Onweller called a sudden ten o’clock meeting without saying why, making Drayco scramble to get there on time. He couldn’t blame Sarg for shifting around in the low-slung chair in the unit chief’s office waiting for Onweller’s latest pronouncement. Fighting the desire to do the same, Drayco sat up straight. Maybe not the picture of calm, but as good an impression as he could manage. This must be about the new musical puzzle. Had to be.
Onweller didn’t look at Drayco directly, but over the top of his head. “President Thackeray wants to express his gratitude for your hard work. We both agree with the MPD this case boils down to a troubled girl with mental problems who killed her romantic rival. And then herself after the boy broke off the relationship. A murder-suicide.”
Drayco had suspected and dreaded this was coming. It didn’t make swallowing the poison pill any easier. “But why send one of those music puzzles to herself?”
“All part of her mental illness. The girl had bipolar with classic behavioral symptoms from being off her meds. In one of her manic phases, she killed Cailan Jaffray. In a subsequent depressive state, she took her own life. The police found a suicide note tucked away in one of her textbooks.”
“Dated recently?”
Onweller flipped over a page and frowned. “Well, no, it was dated a year ago. But it shows she was suicide-prone.”
“Her car wasn’t found in the lot. That’s a long way to walk from the college or her apartment.”
“I think Agent Sargosian’s hypothesis is correct here. The Krugh girl had an accomplice. He dropped her off then helped her carry Cailan Jaffray’s body into the gardens.”
Maybe it was a lost cause to argue, but Drayco didn’t care. “Shannon wasn’t a good student. In fact, she was in danger of losing her scholarship. I can’t see her coming up with those music puzzles.”
“If Agent Sargosian is correct, the accomplice created those puzzles. That boyfriend of hers, Gary Zabowski, is a perfect candidate. No doubt, he sent you that new ‘sting of death’ thing.”
Drayco tried hard not to grit his teeth. “Are you willing to bet other lives on that theory? Because that’s what’s at stake if you’re wrong. We finally got a list of names of the other people in Reed Upperman’s project. We should at least warn them.”
Onweller’s staccato tones were as pleasant as the sound of a piano string breaking. “We won’t require your services anymore, Drayco.”
He eyed Sarg, “And Agent Sargosian is being reassigned to the Bankton warehouse arson cases. The senator’s lost faith in the ATF to solve the situation and has requested the Bureau’s help. Since Sargosian has worked arson cases in the past, he’s the perfect choice.”
Sarg remained silent. Like Onweller, he avoided looking at Drayco directly.
As Drayco stared unflinchingly at Onweller, he caught a brief hint of uncertainty on the man’s face. It was swallowed up in steely resolve as he finally met Drayco’s stare. “Agent Sargosian, I think we’re finished here, and you can return to your office. I’ve sent the arson files there.”
Onweller jumped up after Sarg left, planting his palms on his desk. “I know how you think, Drayco. Always driven to find some reason for the insane things people do. But no matter how hard you try, sometimes it just is what it is. Like that young punk who ended your piano career. Life is unfair. For every Shannon Krugh or every young thug, there are a dozen more. We have to accept it and move on.”
Drayco rose from his chair. “Shannon Krugh wrote a paper on reason and determining what’s morally right or wrong. I don’t want that to be her epitaph. Those music puzzles weren’t created by that girl. And I don’t believe they were created by Gary Zabowski. There’s a deeper layer to this. The whole thing’s off-key.”
Onweller eased back down, but his eyes never left Drayco’s. “You have a keen mind. But forgive me for not wanting to trust a man who’d take the fall for someone else’s mistake.”
Drayco swallowed hard, biting back a hundred different retorts. He knew Onweller wouldn’t understand his reasons for protecting Sarg, one of the few people he’d been close to for any amount of time. Nor did the Chief understand Drayco as well as he thought he did.
“I can’t let this go. Those puzzles do mean something more.”
Onweller tented his fingers together. “Nevertheless, you are not to pursue this further. As far as President Thackeray and Parkhurst College are concerned, the case is in the hands of the MPD, who can tie up any loose ends. I must insist you stay away from Parkhurst students and faculty. Or I can and will have you arrested for obstruction of justice and witness tampering.”
Drayco headed for the door, but before he left, he pointed to the seal on the wall. “Fidelity - Bravery - Integrity. I hope you haven’t forgotten what those words mean. Because I haven’t.” And then he walked away.