Saving Face (Mount Faith Series: Book 1) (2 page)

Chapter Two

Natasha and Harry went to their poky office. They had two green iron desks jammed in there, two identical rusty file cabinets and a fan in the corner that Natasha had taken from home because the AC had a tendency to break down in the hottest months. Not that she and Harry spent much time in the office anyway. They were usually working undercover in one location or the other.

It was exciting work for Natasha, who had always wanted to go into law enforcement. She had especially liked forensics but could not afford the university fees. Instead, she had done evening classes for over five years and had finally gotten a degree in forensic psychology. Her degree came in very handy with her detective work. She sat in her chair and powered up her computer. They were supposed to be new; a gift from the Private Sector Organization of Jamaica, but they were still slow. She figured it needed a system maintenance but the IT person had not reached their station yet.

She looked over at Harry. His computer was faster and already he had gotten out his notepad and had started scribbling, looking up at his computer and jotting down points.

They had been partners now for a year and a half. Harry was a cool laid-back guy who had the kind of face that looked as if you had seen him somewhere before. Natasha had lost count of the number of times that strangers had come up to Harry enquiring about relatives or acting familiar with him, but he had no clue who they were. He was tall and slim, with medium brown skin and a wide mouth.

Her computer finally came on and she typed in her name and password on the screen.

"So how are we going to do this?" Natasha asked Harry.

Harry looked up from his rapid scribbling. "First we research all we can about Mount Faith University."

Natasha nodded. "I already have some info on the school. I had wanted to go there when I was researching universities to attend. Found them too expensive though."

"Alright," Harry stopped scribbling, "then we get together a list of suspects. Make the list as exhaustive as possible and then we target them when we go to the school."

"Which classes are you signing up for?" Natasha asked curiously.

"It depends on where the suspects are and how close we can get to them." Harry shook his head. All of this would be easier if we had access to faculty. Why couldn't Greyson have given us access to faculty?"

"Can you teach?" Natasha laughed.

Harry shrugged. "Of course. I teach down at the gun range when I have the time."

Natasha giggled. "This is academia, not skill. You need to know theories and give lectures and those kind of things in a university."

"Not for me," Harry said, "but you could teach though. You like to lecture the staff about safety and health."

"That's right," Natasha said, "I think I'd be a teacher if I wasn't so happy being a detective."

"Alright," Harry said looking at his computer screen, "I am on the Mount Faith University's site. Lets compare info when we are done."

Natasha nodded. When Harry started a new case he didn't like to waste time chit chatting.

They gathered information, separately, often times going to the main office when their ancient printer stopped working after their attempts to clear a paper jam. Natasha wrote up a purchase request form for a new printer once more. Purchase requests usually went at a snail’s pace. If she tendered one now they may get it next year. Detectives like her and Harry often work on sensitive information that not even their colleagues could see. They needed their own printer.

"Okay," Harry said, a big pile of papers in front of him.

Natasha was still collating her big pile. "Go ahead—talk," she said stapling some pieces together, "I'm listening."

"Mount Faith University is a private Christian university located in Malvern St. Elizabeth. Founded in 1925, by a group of Christian Sabbatharian denominations."

"What does that mean?" Natasha asked looking up curiously.

"It means the Methodists, Baptists, Lutherans, Adventists that worship on Saturday came together to finance a school." Harry said. "They have a board of trustees that includes 12 members, mostly church representatives and influential community members. The board of trustees is responsible for the selection of the president. They also determine what the major goals of the university should be and they approve the policies and procedures for implementation of such goals. They also review and approve the operating and capital budget of the University."

He paused and scratched his head. "They sound important. The president of the school has to answer to them on several matters. Here are their pictures." He passed some papers over to Natasha.

Natasha looked it over. "Why did you circle this guy here? The one that looks like an older version of Steve Urkel."

Harry laughed. "That's D. M. Carter. He wields the most power on the board. He is chairman."

Natasha nodded. "Interesting…looks like a nerd to me. What doe's the D. stand for, Dufus?"

"No," Harry shook his head, "apparently it's Daryl. I wonder why he doesn't want to use the name Daryl. That does not sound bad. I like it, actually. Anyway," Harry said impatiently, "the school has some very influential alumni and the financial records are not available to the public."

Natasha nodded. "It's a rich school though. They have facilities up there in the hills that even elite universities would envy."

"Which brings us to the deceased," Harry said picking up another sheet of paper. "The only thing we know about him is that he is the Superintendent's uncle. That he is the boss's uncle is not nearly enough information to go on. We need to know why someone would want to kill him."

Natasha finished collating her papers and dragged out a single sheet. "I couldn't get much information about him. According to the constabulary network there were three traffic tickets attached to his vehicle. Apparently, a young male age 27, name Kelvin Hart, was driving it when he accrued the tickets."

"Who is that?" Harry frowned.

"Don't know," Natasha said shrugging, "he had no children. He had a widow though, one Miranda Carlisle."

"I already have widow on the top of my list of potential suspects," said Harry. "What do we know about her?"

Natasha rummaged through her papers and read, "this was taken from the Jamaica Gleaner, dated two years ago, Dr. Miranda Carlisle, nee Porter , is awarded an order of distinction by the Governor General of Jamaica for her work with plants. Apparently, she is a botanist, and a very good one."

"She did it." Harry said, "I don't see why we should waste our time going up to the school. We should just go question her and bring her in."

"What would be the motive?" Natasha frowned. "And if the ‘Supe' had suspected her, don't you think he would have said something? She's his aunt-in-law."

