Page 31 of Nothing Watching

“I’m interested to know if any of your staff, any of your lecturers or professors or anyone else at all, have ever had complaints filed against them,” Juliette asked.

Now his gaze slid away.

“We have all our staff undergo full police clearance. We only hire the best,” he said.

Juliette glanced at the receptionist, and she thought the woman’s gaze spoke volumes. She was certain that the receptionist was the hub of the university’s gossip and that she knew something. And she was also sure that the vice chancellor knew something.

Divide and conquer might work here, she thought.

“I would like to speak to you about this in your office,” she said. “Sierra, will you wait here?”

She hoped that Sierra would pick up on the plan as she gave her a meaningful glance and let her gaze veer sideways to the receptionist for just a moment.

Sierra gave her a quick, almost imperceptible nod, telling Juliette that she understood what to do.

Then, with an impatient sigh, the deputy chancellor turned and strode into the university’s halls, with Juliette and Wyatt walking at his heels.

He headed up a flight of stone stairs, turned right, and walked through an arched wooden door into an office which could have been from a century ago, had it not been for the state of the art laptop. The musty files on the shelves, the antique desk, the old-fashioned window. Everything spoke of history.

Juliette took a seat in one of the old leather chairs facing the professor’s desk, while Wyatt stood against the back wall, his arms crossed.

“Now, Professor Braun,” Juliette began. “I understand that this is a large university with many staff members. But we need to know if there have been any complaints against any of them. Even something small, like a student feeling uncomfortable around a particular professor or lecturer?”

The professor shifted in his chair uneasily, his gaze flicking to the window.

“There have been some minor issues in the past, of course,” he said slowly. “But nothing that would suggest any involvement in a murder.”

“Can you give me some names?” Juliette pressed. “Even if it’s just a starting point for our investigation.”

The deputy chancellor looked uncomfortable, his eyes darting around the room.

“I’m afraid that’s confidential information,” he said.

Juliette leaned even closer. “Professor Braun, we are investigating a series of brutal murders. Lives are at stake here. We need your cooperation to catch the killer. If there is something you know, even if it’s just a hunch or a suspicion, please tell us. It could be the key to solving this case,” she said.

“There have been some complaints against Professor Pohl,” he said finally. “He’s a brilliant mind, but he can be... difficult with his students.”

“Difficult how?” Juliette asked, her interest piqued.

“He’s very demanding. Some students have found him intimidating and have laid complaints. He can be quite harsh in his criticism,” the deputy chancellor replied.

“Do you know where we could find him?” Wyatt spoke up for the first time.

“He’s currently on an exchange program,” the vice chancellor said. “He is based at the University of Frankfurt for the summer, although he still teaches here on selected weekends.”

Was it her imagination or did she see a flash of relief in his eyes, that the only possible suspect was in another city and had an automatic alibi?

“What about professors who are teaching here now? Cleaners, janitors, support staff, anyone?”

But Prof Braun shook his head. “I can’t think of anyone,” he insisted.

“Are you sure?” Juliette asked, raising an eyebrow. “We need every lead we can get.”

“I understand your urgency, but I assure you, we have very strict hiring procedures. Perhaps you could try other universities, if it’s a professor or an academic that fits your profile? After all, as I understand, although one of our students was sadly targeted, the other victim had no links to here?”

The other two victims, Juliette thought sadly.

“Thank you for your time.” She gave him her card. “Please call us if you think of anything.”

---