up. But, I’m over that now,” Will stated.
“Sounds like a real intense guy. Well, I think that is all for now. Thanks for your time.” Pitman stood up and escorted him out.
Chapter 50
Sean Jackson stood tall as he walked up the stairs to the library. His grandmother always told him, “No matter what, stand tall and be proud.” So, Sean followed his grandmother’s advice. By now, it was obvious that the police were focusing on the five of them. They had only questioned one other person, Todd, who used to be a member of their study group. The question is, what did the police know?
“It was just talk,” Sean thought to himself. “We had nothing to do with his disappearance,” he mumbled.
Both Pitman and Shazhad stood as Sean entered the room. Sean’s shoulders slumped immediately as he entered the tiny study room; he was no longer standing tall.
“Mr. Jackson, you’re in a study group with Jack, Will, Abrams and Amanda Martin. Correct?” Pitman asked.
“Yes. We have been studying together since the beginning,” Sean responded.
“So, you guys have a good study group, right? I mean, you wouldn’t study with a bunch of dummies. I figure that you all thought well of each other, correct?” Pitman asked.
“Yes, it’s a very good group of people. We really help each other understand the material,” Sean said.
“What did you think about Professor Kirshner?” Shazhad asked.
“Honestly, I know the guy’s missing and all, but he was a major creep. He was so mean to us in class. At times, it was unbearable; he put us down, called us stupid, and insulted our accents. There was nothing sacred to him, and Will probably got it the worst of all of us. For some reason, Kirshner loved to pick on him. Although, recently he had let up on him and moved on to some other students.” Sean was amazed at how much he just told them.
“What do you think happened to Kirshner?” Shazhad asked.
“Who knows? The guy was like a millionaire. Maybe he just decided to skip out of town. Who knows? To be honest, I am glad he’s gone, and I really hope he never comes back. I am sure every student you talk to today will say the same thing.”
Pitman scratched his head and closed his notepad. It was not often that you would run into someone that was as hated as Kirshner. This made things much harder from a police standpoint because the suspects were endless. But, his few minutes with the students may have given him some prime suspects. He hoped that Amanda Martin would confirm his suspicion. The question for Pitman and Shazhad was, did they hate him enough to kill him?
C hapter 51
“Ms. Martin, come in and join us,” Pitman said with a sweet smile.
Amanda was a tall, attractive girl with very long legs – Pitman noticed her long legs immediately. He had always been a leg man. That’s one of the things he first noticed about Jill. Her long legs peeking out of her lab coat.
Amanda’s heart was racing, and her hands were trembling. She could feel them shaking and purposely hid them under the table. She did her best to compose herself.
“Did something happen to Professor Kirshner?” she asked in her southern accent.
“We’re not sure at this point. Right now, he’s just missing,” Shazhad answered.
“I hope he’s alright. I’ve been praying for him since we heard he was missing.”
“Did you like him?” Pitman quickly asked.
“What do you mean? Like a crush?”
“No, I mean as a professor. Did you like him as a teacher?”
“He was extremely challenging, and I am always up for a challenge. I wouldn’t say I liked the guy because he was unnecessarily rude in class. He even made fun of my accent a few times. Said I sounded dumb with my horrible Charleston accent.”
“Is that where you are from? Charleston, South Carolina?” Shazhad asked.
“Born and raised. This is the first time I’ve been away from home. So, it has been a big transition for me,” Amanda explained.
“Have Jack, Abrams,
Qiu Xiaolong
Gary Phillips
Elizabeth Ferrars
Nadia Gould
Laurie Alice Eakes
Donna Andrews
Ed Baldwin
Mark Roman
Suzanne Johnson
Lindsay Kiernan