Page 16 of Silencing Stolen Whispers (Kinsley Aspen #2)
Alex Lanen
July
T he heavy silence in the law library was quite stifling, but Alex had expected such an atmosphere before walking through the double glass doors. What surprised him, however, was the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee. The enticing scent wasn’t something he associated with a library.
Surprisingly, the ground floor featured several seating areas that resembled a charming café more than a traditional campus library.
Plush armchairs and small wooden tables were arranged in informal nooks, ideal for studying or quiet conversation.
Most of these small areas were occupied by summer students, and there was additional lighting provided by lamps rather than overhead fluorescent lights.
Alex straightened his tie and approached the reference desk while scanning the surrounding area for Jade Patel.
She hadn’t been at her apartment when Kinsley stopped by earlier this morning, and they had a lot of follow-up questions now that Courtney Huber had spilled the truth regarding Fawn Ginkel.
Alex’s footsteps were muffled by the thin industrial carpet as he approached the round desk. The woman behind the counter had a stack of legal textbooks in front of her, and she appeared to be sorting them in a particular order. He could appreciate such organizational skills.
“Excuse me.” Alex kept his voice appropriately soft as he spoke. “I’m looking for Jade Patel. Is she working today?”
“I'm afraid Ms. Patel isn't working today. She’ll be here Monday at nine o’clock,” the woman replied without missing a beat. She had either committed next week’s schedule to memory or was the one who drafted it. “Are you new to the faculty? Is there something I can help you with?”
Alex unclipped his badge from his belt.
“Detective Alex Lanen, Fallbrook Police Department. I'm investigating the death of Hannah Scriven.”
The woman’s hand drifted to her heart, her fingers splaying across her crisp blouse as if to physically contain her reaction. She shook her head in what could only be termed remorse.
“I’ve been here for over fifteen years, detective. We’ve never lost a student like this,” the woman shared, lowering her voice even more so that it didn’t carry to the nearby sitting areas. “Do you have any leads? I’m not sure if you know this, but the campus is having a vigil for her tonight.”
“Yes, I’m aware,” Alex said, intentionally avoiding her previous question. He retrieved the small notebook from his jacket pocket. “You are…?”
“Melanie,” she replied, her gaze drifting to his pencil. “Melanie Young. I’m the Head Librarian here.”
“Did you know Hannah Scriven personally?” Alex asked, now understanding the reason behind her knowledge of Jade’s schedule.
“Not personally, no.” Melanie removed her reading glasses, folding the temples so she could hold them more easily in her right hand. “Hannah was a fixture here last semester, though. Especially on Tuesdays and Thursdays, during the study group in section four.”
Melanie gestured toward the right side of the building. He hadn’t noticed before, but there were wooden signs designating each sitting area by number. He realized there were probably sign-up sheets for each day of the week.
Alex jotted down the information.
“How would you describe Hannah’s demeanor last semester? Did she seem anxious, distracted, maybe worried about something specific?”
“That’s cute, detective. Law students always come across as stressed or anxious,” Melanie replied with a small smile.
“It's part of their natural state. Was Hannah focused? Yes. I’d even go so far as to say more than most, but everyone around here knows that she is…was…Katherine and William Scriven’s daughter. ”
“Did you ever observe anyone bothering her? Arguments, unwanted attention, anything unusual?”
“I make it my mission to not tolerate such disturbances in my library.”
Alex recognized the deflection for what it was, and it didn’t go unnoticed that Melanie cleared her throat. There was something there, and she wasn’t certain she should divulge the information.
“Ms. Young, Hannah was murdered. Bludgeoned to death.” Several heads turned briefly in their direction when Alex didn’t bother to soften his tone this time around. “If there is something you noticed or witnessed, now is the time to provide me with that information.”
Melanie's expression tightened, her lips pressing into a thin line.She hadn’t appreciated his tactic to garner more information.
