“There are things to take in the bathroom. Kenny is sleeping on the sofa. You’re going to need to get up and take care of him.”
Todd sighed and got out of the bed. Jamie passed him a robe, and he pulled it on. “I’ll be fine. Go on to work.” He went to the bathroom, and Jamie left the house.
As he went to his car, he saw Charlie turning the alley corner. Jamie met his almost-blank gaze and set his bag on the passenger seat, glaring at him from over the top of the car as he stared back. Neither of them moved, and Jamie refused to blink. He was going to stare this guy down until hell froze over. Finally, Charlie turned and limped down the block away from the house. He waited until Charlie was gone before he got in the car and drove across town to work, going right to his office.
He dropped his bag and went to the break room for more coffee, only to join half the faculty in the building. “What’s going on?”
“Did you check your email?” Harry Grendel asked. “They reiterated that we have to place our exams in the system.”
Jamie looked around and then closed the door. “Can you show me?” Jamie asked, and Harry used a tablet to show him the note. It was the same one as before, only more emphatic. “Okay?” He shrugged.
“Why aren’t you upset?” Harry asked.
“Because the exam I placed in the system isn’t the one I’m going to give. It’s an old one. I suggest you do the same. I added a specific topic that we didn’t cover and will probably elicit a question. Whoever asks… gets questioned. Do the same thing.”
Harry clapped him on the shoulder. “Brilliant. I’m going to do that. I have exams from ten years ago. Those will bring up lots of questions.”
“What about those of us who put up our real exams?” Cassie asked. She was a brilliant classical historian.
“Alter them, but don’t reupload. Just let what’s out there sit. I know it’s more work, and if you need help, I can pitch in. This problem affects all of us,” Jamie said, the room going silent. “Just ask for what you need. But under no circumstances are the students to know… not any of them. Not even the admins. Keepthis to yourself. If we don’t figure out who is behind this, we’ll have to go through this again, and none of us wants that.”
Everyone nodded, and the tension and anxiety in the room seemed to have lessened.
“What about the rest of the faculty?” Harry asked.
“The more who know our plan, the easier it will be to get out. Seed exam questions that will require someone to ask you about a subject. It’s the one way I know of to actually start unraveling this mess. Agreed?” he asked. Everyone said yes. “Anyone with a better idea?” Silence. He could even hear the air-conditioner whir softly. “Then let’s do it. If you suspect one of your students, then come to me or Harry. Don’t question them alone. We need witnesses to everything. Remember, a lot of our students have wealthy and powerful parents.” They all nodded and then began to leave the room. Jamie got his coffee and returned to his office to prepare for this first class of the day. He really hoped this issue came to a head soon.
I gotanother interview, and the chocolate people called, and they will be sending a job offer.The text made Jamie smile.
Schedule the interview, and we can review the job offer when they send it. Great job!he sent in return, adding a smiley face. At least he had some good news today. Jamie was so tired, he yawned as a girl who wasn’t in one of his classes knocked on the door.
“Can I help you?”
She shifted from foot to foot. “I’m Katie, and I’m trying to help my roommate. She’s in your afternoon American Studies class. She got a study guide, and there was something on it that we didn’t know about. I was on my way to another class in this building, and I thought I’d ask because maybe the study guide she got was old or something.” She pulled out a handwrittensheet of paper. “She wanted me to ask about Intelligent Design. I know that it was a theory about creationism that courts struck down as trying to get around the prohibition of teaching religious doctrine in schools, but that’s about all.” She then showed him a copy of his fake exam.
“Please have a seat,” he said, and picked up his phone. “Sorry, a friend has a sick kid and he’s out of town.” It was just a cover so he could message Harry. “Who is your roommate?” he asked, trying to play it cool.
“Celia Harper,” she answered, and Jamie wasn’t surprised. Her work had been subpar all semester. “I’ve been trying to help her raise her grade in your class.”
Harry popped his head in.
“Come on in. This is Katie, and she’s trying to help her roommate prepare for her exam.” He watched Katie, who didn’t seem nervous as he handed the study guide over to Harry.
“Is something wrong?” she asked, concern and confusion in her voice.
“I’m afraid so. This isn’t a study guide. This is an exam that I entered on the college’s system. This wasn’t handed out to anyone. She is using you to help her prepare to cheat on the exam. There have been issues with system security.”
“Oh God. I didn’t know. I work hard, and I….” She paled. “I didn’t know. You have to believe me.”
Jamie did, and it seemed Harry did as well.
“It’s okay. You need to get Celia over here. Message her that you have what she needs, but that you need to work on a project. Tell her to meet you in the union. We’ll have campus security bring her here.” He waited while she did as instructed.
Harry called the Dean to explain what happened and what they had. The Dean said he would meet Celia and campus security in the union. He also asked Jamie and Harry to meet him in his office in half an hour.
“What about me?” Katie asked. “I would never cheat. Ask my professors. I work hard for my grades. Celia never seemed to, but she’s my roommate, so I agreed to try to help her. I didn’t….” She looked about ready to cry.
“I believe you,” Jamie said, with Harry nodding. “Go on back to your room and study for your finals.”
