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

”What’s odd, Linda, is that if anything, we have too much. Apparently Professor Siemens was a fairly unpopular woman…among faculty, staff, and students. Women, people of color, and anyone who is remotely liberal.”

“Which makes it even harder. Carolyn said that some people had mentioned Ian Naremore as being especially ‘anti-Professor Siemens,’ and that when you interviewed him, he didn’t do himself much good.” Linda sighed. “I know you have to be careful about what you say…even to your former boss,” she smiled, “but you don’t really think…I mean, do you?”

“I don’t think so. It’s just, you know how opinionated he can be.”

Linda said, “Oh yes,” and made a pained expression.

“Anyway, let’s hope not. I don’t see myself having to arrest a professor who’s been on my honors thesis and my MS project. Honestly, though, apparently, he and the victim really had it in for each other.”

“Don’t forget…he’s on my dissertation committee, too.” Geeze Louise,” Linda shuddered. “And we both know how nasty those academic wars can be. I think these people never forget…anything…even some slight from…2008, or whenever. Grad students have to walk on egg shells, you know, being careful that if Professor X is on your committee, you cannot under any circumstances have Professor Y on it. I had all kinds of very scary advice from students in my PhD cohort…I actually had nightmares about my dissertation committee members. Carolyn walked me through all that, but, honestly, it was like a minefield. I’m sure she helped you navigate that business, too.”

“She did, yes…but still…it’s more intense on a PhD committee.” Jillian was quiet, then said, “Professor Naremore said some pretty strong stuff, Linda, but still…I can’t believe that he’d murder someone.”

“Me either.”

They talked a little longer…about Linda’s son, about Jillian’s transition to the new job, and that was that. They agreed to do lunch once the murder investigation ended. Linda, ever positive, assured Jillian that she and Wes would sort it out.

Jillian had lost track of the time while visiting Linda and had to dash for coffee with Grace Wilson, but she made it on time. The café/coffee shop had two entrances: one from the concreted area outside the library and the other form the library lobby…Grace was waiting inside.

She was wearing a gorgeous light red dress that went well with her complexion, and for a further dash of color, a paisley scarf with blues and greens and grays.

“I wasn’t sure if you’d know this place,” Jillian said and gestured toward the café.

“Oh yes, it was my ‘go-to’ when we were in Language and Lit.”

They waited in line behind two women students.

Jillian asked, “How is the new building? Are you enjoying the move?”

“I’d give it mixed reviews. Language and Lit needed some work and our new building was nicely renovated for us…new furniture and all that, so in that way, yes, it’s an improvement in terms of the physical facility. Still, it’s over there on the edge of campus so I feel a bit on the margins. Maybe that’ll change once the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences moves into the old law school. The College is a big operation, and I have several friends who work there, so I’m hoping I’ll feel less isolated.”

They made their way to the front of the line…Jillian ordered an iced green tea and Grace had an iced mocha, decaf, skinny, and no whipped cream. Jillian noticed that Grace didn’t have to read the menu. The waiting area was to their left by the condiments, but their orders were ‘up’ quickly.

Most of the tables were outside, but there were a few at the edge of the lobby. By unstated agreement, they grabbed the last empty table indoors.

“How is everyone in the English Department handling Professor Siemens’ death?”

Grace looked sad, resigned but sad, and Jillian thought that maybe she was reliving her discovery of the Professor’s body. She took a sip of the coffee, dabbed her mouth with a napkin, and said, “Most people are freaked-out about this…it’s so…so beyond the pale. I think that it’s hardest on those who are the most vulnerable…graduate students and assistant professors…basically, they’re scared. One young assistant prof—she’s from Canada—asked me if I thought it was safe to work in our building in the evening. These people are younger and have had less experience in dealing with death, much less one like this. But really, everyone is just flat-out uneasy.“

“I’m sure it doesn’t help that the Professor’s office is taped-off with yellow ‘crime scene’ tape.”

Grace nodded. “And besides…Nelda’s death has just disrupted things in the department. She did have some friends…naturally, they’re devastated. Of course, at times like this, you always see some who weren’t all that close acting like they were BFF’s.” She shrugged. “But you know, it may be worse for the faculty who opposed her. They were up in arms when she was hired last year…and then once she was here, some faculty came to dislike her…personally. And now this…her death has really sucker-punched them.”

“Professor Gilroy, for instance?”

“Yes, I actually was thinking of him. Billy’s a good soul…he’s from the south so he knows how to ‘act right’ when someone dies, even when it’s someone you don’t like very much.”

“So, Professor Gilroy and Professor Siemens didn’t get along?” As she asked, Jillian remembered the back-and-forth between Professor Gilroy and Professor Keefer in the hall, and then his comments about Professor Siemens when Jillian interviewed him in his office.

“Not so well, no. It’s just that Billy sometimes get his feelings hurt, and Nelda’s the kind person who can be harsh on purpose…at faculty meetings…or wherever.”

“They’ve argued at faculty meetings…have you seen this?”

“I don’t attend faculty meetings, so not first hand, no. But I have a good sense of what happens because we record them. One of my assistants transcribes the minutes and after she finishes a draft, I do an edit before I forward them on to Jonathan. He looks the minutes over—of course, he’s at the meetings—and makes whatever revisions he