Page 37 of Innocence

“Is it this case?” she asked.

“Yes. Something beyond the obvious is wrong, and I can feel it.”

“Is there a ghost involved, a spirit?” she asked.

“I do not think so. I am not sensing someone trying to speak with me or come toward me. It is more of a feeling of confusion. I think I am trying to make sense of something that cannot be made logical.”

“Then don’t try. Do what you do best. Protect Mary. Observe the room. Find the killer. That’s what you all do, and this will be no exception.”

“I love you, Tru. More than I ever thought would be possible for a man like me. Thank you for loving me back.”

“Noah, that was the easiest thing I’ve ever done in my life.”

Dressed, showered, and ready for dinner, they joined the others in the main dining hall at Belle Fleur. Seeing Sterling, Noah knew that he might be able to help with something.

“Excuse me,” he said, nodding to Tru, Rush, and Caroline. He walked toward a table with Teddy and a few others. Sterling was talking to the men, laughing as he should.

“Hello, Noah,” said Teddy.

“Teddy, nice to see you. Sterling, if I take photos of the kids in the class that Mary will be covering, do you think you might recognize them if you had seen them before?” Sterling raised his brows, looking at the table of men.

“Probably. I have a great memory for faces. Not so much names, but I would be able to tell you if I’d met them before.”

“That is what I am hoping. I think perhaps you might have seen one of these people, or maybe more, at some point. I will come back with photos when I can.”

“Not a problem,” smiled Sterling. Teddy and Chopper looked at their new friend, smiling. “He is an intimidating man, isn’t he?”

“He’s a friendly fella,” said Chopper. “Big as the day is long, but he’s friendly. For the most part.” Sterling nodded, smirking at the men.

“Yeah, it’s the other part that worries me.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

By Monday morning, there had been an announcement to Professor Gates’ students that he would be on leave for a few weeks, and a new professor and her assistant would take over. They were instructed to attend their sessions as usual.

While Mary got herself settled into the lecture hall, she watched as Noah walked around the room, running a smooth hand over the walls.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“My watch is now equipped with a device that will pick up on audio or video feeds hidden in the room. It helps if I can run my hands over the surface. I feel an intense vibration in my wrist if something is there.”

“Anything yet?” she asked, staring at him with some concern.

“Nothing. That is good. We are not dealing with someone who is viewing the class from the outside. Someone is seeing the class from the inside.”

“What if it’s Professor Gates? What then?” asked Mary.

“If it is him, we will find him and handle that as well.”

The doors opened, and students began entering the lecture hall, taking their seats. Noah took a seat off to the side while Mary welcomed everyone, giving that reassuring smile that she was so very good at.

With each session, she casually mentioned that their professor was on leave for a few weeks but would return. She followed his curriculum, ensuring that she continued the learning that he had set out to do. When she was able to add something that could be of value, she did so, all the while scanning the room for possible suspects.

“The most common question I always get is, ‘what is fear?’. At the simplest definition, fear is an unpleasant response to a perceived threat or danger. It’s a primal emotion that’s programmed into our nervous system and can appear small, medium, or large in its intensity. The fear activates our fight-or-flight response. Something that’s been around since caveman days.

“Typically, you will have physical symptoms. Increased heart rate, sweaty palms, shaking legs, upset stomach, and so on. It can appear quickly and is usually already well on its way to full-blown panic before we recognize or gain any control of it.”

“So, you’re saying that those responses are normal?” asked a young man.

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