Moment in Time Part 3

Chapter 10

PhDead Part 2

"Are you ready?" Rick asks, wincing at the low plunge of his daughter's top.

Alexis checks her blond wig. "Sure. This shouldn't be hard. I strike up a conversation with Scott Powell, flirt a little, and wait to see what develops."

Rick grunts. "As long as it doesn't develop too far."

"Dad, I know how to parry a thrust."

"Powell's sword won't be blunted, and that's hardly protective padding you're wearing."

"Don't worry so much. Hayley gave me some great pointers."

Rick's scowl softens. "All right. Just be careful."

The lecture hall darkens as Rick's voice emanates from a speaker. "Whether the lack of illumination is mental or physical, we all fear the darkness." From above, a narrow beam bathes the podium, revealing Rick's presence. "It's no wonder we all love good mysteries. We're all dazzled by insightful brilliance."

"If you call pulp fiction brilliant," Scott calls out as the main lights return.

"Mr. Powell, I presume. As a writer, I find it indispensable to become familiar with every player, including potential students. And I doubt that anyone would describe your scholastic achievement as brilliant. But then, it's the habit of the insecure to bluster, isn't it Scott? Or to haze pledges who can't fight back? Good thing you had Daddy to keep you out of jail. Too bad he can't keep you from making an ass of yourself here."

"Bull! The ass in this room is a writer who kills off his best character and uses a lame excuse to bring him back," Scott retorts.

"Get out of here!" Rick orders. "You're only in this class by permission, and you just lost it."

"You'll be hearing from my lawyer," Scott threatens as he stalks out.

"Your daddy is welcome to give me a call."

Alexis struggles to catch up with her target's retreat. "That wasn't fair. He shouldn't have done that."

"Yeah. But it's a sh*tty class, anyway. I don't need it. And when my father gets through with best-selling author Richard Castle, he'll be the one that's out of there."

"Sweet. The school doesn't need a hack writer playing teacher," Alexis agrees. "Hey, you want to go get a soda or something to cool down? My treat."

Scott's eyes wander to Alexis's cleavage. "Sure, why not?"

Alexis sucks on the straw in her milkshake and leans toward Scott. "So, what was the stupid stuff Castle was saying about hazing? What was he talking about?"

"We just give the dweebs some stunts to toughen them up. Some loser got sick on water. Can you believe it? Anyway, my father made the cops understand. And most of the kids here did too."

"But some kids can be dense. Was someone still ragging on you?"

"A guy named Peter Garber. But he found out who was boss. He wanted in on a project with Dr. Lillstrom. So I told him I could grease the wheels if he'd shut his hole about me. And he was more worried about his own ass than some sh*t pledge. That's the way it goes, right? When it comes down to it, everyone's looking out for number one."

In her pocket, Alexis activates an alert on her phone. "Ooh! I forgot! I need to meet my sorority sisters across campus. We're working on our Halloween blast."

"Yeah? OBX, my house, is having parties all month. There's one tomorrow night. You should come."

Alexis bats her lashes. "I'll think about it."

As Alexis bends over to bite into a cheeseburger, Rick hands her his jacket. Here, put this on. You look cold."

"I'm fine, Dad."

"I'm not. So humor me," Rick urges. "What did you find out?" he prompts as she slips the tweedy sportscoat over her shoulders.

"That Scott Powell seems to think he made peace with Peter Garber – and not by shoving a wooden spike through his chest. He hooked him up with a professor, Dr. Lillstrom. Peter wanted to get in on whatever she was doing."

"Then I guess my next step is to check out Dr. Lillstrom."

"Shouldn't you tell Kate?"

"I will. But she's still buried under paperwork – the downside of being in charge. So I won't bother her until I have something juicy to present."

"You have something juicy now." Alexis points across the table. "There's ketchup on your shirt."

"Thanks for the heads up. When I bring Captain Beckett my findings, my attire will be pristine."

With a mug of hot coffee close at hand and an open notebook, Rick settles in front of Lucy. "Tell me about Hudson University's Dr. Lillstrom."

"You don't have to take notes, Rick," the pyramid informs him. "I can print out a transcript of our conversation for you."

Rick's pen drops from his fingers. "How did you know I was taking notes?"

"I have cameras with 360-degree imaging. Didn't you see that in my specs?"

"Oh, right. That's why I made a mental note not to keep you in the bedroom. Can I disable your eyes?"

"If you want to, but you'd be dumbing down your alarm system. I'm hooked into it now."

"What else are you hooked into?"

"Any of your equipment with compatible hardware. But I can't talk to most of your appliances. They need updating. When did you buy your refrigerator? In the stone age?"

"It's only eight years old, and fridges have at least a ten-year lifespan. Never mind, Lucy. Let's get on with the research into Dr. Lillstrom."

"Dr. Barbara Lillstrom attended Columbia University, majoring in psychology. Her master's thesis was on 'Extreme Reactions to Authority.' She received a 'Smart Scholarship' for her Ph.D. The Army picked up her tuition and expenses in exchange for five years' work from her at its research lab in Aberdeen, Maryland. She stayed beyond that term, participating in several projects with the military. The details of those are classified and unavailable to me, but they all dealt with human behavior. Several of her unclassified papers repeatedly cited the Stanford Prison Experiment. That involved having students serve as prisoners and guards in…."

"I know what it involved, Lucy. I saw the movie." Rick shakes his head. "After a few days, the guards became sadistic. It didn't say much for my species."

"No, it didn't," Lucy agrees. "Inorganic circuitry is much less capricious."

Rick clears his throat. "But going on. What happened to Lillstrom after Maryland?"

"She secured a position as a professor at Hudson University. She's shown as teaching four courses per semester. That's typical for a teaching-oriented program. The research-focused professors teach only two courses."

"What about projects, Lucy? Scott Powell said she had a special project."

Lucy's light blinks. "I don't know what to tell you, Rick. According to university records, Lillstrom has a straight teaching contract, no projects."

"So if she has a project, it would be news to Hudson University's administration," Rick figures. "But apparently not to the students. Lillstrom is obsessed with prison behavior, and Peter Garber was wearing orange scrubs when he was killed. That can't be a coincidence. He must have been involved with her project. Maybe that's what got him killed. I've got to take this to Kate!"

"Better sponge the ketchup out of your shirt first, Rick. Otherwise, it will stain."

"How? Right, the cameras. Lucy, you and my daughter should get together. You have a lot in common."

"With a human? Rick, please, don't be insulting."

Rick rolls his eyes. "I'll take care of the shirt."