Chapter Three

 

Natasha Rowe was glancing, with skepticism, at the mountain of paperwork on Assistant Superintendent Coley's desk. He had called her into his office and asked her to explain to him why a detective of her caliber was sent to his station, which rarely saw action.

His gray unshaved whiskers were sticking up all over his wizened little face. He contemplated her seriously. His eyes fastened on her like he wanted to see inside her head.

Natasha fidgeted under his stare, unsure of how to proceed. She had been at the station for a week now and had felt the first chafing of inactivity. She was happy that she could get to see Taj, her boyfriend, everyday after work but she was seriously feeling underemployed. She figured that was what Superintendent Greyson had anticipated and she again cursed him in her mind.

Natasha wasn't sure what to tell the Assistant Supe. One had to tread carefully with the lines of communication in the Jamaica Constabulary Force. She was out of direct command with Greyson but since this station was still in Area Three, and under his command. Essentially, he was still her boss.

The report she and Harry had prepared about the case of the dead Mount Faith President was yet to be responded to by the Commissioner of Police. Until then, one had to be wise.

"Sir," I am not sure why Superintendent Greyson felt the need to send me here."

The Assistant Supe shook his head and said to her softly. "I know you can't speak frankly. I just want to know one thing. Was it your fault…something you did?"

"No." Natasha frowned. "I did my job just as asked and then I was transferred here. My former partner, Harry Campbell, was also transferred, but to the Mandeville station."

Coley nodded as if he was satisfied with her answer. "Superintendent Greyson is gone on forced leave."

Natasha gasped. "He is? How strange!"

"You know something!" Coley said. "Stop pretending. The Commissioner himself called this morning. He is of the opinion that you were unfairly transferred. He is asking me to send you back. Apparently, you are very much needed in the thick of things down in Santa Cruz."

Natasha's heart jolted. She had honestly believed that Greyson would have gotten away with his underhanded handling of her and Harry. Apparently, he was not going to get away that easily. She rejoiced in glee at that, but then thought about her time in the Mount Faith community. It was not so bad and she had gotten even closer to Taj.

"But," Colely said to her firmly, "I told the commissioner that we want you up here for now."

He passed a file over to Natasha.

"We have a problem and I don't want it to escalate. This morning, a young lady filed a report. Her name is..." He ran his eyes over the paper, "Penelope Harris."

He finally deciphered the writing. "She was raped on the campus of Mount Faith University. I was made to understand that you were recently on campus working on a case?"

Natasha nodded. "I was."

"And that you were posing as a student?"

"That's right."

"Well, I urge you to continue. I am assigning Tony Beaker to you as your junior partner. He is new to the whole investigating business…just graduated from the accelerated investigative program at the academy. You can teach him a thing or two."

Natasha nodded. "Sounds good…so we will both be posing as students?"

"Yes," Coley said. "Please get to the bottom of the case and stop these perpetrators before they strike again. We have a low crime rate in these hills and I would like to keep it that way."

 

***

 

Natasha left the office with the thin folder. Somebody had scribbled down the basics of Penelope Harris' report. She had reported the rape five days after it happened, so there was no rape kit. Usually this would mean an almost impossible case to crack but the fact that she was a student at Mount Faith and was raped on the campus could mean that there was a pattern developing. Maybe more women were raped but hadn't reported it.

Natasha inhaled with anticipation. At last, real investigative work to do, she thought. She headed for the cubbyhole that was her office. It had a desk that she could barely squeeze around, a basic filing cabinet, a phone, and a computer.

A young man was sitting at her desk with his leg crossed. He had a light complexion, closely cropped hair and big intelligent brown eyes that followed her as she walked around to her seat.

"May I help you?"

"Yes Inspector Ma'am," he said nervously. "I was...er...told...ordered...to be your partner on a case."

Oh Lord, Natasha thought silently, a nervous green rookie. Was she ever like that? She suddenly missed her ex-partner, Harry.

" I guess you are Tony Beaker?"

"Yes Inspector. I am Sergeant Tony Beaker."

"No need for the titles, Tony," Natasha said impatiently. "I hardly remember that my last promotion was to Inspector. Besides, back where I am coming from nobody uses it really."

Tony looked at her wide-eyed.

"Stop looking at me like that," Natasha said she was becoming exasperated with him. "I do not stand on ceremony and we have a rape case to discuss."

Tony cleared his throat. "Sorry ma'am, I mean Natasha. This is my first real assignment since graduation."

Natasha nodded. "I can see that. Let's discuss strategy since we are supposed to be undercover at Mount Faith University."

Tony flexed his neck. "I did an Associate Degree in Computer Sciences over there. I know the place quite well."

"Good," Natasha said. " This report is barely discernible. We need to interview Penelope for ourselves…based on her response, we go from there."

"Wouldn't it also be best to tell the university president that we are on campus and what we are about?" Tony asked. "Besides, I need a student pass. Mine expired three years ago."

