The Bone Chamber by Robin Burcell Page B

plane himself.
    When they got to the university, she asked Scotty to wait in the car while she checked with the administration staff to locate the professor.
    “I’ll go in with you,” he said.
    She didn’t want Scotty to see her pulling out her credentials and making this an official visit, since that sort of ruined the whole “old friend” scenario she’d woven for him, especially when she didn’t know what department or what class. “It’ll only take me a second to see if he’s in. If he’s not, I’ll be right out and we’re off to breakfast.”
    Scotty leaned back in his seat, gave her his best “hurry up” look, and she was off. There was only one Professor Woods who taught at the university, Denise Woods, and apparently she had a nine A.M . class and was presently in her office. Maybe Scotty wouldn’t notice Sydney’s slip-up on the professor’s gender. The girl at the counter gave Sydney a map of the campus, pointing out a parking lot closer to the professor’s building.
    Five minutes later, she was knocking at the professor’s office door, with Scotty at her side. The professor opened the door, and Syd eyed the very beautiful, petite blond-haired woman, and smiled. “Professor Denise Woods? I’m Sydney Fitzpatrick. I’ll bet you don’t recognize me.”
    She gave Sydney a thorough appraisal. “You’re right. Should I?”
    “Yes, you should.” Syd turned to Scotty. “Can you give me a couple minutes here, Scotty? It won’t take long, I promise.”
    He didn’t trust her, she could see it in his expression, but he did give her the privacy she requested, perhaps because she had promised to be on that plane, and he stepped away from the door. “Make it quick.”
    “Scout’s honor.”
    Syd stepped inside, closed the door of the small office behind her, then pulled out her credentials. “I’m Special Agent Sydney Fitzpatrick, FBI, looking into the disappearance of one of your students.”
    “Xavier Caldwell?”
    “Yes. You’ve been contacted about his disappearance?”
    “No, but I did wonder at his sudden absence.”
    “When was that?”
    Professor Woods walked over to her laptop computer on her desk, cluttered with stacks of papers, books, manila folders. She ran her finger across the mouse pad, tapped something into the computer, then said, “Almost two weeks ago.”
    Syd took out the sketch she’d made of her Jane Doe. “Does this woman look familiar to you?”
    “She bears a striking resemblance to my assistant, Alessandra Harden.”
    “Is she here?”
    “With her father. May I ask what this is about?”
    “As I said, a missing person’s case. On Xavier Caldwell. Other than that, I’m not at liberty to say.” Primarily because she had no damned clue as to what it was about. Even so, she now had a name to go with the face. “Did either of them approach you about anything odd? Conspiracy theories?”
    The professor hesitated, her gaze narrowing slightly. “As a matter of fact Xavier did, and I can honestly say that at the time I figured it was an excuse for not turning in his final draft report, which happened to be on the very same subject. Telling me he was in the midst of the biggest conspiracy theory in modern history is no excuse for not turning in his report on conspiracy theory in past history.”
    “Any idea what this big theory of his was?”
    “Something about criminals using secret societies to control politicians, thereby controlling the government, thereby controlling the world banking system. Alessandra might be a better person to ask.”
    “Why is that?”
    “They were pretty friendly. Tight. Of course, you’ll have to go to Italy to talk to her. I was informed that her absence was due to her sudden return home to take care of family matters. I think that translates to she was sent home in disgrace after she was caught in dishabille with the congressman.”
    When Syd finally found her tongue, all she could say was, “The