Page 29 of Silencing Stolen Whispers (Kinsley Aspen #2)
Alex Lanen
July
A lex pushed through the heavy glass door of the administration building, pausing as it slowly closed behind him.
He took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the artificial light.
Still, it was the overwhelming smell of cabbage or eggs that took more time to get used to as he finally moved through the foyer.
Someone was having lunch, but the foul odor was enough to kill his appetite.
After a second conversation with Kinsley, they decided to obtain a warrant for Jade Patel's class schedule.
Since Jade had invoked her right to legal representation, no information would be released voluntarily.
Kinsley's curiosity about the student/professor dynamic grew after observing their interaction, and Alex had agreed with the next step.
He spotted his partner sitting on one of the uncomfortable-looking benches, her service weapon clearly visible on her hip.
Since it was summer, she wore white pants and a navy blue shirt instead of her usual pantsuit.
Two students nearby watched her with open curiosity, their whispered conversation stopping whenever she moved.
Unlike Alex, who preferred to blend in when possible, Kinsley never seemed bothered by the attention her badge attracted.
She glanced up as he approached, pushing a paper cup of coffee into his hands before he could speak. The logo on the protective sleeve indicated she had purchased the beverage on campus.
“It’s good. Better than what we have at the station,” Kinsley advised as she scooted over to give him room to sit down. “Any luck?”
Alex reached into his suit jacket, pulling out the signed warrant that he had tucked in behind his small notebook. He handed it off to her while he took a drink of his coffee. She was right—it was much better than what they had in the break room.
“Not going to lie,” Alex muttered as he stared at a large portrait of an older gentleman on the adjacent wall. “That is disturbing.”
“His eyes follow you, too,” Kinsley replied without taking her gaze off the papers in her hand. “The stuffed owl, not the guy. Apparently, he had a strange obsession with taxidermy.”
The painting itself was very typical of one found on any campus, but the expressive owl on the man’s shoulder added a very unique touch. One that wasn’t a compliment.
“Judge Knowles sends his regards, by the way,” Alex said as he took another drink of his coffee. It was the perfect temperature, and he wasn’t going to waste a drop. “Said something about golfing with your father next week. Anyway, what did you find out about Sienna Webster?”
“Twenty-three years old, only child of Kenneth Webster.” Kinsley folded the warrant.
“She's in her final year of law school, top fifteen percent of her class. Started dating Nick Ryder shortly after he broke things off with Hannah. And you’re right. I think we need to keep an open mind about her involvement.”
“We’re not going to get anywhere,” Alex said as he noticed an older woman taking a seat behind the large counter that served as a barrier between students and their advisors. “Sienna is going to call her father, and then we’re going to have to deal with him.”
“Not if we play our cards right.” Kinsley tapped his knee as she stood from the bench.
“I was thinking about that, as well. If we use the right approach, we’ll get the information we need.
Also, I spoke with Hannah’s advisor. She couldn't offer us anything beyond what we've already gathered from others.”
“Address for Webster?”
“Apartment complex about a mile from here. Upscale, security building.”
Kinsley waited for Alex to stand before approaching the reception desk. The nameplate identified her as Ms. Harmon, Administrative Services.
“May I help you?” Ms. Harmon asked with a neutral expression.
“Detectives Aspen and Lanen, Fallbrook Police Department.” Kinsley placed the warrant on the counter. “We would like a printout of Jade Patel's class schedules—future and past semesters, please.”
Ms. Harmon picked up the document before pushing her chair back. She stood and explained how she would need to notify the interim dean of such a request.
“We understand,” Kinsley replied as Ms. Harmon reached for the receiver of her desk unit. “We'll wait over there.”
They stepped away to give Ms. Harmon some privacy. There was protocol for this type of thing, and Alex was confident the university would adhere to the letter of the law.
“I ran into Haugen at the station this morning,” Alex said as they reclaimed their seats on the bench. “Did you know that Shane put in for some personal time? He’s out until Wednesday.”
“Personal leave?” Kinsley couldn’t suppress the surprise in her voice. Alex had only mentioned it because Kinsley had pointed out Shane’s odd behavior the day before. “Aren’t they in the middle of an active investigation?”
“That was my thought.”
“Any reason given?”
“None.”
“That’s not like Shane at all.” Kinsley’s gaze drifted toward the reception desk as she set her purse next to her on the bench. “I noticed Chloe wasn't at the game yesterday.”
“Maybe things didn't work out between them.”
Kinsley's expression remained neutral, but Alex noticed the slight tension in her jaw.She might say that she was fine with Shane dating someone else, but she couldn’t hide her true feelings from Alex.