Natasha nodded. "Good thinking. Let's go talk to Penelope first and then Dr. Bancroft."

Tony got up and she realized that he was taller and more muscular than she had first thought.

"Know any self defense moves?" Natasha asked as they were heading out.

"A little," Tony said. "They had a course at the academy."

Natasha mulled over that thought. "It may come in handy."

 

***

 

Penelope Harris had fourth period Calculus. She came out of the lecture room looking annoyed and nervous. Natasha and Tony greeted her and followed her to the student lounge building where they could talk in relative privacy. Natasha spotted the corner where she and Harry had spent time discussing the previous case and headed straight for the table beside the potted palms.

"Sorry to spring this interview on you so suddenly, especially after your Calculus class," Natasha said to Penelope, "but Tony and I are assigned to your case and we need to know more about what happened."

Penelope sat down at the table slowly. "It was five nights ago. I was leaving the music building after orchestra practice." Her voice lowered. "I was held from behind with a hand covering my mouth."

"The music building?" Natasha asked. "That's the North side of the campus, right?"

Penelope nodded. "There is even a security post a few yards from there. I didn't even get the chance to scream. I was dragged from the Music Building parking lot over into the ornamental garden. It was a fairly dark spot and I was raped."

Her voice cracked. "He used a condom and he laughed when he was done. He called me a high-handed bitch that needed to be taught a lesson."

"What did his voice sound like?" Tony asked.

"Kind of gravelly and hoarse but he was talking low," Penelope said. "He sounded like somebody who had shouted a lot and whose vocal chords were tired."

Penelope's hands were trembling and she looked at Natasha, a scared look in her eye. "I am scared, you know."

Natasha nodded.

"I walk around the campus and I think that it could be anyone. Every day I look around and I wonder, could it be that guy, or that guy?" She hugged her jacket tighter around her.

Natasha looked at her sympathetically. "Penelope, you said that you didn't see a thing because you were blind folded. Could you smell anything? Feel anything? Touch anything? I am sorry to bring this up again but even the tiniest of details could be helpful."

Penelope swallowed. "His breath smelled like bubblegum." She sighed. "Juicy Fruit. I eat them. Now I can't stand the scent of it."

"Was he wearing gloves when he assaulted you?" Tony Beaker asked softly.

Penelope shook her head. "No he wasn't. His hands felt rough though, almost calloused."

Natasha contemplated that and then wrote it down. "Do you know anyone who would do this to you?"

Penelope shrugged. "There are guys that like me. I am told that I am good looking but I can't think of any of the current people that I know doing this. I just can't!"

"Okay," Natasha said soothingly. "Why didn't you report this sooner and let us get a rape kit?"

Penelope shook her head. "I didn't want to. I felt ashamed. I spoke to Dr. Jackson at the psychiatry center though, and he convinced me to report it."

Natasha smiled wryly. She had spoken to Taj Jackson only this morning and he hadn't said a word to her.

"We will be investigating here on campus," she said aloud. "Maybe there are other girls that this person has raped. We are going to have to announce your case and see if anyone else comes forward."

Penelope nodded. "Keep my name out of it. I work in the media for Mount Faith TV. I don't want to be talked about for anything but my job. I just want whoever it is that did this to be caught and locked up in jail, and the key thrown away."

She got up, gathered her books, and walked away, looking furtively around her.

Tony, who had been silent for most of the interview, looked at Natasha excitedly. "I remember when I used to come here they had installed close circuit cameras and extra lights in the ornamental gardens because there were complaints about students having sex there at nights."

Natasha nodded. "Good. Who would have the footage?"

"Campus security," Tony said, "or maintenance. I am not sure."

"Okay," Natasha said. "Let's go check the president first and then have him sort out all of these little nitty-gritty details. We can definitely work with the chief of security on this case. Apparently the school population is blissfully unaware that there is a rapist among them."

 

 

They headed to what was fondly called the president's building. The day was sunny and clear but a tad bit chilly.

Natasha looked at Tony. "It's absurd how this place is so constantly cool."

Tony nodded. "And it is going to get colder in the December…January nights. When I just moved up here from Westmoreland, I was amazed at the weather myself, and at the campus in particular. I heard that the past president…the one who died …that his wife designed the gardens around here. It's amazing, isn't it?"

Natasha nodded. The past case was still fresh in her mind and she didn't want to talk too much about Edward Carlisle—the dead president—or his wife, Miranda, who had been a suspect during the investigation.

They walked rapidly up the marble steps of the presidential building and through a vast entryway into a reception area. The names of the various vice-presidents were listed as well as the deans whose offices were in the building.

"Where can I find the president?" Natasha asked the receptionist.

"Gold door. Last door down the hallway." The receptionist said lazily. She was barely looking at Natasha when she answered. Instead, she was smiling at Tony.

