the Paladin’s actions. I want every one of you to think about who might be doing this. If you have any ideas, please contact Nicki Statton.”

  Ryan leaned in. “Chief Statton is here today. She’s right at the back of the room if anyone has information to share.”

  Oscar took the microphone from the stand. “You’ve all been given a task. Share any information you have. This meeting is adjourned.”

  He turned off the microphone and sat. He looked at Ryan and Victoria. “That was a disaster.”

  “Do you think we should have told them what we know about the Paladin’s motive?” asked Ryan.

  “Absolutely not,” said Victoria. “We don’t need a flood of faculty members coming to confess their sins—or making accusations against each other.”

  “What now?” asked Ryan.

  “We need to huddle as soon as possible,” said Oscar, looking at his watch. “I have a meeting with two regents right now, but I’m free at two-thirty. Let’s meet in my office then.”

  As they stood to leave, Ryan noticed Bobbi Herman standing a few feet away.

  “Ryan, may I speak with you for a minute?”

  “Sure. Do you have some information?”

  Bobbi led her to a quiet corner of the room. “You know I was one of the three people the Paladin warned the other day.”

  “Have you heard from him again?”

  “I just wonder if you know anything else. Anything about why he chose me? What he wants from me?”

  “As far as I know,” said Ryan, “there’s no reason for him to have picked the three of you. But we don’t have all the information yet.”

  Ryan hated to see the pain in Bobbi’s eyes. She wanted to tell her the Paladin wouldn’t publicize Bobbi’s secrets if she resigned, but Ryan was sworn to secrecy for the moment.

  “We’re learning more every minute, and it’s possible we’ll know more soon. In the meantime, tell us right away if you hear from him again. Every piece of information is helping us complete this puz—”

  “—Bobbi, we really need to talk.” David Anderly was suddenly standing between Ryan and Bobbi.

  “Just a minute, David,” Bobbi said. She pulled Ryan a few steps away.

  “Bobbi, we’re all doing what we can to keep anyone else from getting hurt.”

  “I know you are. I just wish there was something I could do.”

  “Bobbi.” David had again stepped between the two women. “This is important, and the timing is critical.”

  Bobbi turned to Ryan. “I’m sure we’ll talk again soon.”

  Ryan nodded, then walked to where Nicki waited.

  “C’mon,” said Nicki. “Let’s get some coffee and plan for our meeting with Kenn.”

  “If that little twerp turns out to be the one responsible for Faith’s death, and for Bobbi being so frightened…” Ryan glanced back over her shoulder to see Bobbi still talking to David. The man’s animated gestures seemed out of place in a room where faculty were whispering together in groups of t
wo and three.

  She turned back to Nicki, her lips pressed in a thin line. “We need to put a stop to this—now.”

  Nicki gently steered her out of the room.

  13

  Ryan and Nicki strategized about their meeting with Kenn over coffee, but Ryan had to keep forcing herself to focus on the task at hand. She was too aware that things were about to come to a head, whether or not they were ready for them. She hated feeling helpless.

  She looked at Nicki over her cup. “I just can’t stop thinking about Bobbi Herman. She’s been such a positive influence on this campus for years. I’d hate for her to be run off over something insignificant.”

  “Where’s the line between insignificant and significant? It sounded silly when that woman posed the question during the meeting, but she may have a good point.”

  “If the Paladin releases information about someone else, the fallout is going to be bad, whether the accusations are true or not. It will just start a flood of questions and investigations that will detract from our real work.”

  “We need to get ahead of him before that happens. We have the most important piece of the puzzle now. We can use that with every suspect.”

  Ryan looked around until she found a clock on the wall. “We’d better go. Kenn will be at your office soon.”

  They walked down the stairs to the police station in the basement of the SUB. Kenn arrived less than ten minutes later. Ryan ushered him into Nicki’s empty office. The chief had stepped out for a moment to handle some business.

  The two old foes looked at each other from their respective chairs in front of Nicki’s desk.

  “So…you’re about to graduate.”

  “It’s been a great six years.”

  “I’d say I’m going to miss our interactions, but I’ll just say I hope you learned something while you were here. And I hope you have a happy life.”

  Kenn huffed out a breath. “I just want to get out of here and never look back. I’m going to make a killing at my dad’s firm.”

  Nicki returned to the room and sat behind her desk. As they’d decided earlier, Nicki opened the conversation.

  “Mr. Kennedy,” she said.

  “Chief Statton,” he smirked.

  “I’m sure you know why we wanted to interview you today.”

  “You still think I’m the Paladin.”

  “Are you?”

  “I know I’m always the first person you think of,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean you’re right.”

  “We’re looking into a number of possibilities. But feel free to enlighten me. Who do you think it could be?”

  “If it is a student, it’s gotta be the Wonder Twins. They’re the only ones with skills anywhere close to mine. But I don’t think it’s them—unless they’re just doing it for the glory.”

  Nicki didn’t answer.

  “Have you thought about people who aren’t on campus?” asked Kenn. “What about students who applied but weren’t accepted? What about workers who were fired? What about professors?”

  Nicki crossed her arms and sat back in her chair. “Trying to throw suspicion on someone else isn’t going to do you any good. We know your history, we know your skill set and we know you’d like nothing better than to put one more black eye on this college before you leave.”

  “Hey!” Kenn rose from his chair.

  “Sit down, Mr. Kennedy.” Nicki’s eyes flashed.

  “This isn’t getting us anywhere,” said Ryan. “Let’s try to work together.”

