Sounds of Murder

Chapter 8

"It would be unlikely," responded Pamela, "that she'd be recording. Her uses of the lab tend toward survey data collection for her studies on addiction. She's world famous, you know."

"So I keep hearing," he said, reaching again for his hanky and letting loose another blow. He replaced the hanky in his pocket and Pamela breathed in relief. "Would the computer screen be on if Dr. Clark were recording?"

"Not necessarily," said Pamela, "You can record directly by using the toggle switch on the computer desk. However, if you want to keep a copy of what you record, you'd have the screen on and a file selected. I didn't see anything like that, so I doubt she was recording."

Shoop paused and stared at her a bit, then scribbled a few notes in his small pad. Then he asked, "So, would there be anything else she might have been doing there in the lab in that first row of computers?"

"No," said Pamela firmly, "she'd either be using the databases or recording. If she wanted to do anything else, such as general Internet research or writing, there'd be no reason to do it in the lab. She could use her office computer."

"Good," he noted. "Assuming she was using this special database service, what sorts of things might she be doing with that information?"

Pamela rolled her eyes and said, "Detective, I'd have no idea what sort of topic Dr. Clark was investigating--if she was--probably something to do with addiction. If you really must know, you can probably contact the subscription services--Dr. Marks can give you their contact information--and they could track it down. But, anyway, I just don't see how knowing what she was researching would help find who killed her."

"Dr. Barnes," he said, staring at her intently, his shaggy brows lowered, "It may not have anything to do with her murder, but we're investigating all possibilities. We're working on the assumption that this was not a random killing. We believe--and I am guessing you might be too--given you have 'thought about nothing else,' that Dr. Clark was not the victim of a random crime. We believe, at least at the moment, that someone sought her out and intentionally murdered her."

Pamela cringed. Yes, she'd thought that. But to have Shoop say it formally was frightening for Pamela.

"Just because there was no evidence of theft in the lab?" she asked.

"That," he responded, "and other things. For one, the killer didn't appear to be looking for anything. Apparently, the killer went directly to Dr. Clark and strangled her. Also, there is the fact that the killer picked a time when Dr. Clark was alone, a time when it would be unlikely that anyone else would be around and the killing could be accomplished without witnesses. This murder has all the hallmarks of an intentional crime, Dr. Barnes. That's why I'm back here talking to you. I want you to dig deep into your memory and pull out anything you remember, either from the events that took place when you discovered the body or any other occurrence that might--even in the slightest way--relate to this crime." He leaned forward and spoke in a conspiratorial voice, "Because, Dr. Barnes, this is a murder. There is a killer out there and we don't know who he--or she--is."

"You don't suspect me, do you?" she asked, suddenly flustered.

"No, not at the moment," he responded, "But for the moment, you--and your young assistant--are our only sources of concrete information. We really need your help."

"Are you telling me, Detective Shoop," she phrased her words carefully, "that you believe Charlotte's killer is someone in our department?"

"It's quite possible, Dr. Barnes," he replied, "and until we're certain otherwise, I'd advise you to be very careful who you talk to and what you say. As the person who discovered the body, you may have special knowledge that may lead us to the killer--even if you don't realize it. The killer may perceive you as a threat and your life could be in danger. I don't say this to scare you, Dr. Barnes, but only to urge you to be cautious in what you say and do. If the killer is one of your colleagues or a staff member or a student, you might inadvertently reveal information which the killer might consider threatening and thus jeopardize your own welfare."