Natasha shook her head and headed down a carpeted hallway toward the gold door, past several doors with labels on them. She stopped at the gold door marked executive secretary and knocked.

"Come in," a voice said amiably.

Natasha opened the door and she and Tony stepped into an expensively decorated secretary's office.

"Hello," Natasha said glancing around the place, almost lost for words at the opulence. If this was secretary's office, what did the president's office look like? She dragged her ID from her pants pocket.

"We are here to see Dr. Bancroft."

The secretary nodded. "You almost missed him. He is going to a meeting in Bahamas for the day. His flight was delayed so he's free. Go right in."

Natasha and Tony advanced toward wide drawing room doors that slid to either side and entered a huge office. Bancroft was swiveling in his chair, talking on the phone.

He motioned them to sit down and then cut his conversation short.

"I vaguely remember you," he said putting down the phone and looking at Natasha. "You were one of the detectives who came to my house two weeks ago when I had the flu and was heavily sedated."

Natasha nodded. "I thought you were out of it at the time and wouldn't remember a thing. Let me introduce myself again. I am Natasha Rowe and this is my partner Tony Beaker."

"You change partners swiftly." Bancroft looked at her eagle eyed. "Is this more drivel about Edward Carlisle. Are the police going to harass me forever about his death?"

"No Sir," Natasha said. "We are on a different mission this time. We received a report from a student at this school that she was raped."

"Who is this student?" Bancroft asked impatiently.

Natasha looked at Tony raising her eyebrows. Bancroft didn't seem particularly caring about a rape happening in his own school.

"I don't wish to give you that information now Sir," Natasha said defensively.

Bancroft frowned. "Listen here, Natasha Rowe," he said annoyed. "There are some women who are very dishonest when reporting a crime such as rape."

"Dr. Bancroft!" Natasha said loudly. "A crime was committed on this campus and we are going to find the perpetrator and bring them to justice. Your attitude is deplorable."

Bancroft leaned back in his chair. "Whatever she told you is rubbish. I already checked it out and the person she accused is not amused."

Natasha sighed. "Dr. Bancroft. Are we talking at cross-purposes here? We received a report yesterday evening that a rape was committed five days ago at the north side of the campus, in the ornamental gardens. After a student left her music class."

"Oh." Bancroft sat up straighter in his chair. "That's awful." He frowned. "I can't recall any rapes ever happening on this campus in recent times."

Natasha calmed down a bit. She had no idea what he had been talking about earlier, but whatever it was obviously had nothing to do with the case at hand. "We need to have a meeting with the campus chief of security and we need to see footage of the ornamental gardens on the night of the 18th of October at around 7:00 pm."

Bancroft nodded briskly. "Sure... sure."

He picked up the phone. His regal bearing was now more purposeful. "Mr. Green please meet me at my office with a copy of the security surveillance video for the ornamental gardens. October 18."

He put down the phone and looked at the two detectives. "Pardon my outburst earlier."

Natasha nodded suspiciously. "Your views on rape were troubling."

Bancroft protested uncomfortably. "Let's just say I have had a recent false accusation leveled at someone close to me and I am feeling a bit suspicious."

Natasha looked at him keenly. "Is this something you want the police to get involved with? You know sometimes civilians are too close to a situation to make certain judgments whether they are true or not."

"That's true." Bancroft said noncommittally, "but I know that this allegation is not true."

A knock was heard on the office door and Mr. Green entered the room. He had a computer and his flash drive in hand.

"Mr. Green," Bancroft said laconically, "meet Natasha Rowe and Tony Beaker. They are police officers. A rape was reported on our campus."

Mr. Green nodded at both of them. "Oswald Green. I used to be in the force too."

He set up the laptop and plugged in the thumb drive. "We have the feed from six cameras…mostly trained at areas that are semi dark."

The six cameras came on showing the different views.

At 7:05, there was some movement on camera three. A shadowy figure in a black hoodie was humping a struggling female who looked as if she was kneeling. The video had too many shadows but it was enough for Natasha to conclude that what Penelope told her was true.

"If he was not in that hoodie we could get a close up of his face and de-pixelate the image," Mr. Green said angrily, "but the hoodie served as a mask."

Bancroft started massaging his temples. "How can the school accommodate your investigations?"

"Well," Natasha said, "firstly, there has to be some sort of curfew, more deployment of security officers at nights. We have no idea if this is a serial rapist, or if this was a one off event. It would also be good to announce it in your bulletins that there is a rapist on campus and encourage other women who may have been raped to report it to your new psych center. If it weren't for Dr. Jackson we would not have heard about this one."

Bancroft nodded, a small smile playing across his lips. "Dr. Jackson is a real asset to this institution."

Natasha felt like retorting that she knew he was. When she thought about Taj she had to force herself to act professionally because she loved him and she knew without doubt that he was wonderful.