Sounds of Murder

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

The noise was soft but unmistakable. Someone had unlocked and opened the door to the lab. Had she locked the door behind her when she entered? She was sure she had. The mysterious person obviously had a key. Without thinking, she stood up at the carrel where she was working.

"Hello," she called out cheerily. "I'm working in here! It's Dr. Barnes!" She waited for someone to enter but the door was quickly closed.

Pamela looked down briefly at the progress on the CD duplication. When the light clicked off, she opened both drawers and removed the original CD and the duplicate, and slipped them in their sleeves and into her purse. Waiting to see if the person on the other side of the door would change his or her mind and enter the lab, she remained standing in the carrel, breathless. After a few minutes, which seemed like a few hours, she headed for the door.

Cautiously turning the knob, she peeked out, and seeing no one in the hallway, she slipped out, and turned back to lock the door behind her. As she turned around, she found herself staring into the face of Willard Swinton who'd just come up behind her.

"Pamela," he began.

"Willard," she spoke, breathlessly, shocked to see him appear seemingly out of nowhere. "I didn't see you. Did you just open the lab door?"

"The door? No. I was in the men's restroom," he explained. His dimples indenting his dark cheeks like a chocolate mousse. "Sorry to have scared you. You weren't working in the lab, were you? If it were me I'd stay far, far away from that place."

"I..." she stammered, "I have data to collect...." She started to walk past him.

"Pamela," he called out, touching her arm, "Could I have just a word with you?"

"I ...." she sputtered, anxious to get going and very conscious of the contraband in her purse. "I guess, all right. I'm in a bit of a hurry, though."

"Of course," he said sweetly. "I simply wanted to get your views on our tenure problems now that Charlotte is...."

"Yes," said Pamela, "yes, of course. I really hadn't thought about that, Willard. I guess I'll have to. We do have three candidates waiting on our decision."

"We do," he noted, "and now that Charlotte is...um...out of the picture...well, I'm afraid our decision is going to be even more difficult."

"How?" she asked.

"You may have heard," he began, "that the Dean is talking of restricting our department to two tenure appointments instead of three."

"I had heard that," she said.

"And with Charlotte gone, there are now only four members on the Tenure Committee. If there's a split vote--and there may be--how will we come to a decision?"

"Willard," she answered, sighing, "Let's get past this horrible event. Charlotte is barely dead. I just can't think right now about how her death will affect my committee vote."

"Pamela," he said softly, his cheeks flattening, the dimples gone, "You're so right. This has been such a terrible ordeal for you ...finding her body. I never should have even mentioned this to you. I'm so sorry." He bent his head and looked genuinely grieved.

"It's all right, Willard," she said, "truly it is. But, can't we talk about it later? I really need to get going. It's getting late and ...."

"Yes, I'm so sorry," he replied. "I'll talk to you next week. We have plenty of time to discuss this. Maybe you and Joan and I can get together and...."

"Yes," she nodded, now walking away and calling back to him, "we'll do that. Bye!" She strode down the hallway and out the corner entrance and into the parking lot. Even inside her car she was unable to calm down. Not that Willard Swinton bothered her. He was a dear, sweet, gentle soul. It was just that she was so nervous about making the duplicate CD. It was as if all eyes were on her, and then to bump into him right as she left the lab. It was as if he appeared out of nowhere. It was simply unnerving. Had he been the one who opened the lab door? And if so, why did he deny it when she asked him?