Death of the Ayn Rand Scholar by Gray Cavender (classic literature list txt) 📕

meet day after tomorrow.’ He wanted to know if you’d be there, too, and seemed relieved when I said you would be. He said he had a morning class and then a faculty meeting.’ So we’re on with him at 2pm.”

Wes said, “All three of these guys changed their tune after I mentioned the forensics report. Guess they’re all smart enough to know that the report is maybe a little damning…that they ought to be putting their best foot forward.”

Having set the schedule for the next round of interviews, Wes and Jillian had spent a few minutes discussing how they’d handle Davidos and Roberts tomorrow. Afterward, that was it for the day. Wes left for two back-to-back meetings

The first meeting with was with Stu Kostelac. Wes told Jillian, “Stu said you didn’t need to be there…it’s a general Homicide Division meeting…it’ll include updates on all current investigations. When our case comes up, I’ll brief everyone. Knowing Stu, he’ll view our second round of interviews as an indication of progress.”

“So, I shouldn’t go?”

“No, no…it’s our weekly meeting…already scheduled.”

“And you don’t think he has it in for me?”

“No. Like I told you, Stu thinks this is all a part of some career master plan on your part…which he admires…that’s the kind of guy he is. He just wants to hear that we’re making headway on the case.”

“And your second meeting?”

“That’s with the Chief. I want to brief her on our progress, and especially on a second interview with President Davidos. She’ll be OK with it, but I just want to give her a heads-up.”

Jillian said she’d call Al, her chief, and do the same thing. She knew that Wes’ visit with Chief McCaslin was more than just the usual case update, even with an upcoming interview with President Davidos. Wes was like a member of Chief McCaslin’s unofficial kitchen cabinet of advisors. Jillian remembered that it was a discussion between the Chief and Wes that had resulted in her shift from the Research Division to becoming a detective.

Al just whistled when Jillian called and told him about the second meeting with President Davidos. But he was complementary when she gave him the high points of what they’d learned from the forensics report. “Sounds like you and Wes are starting to move…starting to narrow things down. Once you do that, you’ll have a better picture of the lay of the land. Keep your eyes open, Jillian…things will start speeding-up.”

Before she rang-off, Jillian told Al that she was having dinner with a friend at Restaurant Mexico. She knew that Al liked to eat there. He told her that back when he was a rookie patrol officer, it was his favorite place restaurant. “The food was good and I could afford it,” he said.

“Same for me,” Jillian answered. “Lots of students eat there.”

“Course, during the time I’m talking about, they had a different location.”

“Really?”

“They’ve a Tempe institution. As a matter of fact, the place where I ate when I was a rookie wasn’t their first location either. They’ve been all over downtown Tempe. So enjoy, Jillian. Oh yeah, and in terms of the case, like I said, stay alert.”

Jillian didn’t remember Restaurant Mexico’s former location. Still, she knew that the landscape of downtown Tempe was changing…and fast. It wasn’t just the usual flux of new businesses replacing former businesses…it was much more. Entire city blocks were being razed, replaced as often as not by high rise apartments with businesses on the ground floor. More and more these days, if Jillian wanted to enjoy Tempe’s urban vista, she found herself looking up.

She turned right onto Mill Avenue. Al had called Restaurant Mexico ‘a Tempe institution.’ This would be a real downtown Tempe evening, she thought. She and Eileen had planned that after dinner, they’d walk the short distance to the Valley Art Theater, another Tempe institution, to catch a movie.

Eileen was seated in a booth when Jillian entered. She was facing Mill Avenue so she saw Jillian and waved as soon as she entered the restaurant. There were already two glasses of water and two menus on the table along with chips and salsa.

Eileen rose and they hugged.

Jillian slid into the booth and immediately took a big pull of water, and said, “It is so hot out there. I don’t know if the summers are getting hotter or if they just last longer. Whatever…this is brutal.”

“Tell me about it. I’m parked over behind The Centerpoint, and broke out in a sweat just walking over here. By the way, I’ve ordered a couple of Modelos.”

“Thank you.” Jillian smiled, picked-up the menu, but immediately put it down. “I don’t know why I’m bothering to read this, I know what I’m going to have.”

Before Eileen could reply, a waitress approached with their beers and two small glasses with lime wedges on the rim. She looked at Jillian and said, “I know you just got here…do you need more time?”

“No, I’m good. I’ll have two cheese enchiladas with rice and beans.”

Eileen ordered a Clare Burro with rice.

When the waitress left, Jillian said, “I’m glad you called, Eileen. We’ve really been pushing on our investigation and I think I needed a night out just to clear my head. These things get so intense…it’s hard to unwind in the evening.”

They each poured half a glass of beer and toasted.

“I’ll bet. So, Jillian, level with me—I can keep a secret—when I read The Republic in the morning, will it report that you and your partner have cracked the case and made a key arrest?”

Jillian laughed. “I wish…” She shook her head. “Not yet anyway, but we’re not butting our heads against a brick wall, either. Do your students follow stories like this?”

“Some, not so much...they’re totally self-absorbed and lost in teen angst. Others, yeah. Because I teach social studies, I get them to discuss all kinds of current issues, from national and international events to local things, too. And some of those who are college-bound keep up with what happens on campus. That’s