Formula for Murder Read Online Free PDF

obvious when he spoke, but his handwriting’s silent message revealed nothing sinister or she would have remembered. She sat back down and added, “I can see where that would greatly irritate some people, especially those who felt they were imparting something of import. It probably didn’t endear him to students either.”
    “Was he from around here?” Nick asked.
    “I believe he was originally from Idaho . Lived here a long time though without ever making himself at home as far as I could tell.”
    “It does paint a bleak picture.”
    Nick rubbed his hand up the bridge of his nose and across his eyebrows in a despairing gesture. Trying to acquire all this knowledge in a few minutes was impossible. He thanked her nonetheless and asked her to stay close and clue him in as he met people.
    They discussed how to deal with relevant questions and fears. She studied the hard angles of his face, softened by caring eyes as he planned ways to make the students more comfortable in this potentially worrisome situation. He watched the way her emerald eyes darkened with concern and admired the way she carried her slender five-foot-seven inches as she paced the room while she talked. Her conservative blue suit with the pencil-thin skirt contrasted strongly with the lacy underwear he glimpsed that morning. But the suit couldn’t hide her endless legs. They mesmerized him. When he realized he’d missed her last sentence he brought his mind abruptly back to the repercussions of murder on campus.
    Was there danger on campus? What game plan should they use in dealing with the fear? Should they provide an aggressive plan of attack on dealing with publicity alone, or should they attempt more—a comprehensive guide provided to the administration for dealing with faculty, staff, and students—and their fears? They spoke briefly with Detective Burrows and headed together into the meeting.
    A warm handshake and a beaming smile from his favorite professor, Donald Ingraham, greeted Nick as he entered the room. “I can’t believe you’re still here!” Nick said as he shook hands and stepped back deferentially. “You were talking about retiring when I was your student.”
    Ingraham laughed. “Too true. But once you left things settled down and I signed on for a few more years.”
    The rest of the staff filtered in. President Ludlow introduced Nick to each member as they entered. Most of the administration had changed from his days on campus. Timothy Kahn, the myopic-looking vice president, greeted him eagerly and set up a strategy meeting for later that morning. Sloan O’Malley, director of the continuing studies division, grasped his hand and smiled winsomely, but was interrupted by Matt Damian. The physically suave and mentally astute Damian, in charge of finance, was looking for an assessment of how this might affect student enrollment and ultimately his well-balanced budget. Nick was only able to give them bland assurances and promised to meet each later. They darted like hummingbirds around him, homing in for a sip as if he were a trumpet vine, then backing slowly away while they digested what he said.
    The president announced a memorial service, scheduled for the next day in the chapel. He explained his position on the trip and placed Kahn in charge of the academic side. He asked Nick to come forward again and announced that he would handle public relations and anything related to the investigation. Ludlow asked for their assistance, not only in the investigation, but in compassionately handling the resulting chaos. Nick gave a brief update provided by Detective Burrows, who was keeping a low profile in the back of the room, and explained he would keep in touch frequently with new information.
    The staff agreed to an open forum on campus in the early afternoon for all students and employees. They felt the early meeting before rumors got out of hand would help contain the fears. Nick would announce that counseling was available to