Mountain Peril (4 page)

D
anielle tossed her briefcase onto her desk and dropped down in her chair. Most mornings she couldn’t wait to get to her office and begin the day’s work. Not today.

The usual happy mood of the students had disappeared. The atmosphere on the campus hung heavy with a veil of fear. The few students she’d encountered on her way from the parking lot walked in groups of twos or threes and cast glances over their shoulders as they headed from one building to another.

She wondered if Jeff had come in yet, but she had no idea how late he and Nathan had stayed. Jeff, who usually was the first one to arrive in the mornings, had probably been at his desk for hours. She pushed up from her chair and strode from her office toward his.

Betty, Jeff’s assistant, wasn’t at her desk when Danielle stepped into the president’s reception area. Just as she started to knock on his office door a voice startled her.

“He’s not in there.”

Danielle whirled to see Landon Morse, conductor of the school orchestra, standing in the entrance behind her. She sighed in relief. “You scared me.”

Landon leaned against the doorjamb. His rumpled suit
looked like it hadn’t been pressed in weeks, and the bow tie he always wore was missing. “Sorry. Just thought I’d save you the trouble of knocking. I saw Betty in the dining room. She said Jeff would be back at nine o’clock and wanted to meet with the faculty advisory board then.”

That meant she and Landon would join Jeff and Nathan to discuss the events of the night. “All right.” Danielle took a step back toward him. “Did she say where Jeff went?”

Landon shifted the backpack he carried in one hand to the other. “He went to Nathan’s office.”

Danielle’s eyes widened. “Oh, Nathan’s already here? He never gets here this early.” Then she frowned, closed her eyes and put her hand to her forehead. “But this isn’t like most mornings.”

Landon shook his head. “No, it isn’t. Too bad about Tricia. It’s just like when we were students and Jennifer was killed.”

A slight tremor prickled her skin. What was it about Landon that made her uneasy? Maybe she remembered how he’d stayed to himself while they were students and didn’t seem to want any company. Why he’d decided in the last few months to seek out her friendship, she didn’t know.

Danielle shuddered. “It’s too much like Jennifer’s murder.”

“Yeah. Brings back some bad memories, doesn’t it?”

Danielle bit her lip and nodded.

“I’ve left several messages on your answering machine, but you haven’t returned my calls.”

She frowned. “I’ve been busy. Sorry. Is there something you wanted?”

He shook his head. “I just wanted to ask you out.”

She walked toward him, but he didn’t move. Was he deliberately blocking her exit from the room? “Landon, I’m sorry. You know how I feel.”

“Yeah, but don’t you think you’ve used your fiancé’s death as an excuse long enough?”

Danielle drew back from him in shock. “That isn’t for you to decide. Now please let me pass.”

He stared at her without moving. “There is one more thing.”

“What?”

“The Christmas Fundraiser Reception. I’ll get my students’ performance information for the program to you before the day’s over so you can get it to the printer.”

Danielle gasped. “This isn’t the morning to be thinking about that. We’ve had a student murdered.”

Landon chuckled. “Tell that to Jeff and Nathan. I’d already had calls from both of them this morning about our meeting before I saw Betty. They want to make sure the plans for the fundraiser don’t get lost in the middle of a murder investigation.”

Danielle could only stare at Landon. After a moment he moved aside, and she hurried past him into the hall. As she entered her office, she glanced over her shoulder, but he wasn’t following. She breathed a sigh of relief.

She closed the office door and walked to her desk. Stopping, she stared in confusion at what lay before her. A single red rose with a white ribbon tied around its stem lay next to her computer. A sealed envelope lay next to it.

She slid her letter opener underneath the flap, pulled the card out, and blinked in surprise at the ornate calligraphy that adorned the page. She held the note closer and read—
You have sent light into the darkness of my heart.

The words sent a chill down her spine. As she stared at the note, her hands began to shake. She’d received a rose the morning after Jennifer’s death. There was no card with that one, and at the time she’d assumed it was left by a fellow student.
Suddenly the air in the room chilled, and she shivered. Ten years ago she’d felt an evil presence on Webster’s campus. Try as she might, she couldn’t rid herself of the feeling it had returned.

