Page 79 of Night Watch
Oregon Health and Sciences University was one of Oregon’s premier colleges.
“Botany could very well mean he’s a gardener,” she said, her face beaming.
“And since he’s local, we can interview him.”
“We should also talk to Oscar Edwards, the department chairman at PSU, where my mom taught. I met him at her memorial luncheon, and he was very sympathetic. “
“Does he fit the intruder’s build?”
“No. He’s short and round, but he might be able to give us a lead on this Purvis guy. Or maybe he hired a hitman.” She shook her head. “Listen to me. A hitman. But you do hear of people hiring others to commit murder.”
“You do indeed,” Erik replied, because it was true, but he doubted that was the case here. He tapped the list. “You think Edwards might know Purvis?”
“PSU and OHSU share a science building, so it’s possible.”
“Then let’s arrange an interview with both of them before they go home for the day.” Erik let the excitement of a lead bubble up in his voice. “And maybe, just maybe, we’ll find out what the prickly caterpillar bean means, and if it’s related to your mother’s death.”
20
Nearing five o’clock, the sun still hung high and bright in the sky as Kennedy slipped out of the SUV and walked between Erik and Drake on a busy Portland street toward Portland State University. They headed straight for the science building.
The brothers had done their usual risk assessment, and finding minimal risk in attending this interview, they stationed themselves in various locations near the building. Kennedy couldn’t pick them out, but she knew they were watching.
She felt the eager energy of the students they passed and nostalgia for an easier and less stressful time in her life—a time when both of her parents were alive. She missed them even more. She’d been back to PSU only a few times since she’d received her master’s degree, and it felt odd to be on campus again. Her visits were back in the day when she once thought she wanted to be a researcher just like her mom, but after a year of research, Kennedy discovered she couldn’t be inside all day. So she’d gone back to get a criminal justice degree too.
She reached the sunny atrium of the contemporary steel-and-glass building connecting two tall towers. The south wing held administrative offices, which was where they were headed to meet with Professor Oscar Edwards. The department chair and her mother’s former supervisor, was the only one of the two professors who’d returned their call.
Inside the lobby, Erik and Drake looked up.
“Wow,” Erik said. “This place is something else.”
“The walkways make me think of the many Portland bridges,” Drake said.
“I’ve read that’s what the designer had in mind.” Kennedy tried to look at the wide-open space with polished concrete floors, glass walls, and suspended walkways through their eyes. “It’s hard to believe this building houses research labs, and there’s even a dental school on the top floor.”
“You must’ve loved going to school here,” Drake said.
“Sadly, this building didn’t open until after I graduated, but I’ve had several tours since then.” She tipped her head toward the south wing. “Come on.”
She walked between them to a communal space designed for conferences or lounging. Professor Edwards, wearing a lab coat, stood by a group of plush contemporary chairs. Behind him was a gorgeous view of the river, and the sunlight streaming in reflected off the sixty-something’s shiny bald head. He stiffly waved them over, the crisp white fabric of his lab coat flapping with the motion.
“Kennedy.” Edwards awkwardly shook her uninjured hand before introducing himself to the others. “Now, sit down and tell me what I can do for you.”
All but Drake obeyed Edwards’s demand and sat in the gray fabric chairs. Drake stood, his gaze roving the area.
Erik leaned toward Edwards. “Would you have any reason to believe that someone might’ve wanted to hurt Wanda?”
Edwards’s gaze flew to Kennedy, alarm in his eyes. “Did someone hurt your mother before she died?”
Kennedy shook her head. “I’m having a hard time believing she took her own life or accidentally took too many pills. So we’re looking into her death.”
Edwards tugged the lapels of his lab coat together. “I know how hard it is to accept a parent’s death, but if you’re asking me if anyone around here would hurt her? No. She was loved by all. You saw that at the memorial luncheon.”
“People can mask their true feelings,” Kennedy said.
Edwards gave a vigorous nod. “Probably truer in academia than many fields, but not in this case. She helped others whenever possible. She never stepped on another professor’s toes to climb the ladder. She had what she wanted in her own lab and didn’t need to vie for tenure or a full-time position.”
“And yet she still taught here,” Erik said, sounding like he was fishing.
