Read Online The Cinco de Mayo Murder by Lee Harris - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lee Harris
Ads: Link
then was.
“So nobody thought to ask. That's the trouble with young, inexperienced guys.”
“No one expects a fall on a mountain to be a homicide,” I said, defending Gonzales's handling of the case.
“But the question of luggage, of a return plane ticket… the deputy should've asked. Somebody should've asked. I suppose the parents were too overwhelmed to think about things like that.”
“I'm going to call Rimson College tomorrow,” I said. Maddie had left a message with Jack with the name while I was gone. “I know it's a long time ago, but I bet they know the names of the students who were on his corridor in the dorm or who shared his room. Someone will remember that he went to Arizona after exams. And maybe someone will remember that he went with a friend.”
“You going to talk to his mother about this?”
“Not yet. I don't want to say anything that will make herfeel worse. When I have something substantial, maybe I'll sit down with her.”
“Well, you're doing good, Chris. You picked up a crucial piece of information that they let slide.”
Something banged outside the house and Jack dashed out to see what damage had been done. I smiled and went to the kitchen to make some lemonade for my family.
Monday was the return of normality. Jack went off to New York to be a cop and Eddie went to school, leaving me with my empty house, the Heinz Gruner file, and a shopping list that would have to be filled by late afternoon. My mind was far from shopping lists. I called information and got a phone number for Rimson College in Illinois. I knew colleges were reluctant to give out information on students and former students; still, it was a small place well out of the New York metropolitan area, and people might be more forthcoming.
When my household duties were finished, I made the call. The first person to answer switched me to the registrar's office. We had a conversation of about five minutes during which she told me she was unable to divulge the kind of information I'd requested. Another minute and she agreed to let me speak to someone in a supervisory position. When a second woman answered, I restated my story and request.
“Twenty years ago,” she mused. “Those would still be paper records. They'd be in storage, and I don't have the authority to get that file.”
I tried to impress her with the importance of my mission. “If this young man was murdered, it's important to bring the killer to justice.”
“Do you know that he was murdered?”
“I don't. But I do know that new information has beenuncovered and it conflicts with the police report at the time of his death.”
“Why doesn't the police department give us a call? I'm sure we'd have no difficulty responding to them.”
“Ma'am, is there a dean who's been around since the date of this student's death?”
“Let me see.” She left the phone while I hoped she considered my question seriously. When she came back, she said, “We do have a dean of students here who's been with the college for a long time. He wasn't a dean back then, but I know he taught here for several years before his appointment. Would you like to talk to him?”
“Very much.”
“I'll connect you.”
The next person I spoke to was the dean's secretary. A moment later the dean himself came on the line.
“Dean Hershey.”
“Good morning, Dean Hershey. My name is Christine Bennett.” I stated my case from the beginning and never got to the end.
“Heinz Gruner,” he interrupted. “Yes, of course I remember his death. A terrible tragedy. He was a gifted student. It happened somewhere in the Southwest, didn't it?”
“Yes, it did. Near Tucson, Arizona.”
“Heinz was a student of mine. I taught history, and he was a history major.”
I almost cheered. I continued my story, adding that I had been in touch with Mrs. Gruner, who lived not far from me. When I came to the end, I asked if he would assist me in trying to find out exactly what had happened on
“So nobody thought to ask. That's the trouble with young, inexperienced guys.”
“No one expects a fall on a mountain to be a homicide,” I said, defending Gonzales's handling of the case.
“But the question of luggage, of a return plane ticket… the deputy should've asked. Somebody should've asked. I suppose the parents were too overwhelmed to think about things like that.”
“I'm going to call Rimson College tomorrow,” I said. Maddie had left a message with Jack with the name while I was gone. “I know it's a long time ago, but I bet they know the names of the students who were on his corridor in the dorm or who shared his room. Someone will remember that he went to Arizona after exams. And maybe someone will remember that he went with a friend.”
“You going to talk to his mother about this?”
“Not yet. I don't want to say anything that will make herfeel worse. When I have something substantial, maybe I'll sit down with her.”
“Well, you're doing good, Chris. You picked up a crucial piece of information that they let slide.”
Something banged outside the house and Jack dashed out to see what damage had been done. I smiled and went to the kitchen to make some lemonade for my family.
Monday was the return of normality. Jack went off to New York to be a cop and Eddie went to school, leaving me with my empty house, the Heinz Gruner file, and a shopping list that would have to be filled by late afternoon. My mind was far from shopping lists. I called information and got a phone number for Rimson College in Illinois. I knew colleges were reluctant to give out information on students and former students; still, it was a small place well out of the New York metropolitan area, and people might be more forthcoming.
When my household duties were finished, I made the call. The first person to answer switched me to the registrar's office. We had a conversation of about five minutes during which she told me she was unable to divulge the kind of information I'd requested. Another minute and she agreed to let me speak to someone in a supervisory position. When a second woman answered, I restated my story and request.
“Twenty years ago,” she mused. “Those would still be paper records. They'd be in storage, and I don't have the authority to get that file.”
I tried to impress her with the importance of my mission. “If this young man was murdered, it's important to bring the killer to justice.”
“Do you know that he was murdered?”
“I don't. But I do know that new information has beenuncovered and it conflicts with the police report at the time of his death.”
“Why doesn't the police department give us a call? I'm sure we'd have no difficulty responding to them.”
“Ma'am, is there a dean who's been around since the date of this student's death?”
“Let me see.” She left the phone while I hoped she considered my question seriously. When she came back, she said, “We do have a dean of students here who's been with the college for a long time. He wasn't a dean back then, but I know he taught here for several years before his appointment. Would you like to talk to him?”
“Very much.”
“I'll connect you.”
The next person I spoke to was the dean's secretary. A moment later the dean himself came on the line.
“Dean Hershey.”
“Good morning, Dean Hershey. My name is Christine Bennett.” I stated my case from the beginning and never got to the end.
“Heinz Gruner,” he interrupted. “Yes, of course I remember his death. A terrible tragedy. He was a gifted student. It happened somewhere in the Southwest, didn't it?”
“Yes, it did. Near Tucson, Arizona.”
“Heinz was a student of mine. I taught history, and he was a history major.”
I almost cheered. I continued my story, adding that I had been in touch with Mrs. Gruner, who lived not far from me. When I came to the end, I asked if he would assist me in trying to find out exactly what had happened on
Similar Books
