Murder in the Dorm Read Free

feet because of the angle of the blow. We didn’t learn much from the family. Kelsey’s mother is in a senior’s residence and pretty much out of it. A brother lives in Chicago and told us he’d not seen Kelsey since his high-school graduation. He’s taking care of the funeral arrangements. We learned nothing from Kelsey’s personal effects except that his laptop is missing. We found a printer and a power supply in his dorm room, but no computer. From the little we know his activities at the university consisted of going to class, eating in the cafeteria, and working and sleeping in his dorm room. We’ve no information about where he went off-campus. We don’t know if there was anyone he was seeing. Aside from the connection to McDermott that you told us about, no one has come up with the name of anyone with whom Kelsey spent time. When we talk to McDermott we may learn more.”
    Matson spoke for the first time.
    “We’d really like to get some idea of who he saw or where he went off-campus. Nothing we’ve seen or heard about what he did here has been of any use.”
    DeVries and Matson left and Charlie walked to the Club. He was later than usual, but there was room at the Club table. Unfortunately, there wasn’t anyone there from Computing. Charlie then asked after someone in Computing to whom he might talk. More people joined the table and eventually Charlie got a name: Janice Sommers. He’d try her the next day; he’d invite her to lunch.
    Over dinner Charlie carefully avoided mention of Kelsey or DeVries. He opened a bottle of a quite nice cabernet to distract Kate and mostly succeeded but did catch her looking at him pensively a couple of times. Fortunately, her favorite TV show aired on Thursday night, so she took the rest of her wine to the den and Charlie relaxed with a book.

Chapter 3
    The First Friday

    Charlie was in his office by eight-thirty and talked to a couple of students who’d made appointments. He called Janice Sommers at ten and invited her to lunch, saying a colleague had given him her name and he’d tell her the whole story over a glass of wine. Charlie then made notes to sort out what he’d been told: Kelsey was killed in a way that seemed unpremeditated. He’d been hit on the head, likely as the culmination of a bad argument. The killer had availed himself or possibly herself of a bookend in Kelsey’s room. The most plausible scenario was Kelsey in a heated dispute with someone, that someone losing it and hitting him, then getting the hell out when he or she saw Kelsey go down. DeVries and Matson thought whoever struck Kelsey was roughly the same height, six feet, no doubt because the angle of the blow meant the bookend had been swung parallel to the floor rather than angled from above or below.
    As to who the assailant might be, unfortunately access wasn’t a factor. Some years earlier there would have been limits to who could get into the dorm, but the main doors were no longer locked until midnight. Kelsey’s killer could easily have been in his room before that and slipped out unseen afterwards since all dorm doors had panic-bars.
    Charlie realized the morning had slipped away and had to move to meet Sommers. He arrived at the Club just at noon to find a slender, well-dressed woman with long auburn hair waiting in the entryway. She gave him a big smile.
    “You must be Charlie; hello, I’m Janice.”
    Once at their table, Charlie ordered wine for them and started on his prepared explanation. He didn’t get far.
    “Oh, I know about your involvement with the murder of Barrett Wilson, and I’ve been told that if it hadn’t been for you the killer might have gotten away with it. I also know there was a related murder off-campus and you were a great help to the police with it, too. When you called I was delighted. As soon as you said who you were I assumed you’re involved with Kevin Kelsey’s murder and might tell me something.”
    “Well, the reason I got in touch with you