At nine o’clock Nathan, Jeff and Landon rose from their seats as Danielle walked into Jeff’s office. Nathan, fatigue lining his face, pointed to the chair next to him. “Sit here, Danielle.”

The kind tone of his voice poured over her and eased the ache in her heart. She smiled at him and took the offered seat. “Thank you.”

He settled next to her and sighed. “We’re all having trouble dealing with what happened last night. Perhaps the police will have some news for us today.”

Danielle turned in her chair to face him. “Detective Denton came by my house this morning. He’d been at the station all night, but he said an officer brought Flynn back to campus.”

Nathan’s eyes grew wide, and he stared at her. “The detective visited you at home?”

Danielle’s face warmed, and she laced her fingers in her lap. “He only wanted to see how I felt.”

Nathan cleared his throat. “That seems strange. You hardly know the man.”

Danielle gasped and shrank back in her chair. “He was kind enough to make sure my house was safe last night and to check on me this morning. I appreciate his interest.”

Nathan pursed his lips. “Well, when you put it that way, I suppose you’re right.” Waving his hand in dismissal, he glanced toward Jeff. “Why don’t we get on with the reason for this meeting?”

Jeff cleared his throat and shuffled some papers on his desk. “Before we do, I think you should know that Detective
Denton called and said he was coming to search Tricia’s room. Security locked it last night, and no one has entered it since her death.”

Danielle nodded. “She didn’t have a roommate, did she?”

“No, so everything should be just as she left it. Detective Denton said that since you’re Dean of Students, he’d like you to accompany him there.”

“I’ll be glad to go with him.”

Jeff smiled. “Good. Betty will give you the key to the room.” He hesitated for a moment and glanced at each of them. “The past twenty-four hours have been difficult for all of us at the school. Nathan and I have talked with Tricia’s parents. They’re flying into Asheville today. We plan to meet them at the airport and drive them here.”

Danielle reached for a tissue in her pocket and wiped at the tears pooling in her eyes. “That’s kind of you. I’m sure the Petersons will appreciate anything we can do to make this ordeal easier for them.”

Nathan leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs. “We’ve also talked with Flynn Carter. He’s all too willing to take the Web site down now, and we’ve decided to let him stay in school.”

Danielle breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m glad you came to this decision. I think he’s going to need all of us to get through this.”

Nathan’s expression softened, and he looked at Danielle. “I know everyone here thinks I’m an ogre, but I feel such responsibility to my family to make this school a success. However, I don’t want to lose sight of the people who help to make the school what it is. I’m truly grieved over Tricia Peterson’s death and don’t want to cause Flynn any more remorse than he probably already feels. Also, Jeff and I plan to do everything in our power to help the police find the killer.”

“I’m sure we’ll all be relieved when the police know something.”

He nodded. “We’ve dismissed classes for the week, and many of the students have already left campus. There are counselors available for any who stayed and feel the need to talk.”

“That’s very wise. I’ll work with them to make sure the students’ needs are met.”

Nathan cleared his throat. “I’m sure you’re going to help us get through this difficult time. However, in the meantime we have to think about the school. It’s imperative that when we resume classes next week the students feel they’ve returned to a safe and unchanged environment.”

“So what do we need to do?” For the first time Landon spoke up. He’d been so quiet Danielle had almost forgotten he was in the room.

Nathan turned his attention to Landon. “We as a staff have to renew our efforts to continue the traditions we’ve begun.”

Landon nodded. “I’ll do everything I can to make that happen, Nathan.”

“Good.” Nathan stared at him for a moment before he glanced back to Danielle. “We have to make sure this year’s fundraiser is the biggest and best we’ve ever had. I’m depending on you to see that it is.”

She pushed up out of her seat. “I thought we were coming here to talk about Tricia’s death and how we need to deal with our students’ reactions to it. Not the money we expect to raise this year.”

Nathan rose and reached for her hand. “Please understand, Danielle. If this school falls short in contributions this year, we may see reductions in programs and staff terminations. I, for one, don’t want that to happen. We have to do everything in our power to make it appear that nothing has changed here
at Webster. And one way to do that is to assure our donors that their money is going to a stable program. I need you to make sure that’s the message we give at the annual fundraiser.”

