The Influencer, page 10
part #10 of Professor Molly Mysteries Series
“Speaking of money,” Emma said, “it’s weird that Ladd managed to make bail. Last I heard he was using the public defender and she was trying to argue the amount down cause he couldn’t pay the original amount. I hope he hasn’t gotten his murderer hands on Jandie’s money.”
“Ah, yes, funny that,” Harriet said. “It seems a benevolent stranger paid his bail.”
Emma and I turned to look at Harriet.
“Well he hadn’t the money to pay it, had he? Here, go on.” Harriet refilled our glasses.
“Seriously, Harriet?” Emma demanded. “You paid that psycho’s bail?”
“Harriet,” I said, “what are you going to do if he skips town this time? They already caught him trying to fly out of Mahina. If he leaves, you’re going to be the one left holding the bag. I mean, you teach law, you obviously know this. I just...why?”
“He’s not going to do anything useful while he’s locked up,” Harriet said cheerfully. “Far more instructive to observe the man in his natural habitat.”
Emma opened her mouth to argue, but apparently changed her mind.
“Yeah, I see your point,” she said.
“Emma, you what? This is insane. No. No one is observing anyone.”
“Oh, and you say I’m bossy?” Emma retorted.
“I’m not bossing anyone. You two can do whatever you like. Just keep me out of it. I’m not involved in this at all.”
“Plausible deniability, eh, Barda?” Harriet said.
“Yes,” I said. “Sorry to be no fun, but I’m exhausted and I’m going to bed.”
“Oh I say, you won’t mind if I hang about tonight.”
“What? Okay, why not. As long as no one does anything that could get me sued or arrested, both of you, stay as long as you like. Help yourselves to anything in the pantry or the fridge. There’s plenty of green candy corn. Harriet, thank you for the whiskey. It was delightful.”
I thought Emma and Harriet would stay up for a while, drink some more, go to bed, and forget about everything by the next morning. I was wrong.
CHAPTER 24
I WOKE UP THE NEXT morning to find Harriet Holmes still in my house. She was sitting upright in one of the armchairs in the living room wearing over-ear headphones and making notes in an old-fashioned notebook. Emma sat at the dining table sipping coffee and reading a paper copy of the County Courier. I started to say good morning, but Emma quickly put a finger to her lips. I made coffee as quietly as I could and brought my laptop over to the table.
“Man, make up your mind you baboozes,” Emma muttered to her laptop.
“How long has Harriet been sitting there?” I whispered.
“She was there when I got up. Didn’t want coffee or nothing. Eh Molly, can you help me with this?”
“Why are you filling that out now? We’re not teaching this week.”
“I know. It’s from last week. I’m late. Again.”
“Well. I should remind my faculty how lucky they are to have me fill those things out for them.”
Emma lowered the laptop lid and stared at me.
“You’re allowed to have your department chair fill them out?”
“Technically, no,” I said. “But I fill these things out for my faculty anyway.”
“How come?”
“Oh, let’s see. Larry Schneider objects to everything the Student Retention Office does on principle and refuses to cooperate with them. Rodge Cowper has never met a deadline in his life. Hanson Harrison doesn’t believe in email. And the first and last time Harriet Holmes uploaded her weekly classroom assessment, HR called me in and threatened to send my whole department to sensitivity training.”
Emma lifted her eyebrows and turned to look at Harriet. Harriet was pressing her headphones to her ear with her left hand and scribbling furiously with her right.
“What’d she write?” Emma whispered.
“They wouldn’t even tell me. So it’s easier for me to just fill these things out myself. As long as I don’t get caught. Please don’t rat me out.”
“Okay, what am I supposed to put on this line?” Emma turned her laptop around to show me the screen. “I never know what to write for this part.”
“Ah. Here’s what you do. Rephrase the question and then append the phrase, by encouraging a growth mindset and honoring the students’ individual learning styles.”
“Seriously?” Emma asked.
