Out of Focus |finished|

2- blackmails and lawsuits

Almost everyone in Evans Mills University was talking about the death of a student on campus. It had made news in most parts of the country and had driven some attention to the university.
The Dean of Students, Dr. Blankson, wasn't as worried about the death of a student as he was about the circumstances surrounding his death. He'd overdosed.
On Chill.
On school property.

Already, rumours of the drug called Chill circulating on campus had intensified among the student. He and his team had tried several times to find just a student who used or dealt in Chill and have him or her lead them to the rest. Finding one dead with the packets of the same rumoured drug on him was bad news for the Dean.

Dr. Blankson was sitting on his desk in his office with one hand under his jaw when his secretary knocked and walked in.

"What is it Mimi?" he asked her, ignoring how she hungrily leered at him each time she saw him.

At fifty years, he still looked surprisingly young with jet black hair and a face with no wrinkles whatsoever. He always told anyone who would listen that his young looks came from his mother's side of the family. Better than telling them his visit to the country's famed plastic surgeon.

"It's a student sir. She said it's an emergency," Mimi replied and waited for Dr. Blankson's response.

"Alright, let her in," he hardly got the words out of his mouth when the student burst into the room with tears flowing down her face.

Dr. Blankson let out a sigh of frustration and stood as he braced himself for what the student was about to put him through. He wasn't a man of emotions and frequently told himself that the only reason he was the Dean was because of that.

"It's not true sir! Elder wasn't an addict!" she bawled out and covered her face in tears.

"Who is Elder?" Dr. Blankson mouthed to Mimi.

She did a gesture, crossing her neck with one finger to imply that Elder was the dead student. Dr. Blankson mouthed an ohhh and focused on the young lady crying before him.

"I know this is what many students are saying but we have to wait for an official autopsy report. Otherwise we can't jump to conclusions."

If I did that, I would risk losing everything, he thought.

"But I heard they found Chill on him you have to believe me sir, Elder wasn't that kind of person."

"What is your name young lady?"

"Simi," she managed to say, sniffing in the snot that was coming out of her nose.

He gestured to one of the chairs for her to sit down and asked her, "What do you know of Chill?"

"Nothing. I heard other students saying it was the name of the drug found on-,"
She sniffed and more tears fell freely on her face.

Dr. Blankson was getting more frustrated as to how much Simi was crying and didn't know what to say to calm her. Mimi came to his rescue and wrapped her hand around Simi's shoulder and gently led her out of the office.

He sat back down in his office chair and opened his drawer to search for one of his burner phones. It had been more than six hours since the student had been found and Simi had made him more anxious to know what really happened to the boy.
He called the Medical Examiner's office.

"Dr. Blankson speaking. May I speak to Dr. James please?"

"A minute Doc," the preppy voice of a lady answered and he heard some shuffling in the background.

"Hello Dr. Blankson. How's everything going?" the medical examiner came on the line and asked him.

"Cut to the chase James. What happened to the boy?"

"My assistant and I just finished with the autopsy report and we'll send it to you after the police receive their copy."

"It's me James. Come on," Dr. Blankson persuaded him.

They'd been classmates in both high school and university and had been involved in some businesses together.

"Okay so the boy, he suffered lacerations to his head and his elbows were bruised. Possibly from a fall.  Also, there was a large amount of that bluish substance in his wind pipe and liver."

"Meaning?"

"This is bad, Blankson. He overdosed on the substance because it was forced into his system. And the trauma to his head was intentional, indicating that this might be a homicide case."

"Could it have been anything else?"

"That's possible but highly unlikely."

"Have you told the police yet?" Dr. Blankson asked him.

"After this call I have to send the official report to them."

"Leave out the homicide part James. Please."

"I can't do that Blankson. That would be breaking the law and me jeopardizing my career for you," Dr. James added, "Again."

"And we broke a lot of rules together in the Uni. Remember? Please do this for me, or else I'm in a deeper mess."

"Alright. But this is the last time I'm pulling any favours for you Blankson"

"I decide that, not you James," Dr. Blankson replied and cut the line.

He dismantled the burner phone and threw the parts into a bin. He let out a frustrated noise and balled his fists.
This was worse than he thought. Murder and a drug overdose? He wouldn't survive that big a scandal.

At least, if James does what he promised to do, they'll think it's only a drug overdose.

This was the reason why he liked holding onto the secrets of so many people. It was easy to get them to do what you wanted.
Now he had to find a way of making this one too die down quietly without any lawsuits or scandals.