middle-aged woman with greying hair sitting behind her desk with a stunned look on her face, staring out the window behind her across the pretty, expansive campus.
“President Breedlowe?” I asked, and the woman jerked her head as she came out of her grief coma or whatever. “I’m Sienna Nealon. This is Reed Treston—”
“I know who you are,” she said, coming to her feet. She offered a hand and I took it. I couldn’t tell if she always shook hands like her wrist was broken or if it was just the surprise, but it was a weak grip, even for a human. “Anna told me that you’re here about Carlton. I’m Corinne Breedlowe.”
She shook hands with Reed, and it looked much more like an even match. My brother, so compassionate … it was like they were holding a contest to see who could grasp each other more delicately. He put on his best sympathetic face (I must have left mine at home, with the suitcase and all my clothes) and said, “I’m so sorry for your loss, Ms. Breedlowe. Were you close to Dr. Jacobs?”
“No,” President Breedlowe said, shaking her head. “He was one of our premiere … acquisitions, I say somewhat crudely. Dr. Jacobs came to us from a short stint at CalTech after a longer tenure at Lawrence Livermore labs. He was quite a brilliant man and had published several papers on a variety of subjects that had brought us scads of much-needed attention following our founding only a few years ago.”
“You’re a new institution?” Reed asked, cutting me instantly out of the conversation. I let him, because I figured he’d ask delicate questions and I wouldn’t, and indelicate questions tended to end conversations, so it was best to save them for last.
“Yes,” President Breedlowe said, nodding. “Only a few years old but we’re already establishing a reputation in the engineering and science worlds. Carlton was such a fixture in our faculty. To lose him now is …” She blinked, and I could see tears lingering in the corners. “Well, it’s quite a blow.”
“But you didn’t know him well on a personal basis?” Reed asked, probing gently. Such a sweetheart, my bro. Must have all been used up by the time I came around. Or maybe I’m just my mother’s daughter.
“No,” President Breedlowe said with another shake of her head. “We certainly dealt with each other at any number of school functions, but I don’t believe he ever even attended the yearly Christmas party at my home.”
“Was he invited?” I asked, throwing a cup of cold water on the proceedings.
“Of course,” President Breedlowe said, stiffening like I’d insulted her. I was bad cop; this was my jam. “The whole faculty was invited.”
“Did you know of any professional rivalries that Dr. Jacobs might have cultivated?” Reed asked, the delicate surgeon to my … well, to my Sienna Nealon, master of disaster.
Breedlowe blinked in utter surprise. “You must be joking.”
“Often, but not right now,” I said. “I know it doesn’t seem like it with that simpering expression on his face, but he’s being serious.” Reed shot me a dirty look that wiped the simpering one right off. Mission accomplished.
“You think a professional rivalry could lead to this man’s murder?” Breedlowe asked incredulously, ignoring our adorable sibling interplay.
“Well, it wasn’t robbery,” I said, “so, unless a metahuman was lying in wait for a random person and happened to kill him by chance, there was some personal motive at work here, yes.”
Reed softened it up. “Unfortunately, we can’t rule out any possibility, no matter how unlikely, at least not yet. Dr. Jacobs died under extremely odd circumstances.”
“Oh, goodness,” Professor Breedlowe said, sitting back down in her chair heavily. “I … I don’t … I mean, I’ve never heard so much as a whispered rumor against the man.” She looked up at us. “I’m sorry. I don’t think I can be of much help. His record was spotless, and I’m afraid
“President Breedlowe?” I asked, and the woman jerked her head as she came out of her grief coma or whatever. “I’m Sienna Nealon. This is Reed Treston—”
“I know who you are,” she said, coming to her feet. She offered a hand and I took it. I couldn’t tell if she always shook hands like her wrist was broken or if it was just the surprise, but it was a weak grip, even for a human. “Anna told me that you’re here about Carlton. I’m Corinne Breedlowe.”
She shook hands with Reed, and it looked much more like an even match. My brother, so compassionate … it was like they were holding a contest to see who could grasp each other more delicately. He put on his best sympathetic face (I must have left mine at home, with the suitcase and all my clothes) and said, “I’m so sorry for your loss, Ms. Breedlowe. Were you close to Dr. Jacobs?”
“No,” President Breedlowe said, shaking her head. “He was one of our premiere … acquisitions, I say somewhat crudely. Dr. Jacobs came to us from a short stint at CalTech after a longer tenure at Lawrence Livermore labs. He was quite a brilliant man and had published several papers on a variety of subjects that had brought us scads of much-needed attention following our founding only a few years ago.”
“You’re a new institution?” Reed asked, cutting me instantly out of the conversation. I let him, because I figured he’d ask delicate questions and I wouldn’t, and indelicate questions tended to end conversations, so it was best to save them for last.
“Yes,” President Breedlowe said, nodding. “Only a few years old but we’re already establishing a reputation in the engineering and science worlds. Carlton was such a fixture in our faculty. To lose him now is …” She blinked, and I could see tears lingering in the corners. “Well, it’s quite a blow.”
“But you didn’t know him well on a personal basis?” Reed asked, probing gently. Such a sweetheart, my bro. Must have all been used up by the time I came around. Or maybe I’m just my mother’s daughter.
“No,” President Breedlowe said with another shake of her head. “We certainly dealt with each other at any number of school functions, but I don’t believe he ever even attended the yearly Christmas party at my home.”
“Was he invited?” I asked, throwing a cup of cold water on the proceedings.
“Of course,” President Breedlowe said, stiffening like I’d insulted her. I was bad cop; this was my jam. “The whole faculty was invited.”
“Did you know of any professional rivalries that Dr. Jacobs might have cultivated?” Reed asked, the delicate surgeon to my … well, to my Sienna Nealon, master of disaster.
Breedlowe blinked in utter surprise. “You must be joking.”
“Often, but not right now,” I said. “I know it doesn’t seem like it with that simpering expression on his face, but he’s being serious.” Reed shot me a dirty look that wiped the simpering one right off. Mission accomplished.
“You think a professional rivalry could lead to this man’s murder?” Breedlowe asked incredulously, ignoring our adorable sibling interplay.
“Well, it wasn’t robbery,” I said, “so, unless a metahuman was lying in wait for a random person and happened to kill him by chance, there was some personal motive at work here, yes.”
Reed softened it up. “Unfortunately, we can’t rule out any possibility, no matter how unlikely, at least not yet. Dr. Jacobs died under extremely odd circumstances.”
“Oh, goodness,” Professor Breedlowe said, sitting back down in her chair heavily. “I … I don’t … I mean, I’ve never heard so much as a whispered rumor against the man.” She looked up at us. “I’m sorry. I don’t think I can be of much help. His record was spotless, and I’m afraid
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