Taking the steps two at a time, they raced to the second floor and down the hallway. The office door was locked but it didn’t take Patrick any time at all to pick the lock and open the door.
“Whoa,” said Rush staring at the office space. “Can anyone say OCD?”
“I’ve never seen a professor’s office this clean. I’ve never seen anyone’s office this clean,” frowned Kev.
He ran his fingers along the wooden shelves filled with books, finding no dust whatsoever. Eyeing the books, he realized that they were not only in alphabetical order but were alphabetized by title, author, subject, and date.
“This is fucking creepy,” said Gator. No dirty coffee cups or fast-food wrappers. No candy dish to satisfy a quick urge. No files on the desk. No published papers. There were fresh flowers in a vase at the corner of the desk and on a coatrack hung one lightweight jacket.
They heard shuffling coming down the hallway and all stilled, waiting for the man to appear. Unfortunately, it wasn’t Teller, it was Henry.
“Whew! Oh, sorry fellas. I just can’t move as fast as I used to. Them stairs about kill me,” said Henry.
“It’s alright, Henry. Did you need something?” asked Finn.
“No. No, I don’t need nothin’. Just wondered if you got to talk to the professor?”
“Talk to him? He’s not here,” said Gator.
“He was. Just pulled out of his parking spot out back. He was puttin’ something in his trunk and I called and waved. As usual, he didn’t wave back, just nodded.”
“Shit,” muttered Patrick running toward the steps. Finn, Rush, and Kev were right behind him while Matt and Gator stayed back to ask questions.
“Henry, is there anything else you can tell us about Professor Wayne? He seems like a very neat and tidy fella.”
“Oh, you don’t know the half of it,” laughed Henry. “Our cleaning crew are some of the best. They know what to touch and not touch. Some of these professors are pretty damn picky. The professor, he didn’t trust any of them. He did the cleaning himself.”
“He’s not married?” asked Gator.
“I don’t believe so. Like I said, he don’t talk to folks like me much. Sticks to himself. Even the other professors think he’s a bit odd.”
“How so?” asked Matt.
“Well, beyond this,” he said waving a hand around the room, “never eats anything that he doesn’t cook himself. Brings his own silverware, plates, glasses, all that. Drinks nothing except water and some sort of fancy tea. That man even brings his own hot water in a thermos. Doesn’t trust our water.”
Matt and Gator frowned at one another as the men appeared back in the doorway shaking their heads.
“He was gone by the time we got down there, no sign of the car,” said Finn.
“Henry?” asked Gator. “Would you have an address for the professor?”
“I don’t but the administration folks probably do. Then again, they’re off for the holiday. Most get out of town.”
“I think we can figure this one out ourselves, Henry. You’ve been a great help,” said Finn.
“Happy to lend a hand.” He started to walk away and then turned back to the men. “Oh. This might be nothin’ and it might be somethin’, I don’t know where but I know he don’t live in New Orleans. I overheard him complaining to a student when they were late for a meeting that he didn’t appreciate getting up at five a.m. to get here on time and they arrived late. He’s gotta be thirty, maybe forty or fifty miles outside of the city.”
“Thanks, Henry,” said Gator. He turned to the others as they began walking down the hallway. “Let’s get home and see what the others can find on him. There has to be an address in the school records.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“I’m offering you a lifetime of security and safety, Nicole,” he said smiling at the young woman.
“Security and safety? Is that what you call the ropes around my wrists and ankles? Security and safety. You’re crazy. Certifiably crazy. When my roommates and boyfriend can’t find me, they’ll call the police.”
“And what will they find? A young woman off partying in the city full of sins. No messages on your phone will appear from me. They’ve all been erased. See, I’m not just a professor in the medical field, I’m an avid student of technology.”
“Someone will find me. No woman in her right mind would take your proposal. No one. And neither will I.”
