Academy Murders: Compassionate or Not

“How?” Chief Cawley Hortley asked. It was his sixth year as the head of the Academy. He had served thirty-six years in the Bureau after a stellar ten-year career in the Baltimore Police Department. He was sixty-two and had gray hair on top of his chestnut-colored skin.

“Sir…we are looking at both situations as murders,” Special Agent Larrimore Nutter addressed.

Cawley looked down at the paperwork. He grabbed his glasses and spoke while he looked at the pages.

“And we’re ruling out suicides?”

“Well, we think so, sir.”

“You think so?”

“Yes. Both of them had their troubles. One was just caught with contraband and the other was falling back in her academics and drills.”

“Are those corollaries of murders?”

“Sir, if these cadets had been harboring any suicidal thoughts, it would have registered sooner.”

Cawley had studied psychology at Burns-Height University in Maryland. He had a similar take.

“I do surmise that these were in fact murders. They were staged to look like they had taken their own lives. It is in my estimation these women were strangled and hanged, respectively.”

Special Agent Nutter sighed. “Yes, sir.”

“What I want you to do is have welfare checks each night to assure the mental health of all the cadets. Also, ask questions of the women and see what is on their minds.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Who is the one who was supposed to look after the cadet?”

*****

Seats felt different now from not sitting in chairs that were bolted to the floor. When Kim leaned forward, she let her hands go through her hair. It was like a ritual, some mystical thing made atheistic by her. Out of her mouth came air and in through her nose the same.

“Jergensen, you are the most famous cadet here. You’re also one of the oldest. I saw you as sort of a den mother. That’s what you were supposed to be for Cadet Naomi Janklin and Cadet Danavan Weathers. It appears that instead of solving murders back in Delaware, you came down here and wanted to commit murder against them. What happened?”

“I killed no one. There is no evidence against me that sticks. This is a tragedy and a lowlight in my career, but I assure you, I did no harm to any cadet.”

“You say that but you were obviously connected to Janklin. She got into big trouble, right?”

“I had nothing to do with that. Nothing with either one.”

“But the rock rolled on you. Cadet Janklin didn’t even get reprimanded for her behavior. You were told you’d get restrictions, that you’d lose your privileges. I get Janklin but Weathers?”

“Again I had no actions against my fellow cadets. Yes, I was dressed down and relinquished my liberties but there is nothing of substance that points me in the direction of these deaths.”

Nutter looked like he had just taken the cinnamon challenge. His face crinkled up and he began to cough.

“Excuse me,” he nearly choked and reached for a cup of water.

Kim’s eyes widened. She reached to help the choking agent.

“No, no, I’m fine, I just wanted to witness whether you were compassionate or not. A second longer, and I’d be on the floor. But you reached out to me. Still doesn’t mean you’re not a murderer.” He raised from his seat and walked over to the window.

“I know you’re a good cop. You wanted to level-up and bring your talents to Quantico. I get it. But you’re in it now. I mean you stepped in it this time. There’s no backing out of this without the stink of what you did on you.”

With just a flick of her hair, Kim showed to the Special Agent that she was not disturbed by his words.