Failure is Fatal Read Online Free PDF Page B

president is only temporary, so I only need make an effort with the next one who, we all can hope, will be better than the dead guy or his sidekick who replaced him. Get on with it.” I turned toward the cupboard. “Wine?”
    “I’ve got to go back to work. Got anything in your fridge nonalcoholic that isn’t black or green or moving?”
    “I’m waiting,” I said.
    He turned toward me and continued his story. “The president suggested that, ‘In light of the discovery of the description of the murder in Dr. Murphy’s research, the Committee on Research with Human Subjects might want to recommend she discontinue her work,’ and I’m quoting, you know.”
    “Yeah, he said the same to me in the beginning, but I guess you asked him to let me continue.”
    “Yeah, I did,” Der said. “In fact, I’ve asked him to keep this information contained. We’re not going to go public with the description that popped up in your results. We’ll work the information to get out of it as much as we can because these are the strongest leads we have. In the meantime, you’ll have to be content with holding off on additional testing of subjects until you get the go-ahead from me.”
    “Anything else you found out in your meeting?” I asked.
    “No, that’s about it.”
    “Did you notice anything odd about Captain Rodgers?”
    “He was pretty nonchalant over the detail in that murder description. He merely nodded when I told them where we found it. He said you were often involved in a lot of sex research, and it was bound to come to something like this. He went so far as to suggest that you or one of your assistants planted the story.”
    “Typical Rodgers.” I banged my fist on the kitchen table, and the wine sloshed out of my glass. “By the time I got there, he was telling the president that my research was making trouble on this campus and that I was personally responsible for the graffiti on my door, that I had pushed my feminist agenda too far on this campus and the men were taking action in response to being dominated by a woman. He also said he thought that Marie Becca might have had it coming.”
    “What!” Der said.
    “Yep, that these crimes were often the result of a woman being too tempting to a man, frustrating him and driving him to murder. Before I could jump him, the president told him to settle down, and he stormed out of the room.” I was steamed.
    “I can’t believe someone in law enforcement could be so behind the times. Where do you get these guys?” said Der.
    “It was a nationwide search that produced this one. Gives you pause, doesn’t it? Anyway, I’m glad you convinced President Evans that little would be gained by discontinuing my research, and I guess I owe you my gratitude.”
    “Geez, don’t go all soft on me now.” Der tried to look contrite and humble at my words, an unsuccessful act. Against my better judgment, I decided to continue with my gratitude-and-apology-for being-such-a-pain-in-the-patootie speech.
    “And another thing, while I’m in the mood. I know you have good clothes. I just never see you in them. And I know you don’t buy your clothes from Sears. I know you have taste.”
    Der opened his jacket front and, turning the lining so that I could see, he displayed a Sears label stitched on the inside of the jacket. I couldn’t tell from his expression, but I hoped that he thought it was funny. Just then Guy burst in the door with a load of wood. He had something on his mind.
    “Tell me you’re being careful how much you’ll be involving Laura in this case, Der. She’s jumpy as hell already. Maybe she shouldn’t be involved at all.”

Chapter 5
    I looked at Guy in astonishment. He knew how much helping Der with murder investigations meant to me, didn’t he?
    “Are you concerned with my safety, or are you worried I might spend less time involved with you and more time chasing leads?” I knew I was being unfair to him, but the words slipped out before I could