while. She’s hard to say no to. I even tried to talk her into going home for a few days but she wouldn’t. She’s got tests."
"We’ll keep a lid on it, then," Terlizzi said.
"If we can. Other people know about it. We can’t control what they do."
"Who knows about it?"
"You and me," Digger said. "Allie and her boyfriend, that Gilligan. Doctor Langston and Hatcher. Two students that live in Allie’s dorm. Rampler and Rolan. You might want to check them out ’cause I think they might be involved in this."
"Why do you think that?" Terlizzi asked.
"Because I don’t like them," Digger said.
"Good reason," Terlizzi said.
"What about the kid’s car?" Digger asked.
"Have to hold it for a couple of days. Then he can have it back," Terlizzi said. He parked in front of Dr. Langston’s office building and when he went inside, Digger walked across the small green to Allison Stevens’s dorm.
The lounge was empty and the student on desk duty didn’t even bother to look up as Digger walked by him and up the stairs.
He knocked on Allison’s door for a few seconds but got no answer. From the next room, he heard a typewriter pecking away. That would be Danny Gilligan. Digger was impressed by the young man. It was final exam week and he was working until the last minute. Maybe that’s how homely men scooped up beautiful women. Because they had more staying power and weren’t easily deflected.
He knocked on Gilligan’s door. "Who is it?" he heard the young man call out.
"Digger."
"Just a minute."
A few seconds later, Gilligan opened the door and invited Digger in. While his brain might be a neat genius storehouse of information, his room looked like the city dump. Books and papers were littered everywhere. There was a mound of clothing in a corner of the room.
"Sorry about this place," Gilligan said with an embarrassed half smile. "It gets this way around exam time."
"I’ve stayed in worse," Digger said. "I just left the cops. They’re going to have to hold your car for a few days."
"Damn. It’s bad enough you lose a car, but then they get it and you get caught up in red tape."
Digger looked around for a place to sit. There wasn’t one. He perched on the typewriter table.
"I know. The cops are going to keep this quiet for a while," Digger said.
"Good. If we can just stop John Paul and the gorilla from saying anything."
Digger shrugged. "Allie still taking her test?"
Danny sat back behind his small wooden desk and nodded. If he thought there was anything odd about having a desk that looked like it belonged in the room of a ten-year-old, he didn’t show it. The desk was as neat as the room was cluttered. Textbooks were opened, pencils were neatly sharpened, notebooks filled with small, neat writing. There was a telephone and a phone book, a pair of leather gloves, an eyeglass case, a Scotch tape dispenser.
"You’ve still got my phone number?" Digger asked.
"Yeah. Allie gave it to me, Mister Burroughs."
"Okay. I want you to keep a close eye on her. Be with her every minute, until this thing is cleared up. Can you do that?"
"You bet I can."
"I really wish she’d get lost for a couple of days," Digger said.
"I’ll take care of her, Mister Burroughs."
"Tell her if she doesn’t cooperate, I’ll have her father up here inside three hours."
Gilligan nodded again. "Okay," he said. "Did my car really kill Professor Redwing?"
"Afraid so," Digger said.
"Any idea who stole it?"
"No. They couldn’t get a print off the car."
"Somebody must have seen it somewhere."
"That sounds logical, but it doesn’t work that way," Digger said. "People just don’t notice cars. I’d better get out of here and let you study."
"Okay. Will you call Allie tonight? I think she’d like to hear from you."
Digger rose from the typewriter table where he was sitting and walked toward the door. "Mister Burroughs," Danny called.
Digger turned around.
"Allie told me what you did with Rampler and Rolan. That was nice.
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