His eyes flickered down her body, though not in the way she’d become used to. She realized that he was looking at the dust clinging to her skirt. Nervously, she brushed at it.
“Could I set up an appointment, perhaps? I can telephone my mother and grandparents this evening to get more specifics.”
Blake nodded. “Of course. Best to have one’s information prepared upfront, that way there is no delay in honoring your late father. Simply contact my secretary to find a time.”
Saffron smiled and nodded.
“May I ask his name?” he asked.
“Oh,” Saffron said, hitching her handbag farther up her arm. “Thomas Everleigh. He was a botany professor. I work in the department too.”
She thought she saw a flare of recognition in his eyes at the mention of her father’s name, though she couldn’t think of why his name would mean anything to Blake, especially as he wasn’t involved in the botany department apart from his apparent friendship with Berking. Had he heard about the disagreement between her and Berking? The thought made her teeth clench in a strained smile.
“Thomas Everleigh, my goodness,” Blake murmured with a slight smile. “I am sorry for your loss, Miss Everleigh. His heroic sacrifice does a credit to the Easting line. Well, we will ensure he is well remembered. Come to my office now, if you will, and we can get started.”
His disinterested tone soothed her concerns over Berking’s influence on him. If she went with him now, she’d perhaps get to snoop inside his office. But she also had no idea what she might say to him. How could she ask if a crime had been committed right under his nose? And she still had to prepare for Dr. Henry. One suspect at a time, she decided.
“I’m afraid I have some work to get done this afternoon,” Saffron said quickly.
Blake inclined his head. “I understand. If you please, come tomorrow, around two in the afternoon. I always make time for special bequests such as yours, Miss Everleigh.”
Saffron nodded and watched Blake walk away, disappearing around a corner in a rush of students exiting a classroom.
Flush with success, Saffron hurried off toward the North Wing. She had an appointment with yet another suspect.
Her feeling of victory was short lived. Like Dr. Aster’s note this morning, she found another tucked into the office door when she returned. She read it through and, her hand holding the paper so tightly it tore in her fingers, she walked slowly to the top of the stairs and down the hall. Full of dread, she entered Pierce’s office.
“Yes?” Pierce said from his desk, not looking up.
“Is Dr. Berking available, Mr. Pierce?” Saffron asked, holding up the torn note. “He wishes to speak with me.”
Pierce looked up and his near-black eyes immediately narrowed. With a sneer, he asked, “Do you have an appointment?”
Frowning at his odd question, she shook her head. Wasn’t he the one who’d left the note in her door?
With an exasperated air, Pierce went to the office door and called in to Berking. A moment later, Saffron stepped into his office, hands shaking and heart pounding. There were several reasons Berking might want to see her, but each one made her want to insist that the door stay open. If he’d found out thatshe’d broken into his home, or even his office, he wouldn’t confront her now, comfortably sitting behind the same desk she’d hidden under, would he?
Dr. Berking’s vast face stretched into an unctuous smile that revealed nothing of his intentions as she passed through the door. She imagined him as a red-haired spider, waiting for a fly drawing ever closer to his web. Had she really thought she was no longer afraid of him?
“Why, hello,” he said with a leer. “You’re very smart not to leave me waiting today, Miss Everleigh. I’m an impatient man.”
Saffron’s lips trembled as she forced a polite smile on her face.
His grin widened as if he sensed her turmoil. “Why don’t you sit down?”
Saffron took a few steps forward to give the impression of compliance, though each step toward him made her stomach clench.
“Well, this is quite a turn of events, is it not? You must feel triumphant, I’m sure,” Berking said, his voice loud and jolly.
“I’m sorry?” Saffron inched another step forward.
“The study, my dear!” Berking leaned back in his chair, his smile fading slightly as Saffron blinked blankly at him. “Surely you remember. It was not even a month ago, when we had our little misunderstanding.”
Confusion stilled her steps. “My proposal?”
“Yes, my dear, for your study.” He chuckled. “I’m afraid I might have misrepresented it to Dr. Henry at the meeting. But it does include a few poisonous plants, does it not? I looked back over the notes you left behind about comparing pigmentations of tropical plants. Your study will round out our department’s docket nicely.” A sly smile crept across his features. “With Dr. Maxwell being unavailable for the foreseeable future, I thought you might want a chance to take the lead.”
Her mind was numb, shock blanketing all other thoughts. “Take the lead?”
