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

thought for a second, nodded and said, “Em, I see. So, was Peter Voss a welcome distraction or a not-so-welcome one?”

“Wes…it’s just that…Wes, I’m just not interested…”

“OK, I understand.”

“Well good, although I don’t know that I do…”

“Yeah, Jilly, I guess the question is, are you just not especially interested in Peter Voss or not interested in general?”

“Maybe a little of both,” she grimaced. “For sure, I’m not interested in Officer Voss…OK, I’m sure he’s a nice guy…I just didn’t feel any attraction toward him. As for the ‘in general’ part, I don’t know, Wes…sometimes I think that maybe seeing someone who you work with isn’t such a good idea.”

“You mean, like Brian?”

“Like Brian...“ she nodded…“because if it doesn’t work out, then you have the problem of continuing to work together, and that can be…uncomfortable.”

“I hear you. Also, I think you are correct that Peter has some non-professional interest in you. He’s been asking ‘those sorts of questions:’ what’s she like, is she seeing anyone…you know, things like that.”

“Yes, I sensed ‘that’ sort of interest. Like I said…I’m sure he’s a perfectly nice guy, Wes, I just don’t…”

“He is, indeed, a perfectly nice guy, but no worries, Jilly…that’s your call. I’m not playing match-maker.”

Wes was a good partner AND a good friend. He rarely stuck his nose in her business…OK, now and then…but the nice thing about them as partners AND as friends, is all of the stuff that didn’t need to be said. So, Jillian smiled, relieved.

“Thanks, Wes. Now, take a look at this…it’s a Wiki entry for Ayn Rand.”

Wes pulled a chair around so that he could see her screen and took a seat. He glanced at the page and then scrolled down to the notice of continuing pages. “Holy moly…you read all this?”

Jillian laughed, “No, I just pulled it up. I was going through the entries for some of the other people we’ve run across…they were more manageable…I’ll make a summary for you. And, I will read through this Ayn Rand stuff…sometime. But enough about all this. In your phone message you said you were going to Phoenix to interview Professor Spann…what’s up?”

“Yeah, well, like I told you, my plan was to do phone interviews with the two guys Susan Moser said were the Professor’s former lovers…while you were interviewing your former professor…Ian Naremore. By the way, I take it that he didn’t confess during your interview…?”

When Jillian just shook her head, Wes continued, “No…OK, so we’ll need to continue with our investigation then,” he gave a deadpan smile. “Anyway, I called Bradley…he’s the lawyer…and it was basically what Moser told us. But, Professor Carlton Spann…that was a whole other ball game. It took less than thirty seconds to know that their relationship didn’t end like Moser said it ended. He told me he’d ended the relationship AND because of something she did.”

“Really…what?”

“Well, he gave me a quick overview over the phone…enough to know that I wanted to interview him in person…you know, to see him up close and personal. You know what, let me run get my notes.”

“Wes, we can go back to the office…”

“No, no, you’re all set-up here…I just want to grab my notes to be sure I don’t leave anything out…be right back, Jilly.”

While Wes was gone, Jillian looked again at the entry on Ayn Rand…mainly at her photo on the right side of the screen. She thought about the other two photos…one in each of the Professor’s offices. She’d just closed the Ayn Rand site when Wes returned.

He was excited and talking even as he closed the door and took a chair. “So, first things first…all the biographical stuff Susan Moser told us about Carl Spann…that’s all correct. Also, I’d say he’s about Professor Siemens’ age…maybe a year or two older…” he made a wavy hand motion.

“Anyway, according to him, the trouble came when he had this idea an about ASU/community partnership—this is right up his alley…if you remember what Moser said about his specialty. And from how he saw it, it he’d had a very original idea…which is why he ran by Professor Siemens…he wanted her opinion…and because they were seeing each other.”

As Wes told this story, he occasionally referred to his notes. He had developed his own system of shorthand, largely unintelligible to anyone but him…except now and then you could see, more clearly spelled-out, direct quotes…complete with quotation marks. Jillian could see his note pad, and it made her smile…she’d forgotten about his notes. She used to tell Wes that he should switch to an IPAD because you can type faster than you can write. He had tried to show her how to decipher them…with absolutely no success…except for the quotes.

“So, he said she asked him a lot of questions, but he didn’t think anything about it…just figured she was trying to help him hone his idea. Until…next thing he knows, he sees an interview with Professor Siemens in The Republic where she lays out her innovative idea for ASU/community partnerships. And get this, she doesn’t mention him…at all. From talking with him, I had the sense that he was as mad that she didn’t give him any credit as that she stole his idea.“

“And so that’s why he broke-up with her?”

“That’s what he said.” Wes referred to his notes again. “He told me the problem was that, after this, he didn’t trust her anymore…said you needed trust to maintain a relationship…but that she was too competitive. He told me that he’d had that kind of competitive relationship with his wife—who is also a professor—which is why they broke-up.”

“Wow, so…did you have a sense that Professor Spann had it in for her so much that…you know? Did he say…has he seen her lately?”

Wes smiled, “Good question, Jilly. And yes, he saw her at a meeting week-before-last. He said everything was cordial enough…” Wes glanced at his notes again, “…but he added that she…Professor Siemens…still didn’t get it.”

Jillian was quiet, taking it all in. Then, “So what do you think, Wes?“

He