Page 13 of Silencing Stolen Whispers (Kinsley Aspen #2)
“No, nothing that ever came to my attention. Nick has always been polite, respectful, and carries himself well. He was popular among his peers and faculty alike.”
"And Jade Patel?" Alex asked, glancing up from his notebook to monitor the dean’s body language. “We understand that Hannah and Jade were close friends and roommates.”
“That is my understanding, as well. With that said, I don’t have anything to add.
I was not privy to the details of their friendship or living arrangements.
” Dean Chambliss reached for a folder on his desk, holding it out for Kinsley.
“I took the liberty of preparing a list of Hannah's professors from her final semester. They would be better positioned to discuss her day-to-day performance. The name highlighted is one of our professors who resigned at the end of the school year, so you’ll need to reach out by phone.”
Kinsley accepted the folder, and Alex caught her side stare. The dean had clearly prepared for this unscheduled meeting, and even anticipated their questions. Alex decided to disrupt that preparation.
“Dean Chambliss, are you aware of anyone offering to take the bar exam on behalf of students for compensation?”
“The bar examination employs rigorous identification protocols, detective.” Dean Chambliss’ jaw tightened visibly. He was clearly offended by Alex’s inquiry. “Such an immoral and incomprehensible action simply isn’t possible.”
“I'm not asking whether it's possible. I'm asking if you've heard of it happening here.”
“Absolutely not.” The dean's voice hardened with conviction. “Every candidate must provide a government-issued photo ID. Many jurisdictions now use biometric verification—fingerprinting, digital photographs, and such taken at check-in. Proctors are trained to spot inconsistencies.”
“And yet it happens,” Alex countered, closing his notebook.
He took his time returning it to its rightful place.
Fortunately, the throbbing in his temples had slightly diminished in its intensity.
“California. 2019. There was a case where fingerprints were successfully forged using silicone overlays. In 2021, an incident occurred in New York where sophisticated ID manipulation allowed an impersonator to bypass security. As a matter of fact, the National Conference of Bar Examiners has documented at least seven successful impersonation attempts in the past decade.”
The dean unclenched his hands and began to straighten his tie in agitation. He had a reputation to protect, not to mention the college's status.
“We have reason to believe Hannah may have considered such services.”
“Hannah? Hannah Scriven? The daughter of Katherine and William Scriven?” Dean Chambliss shook his head in disagreement before standing from his chair.
The leather monstrosity barely moved an inch due to the man’s gradual and controlled movements.
“Impossible. Hannah Scriven was one of our most principled students.”
“Principle bends under pressure,” Alex said quietly. “And from what we understand, Hannah was under extraordinary pressure.”
“Do you have evidence that such activities are connected to this institution? If so, I need to know immediately. The integrity of our program?—”
“As you know, we're still investigating,” Alex interrupted as he stood and waited for Kinsley to do the same. “We appreciate your cooperation, Dean Chambliss. We'll be in touch if we need anything else.”
The walk back through the administration building passed in silence. When they emerged into the bright midday sun, Alex immediately replaced his sunglasses, the lenses providing blessed relief from the glare.
"That was quite impressive, partner.” There was genuine admiration in Kinsley’s voice. “The specific cases, years, everything. Look at you, hungover and still able to kick ass at your job.”
“I wish I could take the credit, but I ran into your brother outside the station this morning while waiting for you. Noah’s an attorney.
He took the bar, so I figured he would have some personal insight.
He rattled off those cases and even mentioned that they're studied in legal ethics courses now.”
“Noah was at the station this morning?”
Alex wasn’t so hungover that he couldn’t detect the way Kinsley abruptly stilled her motions. She searched his face for an answer when he didn’t immediately reply.
“Across the street. He was meeting someone at Carol’s, though I didn’t ask who. Something I should know about?”
“No, no,” Kinsley said, brushing off his question. “He usually calls me when he’s on our side of town. Okay, so…what’s our next move? You want to question the professors? See if any of them picked up on Hannah’s stress level or noticed any changes in her behavior toward the end of the semester?”
“Sounds good,” Alex said as he reached for the folder. He opened it to scan the list of names and buildings. “I take it that you’re heading over to the apartment building and bar?”
“I doubt that Bailey is working today, but I’ll stop in anyway. She’s our ticket to the woman offering her services to the female students on campus.”
Alex nodded in agreement, his shaded gaze drifting across the grounds. Some summer session students were lounging on benches, while others sprawled across patches of grass. A few were lost in their studying, while some appeared relaxed in ways that had clearly escaped Hannah Scriven.
“Meet back here in a couple of hours?”
“Works for me.” Kinsley hesitated, taking the time to study him. He didn’t appreciate the observation. “Are you sure you're good to interview the professors with that hangover? You look like you might vomit on their shoes.”
“I'm touched by your concern,” Alex replied dryly. “I'll be fine. The Excedrin has finally kicked in. One of us needs to stop in at the library, too. Jade Patel works there part-time, so maybe someone there has information on her friendship with Hannah.”
“We also have that interview with Nick Ryder this afternoon,” Kinsley pointed out as she removed her sunglasses from the top of her head to settle on the bridge of her nose.
“He’s coming into the station around three o’clock.
If Hannah had seriously been considering hiring someone else to take the bar exam for her back then, what are the odds that she told her boyfriend at the time? ”