“It hasn’t failed me yet. So for this item your answer would be, In BIO 101 I ensure understanding of the foundational course content by encouraging a growth mindset and honoring the students’ individual learning styles. For the next one, I construct a safe and affirming learning environment in BIO 101 by encouraging a growth mindset and honoring the students’ individual learning styles.”
“No way. That’s all I gotta do? I wish you’d told me sooner.” Emma turned the computer back around and resumed typing.
“You’re welcome.”
“Oh yeah, thanks, ah?”
“Where’s Pat?” I asked.
“He went for a walk.”
I glanced out the front window. Sunlight glared off wet metal roofs across the street.
“I hope he took an umbrella,” I said.
“Oh I say,” Harriet blurted out, loudly enough to make Emma and me jump. “Ladd’s got a visitor.”
“Who is it?” Emma called back.
“Quiet,” Harriet boomed. “I’m sussing it out now.”
Emma stood up and pulled out her phone.
“I’ll be right back.”
Emma went into the kitchen, grabbed the bag of avocados, and walked past Harriet and out the front door. Harriet didn’t seem to notice.
“It’s a right knees-up now,” Harriet said after about thirty seconds. “Someone else just arrived. A female. Don’t think it’s Jandie. Voice is pitched too low. She’s saying something about avocados. Could be a secret code.”
“Harriet, that’s—”
Harriet held up a finger for silence and pressed it to her ear. Then she wrote something in her notebook.
The front door eased open and Emma came in quietly. She was empty-handed. I motioned her over to the table.
“You gave them my avocados?” I whispered.
“It was worth it,” Emma said.
“So what happened?”
“Howdy Doody’s over there with Ladd. They didn’t invite me in, obviously, but at least I got to see who it was. Don’t look at me like that, Molly. You weren’t gonna eat half a dozen avocados by yourself in the next twelve hours, were you?”
“Did you leave me one, at least?”
“Yes, I left you two. I’m not a monster.”
Harriet continued to listen and write. Emma worked on her weekly report. I read Donnie’s latest email. Francesca seemed to be sprouting a new tooth, and Donnie’s Uncle Brian had taught her to say “Vegas,” which she pronounced “Bay-gus.” Donnie didn’t mention our renters, so perhaps the news of Jandie’s disappearance hadn’t reached him yet. Perhaps the whole thing would get resolved before Donnie had a chance to find out about it.
Through the window, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a Sampan drive by, heading down the street. It didn’t stay in my field of view long enough for me to see the passengers.
“Well, that’s sorted for now.” Harriet lifted the giant headphones off her head, leaving her cropped gray-brown hair sticking out in all directions. “The sound quality’s a bit of a disappointment. I didn’t catch the names of the visitors.”
“The man was Howdy Howell, the reporter,” Emma said. “The woman was me. I brought over avocados to make ‘em open the door so I could see who was there.”
“Ah. Brilliant.” Harriet scribbled more notes.
“What did you hear?” I asked.
“I thought you didn’t wanna be involved,” Emma said.
“Ladd and Howell were discussing the possible whereabouts of Ladd’s wife,” Harriet said. “Ladd’s still claiming he doesn’t know where Jandie is. Wouldn’t be the first time someone’s lied to a reporter for self-serving reasons.”
“Did you find out any new information?” I asked.
Harriet stood and ran a hand through her hair. It looked exactly the same.
“No, not really. Something about Kuewa. It’s where all the hippies and flower children live, isn’t it?”
“And drug dealers, and people in witness protection,” Emma said.
“They thought she might turn up there for some reason. She hasn’t, of course. Rather a jolly wheeze listening in, though, makes one feel a proper spy. Can’t wait to tell Nigel all about it.”
CHAPTER 25
HARRIET FINALLY WENT home Friday afternoon. The following morning, Pat went out to spend the day at the library, and Emma settled in to finish up her Student Retention Office paperwork.
