Evil and Good in a Campus Town

Dressed in a baggy t-shirt and jeans, Charlotte Silver drank another glass of wine to ease her pain and went over her organization’s books for the last six months. It was very dark outside her house on a secluded lake, an hour’s drive from the university where she had been a professor of biology. “Not enough income,” she said out loud, before shifting her position and the back pillow to get more comfortable. “Too much silence and we could lose the key players.” “Your recovery routine begins tomorrow, Mr. Miller! Only one of your three children can visit you for a short time each day. You will have to lose at least 20 pounds, exercise, watch your diet and learn to relax. You should walk for at least 20 minutes every day and do the exercises described in this pamphlet. Follow the suggested menus and meet with our dietician so you can begin losing weight. Don’t hesitate to call or come to the ER if you experience chest pain. 169 words. Early that same morning, Charlotte Silver received an email from the young woman responsible for Max’s area of the state. Silver and her team had divided the state into districts for easier control. The email confirmed that the man had died of heart failure and there would be no trace of the chemical used to end his life. She thanked the young woman and said that her share of the fee would be transferred to her checking account. She reminded the young lady to be sure to pay the orderly promptly. “Victim three’s presence was very clear in the town where she lived,” Ruth pointed out, “and what isn’t indicated tells a story. Her name was all over town along with her daughter and son but no mention of a husband in the obituary. She donated a great deal to many places in the town. Her real estate and farming holdings appeared to be very profitable.” “Daddy, the day care center where I work was badly damaged yesterday night!” Ellen, Max’s daughter, shouted into the telephone early Wednesday morning, after the head of the center had called her. “We can’t open up. Please come to help me.” “I’ll be there in 15 minutes,” Max was already out the door. “Bad blood,” Betty replied. “Mrs. Stone did leave her children some money, so I’m told, but not what I think they expected. The story spread around town is that it’s a relatively generous amount but not enough for luxury. I’ve been told that Eric paints beach scenes and sells some of them. He hasn’t complained but Victoria’s scream could have been heard in Upper Michigan.” The crash took barely a minute. Even wearing seat belts, both Elyse and Max were thrown forward and hit their heads on the dashboard. At the same time, the Honda spun around and ended up in the opposite lane. Its right rear door and window were smashed and the rear window had blown into the back and front seats. The two passengers were covered in glass chips. They didn’t move. Janice Edwards started shaking the moment she pulled into her drive way. Once inside her small house, she took off her sunglasses and cap, than took three bottles of beer out of her refrigerator. She drank them very fast and fell asleep on her couch. While she was sleeping, her checking account total increased by $2,000. “You were going nearly 80 miles in a 65 miles zone, young lady,” the State Trooper said after pulling her over late one afternoon. It was a week later than the accident and Janice Edwards had been spending a lot of money on beer and booze. “And it smells like booze in here, the State Trooper said. “What were you drinking and how much?” “ That phone call she got must have scared her something awful. She rushed out too fast and left evidence behind. She should have taken those disks with her. She even left three canes and there is a jeep in the garage.” “Look at these envelopes from banks in Switzerland, Cyprus, Panama and The Cayman Islands.” “See if you can find any bank statements. I’ll check her closet. Lots of clothes left. All the suitcases in the closet are large. Maybe she took a small one with her. “Two members of your group were hit by a truck in Fairmount. So far, we know that the young lady who drove the truck had been paid by a known felon to do the job. A woman, named Charlotte Silver who has since fled her residence, hired him to arrange the accident. She left after the felon sent her a voice mail the police intercepted.” “From what we know,” Jerry responded, “She is a retired biology professor and she has visited this residence on at least one occasion. “Why was she visiting? Do you know?” “She was having lunch with a woman who lives here,” Ruth responded. Her name is Helen Tyson and she has lived here for over 15 years. She used to own a women’s clothing store. You ought to talk with her. Let me see if she is here now.” “Get residence security to go with you.” “Better clean house and get out,” Charlotte Silver left a brief voice mail message at Zachery Johnson’s cell phone number. Johnson listened to the message a short time later and immediately contacted the man who handled “special” assignments by phone. He paced as he punched in a New Jersey area code and bit into the inside of his cheek. 935 words “It was an unforeseen opportunity,” she began, looking down at the long statement she had prepared in jail to boost her memory. “One of my former students was very angry with her stingy grandmother and wished she were dead. I thought she was crazy at first but the story she told was quite compelling. Being both a biologist and a chemist, I had some knowledge of quick acting poisons, knew some local nurses and arranged for the injection that killed her grandmother.