Nathan’s words held a plea for help. He’d been there for her many times in the past, and she couldn’t refuse his request. “I’ve loved Webster ever since I entered as a student, and it means even more to me now. I’ll do everything I can to make sure this year’s fundraiser is the best one ever.”

Nathan squeezed her hand, released it and smiled. “Thank you, Danielle. I knew we could count on you.”

Danielle glanced at Landon. A wry smile pulled at his lips. The idea of having to work with him filled her with repulsion, but she would do it for Nathan. She backed away. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to my office.”

She hurried from the room and stopped at Betty’s desk in the outer office. “I need the key to Tricia’s room.”

Betty pulled her glasses off and wiped at the tears in her eyes. She held out the key to Danielle. “If there’s anything I can do for you, let me know.”

Danielle’s fingers curled around the cold metal, and she swallowed. “Thanks, Betty.”

No other words came to mind, so she hurried from the room. All she could think about was Tricia lying on a mountain path. The people who she thought would have been most concerned with her death only had money on their minds. The idea sickened her.

Pushing the door to her office open, Danielle stopped in surprise at the sight of Flynn Carter sitting in a chair. His body was slumped forward, and his head rested on his crossed arms on her desk. His shoulders shook from the sobs that filled the air. She rushed forward and touched his arm. “Flynn, are you all right?”

He looked up at her, and Danielle had never seen such anguish in anyone’s eyes. With a cry, he turned to her. “Why, Dr. Tyler? Why would anyone do such a thing?”

She knelt beside him and put her arm around his shoulder. “I don’t know, Flynn. It’s a question I’ve asked myself for ten years about Jennifer McCaslin’s death. Now you’re going to have to live with the same questions I have.”

He doubled his fists in his lap and gritted his teeth. “But I didn’t send that text message.”

Danielle frowned. “What text message? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“The police told me there was a message on Tricia’s phone asking her to meet me at Laurel Falls. It was sent from my phone, but I don’t know anything about it. I lost my phone yesterday. Remember? I told you about it.”

Danielle nodded. “Yes, you called me from your roommate’s phone.”

Flynn grabbed her hands, and fresh tears ran down his face as he stared up at her. “Please, Dr. Tyler. Tell the police I wouldn’t lie about something like that, and I wouldn’t hurt Tricia. I loved her.”

Danielle squeezed his hands and smiled. “I know you loved her, Flynn. I’ve seen the two of you together ever since you were freshmen. I don’t believe you would hurt her.”

Tears continued to run down his face. “But it’s my fault. I talked her into doing that Web site, and it got her killed.”

She thought carefully before she responded. “Tricia should have thought about how dangerous it was before she got involved.”

A voice sounded behind them. “That’s a good point, Dr. Tyler.”

She looked over her shoulder at Jack standing in the open door. She stood up. “Detective Denton, come in.”

Flynn rose to stand beside her. He wiped his hands across his cheeks. “Do you know anything?”

Jack shook his head. “Not yet. It’s too early in the investigation, but we’ll find Tricia’s killer.”

Anger flashed across Flynn’s face. “When you catch him, I wish I could have a few minutes with him. Make him pay for what he did to Tricia.”

Jack walked forward and stared at Flynn. “You’re feeling guilty, and I can’t do anything to take that off your shoulders. When we find the killer, you can’t transfer what you feel to him. I’m afraid you’re going to have to live with your part in this mess.”

Flynn nodded. “You’re right. It’s all my fault. I’ll have to live with that thought.”

Flynn bit down on his quivering lip and headed for the door. Before he stepped into the hall, he stopped and turned toward them. He glared at Jack and pointed a shaking finger at him. “I don’t care what you believe, I didn’t send that text message to Tricia. And you can’t prove I did.”

Danielle watched him go before she turned to Jack. “I feel so sorry for him.”

“I do, too. I don’t have any proof, but I tend to believe him about the cell phone, too. I just hope no other students turn up dead because of his Web site.”

“So do I.” She tilted her head and studied him. “When I first met you, I thought you seemed distant and indifferent, but I think I’m changing my mind. There’s a lot more to you than the uncaring policeman you want everyone to believe you are.”