Chapter 13 #3
"No idea. Just saying I've never seen him put up with that kind of insubordination. He once directed you. Did you ever talk back to him?"
"No. I couldn't risk it."
"And you were someone who took a lot of risks, who wasn't easily intimidated."
"He was in charge. I needed his support."
"Exactly. But Carrie seems to feel like she can say whatever the hell she wants, and her job is safe."
"Do you like him? Professor Hale?" I asked curiously. "You were his TA when I was a senior."
"I respect him," Jay said. "He gave me a lot of opportunities in college and helped me get jobs after graduation.
But now, I prefer working with your aunt.
She knows what the real theater world audiences want.
Hale is too used to his drama students. His vision feels dated.
He's constantly trying to change my script.
It's annoying." He paused. "Why don't you ask your aunt why she wants Hale around?
Because I think she and I could do a much better job on our own. "
"I will ask her. One more thing—do you think Hale was sleeping with Paige?"
"I thought that was a rumor you started."
"I might have implied she was doing that, but I didn't know for sure. Now, I wonder if it was true."
"If it was, I didn't know anything about it. I was his TA, not his confidante or even his friend. I graded papers. I ran errands. I tried to learn as much as I could from him. Now, I need to get rehearsal started."
"Sure. Where is Carrie? Shouldn't she be here?"
"She should be here," he said with annoyance. "But she left a half hour ago. Said she had something she had to take care of, so that's great." He stood up. "I've got to get this group organized."
"Sure," I said, moving aside to let him out of the row. "Is my aunt here?"
"Haven't seen her since she went to lunch."
"Okay, thanks." With no sign of Carrie, my aunt, or Hale, I made my way to the lobby. The ticket office was closed, so Nate didn't appear to be in the theater, either. With no one else to talk to, I went back to the apartment.
"Anything?" Morgan asked.
"Only Jay was around. He said that neither he nor my aunt wanted to hire Carrie, but Hale insisted. And he thinks Hale might regret that now, because Carrie is always talking back to him. Jay implied that Carrie had something on Hale and that's why he'd overruled them to give her the part."
"Is this tying back to Paige being with Hale and Carrie knowing about it?"
"Jay didn't tie it up that way, but I am. Sloane said Paige and Carrie were getting close before her death. Maybe Paige told Carrie about Hale."
"And Carrie could still be holding that information over his head. But it's been a long time. Why now?"
"Perhaps, she didn't have a chance to use it before now. Or maybe she's used it before. She wasn't there, so I couldn't ask her."
"You should take a break, Tessa. Maybe a nap. You've been running around all day."
"I don't have time to rest. I need to get answers," I said with frustration. "I feel like we're circling around something, but I'm not sure that something is the right thing."
"You mean Hale."
"Yes. Maybe I'll see what I can find out about him on the Internet."
"Good idea. I haven't done a deep dive on him. I've been trying to get more of a handle on your friend group."
"Then I'll focus on Hale," I said, opening my computer and getting to work.
Two hours later, I'd found little information of value.
Hale had a social media page, but it was focused solely on the college's theater productions.
His wife, Suzanne, seemed to follow health and wellness influencers and appeared to be active in several Chicago philanthropic organizations.
Their daughter, Taylor, was a senior at UCLA. They looked like the perfect family.
I went further out on the internet, looking for student chat groups, but a lot of them were private, and the ones that were public revealed nothing beyond the fact that Professor Hale was still very popular.
"I have nothing," I told Morgan. "No hints of impropriety between Hale and any student, including Paige."
"It wouldn't be out in the open. It would be something that's being whispered about."
"I know, but I can't get into those whisper groups."
"It might take some time, but we'll find a way in."
"Morgan…"
"What?"
"I want to ask you something, and you need to be one hundred percent honest with me."
"I always am," she said, giving me a pointed look.
"Okay, here's the question: Do you think I'm focusing too much on Hale? Am I trying to find a reason to explain why Hale chose Paige over me? Am I creating this narrative of them sleeping together to make myself feel better?"
"I don't know. Are you?"
I frowned. "I don't think I am, but if it starts to look that way to you, rein me in."
"I will," she said with a smile. "But right now, I think Hale is a good suspect."
The doorbell rang, and I glanced at my watch. "Detective Barclay is ten minutes early."
"Better early than late. Maybe that suggests enthusiasm and not reluctance."
"I hope that enthusiasm is for helping me, not stopping me."
"Open the door, and let's find out."