“Did I tell you that I ran into Shane on Saturday? He seemed fine then. I was headed upstairs to help CID interview Rebecca Chambliss, and he was getting off the elevator. I asked him to take our raffle money over to Wally, but he texted afterward that something came up, and he never got around to it.”
“The envelope was still in my desk drawer when I got back to the office that day. I ended up walking it over to Wally.” Kinsley sighed audibly and crossed her arms while monitoring Ms. Harmon on the phone. “Well, now I just feel guilty. I never meant to hurt him, you know.”
Before Alex could respond, Ms. Harmon summoned them back to the desk.
“The interim dean has been notified that you have a warrant to access Ms. Patel's records. I'll need a few minutes to print everything out for you.”
“Thank you,” Alex said, offering a smile in return.
After another five minutes of waiting near the counter, Ms. Harmon materialized with a thin manila folder. “You’ll find Miss Patel’s course history, current summer enrollment, fall enrollment, and financial statements.”
“Thank you for your cooperation,” Kinsley said, accepting the folder.
Alex followed Kinsley toward the exit, stopping only to toss his empty disposable cup into the trash bin. He squinted against the sudden brightness, wishing he hadn’t left his sunglasses in his car. He had opted to check out one of the cruisers at the station, which he had parked in the front row.
“You can leave your Jeep in the parking lot of the library. We’ll take the cruiser over to Sienna Webster’s place. Are we eating lunch before or after?”
“After,” Kinsley chose as she stepped off the curb. She had already opened the folder, but she was squinting worse than Alex. She closed it before handing him the file. “I can’t see a thing.”
A groundskeeper methodically watered a nearby flowerbed, the spray catching sunlight and transforming into ephemeral rainbows. The man nodded in their direction as he continued his task.
“Straight ahead,” Alex said while Kinsley rummaged through her purse. How she found anything in that endless pit was beyond him. Kinsley matched his stride as she pulled out her sunglasses and slipped them on. “Here. Take this back. You can look it over while I drive.”
Alex pulled the keys out of his pocket. Pressing the lower button on the key fob, the locks disengaged, allowing him to lift the handle.
Once he was settled in behind the wheel, he immediately started the engine.
The temperature outside might be perfect, but the interior of the vehicle was unbearable.
“Address?”
Alex adjusted the left vent, willing the air to quickly cool as he fastened his seatbelt. Kinsley was already flipping through the pages inside the folder. She leaned down and dug a hand in her purse without taking her eyes off the paper. She eventually handed him her phone.
She often neglected to secure her phone with a PIN or facial recognition. Though it was convenient in moments like this, he planned to give her a lecture about it over lunch. It didn’t take him long to access her emails, memorize the address he needed, and return the phone to her.
Kinsley was still scanning the documents, her index finger tracing down columns of courses and instructors. She eventually tapped on a line.
“There,” Kinsley murmured in satisfaction before reading aloud the information. “Jade had a criminal law course with Dr. Victor Reeves last semester. Interesting thing to note—she barely passed his class.”
Kinsley then continued to peruse the course listings before reaching out to stop him from shifting the gear in reverse.
“Get this—Jade is taking one of Reeves’ seminars this summer. Small class, only twelve students.”
“A retake?”
“No.”
“That tells us nothing, Kin.”
“But it could be something,” Kinsley countered, shifting her seat to meet his gaze. “Alex, you didn’t see them this morning. It was really, really odd. Reeves wasn’t speaking to Jade like one of his students. I’m telling you, there’s something there.”
“Well, I spoke to the captain this morning. He’s going to lend us some uniforms for tonight’s vigil,” Alex said as he shifted into reverse. After checking his rearview mirror, he slowly pulled out of the parking spot. “You mentioned that it was given the green light?”
“Everything is set to go,” Kinsley said as she finally fastened the seatbelt. “The vigil will be held in the courtyard, candles will be provided, and the advisor will see to it that a photo of Hannah is displayed. I spent a good hour distributing the flyers myself.”
“Let’s hope that tonight gives us a perfect opportunity to observe how Jade and Reeves interact in public. I’ve already spoken to him, so approaching him again shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Students talk, especially at emotional gatherings. Maybe the same could be said for the professors.” Kinsley picked up the phone in her lap. “And you know what? I’m thinking we should let the Scrivens know about the vigil.”
“All the players of the investigation in one place?” Alex drove through the campus parking lot toward the exit. “Not a bad idea, Kin. Not a bad idea, at all.”