“Emma,” I asked, “what was the name of that essay mill website again?”
“OutsourceMyHomework,” she said, without looking up from her computer. “Dot com. Molly, they do custom-written assignments. You’re never gonna find the evidence you need. You gotta give your students individual oral exams. Otherwise you’re just gonna be playing whack-a-mole.”
“Well, oral exams aren’t in the syllabus.” I brought over my own laptop to the dining table and set it up. “If I try to introduce them now, I’m going to get pushback and I’ll get overruled by our administration in the end anyway.”
“Yeah, that’s true,” Emma said. “Just plan ‘em for next semester.”
I started up my browser. The OutsourceMyHomework site had a welcoming layout and a cheery color scheme.
Welcome to outsourcemyhomework.com. We match up your order details with the most qualified writer in your field. We guarantee that your order is completed on time and to the highest standard. Find out how much your paper will cost.
I used the pulldown menu to select Business Plan, Undergraduate.
“Emma,” I asked, “how much does your biology textbook cost?”
“I dunno. Couple, three hundred, I think. It’s got a lot of color pictures though, that’s why.”
“So a custom-written business plan costs less than a biology textbook,” I said.
“Yeah, but is it a thousand pages with color pictures?”
“Do you want to hear the customer reviews?” I asked.
“No.”
“What about the ones from Hawaii?”
Emma looked up.
“There’s reviews from Hawaii?”
“Yes! Listen to this. OutsourceMyHomework dot come is my go-to service whenever I need my homework done fast and quality,” I read aloud. “They also do all kinds of unpopular subjects like arts, entrepreneurship, and pre-med.”
“Sad.” Emma went back to working on her computer.
“Here’s another one,” I said. “The speed of your writer are good. Your team is quick in replying and very helpful.”
“I feel sorry for whoever ends up hiring that kid,” Emma said.
“Aha!”
Emma looked up.
“Absolutely magnificent,” I read. “I was very impressed by the speed and the quality of the assignment delivered. I could not imagine that homework services like outsourcemyhomework.com even exist. Finding this company is one of the best things that happened to me. For a reasonable price I got a business plan about a product called...Oh, for crying out loud.”
“What?” Emma asked.
“I think I found our mysterious business plan writer. Emma, this must be for my class.”
“So you gonna wait for someone to turn it in?” Emma asked. “And then bust ‘em?”
“No, I’m going to give the cheater a chance to turn back. I’ll send out a message to the class warning them against using essay mills. And I’m going to tell them if anyone is thinking of turning in a business plan for a product called ‘Wee the People,’ they should seriously reconsider.”
“You’re too nice,” Emma said.
“Wow, that’s not something I hear very often.”
CHAPTER 26
ON SUNDAY MORNING, at what I can only describe as an unholy hour, my phone jangled me awake.
“I say Barda, have you seen the County Courier this morning?”
“Harriet?” I said. “The County Courier? Um, no, I haven’t. What time is it—”
“I think you ought to check up on Ladd.”
“Me? Harriet, what are you—”
But she had already hung up.
I went out to the living room, where Emma was snoring on the couch. I shook her awake.
“Molly, go back to bed,” she mumbled. “What time is it anyway?”
“Harriet Holmes just called. She said I should check on Ladd. She didn’t say why. I don’t want to go over by myself.”
“Make Pat go with you.” Emma turned over and pulled the pillow over her head.
Pat and I found Ladd in bad shape. He answered the door wearing nothing but striped pajama bottoms. He was drinking from a coffee mug, but he reeked of sour booze. He was clutching the Sunday issue of the County Courier.
“You okay, man?” Pat asked.
“Uh, good morning,” I said. How would I explain why we’d come by? “We just thought we’d check in.”
“I guess you saw this.” Ladd handed me the newspaper. The County Courier’s top of the fold headline was Body Found at Base of Cliff. Pat leaned in to read over my shoulder.
