Carolyn G. Hart_Henrie O_03 by Death in Lovers' Lane Read Free Book Online Page A

There was nothing ominous in his words, but I felt a prickle of unease.
    â€œFairly late.”
    â€œYou go to this kind of trouble for all your students?” He didn’t try to hide his disbelief.
    I didn’t like the question, and I didn’t like the implication. “No,” I replied pleasantly, “I do not go to this kind of effort for all my students.”
    Urschel snapped, “What got you so involved, Mrs. Collins?”
    â€œThere were special circumstances, Lieutenant.” I told Urschel about Maggie’s ad. “ The Clarion is well read. That ad attracted the attention of Dr. Tucker.”
    Lieutenant Urschel’s eyes narrowed. I didn’t need to identify the University president for him. Tucker was a Derry Hills mover and shaker.
    â€œDr. Tucker didn’t want Maggie to do the series.” I intended to make it very clear that the possibility of bringing those investigations back to life definitely displeased Thorndyke’s president. “He wanted me to request that Maggie drop her investigations of the crimes.”
    I hoped this conversation would lead Urschel directly to the president’s office.
    But as I talked, I realized Urschel wasn’t interested in the series. He was merely puzzled by what he saw as an odd relationship between a student anda professor. When the student was murdered, anything odd blinked like neon.
    â€œIn fact, Dr. Tucker was—”
    â€œYeah, I see,” he said abruptly, cutting me off. He snapped shut the notebook.
    â€œLieutenant.” He was dismissing me, but I wasn’t ready to go yet. I felt at a huge disadvantage. As a reporter, you have some standing. And a reporter who covers the police beat builds up long-term relationships. This cop will open up. That one can be charmed. Another will kindly respond to respectful inquiries. Yet another is scared of the press. But I didn’t know Urschel. I had no inkling how to approach him. But I had to give it a try. “Lieutenant, what counts here is that I insisted that Maggie hunt for new facts for those articles. And now she’s dead. In Lovers’ Lane. What if she found out who killed Howard Rosen and Gail Voss?”
    â€œNo way, Professor.” Urschel’s eyes locked with mine. “A kid reporter can’t find an answer in a few hours that I couldn’t find in months of looking. So you can relax. The Rosen-Voss case had nothing to do with this murder.” He turned away.
    â€œLieutenant Urschel, why was Maggie killed here—in Lovers’ Lane—if there’s no connection?”
    I thought he was going to ignore me. Cops protect facts in an investigation as Woodward and Bernstein protected Deep Throat. But, grudgingly, Urschel looked back at me. “The ME said she wasn’t killed here. The lividity’s wrong. She was knocked unconscious, strangled, and left lying on her side. Somebody dumped her here an hour or so after death.” Once again his gaze flicked down the road. I knew he was remembering another crime scene. He cleared his throat. “Mrs. Collins, this girlwas strangled. The students in ’88 were shot. You can rest easy, Professor. This murder has nothing to do with the Lovers’ Lane murders. Nothing.”
    Maybe.
    Maybe not.
    Â 
    I have no classes on Thursdays. Throughout the day, I graded papers, but it was easy to track the investigation into Maggie’s murder by looking through my office window into The Clarion newsroom. I kept my office door open so I could hear snatches of conversation.
    Buddy Neville had taken over as deputy city editor, subbing for Eric March. Dennis Duffy, his face ashen, stared dully at his computer, apparently leaving most of the work to Buddy. Buddy tried to submerge his pleasure in handling a big breaking story with an occasional muttered “Too bad about Maggie” or “Poor old Eric.” But mostly the boy’s eyes gleamed with excitement,