  Kenn and Nicki stared at each other across the desk.

  Ryan continued. “Kenn, you understand that your background leads us to suspect you. But we’re open to hearing what you have to say.”

  At that moment, Ryan’s phone rang. She glanced down at the screen. “I’m sorry, but I really have to take this.” She stepped into the hall and pressed the button to accept the call from Rick Jensen.

  “Ryan, my story is slated to go live in the evening edition. You might also see some cameras on campus before nightfall.”

  Her stomach fell. Cameras?

  “Is there anything I can do to convince you to give us more time?”

  “I’m sorry. I’m not going to get scooped on my own turf. Would you care to make a statement for the story?”

  “Have you talked with Oscar and Rena?”

  “Yes. Do you have anything to add?

  “I have no additional comment,” said Ryan.

  “Remember that I gave you the chance. Thanks for your time.” He ended the call.

  She stood in the hallway for a moment to catch her breath. Things were moving and she couldn’t stop them. She returned to Nicki’s office.

  “Did you make any progress while I was gone?” Ryan meant for her question to sound light, but it came out as desperate.

  “He refused to talk while you were out of the room,” said Nicki.

  “Even though you hate me,” said Kenn, turning to Ryan, “you’re the only one around here who’s ever listened to my side of a story.”

  Ryan didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t count the number of times she and Kenn had faced off about his behavior. She was stunned to hear him say something positive about her.

  “I still think it’s you, Kennedy,” said Nicki. “I’ll bet you just can’t wait to see the college in the news and to hear people talking about our renegade faculty. You can’t wait to tell your friends this was your goodbye gift.”

  The chief rose and walked around to the front of her desk, then leaned back against it, arms crossed. She fixed him with an intense stare. “I’ve been in law enforcement my whole career. I’ve faced down petty thieves in Milwaukee, drug lords in Los Angeles and murderers across the country. And there’s one thing I’ve learned how to do.”

  Kenn tried to hold her gaze but failed.

  “The one thing I’ve learned,” Nicki said, “is how to spot a guilty man. And you are a guilty man.”

  While he stared at the floor, Ryan mimed the huh? gesture with both hands upturned. It was true she and Nicki both suspected Kenn, but the chief was making it sound like they had proof.

  Kenn still said nothing.

  “I know you have a job lined up at your dad’s firm,” said Ryan. “Will he hold for you if you don’t graduate?”

  The student turned his head the slightest bit toward Ryan. Nicki pounced.

  “Forget about not graduating. You’re about to enter the real world, Kennedy. Will your father hold that job open for you when we press charges? Will he hold it for you while you do time?”

  Kenn looked up with a sneer. “You don’t do time for selling final—” He stopped himself too late. He exhaled slowly, unable to believe the chief had manipulated him into revealing his last trick.

  Ryan lifted both hands to her head. “Seriously? You couldn’t stay out of trouble for five more weeks?”

  “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” He ran both hands through his hair. “Please don’t tell my dad. If I don’t pay off these debts before I graduate, he’s not going to let me work at the firm. He’s already making me start as a junior analyst. It will take me forever to make any money.”

  Ryan looked at Nicki, who gestured them toward the door.

  “You and Kenn obviously have some issues to work out. Go find out how far the cheating goes, then call me. We can meet again later.”

  Ryan motioned for Kenn to follow her out of the office and up the stairs. They walked across campus in silence. Then he sat meekly in her office and outlined how he’d hacked and sold the final exams of four professors. He also opened the payment app on his phone and allowed Ryan to record the names of each student who’d purchased a copy.

  Following up with Kenn and each student who had allegedly purchased an exam was going to take days, but Ryan didn’t have the time to manage it herself. After dismissing him, she assigned another staff member to notify the faculty members involved and complete the investigation as quickly as possible. Then she called Nicki.

>   “How did you know Kenn had done something wrong?”

  “He has a lot of tells.”

  “But he’s not the Paladin?”

  “I don’t think so. He doesn’t have the creativity.”

  “What are we going to do? Jensen’s story comes out tonight, and he and Bobbi are the Paladin’s next targets.”

  “Can you come back to my office? Kenn might be right about us not making our suspect pool broad enough. I have a new idea.”

  ☐ ☐ ☐

  An hour later, Ryan and Nicki sat next to Victoria at the conference table in Oscar’s office while the president finished a phone call.

  “Listen,” the provost leaned toward the other two women. “I hope you both understand the most important thing here is that we save the college.”

  “I’m not sure what you mean,” said Ryan.

  “Of course we want to save the college,” said Nicki.

  “I’m glad you agree. It’s just that things might get a little…uncomfortable around here until we resolve this situation. We might see a few faculty members lose their positions, and we have to think about the bigger picture.”

  “Forgive me for asking, but I thought your job as the provost was to stand up for the faculty,” said Nicki.

  “It is. But the needs of the many…” She offered an elegant shrug.

  Oscar finished his call and joined them at the table. “We need to determine the best course of action based on the information Ryan received from the Paladin last night.”

  “I don’t see any way around it,” said Victoria. “The faculty who’ve been called out need to resign immediately.”

  “That seems extreme,” said Ryan. “Are you so sure they’re guilty?”

  “It doesn’t matter,” said Victoria. “If this goes public, the scandal will ruin more careers than theirs. The whole college could be shut down before anyone proves the allegations are true or false. We can’t take that chance.”

  “I disagree,” said Oscar. “Some of these faculty members have been here the better part of their careers. I’m not willing to toss them out on the word of some unseen scoundrel.”