I enlisted the help of the squinterns and Aubry to examine some evidence handed down to us by the campus police. My suspects seemed to narrow down to a couple of people. Most of the student checked out as completely normal people. Two of them had given the willies by the time the background check had been done. Those two would remain on my active radar and the rest would only be addressed as needed.
The dean called me in before I got to the ROTC building.
"What do you think Mr. Braeden?" The direction of the dean's eyes went explained the over exaggeration.
"Fine." I answered, keeping my tone convincingly confused.
His act dropped along with mind once the door clicked shut.
"I assume your first day with the students went well Agent Booth?" He seemed surprised that I was still around and uninjured.
"No a problem, sir. Nothing that I couldn't handle." I must've come off as cocky without intending too.
The dean leaned back in his chair with disbelief shading his smile.
"I trust you got the evidence from the campus police chief." His smile relaxed.
"Yes, sir. I had experts analyze each piece. You have the best team in the world working for you." I answered.
He must've thought me cocky or highly opinionated by the expression I got from him. His jaw would've dropped if he's seen our conviction rate. Bones and the squints have put the most careful of murderers behind bars. If I've learned anything over the years, never underestimate the capabilities of the squints and their technology. Countless convictions had taught me that the hard way.
"Do you have any people of interest in this case?" The dean inquired.
"Yes, sir. However, I'm unable to tell you exactly who they are until I complete this operation. I don't' have anything more than a hunch." I stuck with the smartest answer that I'd learned was best in situations such as this.
He didn't like my answer. I could tell. He'd been expecting an answer that only TV detectives would give. In the real world, answers don't get out until the investigation is over.
"Okay, Agent Booth. They say you're the best they have and that I should trust you. I don't understand your method but maybe that isn't my job." Resignation was what I heard.
"I promise to keep you in the loop once I know more. Remember investigations take time. Criminals aren't as dumb as a lot of people like to think.
He acknowledged my explanation with an impatient nod.
The act continued on after his office door opened. As far as the rest of the campus knew, I really was a retired Army veteran passing my time as an ROTC instructor. To them, there was a good chance that interim would become long term. It was probably in everyone's best interest that it remained exactly that way.
I headed to the office before sunrise to stake out what I might be in for. Most students wouldn't count on an instructor arriving before dawn thus allowing me to catch something useful. If nobody was aware of my presence, they'd be looser lipped.
I didn't turn on the lights when I entered the office. There I sat in the darkness, my ears tuned to hear only the unexpected. Adult sound would've bothered me at first but then I could've shrugged them off. Criminal stuff was my prey. I heard the sound of two male voices coming from the training area.
"He got you good, big guy. The last son that dropped you like that got his butt kicked later." The high pitched male voice joked.
A tall shadow smacked the short shadow upside the head.
"Shut up Morgan. I don't need or want a reminder. It won't happen again. Nobody makes me look like an idiot and gets away with it." A deeper voice came through very agitated.
I knew who it was.
"So what're you going to do to this one? He's too smart for a direct attack to work. You'll have more than a sore body if you try what you did to the last guy." The high pitched voice spoke up.
"I agree with you there. The last guy was too easy. This one won't go down easily. He's a challenge that I'll have to think through. We can't have me coming off as a loser." The big guy laughed.
It took an unusually high amount of self-control to not laugh out loud or to accept the challenge. I've brought down bigger guys in my time.
I silently slipped out of the office and into the nearest deep shadow. I slipped my boots back on so that my entrance was more believable. The two shadows transformed into two guys working out. I knew better.