A woman’s body had been found at the bottom of seaside cliffs in the Kuewa district. The area was so inaccessible, the body had to be lifted out by helicopter. Her name was being withheld pending notification of her family, and anyone with information about the incident was asked to contact the police non-emergency line or Crime Stoppers.
“No, I hadn’t seen this,” I said.
“You think it’s her?” Pat asked.
Ladd ran the heel of his hand up the side of his face.
“I hope it’s not Jandie. But I haven’t been able to reach her. Still. She doesn’t answer her phone. She hasn’t posted anything since she...for days now.”
Ladd seemed genuinely distressed. If it was an act, it was a convincing one.
Or maybe his agony was real, only it wasn’t over the Jandie’s death. It was because he thought he’d hidden the body and it was only his bad luck it had been discovered.
Ladd didn’t seem inclined to invite us in, and I had no particular desire to go into his sour-smelling house. I asked him to let me know if he needed anything. He (probably equally glad to end our interaction) assured me he would.
“Someone should keep an eye on that guy,” I said once we were back inside my house. Emma was toasting bagels. The scent of seared starch was irresistible.
“Isn’t that what we were just doing?” Pat asked.
“What happened over there?” Emma asked.
We told her about the newspaper story and how Ladd thought the dead woman might be Jandie.
“I think I know where that place is. Where they found her.” Emma came over to the counter and held out a plate with four buttered bagel halves. Pat and I each took one. “Paddlers stay away from there after a heavy rain, cause it’s where all the schmutz comes pouring out into the ocean. Man, I hope the body they found isn’t Jandie. How did Ladd seem? Suspicious?”
“He seemed pretty upset, actually,” Pat said. Emma looked at me.
“He really did,” I said.
“Oh, you don’t believe me, but you believe Molly?” Pat objected.
“Maybe he was upset about the body being found,” Emma said.
“That’s what I thought too,” I said.
“I’m gonna keep an eye on him.” Emma grabbed a napkin, wiped her buttery fingers, and went to the front door.
“Where are you going?” Pat asked.
“To ask Harriet what she thinks. I bet she has some ideas.”
“Oh, yes, let’s get Harriet even more involved in this than she already is,” I said to the closing front door.
“Jealous?” Pat got up and refilled his coffee cup.
“What? Jealous of Harriet Holmes?”
“You have to admit,” he shouted over the noise of the coffee machine, “she’s much better at this than we are.”
I held off answering until Pat sat back down.
“Better at what, exactly?”
“She’s creative. I hate the phrase, think outside the box, but that’s what she does. She’s not limited by—”
“Not limited by what? Tact? Manners? Decency? The rules everyone else has to abide by?”
“Whoa, Molly, did I hit a nerve?”
I sighed.
“Sorry, Pat. I didn’t mean to snap at you. It’s just that Harriet breezes around, doing whatever strikes her fancy at the moment, everybody loves her, and yet somehow she does things that always end up making more work for me.”
“You’re both independent adults, Molly. You’re not responsible for her.”
“Oh really? Tell that to HR. Did you know she told one of our marketing professors she’d been to his country and found it quite charming for a banana republic? Guess who got called into the principal’s office? Not Harriet.”
“I guess that’s why they pay you the big bucks.”
“What, to be a department chair? Ha, I wish. It’s going to be interesting having Harriet living right up the street.” I grabbed the last bagel half, which by now was room-temperature and a little leathery. “Okay, I still have time to get dressed and make it to Mass. By my calculations I’ll get there just as they’re finishing up the Passing of the Peace.”
CHAPTER 27
WHEN I GOT BACK FROM Mass, Emma was lounging on the couch, playing a game on her phone.
“How was Mass?” she asked, without looking up. “You dodge the Passing of the Peace?”
“Mostly. What did you and Harriet get up to today?”
“I thought you didn’t wanna know. Cause plausible deniability.”
“I know, but I’m curious. Want a coffee?”
