“You must be upset by what happened the other night. I can only imagine what you’re going through, witnessing such a tragic event.”
“Uh, yes. It’s been a lot to deal with.”
Professor Henry angled her head, studying me. Her features were void of emotion, irises a shade of brown that almost appeared black. I could smell her perfume, thick and cloying. Was it hiding a darker, more insidious scent? I couldn’t tell.
“If you need to talk, I’m available. Anytime. Even after-hours.”
Taking a step back, I nearly tripped on one of the chairs. “Thank you for the offer. Maybe I’ll take you up on it. I have to go, or I’ll be late for my next class.”
A faint smile formed on her lips. “Of course. We wouldn’t want that. Hopefully, I’ll see you next week.”
***
“It was a threat! ‘Hopefully, I’ll see you next week,’ sounds innocent enough, but there was a tone . . . I think.”
Loki snorted and stuck his head out the car window as I drove toward the country club. He didn’t seem convinced, and apparently, even ghost dogs enjoyed the wind in their faces. I rolled the window down too, letting the breeze whip through my hair and cool the back of my neck.
After a long day of classes, I went back to my dorm and gathered my uniform as well as my ghostly companion. The walk I’d promised him around the quad had turned into a car ride. I hadn’t received any more texts from Caden, and to be honest, the dorm had looked kind of empty without him taking up space on the floor. Deny it all I want, but I couldn’t wait for him to get back. I wanted to get his thoughts on my suspect list and hear his reaction to my encounter with Professor Henry. Vaguely threatening or not, there had been a tone.
My phone sat silently in the cupholder, and I glanced at it out of the corner of my eye. If I didn’t hear from him by tomorrow, I’d call. I was dying to know how his road trip was going. He’d been reluctant to call in the favor, and I had a hunch it was related to the trouble in his past.
I turned down the paved drive that led to the club and parked in the employee lot. Lights were on in the main building, and I spotted Angela’s black SUV in her reserved spot. A few other cars dotted the lot, but it was mostly empty.
Loki floated behind me as I approached the club. Inside, the lights were dim and the halls empty. A few people lounged in the members’ bar, but without the buzzing energy from a banquet the place was quiet this late in the evening. I poked my head into the reception hall. The room was a vacant shell waiting to be filled. My gaze fell on the spot where the ice sculpture had landed, and I could almost visualize the scene in my head.
“Let’s go, Loki,” I said, crossing the room and heading for the kitchen.
It was quiet as I walked toward Angela’s office, my steps slowing as I approached her door. I knocked softly then entered to find her seated behind her desk. Loki remained in the hall, hovering patiently by the door.
Angela’s usually starched uniform was wrinkled, and she wore hardly any makeup. She looked exhausted, buried underneath a mountain of paperwork. The phone on her desk rang, but she ignored it, pinching the bridge of her nose and wincing as if the shrill tone gave her a headache.
“Hi, Angela. I’m here to return my uniform.” I removed the folded garments from my bag and placed them on the corner of her desk.
The phone finally stopped ringing, and she sighed, gesturing for me to take a seat.
“Elle, thanks for coming in. Sorry about the mess. It’s been a rough week, as you know. I have your check somewhere under this pile.” She shifted a stack of invoices and riffled through a bundle of envelopes.
“How are you holding up?” I asked, taking the envelope she passed across the desk.
“The phone will not stop ringing. It’s one problem after another. I don’t know when we’ll be back up and running. Hopefully soon. Rescheduling everything has been a nightmare.”
“I can imagine.”
“How about you? I’m sorry for the way things ended. I hope you understand.”
“Of course. It was my fault, and I acted inappropriately. But you’re right—it’s been a tough week. I had a class with Professor Roberts, so I knew her personally.” I twisted the envelope in my hand and met Angela’s gaze. “Had you met her before the event?”
Angela frowned and leaned back in her chair. “You know, it’s funny. I should have met her, but I didn’t have the opportunity. I take a couple of night classes at the university. I’m working my way toward a degree in hospitality, and Professor Roberts taught one of my general education requirements.”
“She did?” I acted surprised, leaning forward with interest.
“Well, she was supposed to. At the last minute, she was replaced by another instructor. We were told Professor Roberts accepted a project outside the university. Professor Henry took her place. In fact, Julia was the point of contact for planning the award ceremony. She signed off on everything.”
Even the enormous ice sculpture? Interesting.
“Did you see what happened the night of the party?” I asked, my voice dropping to a hushed tone. I hoped I sounded as if I were digging for gossip and not clues.
“No. I wasn’t in the reception room when the lights went out. After I met with you, John from security called me into his office. There was an electrical issue with the cameras, and he was worried the disruption would spread through the system and affect the event. A few minutes later, we lost power, and I heard a scream. I made my way back to the reception room and called for help.”
