Read Online A Butterfly in Flame by Nicholas Kilmer - Free Book Online
Authors: Nicholas Kilmer
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It means I’ll be wasting a lot of time. With students and faculty I have to back in to the questions I need answers to. For example, what kind of car does Morgan Flower drive?”
“Good heavens, I don’t know,” Harmony said. “I should think a Mercedes, wouldn’t you? Green. Yes, that would suit him.”
“That was a for instance,” Fred said. “My point is, with everyone else around here…”
“We can’t take chances. Can’t let any trouble start,” Harmony interrupted. “In terms, you asked, why do we assume he is not coming back? What
I
assume, since you ask, I won’t
have
him back. After what I think he’s done. I have no interest in finding him at all. The man, I could care less. The thing is the girl. Find the girl, that is the essential thing.”
“Moving on, my point is,” Fred said, “with everyone else, I have to pull my punches and not show an interest in anything beyond what a substitute teacher wants to know. On the other hand, with you I can be straight. There’s twenty minutes before my first class starts, next door. Let’s use it. When did you last see Morgan Flower?”
“You are sure you won’t have coffee?” she asked, raising her cup. “It’s my own service from home, naturally. The college has nothing appropriate. I’m petrified they’ll break it. They are so…”
“How large was Missy Tutunjian’s father’s gift? This past year. He is said to be a significant contributor.”
“The treasurer would have that,” President Harmony said. “The treasurer is a board member.”
“How large is your board? Who is on the board? How selected? Aside from the suspicion, is there evidence that Morgan Flower and this student had a sexual relationship? Who knows? Who knew? What is the school policy about such relationships? How does Flower get along with his colleagues? Where is his personnel file? I want to see it. Missy Tutunjian’s records. I want the name of her roommate, the address…”
The telephone rang. Harmony pressed a button, told it, “I am in conference,” and pressed the button again.
Chapter Thirteen
“We don’t need all this hoo-hah,” Harmony interrupted. “What are you thinking? What we want and need is simple and straightforward.” She gazed at Fred severely across the top of her flowered china cup. “Find that girl. Deal with it. Deal with her. Find her and report back to me. She must be protected, before…”
“My questions continue,” Fred said evenly. “There was a time when Flower did not work here. Then he did. How did that change come about? What’s his prior history? I want the address of your predecessor, the director who was fired last fall. Also your director of admissions—you have one?”
“Not presently.”
“I’ll talk to the old one. Your receptionist…is all that business done by what you call work-study students?”
“We had a disagreement with the former receptionist,” President Harmony said. “She had been here for many years, and the variety and intricacy of the position…old wood…you understand.”
“No, but maybe I will when I talk with her. What else? I’ll take a look at the books.”
“The library? We have no…”
“The finances. What comes in, what goes out. I’ll let you know.”
“This is unheard of,” Harmony protested. “Working for me you are in no position to make conditions.”
Fred said, “Pushing on: you, as chairman of the board and acting director—president as you call it—what are the terms and conditions of your office? Are you paid? How much? What…”
“This is outrageous!”
“Yes,” Fred said. “My first class is about to start. I don’t want to be late. Bad way to start. I’ll stop back at lunch, whenever that is, and get started with your answers. You’ll think of other things, too, that will help.”
He left the office before she could reply.
***
The students gathered in Stillton B looked up at Fred with a hostility tempered only by indifference.
“Good heavens, I don’t know,” Harmony said. “I should think a Mercedes, wouldn’t you? Green. Yes, that would suit him.”
“That was a for instance,” Fred said. “My point is, with everyone else around here…”
“We can’t take chances. Can’t let any trouble start,” Harmony interrupted. “In terms, you asked, why do we assume he is not coming back? What
I
assume, since you ask, I won’t
have
him back. After what I think he’s done. I have no interest in finding him at all. The man, I could care less. The thing is the girl. Find the girl, that is the essential thing.”
“Moving on, my point is,” Fred said, “with everyone else, I have to pull my punches and not show an interest in anything beyond what a substitute teacher wants to know. On the other hand, with you I can be straight. There’s twenty minutes before my first class starts, next door. Let’s use it. When did you last see Morgan Flower?”
“You are sure you won’t have coffee?” she asked, raising her cup. “It’s my own service from home, naturally. The college has nothing appropriate. I’m petrified they’ll break it. They are so…”
“How large was Missy Tutunjian’s father’s gift? This past year. He is said to be a significant contributor.”
“The treasurer would have that,” President Harmony said. “The treasurer is a board member.”
“How large is your board? Who is on the board? How selected? Aside from the suspicion, is there evidence that Morgan Flower and this student had a sexual relationship? Who knows? Who knew? What is the school policy about such relationships? How does Flower get along with his colleagues? Where is his personnel file? I want to see it. Missy Tutunjian’s records. I want the name of her roommate, the address…”
The telephone rang. Harmony pressed a button, told it, “I am in conference,” and pressed the button again.
Chapter Thirteen
“We don’t need all this hoo-hah,” Harmony interrupted. “What are you thinking? What we want and need is simple and straightforward.” She gazed at Fred severely across the top of her flowered china cup. “Find that girl. Deal with it. Deal with her. Find her and report back to me. She must be protected, before…”
“My questions continue,” Fred said evenly. “There was a time when Flower did not work here. Then he did. How did that change come about? What’s his prior history? I want the address of your predecessor, the director who was fired last fall. Also your director of admissions—you have one?”
“Not presently.”
“I’ll talk to the old one. Your receptionist…is all that business done by what you call work-study students?”
“We had a disagreement with the former receptionist,” President Harmony said. “She had been here for many years, and the variety and intricacy of the position…old wood…you understand.”
“No, but maybe I will when I talk with her. What else? I’ll take a look at the books.”
“The library? We have no…”
“The finances. What comes in, what goes out. I’ll let you know.”
“This is unheard of,” Harmony protested. “Working for me you are in no position to make conditions.”
Fred said, “Pushing on: you, as chairman of the board and acting director—president as you call it—what are the terms and conditions of your office? Are you paid? How much? What…”
“This is outrageous!”
“Yes,” Fred said. “My first class is about to start. I don’t want to be late. Bad way to start. I’ll stop back at lunch, whenever that is, and get started with your answers. You’ll think of other things, too, that will help.”
He left the office before she could reply.
***
The students gathered in Stillton B looked up at Fred with a hostility tempered only by indifference.
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