Pecan City Drug. I’d say pharmacists have to be pretty honest people, considering that they deal in life and death prescriptions all the time. He’s also a member of the HGC board.“
“Board members can be suspects,“ Partridge said.
“But Yowell’s not a Civil War buff or an antiques dealer, is he?“
“No, but that doesn’t mean there’s no connection.“
Burns wondered what the connection could possibly be. He certainly couldn’t think of one.
Partridge could, and she told him. “He and Matthew Hart have had several violent arguments about the college’s present administration and its future.“
Burns looked at his water. Most of the ice was melted now, but the outside of the glass was still beaded with moisture. Burns took a drink. The water was still cold.
“I’m sure that’s very interesting, but of course we aren’t talking about Matthew Hart here.“
“Absolutely not. I just thought I might mention their . . . rivalry. Mr. Hart was a conservative, what you might even call an ultra-conservative. He didn’t like some of the recent changes on campus.“
He wasn’t the only one, Burns thought. Burns hadn’t agreed with a lot of them himself. But the changes hadn’t been all bad, and Burns, like most of the other faculty members, liked the atmosphere of academic freedom that the administration fostered. Hart probably hadn’t.
“I take it that Mr. Yowell supported the changes,“ he said.
“Most of them. He’s very progressive.“
“That’s good to know. What about Neal Bruce? I don’t know much about him except that he works at the bank. And that he’s on the board.“
“His grandfather founded the Universal Bank. It was a state bank for many years, until Neal’s father sold it to the holding company. Neal is still there, but he’s just a figurehead. The holding company is trying to make it appear that there’s still a connection to the community when there really isn’t.“
“And does Neal collect toy soldiers?“
“As a matter of fact, he does. He has a quite wonderful collection. His grandfather began giving him Britains for his birthday when he was just a few years old, and now he’s buying Staddens for himself.“
Burns took it that Stadden was another manufacturer of toy soldiers. He wondered if Napier had ever seen Bruce’s collection.
“I assume that Bruce has seen and admired your Britains ,“ Burns said.
“Yes. He even mentioned once that he’d like to buy them if I ever decided to sell.“
There was something else to check on. Could Bruce have tried to work through Stilwell to get the soldiers? Or had he simply mentioned to the antique dealer that he’d like to buy them?
“What about Rex and Suzanne Cody, then?“ Burns asked. “Are they collectors, too?“
“No, but they like fine things. Suzanne is on our board, and not just because her husband has made millions of dollars in the petroleum business. She’s one of Mr. Stilwell’s best customers, and she’s given some very nice things to the college dormitories. She furnished the sitting room in the student center, too. Did you know that?“
Burns knew, of course. It was had to miss the big mahogany- and-brass plaque just inside the door that said “The furnishings in this room were donated by Suzanne Trainor Cody, HGC Class of 1983.“
“So what you’re saying is that everyone we’ve talked about so far—except for Stilwell, Napier, and our two students—might have taken those soldiers.“
“I’m afraid it looks that way.“
“And you still insist that Napier and Stilwell are excluded as suspects?“
Partridge nodded vigorously. “I do. R. M. is the chief of police, after all. And Steve is, well, he’s an honest man. I’m sure of it.“
Burns wished he could be so sure, but he couldn’t. And there was still one name on the list.
“What about Mary Mason?“ Burns asked.
“Her.“ Partridge said. “I wouldn’t put anything past her.“
Chapter Eleven
A
“Board members can be suspects,“ Partridge said.
“But Yowell’s not a Civil War buff or an antiques dealer, is he?“
“No, but that doesn’t mean there’s no connection.“
Burns wondered what the connection could possibly be. He certainly couldn’t think of one.
Partridge could, and she told him. “He and Matthew Hart have had several violent arguments about the college’s present administration and its future.“
Burns looked at his water. Most of the ice was melted now, but the outside of the glass was still beaded with moisture. Burns took a drink. The water was still cold.
“I’m sure that’s very interesting, but of course we aren’t talking about Matthew Hart here.“
“Absolutely not. I just thought I might mention their . . . rivalry. Mr. Hart was a conservative, what you might even call an ultra-conservative. He didn’t like some of the recent changes on campus.“
He wasn’t the only one, Burns thought. Burns hadn’t agreed with a lot of them himself. But the changes hadn’t been all bad, and Burns, like most of the other faculty members, liked the atmosphere of academic freedom that the administration fostered. Hart probably hadn’t.
“I take it that Mr. Yowell supported the changes,“ he said.
“Most of them. He’s very progressive.“
“That’s good to know. What about Neal Bruce? I don’t know much about him except that he works at the bank. And that he’s on the board.“
“His grandfather founded the Universal Bank. It was a state bank for many years, until Neal’s father sold it to the holding company. Neal is still there, but he’s just a figurehead. The holding company is trying to make it appear that there’s still a connection to the community when there really isn’t.“
“And does Neal collect toy soldiers?“
“As a matter of fact, he does. He has a quite wonderful collection. His grandfather began giving him Britains for his birthday when he was just a few years old, and now he’s buying Staddens for himself.“
Burns took it that Stadden was another manufacturer of toy soldiers. He wondered if Napier had ever seen Bruce’s collection.
“I assume that Bruce has seen and admired your Britains ,“ Burns said.
“Yes. He even mentioned once that he’d like to buy them if I ever decided to sell.“
There was something else to check on. Could Bruce have tried to work through Stilwell to get the soldiers? Or had he simply mentioned to the antique dealer that he’d like to buy them?
“What about Rex and Suzanne Cody, then?“ Burns asked. “Are they collectors, too?“
“No, but they like fine things. Suzanne is on our board, and not just because her husband has made millions of dollars in the petroleum business. She’s one of Mr. Stilwell’s best customers, and she’s given some very nice things to the college dormitories. She furnished the sitting room in the student center, too. Did you know that?“
Burns knew, of course. It was had to miss the big mahogany- and-brass plaque just inside the door that said “The furnishings in this room were donated by Suzanne Trainor Cody, HGC Class of 1983.“
“So what you’re saying is that everyone we’ve talked about so far—except for Stilwell, Napier, and our two students—might have taken those soldiers.“
“I’m afraid it looks that way.“
“And you still insist that Napier and Stilwell are excluded as suspects?“
Partridge nodded vigorously. “I do. R. M. is the chief of police, after all. And Steve is, well, he’s an honest man. I’m sure of it.“
Burns wished he could be so sure, but he couldn’t. And there was still one name on the list.
“What about Mary Mason?“ Burns asked.
“Her.“ Partridge said. “I wouldn’t put anything past her.“
Chapter Eleven
A
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