“There was an incident in May, but I’m sure it was nothing of significance.
About three weeks before finals, I believe.
” Melanie crossed her arms, suggesting that she wasn’t comfortable relaying such details.
“Hannah’s sister came in searching for her one evening.
I didn’t even know she had a twin, and at first, I thought that maybe Hannah had left without me noticing her departure.
Anyway, the two were clearly upset with one another.
They went into the far corner, argued for a bit, and eventually the sister left. ”
“Bailey came to see Hannah here at the library?”
“I’m not sure if that’s her name, but yes. Stormed in here would be more accurate, though. At one point, I seriously considered calling campus security. Eventually, Hannah’s sister left.”
“Did you overhear what they were discussing?”
Before Melanie could elaborate further, a young man with thick black hair and perfectly pressed khakis walked behind the circular counter. It was clear he had overheard their conversation and wanted to elaborate on the subject.
“This is Clark Reimer, one of our law students,” Melanie said, taking the time to make the formal introduction. “Detective Lanen is investigating the death of Hannah Scriven. Did you know her, Clark?”
“No, ma’am.” Clark’s voice carried a hint of nervous energy, but Alex was certain it was part of the young man’s demeanor. “But if you're investigating what happened to Hannah, what Mrs.—”
“Clark, please lower your voice,” Melanie warned as she gestured for him to come closer. “There's no reason to upset the other students. What would you like the detective to know?”
“Don’t you remember? Hannah’s tires were slashed that same night,” Clark shared as he drummed his fingers on the counter.
“After the argument with her sister. Four tires, all completely destroyed. I was here when it happened. Studying, not working. Anyway, Hannah stayed here until around nine. When I walked outside, campus security was taking her statement. Seeing as she lived across the street, they allowed her to leave her vehicle until she could have it towed the following day.”
“And you’re certain that the vandalism happened on the same night that Hannah and her sister had an argument?”
“Positive.”
“You should know that there were several incidents that month,” Melanie stressed, giving Clark a rather stern expression for not clarifying the situation. “There was a string of vandalism last semester, and campus security eventually arrested two teenagers.”
“Before or after the damage to Hannah’s tires?”
“I believe after, but you would be better off checking with campus security,” Melanie advised as a student approached the desk. “Clark, would you please see what Jeannie needs?”
As Clark excused himself, Alex flipped the cover of his notebook closed. He tucked both the small pad of paper and pencil into their rightful place as he thought over this new piece of information.
“Thank you for your time, Ms. Young. And please thank Clark for his input, as well." Alex retrieved one of his business cards and slid it across the counter. “If you remember anything else that might be relevant, no matter how small it seems, please call me.”
“Of course, Detective Lanen.” Melanie collected the business card, reading the small print. “I do hope you find whoever did this to Hannah.”
Alex requested directions to the campus security building, and once Melanie had given him a direct path without having to cut through the parking lot, he exited the library.
The heavy door swung shut behind him as the humid afternoon air almost suffocated him.
He couldn’t wait until the weather turned cooler.
He made his way into the shade, pulling his phone from his pocket. He accessed his speed dial list and pressed Kinsley’s name. Unable to take the heat a second longer, he loosened his tie.
The phone rang once, twice.
The third ring was finally cut short as Kinsley answered.
“Did you get my texts about Fawn Ginkel? That’s not a real name, and the number we have is burner,” Kinsley offered up, not bothering to wait for his reply. “Tell me you've found something useful.”
“Someone slashed Hannah's tires in May,” Alex replied as he decided to finally ditch his jacket. “And get this—that same evening, Bailey came into the library. They were witnessed arguing in private.”
The silence on the other end lasted only a moment.
“Could be a coincidence.”
“Could be, but I’m heading over to speak with campus security now. Turns out that they arrested two teens for vandalizing multiple vehicles. I’ll get their names and addresses. If they didn’t touch Hannah’s car, then we could be looking at the individual who murdered our victim.”