extremities for wounds. The security chief effectively maneuvered and organized the waiting students, calming their fears, while quietly trying to contain the crime scene. Raub studied the circumstances and the head wound without touching the body and was immediately suspicious.
Raub considered the crime scene with despair. Too many people had muddied the ground to hope for anything useful. However, he and his men asked everyone to move carefully out of the way. He observed what he could before the paramedics gently lifted her to the stretcher and drove away. The chief of campus security hid his dismay, but he knew that Dr. Mishkin hadn’t fallen and injured herself. He quickly determined who was first on the scene and singled out the vice president and the two students. He asked the other security officer to question the others and acquire their names before ushering them away.
The witnesses cooperated but proved unhelpful. He acquired the necessary information and asked if they would wait for the city detective to arrive. An automatic call had gone out as soon as he’d seen the circumstances. Mark had called Nick, too, knowing the public relations nightmare this would engender. He motioned for one of the officers to take them just inside the building, where they could wait away from the misty air. Vice President Kahn looked decidedly shaky.
God forbid this was tied to Dr. Abbott’s murder. A crazed killer of science professors? As he signaled his men to start searching the area for a weapon, his thoughts fought the possibility. His sleepy little campus was heading out of control. Unfortunately, two many students had seen the commotion. He hoped Nick got here soon. When students were unhappy, parents weren’t far behind.
Kat’s meeting had dragged interminably. She wearily walked from the office, wriggling her toes in her Spanish leather pumps, seeking comfort only slippers could provide. She passed the portraits, head averted, fearful of what she might see this time. As she looked up, campus security officers approached, checking each room along the way. All were empty except for Dr. Kornich’s.
Puzzled, she waited. Before she could learn much, Detective Burrows arrived. Upon seeing her, he threw up his hands and erroneously assumed she was involved. A half-hour later Kat was able to leave, finally having convinced him of her innocence. She fled with Nick back to the office, where they attempted damage control.
It helped that Detective Burrows had agreed to give a statement to the media if asked, claiming the attack appeared to have no connection to the previous murder. He felt the situations and methods were entirely different, and this victim had been left alive. It appeared the attacker could have killed her if he’d wished, since she was lying in a deserted area unconscious for a while before anyone came along.
Kat and Nick stopped at the hospital on the way home, partially as representatives of the university, and partially out of curiosity. Neither was convinced the attack had nothing to do with Professor Abbott. Both were hoping Suzanne had recovered enough to talk. Burrows had a man waiting in the hospital to get a statement, but they felt an urgency to know as soon as possible themselves.
It was late evening as they arrived and the hospital corridors echoed with farewells of visitors departing for the night. Nick showed the nurse his credentials. The sprightly woman ushered them to Susanne’s door.
“She has regained consciousness and is giving a statement to the officer. She can talk with you for a few minutes when finished if she’s not too tired.”
They were able to catch most of the statement to the officer as they waited in the doorway, but the information was sketchy. Dazed as Suzanne still was, she was firm in her conviction that she’d seen no one and had no idea why she would be attacked. The assailant had even left her purse by her side.
Though exhausted, she was delighted to see
Raub considered the crime scene with despair. Too many people had muddied the ground to hope for anything useful. However, he and his men asked everyone to move carefully out of the way. He observed what he could before the paramedics gently lifted her to the stretcher and drove away. The chief of campus security hid his dismay, but he knew that Dr. Mishkin hadn’t fallen and injured herself. He quickly determined who was first on the scene and singled out the vice president and the two students. He asked the other security officer to question the others and acquire their names before ushering them away.
The witnesses cooperated but proved unhelpful. He acquired the necessary information and asked if they would wait for the city detective to arrive. An automatic call had gone out as soon as he’d seen the circumstances. Mark had called Nick, too, knowing the public relations nightmare this would engender. He motioned for one of the officers to take them just inside the building, where they could wait away from the misty air. Vice President Kahn looked decidedly shaky.
God forbid this was tied to Dr. Abbott’s murder. A crazed killer of science professors? As he signaled his men to start searching the area for a weapon, his thoughts fought the possibility. His sleepy little campus was heading out of control. Unfortunately, two many students had seen the commotion. He hoped Nick got here soon. When students were unhappy, parents weren’t far behind.
Kat’s meeting had dragged interminably. She wearily walked from the office, wriggling her toes in her Spanish leather pumps, seeking comfort only slippers could provide. She passed the portraits, head averted, fearful of what she might see this time. As she looked up, campus security officers approached, checking each room along the way. All were empty except for Dr. Kornich’s.
Puzzled, she waited. Before she could learn much, Detective Burrows arrived. Upon seeing her, he threw up his hands and erroneously assumed she was involved. A half-hour later Kat was able to leave, finally having convinced him of her innocence. She fled with Nick back to the office, where they attempted damage control.
It helped that Detective Burrows had agreed to give a statement to the media if asked, claiming the attack appeared to have no connection to the previous murder. He felt the situations and methods were entirely different, and this victim had been left alive. It appeared the attacker could have killed her if he’d wished, since she was lying in a deserted area unconscious for a while before anyone came along.
Kat and Nick stopped at the hospital on the way home, partially as representatives of the university, and partially out of curiosity. Neither was convinced the attack had nothing to do with Professor Abbott. Both were hoping Suzanne had recovered enough to talk. Burrows had a man waiting in the hospital to get a statement, but they felt an urgency to know as soon as possible themselves.
It was late evening as they arrived and the hospital corridors echoed with farewells of visitors departing for the night. Nick showed the nurse his credentials. The sprightly woman ushered them to Susanne’s door.
“She has regained consciousness and is giving a statement to the officer. She can talk with you for a few minutes when finished if she’s not too tired.”
They were able to catch most of the statement to the officer as they waited in the doorway, but the information was sketchy. Dazed as Suzanne still was, she was firm in her conviction that she’d seen no one and had no idea why she would be attacked. The assailant had even left her purse by her side.
Though exhausted, she was delighted to see
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