"That name sounds familiar for some reason," Jeffrey said, slipping on his coat. "He's the only student on the list?"

"Yes," Lena answered. "Plus, he's kind of weird."

"Meaning?"

"I don't know." She shrugged. "I've never liked him."

Jeffrey held his tongue, thinking that Lena did not like a lot of people. That was hardly a good reason to look at someone for murder.

He said, "Let's start with Carter first, then we'll talk to the dean." At the entrance, he held the door open for her. "The mayor will have a heart attack if we don't go through the proper protocols with the professors. Students are fair game."

The Grant Institute of Technology's campus consisted of a student center, four classroom buildings, the administrative building, and an agricultural wing that had been donated by a very grateful seed manufacturer. Lush grounds surrounded the university on one side, with the lake backing up to the other. Student housing was within walking distance of all the buildings, and bicycles were the most common mode of campus transportation.

Jeffrey followed Lena to the third floor of the science classroom building. She had obviously met her sister's assistant before, because Richard Carter's face soured when he recognized Lena at the door. He was a short, balding man who wore heavy black glasses and an ill-fitting lab coat over a bright yellow dress shirt. He had that anal-retentive air about him that most of the college people had. The Grant Institute of Technology was a school for geeks, plain and simple. English classes were mandatory but not exactly difficult. The school was geared more toward turning out patents than socially evolved men and women. That was the biggest problem Jeffrey had with the school. Most of the professors and all of the students had their heads so far up their asses they couldn't see the world in front of them.

"Sibyl was a brilliant scientist," Richard said, leaning over a microscope. He mumbled something, then looked back up, directing his words to Lena. "She had an amazing memory."

"She had to," Lena said, taking out her notebook. Jeffrey wondered not for the first time if he should let Lena ride along with him. More than anything, he wanted her underfoot. After yesterday, he did not know if he could trust her to do what he told her to do. It was better to keep her close by and safe than let her go off on her own.

"Her work," Richard began. "I can't describe how meticulous she was, how exacting. It's very rare to see such a high standard of attention in this field anymore. She was my mentor."

"Right," Lena said.

Richard gave her a sour, disapproving look, asking, "When's the funeral?"

Lena seemed taken aback by the question. "She's being cremated," she said. "That's what she wanted."

Richard clasped his hands in front of his belly. The same disapproving look was on his face. It was almost condescending, but not quite. For just a moment, Jeffrey caught something behind his expression. Richard turned, though, and Jeffrey was not sure if he had been reading too much into things.

Lena began, "There's a wake, I guess you'd call it, tonight." She scribbled on her pad, then ripped the sheet off. "It's at Brock's Funeral Home on King Street at five."

Richard glanced down his nose at the paper before folding it neatly in two, then again, then tucking it into the pocket of his lab coat. He sniffed, using the back of his hand to wipe his nose. Jeffrey could not tell if he had a cold or was trying not to cry.

Lena asked, "So, was there anyone strange hanging around the lab or Sibyl's office?"

Richard shook his head. "Just the usual weirdos." He laughed, then stopped abruptly. "I guess that's not altogether appropriate."

"No," Lena said. "It's not."

Jeffrey cleared his throat, getting the young man's attention. "When was the last time you saw her, Richard?"

"After her morning class," he said. "She wasn't feeling well. I think I caught her cold." He took out a tissue as if to support this. "She was such a wonderful person. I really can't tell you how lucky I was that she took me under her wing."

"What did you do after she left school?" Jeffrey asked.

He shrugged. "Probably went to the library."

"Probably?" Jeffrey asked, not liking his casual tone.

Richard seemed to pick up on Jeffrey's irritation. "I was at the library," he amended. "Sibyl asked me to look up some references."

Lena took over, asking, "Was there anyone acting strange around her? Maybe dropping by more than usual?"

Richard shook his head side to side again, his lips pursed. "Not really. We're more than halfway through the term. Sibyl teaches upper level classes, so most of her students have been here for a couple of years at least."

"No new faces in the crowd?" Jeffrey asked.

Again Richard shook his head. He reminded Jeffrey of one of those bobbing dogs some people put on their dashboards.

Richard said, "We're a small community here. Somebody acting strange would stick out."

Jeffrey was about to ask another question when Kevin Blake, the dean of the college, walked into the room. He did not look happy.

"Chief Tolliver," Blake said. "I assume you're here about the missing student."

Julia Matthews was a twenty-three-year-old junior majoring in physical science. She had been missing for two days, according to her dorm mate.

Jeffrey walked around the young woman's dorm room. There were posters on the wall with encouraging statements about success and victory. On the bedside table was a photograph of the missing girl standing beside a man and a woman who were obviously her parents. Julia Matthews was an attractive girl in a plain, wholesome way. In the photograph, her dark hair was pulled into pigtails on either side of her head. She had a snaggled front tooth, but other than that, she looked like the perfect girl next door. As a matter of fact, she looked very much like Sibyl Adams.

"They're out of town," Jenny Price, the missing girls dorm mate, supplied. She stood in the doorway wringing her hands as she watched Jeffrey and Lena search the room.

She continued. "Its their twentieth wedding anniversary. They went on a cruise to the Bahamas."

"She's very pretty," Lena said, obviously trying to calm the girl. Jeffrey wondered if Lena noticed the similarity between Julia Matthews and her sister. They both had olive-colored skin and dark hair. They both looked to be about the same age, though Sibyl was in fact ten years older. Jeffrey felt uncomfortable and set the picture down as he realized that both women resembled Lena as well.

Lena turned her attention to Jenny, asking, "When did you first notice she was missing?"

"When I got back from class yesterday, I guess," Jenny answered. A slight redness came to her cheeks. "She's been gone overnight before, right?"

"Sure," Lena supplied.

"I thought maybe she was out with Ryan. That's her old boyfriend?" She paused. "They broke up about a month ago. I saw them at the library together a couple of days ago, around nine o'clock at night. That was the last time I saw her."

Lena picked up on the boyfriend, saying, "It's pretty stressful trying to have a relationship when you've got classes and work to do."

Jenny gave her a weak smile. "Yeah. Ryan's in the agricultural school. His workload isn't nearly as heavy as Julia's." She rolled her eyes. "As long as his plants don't die, he gets an A. Meanwhile we're studying all night, trying to get lab time."

"I remember what it was like," Lena said, though she had never been to college. The easy way lies came to her both alarmed and impressed Jeffrey. She was one of the best interviewers he had ever seen.

Jenny smiled and her shoulders relaxed. Lena's lie had done the trick. "You know how it is, then. It's hard to make time to breathe, let alone have a boyfriend."