Chapter 36
Joshua glared at me as we approached the podium after class.
“I guess I have you to thank for the school's investigation into my relationship with Gabby."
I shrugged. "I haven’t talked to your wife yet, but she's next on my list. I'm sure she would love to see the contents of your phone. There were some pretty steamy texts between you and Gabby."
His eyes bugged out.
"Piece of advice, next time you have an affair with a student, you might not want to videotape your sex acts.”
Joshua swallowed hard. "How did…” He stopped himself. "There's no possible way you could have gotten that kind of access to my phone legally."
"Look, I don't care about your affair with Gabby. I’m just trying to figure out who killed her.
Right now, it's looking like you had a hell of a motive.
You'd probably do anything to keep from losing your job or destroying your marriage.
" My brow knitted with confusion as I thought about his situation.
"If the dean has started his investigation, why are you still working?
Shouldn't you be on administrative leave? "
"There was insufficient evidence to warrant a suspension at this time. Dean Montgomery has graciously allowed me to continue teaching."
The auditorium had cleared out. It was just us and the professor now, standing on the stage by the podium. I had no choice but to bring Daphne with us. Jack kept an eye on her.
Joshua kept glancing at her. She was hard not to look at.
"All it would take is a DNA sample to prove that you're the father of Gabby's unborn child,” I said.
He swallowed hard. In a hushed tone, he said, "Are you intentionally trying to ruin my life?”
"I think you’ve done a pretty good job of that on your own. How about you stop playing games with me?"
Joshua took a deep breath and glanced around the auditorium. "I didn't kill Gabby.” After an exhale, he admitted, “I loved her. I know it sounds crazy. Maybe I am crazy. We just connected. I would never have done anything to hurt her.”
"You think she felt the same way about you?” I asked.
"She said she did. I believe she meant it.”
"Did she ever talk to you about hazing at the sorority?"
Joshua nodded. A frown tightened his lips. "This is all my fault.” He hung his head.
"What do you mean?"
"I encouraged her."
"You encouraged her to join the sorority?"
"No. I encouraged her to find out what happened. To go undercover and expose the truth.”
"About Cheyenne Tisdale?"
He lifted a surprised brow. "How do you know about Cheyenne?"
I gave him a flat look. "It's my job to know as much as possible."
In a hushed voice, he said, "Gabby was convinced the sorority had something to do with her death.
That's the entire reason she pledged Theta.
She was writing an exposé and was going to publish it in one of the big magazines.
I was the only person she told about it.
I don't think she even told her best friend. "
"Tiffany?"
Joshua nodded. "I never thought something like this would happen.”
"Do you think someone in the sorority killed her? Was she getting too close to exposing the truth?"
"You have to understand, those girls will do anything to protect the chapter.”
"Murder seems like an extreme length to go to," I said.
"You obviously haven't spent enough time around some of these girls.”
"It's convenient for you to shift blame to the sorority."
Joshua grit his teeth and glared at me. "I'm telling you. I didn't kill Gabby. And you can't prove otherwise." Anger reddened his face. "You need to focus your attention on the sorority. And you need to ask the tough questions.”
"What are the tough questions?"
"Why Theta never faces any disciplinary action, despite being the worst on campus in regard to hazing.”
I shared a look with Jack.
Joshua wasn’t off my list of suspects, but there was definitely something rotten on campus. JD and I were going to get to the bottom of it.
I told Joshua we’d be in touch.
We left the auditorium, strolled the hallway, and stepped outside.
"I don't know about you," Jack said, "but I want to speak with Rachel firsthand."
"We're not going to get anywhere at the sorority," I said. "We need to catch her out in the wild."
“I think he did it,” Daphne said.
“Nobody asked you.”
She made a pouty face. “Are you still mad about the kick to the nuts?”
I gave her a sour look, then made a phone call to Isabella. I asked her to keep track of the chapter president. She said she’d let me know when Rachel was on the move. Maybe we could catch up with her on campus or around town somewhere.
My phone buzzed with a call from someone I did not expect. I swiped the screen and said, "This is Deputy Wild.”
"Deputy, this is Hendrick Van der Valk. I hope I'm not catching you at a bad time."
"No. Not at all."
"I've recently heard something I think you might find interesting."
"I'm listening."