"But the ‘Supe' isn't thinking clearly," Harry said, "and the motives can range from insurance, to sheer greed to jealousy."

Natasha frowned. "Are you saying, Detective, that the very proper and straitlaced Dr. Miranda Carlisle would kill her very proper and upstanding husband because he cheated on her?"

Harry shrugged. "Why not?"

"Nah," Natasha shook her head. "What about her status as the president's wife? Surely that had to come with some amount of prestige, no matter what he was doing behind her back."

"Still a possibility," Harry said. "I think we should investigate that angle, see if he cheated on his wife. I don't see why it is not a possibility. The man was handsome, suave, and debonair. All of those female lecturers and nubile young students must have found him irresistible."

Natasha shook her head again.

"Look at his picture." Harry carried it over to her. "Look on his features. He is hot, as you females would say."

Natasha looked on the picture. "Yes he does have a certain appeal…broad forehead, big soulful brown eyes…looks like he worked out too. Maybe we could find out more about his habits from his secretary."

"She is my second suspect," Harry said going back over to his desk.

"Ooh, la la." Natasha rubbed her eyes. "Motive?"

"She could have fed him potassium daily," Harry said. "She had access."

"But what would be the motive?" Natasha asked impatiently.

"Well, Harry took the pen and tapped his forehead. " Her husband is D.M. Carter. Maybe she wanted him to leave his wife and be with her."

"Far fetched," Natasha frowned, "what's the secretaries name?"

"Anne Carter, 47 years old…doesn't look bad at all." Harry responded. "Her picture is here." He threw it over the desk. It landed on the floor.

"Lazy." Natasha said frowning. She took it up and then gasped, "I know her."

"You do?" Harry said excitedly.

"Duh," Natasha said, "this is Sister Anne Fowler."

Natasha looked at her fine boned features fondly. She had corkscrew curly hair, which was so huge around her piquant face. She looked like she was drowning under a mop. She had always thought Anne Fowler was gorgeous, but her eyes always looked sad.

"I think she was once called Annette. She used to go to my mother’s church and then got married to this rich banker guy, which I now know is D.M. Carter. She moved out of the district after she got married. Man, she could sing."

"Why'd she change her name?" Harry asked suspiciously.

Natasha shrugged. "At home everybody calls me Bugsy. I think a few people in my district know my real name. Anne is the shortened form of Annette."

"Okay," Harry said, "but she's still number two on my list."

Natasha sighed. "Who else is on this list?"

"The Interim President, Ryan Bancroft. He stands to benefit the most from the president's death. He was serving as vice president for 2 years. Before that, he was the VP for Academic Affairs for eight years. He's been at that school for 10 years. Maybe he thought it was time he got rid of the top competition. He has a doctorate in neurobiology. That sounds like somebody who would know how to induce a secret heart attack."

Natasha nodded. "You have a point there. I've seen him and his wife on TV. Isn't his wife the lady that established the infirmary in the hills where they give full service to old unfortunate people? She looks so sweet and has a gentle air about her. She can't be married to a killer."

Harry snorted. "Stop the romance, Rowe, and think with your brain. One of these pillars of society murdered the superintendent's uncle."

"What about the other candidates for the post?" Natasha asked, "Shouldn't they be suspects too, just like Dr. Bancroft?"

"Well," Harry said, "give me an hour. I need to find out who they are. I hope the ‘Supe' has connections so that we can build a file on them."

He got up and headed for Superintendent Greyson's office.

Natasha poured over her papers on the university. A secret part of her was happy that she was going to experience what it was like to go to Mount Faith University. It had always stuck in her craw that she didn't go there because of financial constraints. Now she would actually go and experience what it was like to walk on their exotic grounds and sit in their lecture halls and breathe in the air and experience what an elite school was like, and of course, do some detective work.

She dug out a mirror from her drawer and looked in it. She was just twenty-seven, surely nobody would suspect her for not looking like a student.

She smoothed her brow and puffed out her cheek. She could act like a girl fresh out of high school, if it was required.

Hopefully, this assignment would not require her to do something so drastic. She had always acted older than her age even when she was younger.

"Stop titivating Rowe," Harry said coming back into the office. "I have information."

"I wasn't titivating," Natasha said resentfully, "just checking that I still look young enough for university."

"Don't worry," Harry said cheerfully, "you can mingle with the best of those young women. You still look good. When I was first assigned to you, I went home complaining to my wife that they partnered me with a kid."

Natasha gasped. "How dare you Harry Campbell? You are only just thirteen years my senior. I am no kid. No wonder Kim grins every time I stop over your house. She must be remembering that silly conversation."

Harry snickered. "No she's grinning because her brother, Shorter, has asked us to put in a good word for him to you."

"Oh no, not Shorter," Natasha said quickly. "Keep the good word. Not interested."

"He's up for promotion to Corporal," Harry said helpfully.

"He could be up for promotion to Commissioner," Natasha said naming the highest rank, "unfortunately for him, I don't date men just because of their rank…and I definitely don't date men who are shorter than I am. Shorter is aptly named and in case you didn't realize it, I tower over him. I am 5 ft 9. He's what, 5, 5?"

"That's not too short." Harry said laughing and slapping his leg. "Besides, Shorter is attracted to women who are taller."

Natasha rolled her eyes. "What's the information you have there?"

"The other three candidates for president." Harry handed the papers to her. "Candidate one, is one Taj Jackson. He's a..."