She told him. Finals week, senior dance, parties, the commencement exercises on Wednesday.
“And they take off right after Wednesday?”
“Most of them. All the parties are the week before, then the parents show up, and they leave.”
“How about the teachers?”
“They have their celebration on the Friday night after commencement. A dinner dance. Some of the trustees attend. It’s a big formal event.”
He nodded. “Yeah, that’s what I keep hearing. So Seymour was at the party Friday night, and no one ever saw him again. And no one gave it a thought that they didn’t see him again. Does that make sense?”
“I think so,” she said. “He would have cleaned out his office, ready to leave any time. The permanent staff hang around another week or so usually, or even year-round, but the temporaries just take off.” She frowned. “But you’d think someone would have noticed if he didn’t tell them goodbye.”
“Exactly,” Haliday said approvingly. “Dr. Melton says she and her husband went to the coast early Saturday, and when she got back on Thursday or Friday, he was gone. So she didn’t even think about a goodbye. Pryor and his wife went to Hawaii on Saturday, stayed three weeks. So far that’s all I’ve been hearing; they took off for a little vacation, or went fishing or something. So no one told him so long and no one thought it was strange.”
There was a tap on the door. He called out, “Come on in.” Winona Kelly and a uniformed officer entered. Haliday glanced at his watch and stood up. “Back to the grind,” he said. “See you later, Blair.”
She walked back to the library between the uniformed officer and Winona Kelly, with reporters shouting questions every step of the way. She felt like a prisoner.
That afternoon Winona Kelly delivered several packets of copied files to the lieutenant, and Ellen began to feel that perhaps the job was not as hopeless as it had appeared.
When they quit for the day the archivist, Mr. Rosenthal, was waiting for Ellen. “He questioned me,” he said. He sounded quite happy. He had been on the spot here when the first brick was laid, Ellen thought; of course he would be questioned. “Not that I had anything to contribute,” Mr. Rosenthal said. “Frankly, I don’t even remember the man.” He started to walk away, then stopped. “Oh, the reason I interrupted you. Dr. Melton sent word for you to report to her office. That’s it.”
Shit, Ellen muttered under her breath. When they left the library no reporters were in sight among the swarm of students on their way to the cafeteria. A light rain was falling. It was the kind of rain that locals paid no attention to; if they carried umbrellas, they usually didn’t bother to unfurl them for this kind of mist, but Winona began to run with her purse over her head. Maybe her dye would wash out, Ellen thought sourly. Suddenly Beverly Kirchner fell into step beside her.
“Slow down, Ellen. A couple of us want to talk to you. Tonight. About nine or a little after, your place.”
“There’s nothing to say,” Ellen said. “I told you, I’m not talking. Not to anyone. You think I’m crazy?”
“Why are you spending so much time with the cops? Are they putting pressure on you?”
“I’m an acting file clerk, for God’s sake! Leave me alone, Bev. You, all of you. Just leave me alone!”
Beverly clutched her arm. “You realize that some of them are desperate? If they thought you’d wreck their lives... They’re really desperate, Ellen. Believe me!”
Ellen stopped walking, pulling Beverly to a halt with her. Students moved around them on both sides. “Do you think I’m not desperate?” she demanded. “I’m not crazy, and I’m not stupid. Now bug off.”
She began to walk again, swiftly this time. Bev did not keep up. And no nine o’clock rendezvous, she should have said.
Winona was waiting for her at the administration building entrance. “They’re in the president’s office,” she said. “And I’m off. See you tomorrow.” She had found an umbrella somewhere. It was the only one in sight when she left.
Ellen knocked on Hilde’s door. Rita was already gone from the outer office, her computer covered. The door opened and Janice Ayers stepped aside to admit her.
Hilde was standing behind her desk, both hands palm down on it. She was speaking in a low, vehement voice. “Lieutenant, this is lunacy. What difference will a few days make now? You have to take your people off this campus, at least until next week when the students will be gone for spring break. Everyone knows what must have happened to Philip Seymour, and it has nothing to do with this school. Mary Grayling was in tears this afternoon. She had to cancel her classes. The students are in a turmoil. Parents are threatening to remove them entirely. And for what? A senseless disruption that is utterly fruitless.”
Haliday had glanced at Ellen when she arrived, then turned his attention back to Hilde. Now he said in a respectful tone, “I understand, Dr. Melton. Believe me, I do. We’ll be as discreet and fast as we can, I assure you.”
Hilde slapped the desk hard and turned to Ellen. “Is that what you’ve been pulling from the files?”
“Yes,” Ellen said. She crossed the room and handed Hilde a file folder. “If that’s all, I’d better be going.”
Hilde waved her away and started to scan the notes Ellen had prepared. “For God’s sake! His entire student roster from fifteen years ago!” She closed the folder and sat down.
“Is this the student newspaper?” Haliday asked suddenly. He picked up the newspaper from a table. “How often does it come out?”
Hilde glared at him. “Biweekly.”
Haliday said to Ellen, “When you finish in the archives, think you could round up copies of the paper for the time Seymour was teaching here?”
This time Ellen glared. “I don’t know.”
“Try,” he said placatingly. “That’s all we can do, isn’t it? Try.”
“They’ll be on microfiche,” Janice said then. “In the journalism department. They keep everything.”
Ellen could feel rebellion rising — microfiche! — but before she could voice it, Haliday said, “You ready to leave? I’ll walk you to your car. You did drive, didn’t you?”
She darted a glance at Hilde, who was pale with fury. It was very clear who was in charge, who was deciding when to call a halt to the meeting, when to dismiss Ellen. She had never seen Hilde so angry, and was relieved to escape before she gave voice to her anger. Janice could take it, she thought, but at that moment she didn’t think she could. It was all just too much, she decided, hurrying to the door. Too damn much.
At the entrance to the building they paused. It was raining harder. “What were you so hot about when you came in?” he asked.
“A reporter,” she snapped, and zipped up her jacket.
“Ah. Well, let’s do it.”
He intended to go to the car with her, she realized, and began to run across the parking lot. When they reached the Mazda, he said, “You have time to do me a little favor?” He had stopped at the passenger side; she ran on to the driver’s side and opened the door.
“What?”
“A little spin around the campus, that’s all.” He pulled the other door open and got inside before she could respond. She slid in behind the wheel. “See, I’ve been all over it in daylight, but not at night. I thought it might be a good idea to do it with someone who knows what the different buildings are. Okay?”
Silently she started the car. She drove slowly on the narrow road that wound through the campus; many students were walking here and there, many with umbrellas now. Each building was screened by trees and bushes; paths with yellow lamplights led up and down from the road. There were many terraces, many stairs. She pointed out the buildings they passed; the science building, the library, gym. The math building showed many lights. “Computer freaks,” she said. She drove past the dorms, the highest buildings on campus, and on to College Road.