Page 62 of Silencing Stolen Whispers
“Both of you, stay on this bench.” Kinsley directed, lifting a hand when she caught sight of Officer Drew Blake. He nodded when he understood her silent instruction to remain with the two women. “I’ll be back momentarily.”
“Detective Aspen,” Jade called out before Kinsley could take three steps. “You should know that Hannah discovered my arrangement with Dr. Reeves. She…well, let’s just say she was really angry. I begged her to let me take a few more payments before she spoke to him. That’s the reason we really weren’t speaking in the end.”
Kinsley recalled their last text exchange. Hannahhadindicated that Jade had figured out a way out of her financial woes. The picture was becoming clearer by the minute.
“I think Hannah confronted Reeves.” Jade’s voice was barely audible now. “I don't know exactly what she said to him, but he came to me earlier last week to confirm that our arrangement still stood. Three days later, Hannah was dead.”
25
Alex Lanen
July
Monday — 10:28 pm
Alex sprinted across the east parking lot. Each footfall thudded loudly against the pavement, the deep sound echoing off the rows of silent vehicles. The lampposts cast golden streaks of light, glinting off windshields and hoods like coins scattered across the asphalt. Not one of the remaining cars was a dark blue Lexus. He scanned the last row of vehicles, but the one he was searching for was gone.
“Damn it,” Alex muttered as he finally stopped near the first row of vehicles. A bead of sweat traced down the back of his neck. He spotted Officer Hendricks approaching from the other side of the lot. “Hendricks, do you see a dark blue Lexus down there?”
“No, sir.”
Alex yanked the radio off his belt and pressed the button harder than necessary.
“Aspen, we’re too late. Reeves has already left the campus.” Alex’s thumb stayed on the button a beat too long before he released his grip. He hated the finality of those words. He gradually lowered his radio as Hendricks closed the distance between them at a jog. “Radio dispatch. Get Reeves’ home address.”
“Yes, sir.”
Alex clipped the radio back onto his belt, his breathing finally steadying. A breeze shifted, carrying the faint sounds of voices as the vigil continued to wind down. He moved through the lot, stepping aside for a group of students leaving the courtyard.
The event had fractured into pockets of hushed conversation and purposeful movement, some exiting while others remaining in the immediate area. Alex stepped carefully between small clusters of students who lingered either to share memories of Hannah or exchange theories about her death.Most moved with purpose, toward the exit, toward each other, toward whatever made them cope and feel less hollow.
Some student volunteers were quietly collecting discarded candles and crumpled pamphlets. Near the fountain, a student was dismantling the easel that had been set up to hold Hannah’s portrait, the wooden legs collapsing effortlessly.
“Detective Lanen?”
The voice came from his left.
Alex turned to find Professor Bigsby approaching, a solemn expression in place. She was holding a set of reading glasses in both hands, as if she wasn’t quite sure what to do with them.
“Professor Bigsby,” Alex acknowledged with a polite nod. He would have continued walking had she not stepped in front of him. “I apologize, but I don’t have time to talk at the moment.”
“Is there anything I can help you with?” Professor Bigsby asked, her tone carefully modulated to sound casual, though Alex recognized the deliberate inquiry for what it was. “I thoughtthe vigil went well, but I also noticed several plainclothes police officers. There isn’t a danger to anyone here, is there?”
“No, no,” Alex replied in reassurance. “It’s standard procedure to monitor events such as these, and we’ve been coordinating with the interim dean. You have nothing to be worried about, Professor Bigsby. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
Professor Bigsby's lips pressed into a thin line, either from disappointment at his vague response or from some private thought she wasn't ready to share. She seemed to accept that he wasn’t going to reveal any crucial information, though. She reluctantly stepped to the side.
As Alex continued to cross the courtyard, around the fountain, he finally spotted a familiar flash of blonde hair. Kinsley stood in front of a stone bench with one hand braced on her hip. A section of her blonde hair had escaped her hair tie, framing her face as she spoke with Jade Patel, who sat hunched next to Courtney Huber. Both students seemed to have aged a year in the last hour.
Kinsley instantly registered his presence, alerting Officer Blake that she was stepping away. Her posture suggested she was in the middle of a critical line of questioning. Whatever she had discovered about Victor Reeves had turned the investigation on its head.
With only a few scattered groups lingering nearby, the campus had settled into a strangely peaceful scene. The soft gurgle of the fountain was finally audible, its gentle splashes forming a calming rhythm in the background. The night was also starting to fill with the chatter of crickets.
“Please tell me you found Reeves,” Kinsley urged with frustration as she came to a stop in front of him.
“No, but Hendricks just requested his home address from dispatch. Is Reeves our perp?”
“It’s looking like that,” Kinsley replied grimly before giving him a quick update. “Jade caught Hannah and Reeves in a compromising position last semester. Jade confronted Hannah, and she basically admitted to having an affair with her professor.”
