Trial by Fury Read Online Free

euphemisms.
    “Anyhow, I got Bobby to let me look over some of the other reports for that day. They get filed by number, and two-ninety-two was missing. If I had to guess, I’d say somebody pulled it.”
    It wasn’t exactly a smoking gun, but the coincidences were adding up. “Did you notice the time?”
    He checked his notes. “They wrote up a burglary in one of the dorms at eight sixteen a.m. and a scuffle over a reserved parking space at ten fifty. And here’s another screwy part—they couldn’t put their hands on the call logs for that day. I know from the reports that got filed which officers were on duty, but there’s no record of what they were doing between the burglary and the scuffle.”
    Someone, it seemed, had gone to a lot of trouble to wipe out the paper trail.
    He looked at her wearily. “So what’s the next step, chief?”
    “Dr. Perone told me Hayley went to student health services as soon as she left the dorm. Apparently they did a rape kit, so we need to find out if they still have it. Since the cops didn’t bother to investigate, it ought to still be there.”
    There were strict rules about the chain of custody for rape kits. If the police collected it for evidence to prosecute, they were required to cover the cost and there would be a receipt indicating who picked it up.
    Theo scribbled a note and pushed it across the desk. “Take this to Sandy and see if you can pry some petty cash out of her, a thousand dollars. I don’t want that kit destroyed because nobody paid the bill. And make sure they retain it in proper storage.”
    When he left, she added the suicide report to the file that contained Celia’s thumb drive and her written statement on everything she could remember about her meetings with Hayley. Now convinced the school had covered up a crime to protect its players, Theo wanted badly to take this case.
    Celia had stuck her neck out to right a wrong. Theo responded to that kind of courage, especially women helping other women.
    She scrolled through the directory on her computer and opened the audio file Celia had made of her meeting with administration. Sonya Walsh, Harwood’s general counsel, was the one who’d spelled out the risks of a defamation suit, but Chancellor Gupton had added his own threat.
    “ Harwood faculty have a contractual obligation to protect the image of the university. Should these allegations result in a defamation suit, it would disparage Harwood’s reputation. The board of trustees might consider that grounds for dismissal.”
    Celia hadn’t mentioned they’d also threatened her job.
    She slapped the intercom button on her phone. “Penny, where’s Gloria? I haven’t seen her in three days.”
    “I heard her arguing with Philip about five minutes ago. I’ll track her down and send her in.”
    Arguing with Philip was one of Gloria’s favorite pastimes, and the subject hardly mattered. Their office debates—everything from economic philosophy to the perfect vintage of California red wine—were notorious. His Harvard training as a litigator withered when she buried him in factoids and obscure statistics off the top of her head. She’d have made an excellent attorney because she always played to win.
    Two minutes later Gloria swept flamboyantly through the door. Fresh off a color appointment with her stylist, her ginger hair lit up the room like a blazing birthday cake. “I swear, it’s like I can’t step out of your sight without you having a panic attack. What is it this time?”
    “Last time I checked, you still work for me, Gloria. I’m entitled to your infinite wisdom whenever I push this little button,” Theo shot back smartly, pointing to her phone. “I need your take on something. What’s the thinking on campus rape these days?”
    “You mean, is it one in four or one in forty?” Dressed in flowing linen slacks, Gloria flopped into the upholstered chair and swung her legs over the arm, the pose of an insolent child rather than a