“Right.” He was silent for a moment. “So, you didn’t know she’d gone missing?”
He shook his head. “No. I swear. I had no idea.”
“And Miriam?”
“Yes, I knew about Miriam. I was beside myself with worry, of course.”
“Of course.” Jimmy barely suppressed an eye-roll. “Did you ever reach out to the police? Let them know you’d had contact with her recently?”
The professor flushed and shook his head. “No. Class had been cancelled the week before, so I hadn’t seen her in a couple of weeks. I didn’t imagine saying anything about my relationship with her would be helpful.”
Right. Not helpful to you. “Didn’t you think it odd that another student you were having an affair with went missing? Vanished out of thin air?”
The professor’s eyes narrowed and then understanding flashed. He seemed to sag further. “Josie,” he breathed. “Josie Stratton.” He looked down, shook his head, ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah . . . I thought about Josie. But”—he looked up at Jimmy, eyes wide—“the guy who took her killed himself. It wasn’t possible . . . I mean, yeah, I thought it was bizarre. But it’s not entirely unusual that college girls go missing, Detective. Surely you know that. It was a terrible coincidence, but nothing that involved me.”
Jimmy watched him. Vaughn Merrick’s eyes widened farther. “You think I’m involved in the abduction and murder of those two women? What possible motive would I have for that?”
Jimmy shrugged. “Losing your position? Your career? Your family? Seems like a pretty solid motive to me.”
Professor Merrick gritted his teeth. “I did not harm those women, Detective. And we all know who harmed Josie Stratton. I’m sorry, but I’m done here. I’ll be calling my lawyer. If you have any additional questions, you can talk to him.”
**********
“Ms. Merrick? Detective Jimmy Keene with the CPD. Do you have time to answer a few questions?”
The pretty brunette woman who stood at the door looked surprised, then hesitant, but took a step back, allowing him admittance. “Of course, please, come in.”
Jimmy followed her through the ranch-style home, noting the fully furnished rooms. As he’d suspected, Ms. Merrick had taken the furniture in the divorce.
“Please, have a seat,” she said when they’d entered the living room, indicating a pale gray sectional strewn with lots of pillows. Jimmy took a seat on the edge of the sofa, turning toward Ms. Merrick who sat toward the other end, taking one of the many pillows and holding it against her stomach. “Can I offer you a beverage?”
“No, ma’am, thank you.”
She tilted her head, looking at him expectantly.
“Ms. Merrick—”
“Please, Alicia. And it will be Neely soon. I’m taking my maiden name back.”
“Ah. I see. I understand your divorce is very recent. I’m sorry about that. I’ve actually just spoken to your ex-husband.” He didn’t mention that he’d had a tail put on him, a car that would watch the professor’s comings and goings like a hawk. His connection to the three victims was too suspicious not to, though there was nothing at this point to hold him on. So the department would follow him, keep a log of his actions to the minute.
Alicia frowned. “Vaughn? Why?”
“Have you heard about the crimes involving the two women connected to UC?”
Alicia blinked. “Just that two women were murdered. Starved, right? It’s been all over the news and I’ve caught bits and pieces. I haven’t heard more than that. I’ve been busy getting my new home unpacked.” She paused, assessing him. “What do those women have to do with Vaughn?”
“Well, ma’am . . .” How to put this delicately? Jimmy wondered. “His name came up during the investigation and we weren’t sure of the connection until I spoke with him a little bit ago. It turns out—”
“He’d slept with them.” Alicia Merrick’s voice sounded dull, almost dead. She cast her eyes down, and scratched at her neck, which had suddenly developed red blotches. She shook her head. “Of course he had.” Her eyes snapped to Jimmy. “But what does that mean to your investigation?”
“We don’t know yet. Your ex-husband claims their disappearances and subsequent murders have nothing to do with him. He didn’t even know they were the ones in the news.”
Alicia looked to the side, squeezing the pillow against her body tightly. “Vaughn doesn’t watch much TV,” she murmured.
“You seem unsurprised your husband was sleeping with two university students.”
“I’m not,” she snapped, but then her shoulders curled inward and she looked down. Meek, Jimmy thought. Little fight left in her. Not surprising. She’d been married to a man who sounded like a chronic cheater. Years of that had to whittle away a woman’s self-esteem until it barely existed. “But I am surprised he was involved with those two women.”