No Cats Allowed: A Cat in the Stacks Mystery (13 page)

“I’d better see if Azalea would have time to take a few things to the cleaners for me.” I glanced down at the cat peering into the closet with me. “I haven’t worn some of these suits in several years.” I sighed. “I don’t look forward to wearing a suit to work every day.”

Diesel meowed.

“If I’m going to be rubbing shoulders with the presidents and vice presidents in charge of this, that, and the other, not to mention the odd dean or two—and a couple of them are really odd—I’ll have to dress the part.” The prospect did not appeal, but I had agreed to do the job, and therefore I had to look the part. “I hope some of them still fit.”

Diesel warbled as if to say he had doubts that they would.

“You’re right about that,” I said. “The jackets will be fine. I may need a girdle to get into the pants, though.”

Diesel meowed twice. I thought he might be getting tired of standing in front of the closet with me. I’d been at this for a good ten
minutes now. I pulled out three suits and laid them on the bed. The cat promptly hopped on the bed to sniff at them, and when I came back from the bathroom moments later, he was stretched out atop them.

“Off, Diesel,” I said. He considered me for a moment, then slowly stood and stretched before he stepped off the suits. I gathered them up and told him to come with me. Time we were heading to the office.

Downstairs, after a brief conversation with Azalea about the suits, I loaded Diesel into the car and off we went. We were expecting thunderstorms on and off throughout the day, so there would be no pleasant stroll to and from work. I hoped the dark skies and increasing winds were not an omen for the task ahead.

By agreement, Melba waited in the parking lot behind the building until we arrived a few minutes before eight. I knew she was apprehensive about entering the building, and I couldn’t blame her. She hadn’t taken the news of the break-in well, even though I assured her we would have a campus police officer in the building with us all day. That was the fruit of another early morning phone conversation with Forrest Wyatt.

We entered through the back door, and when we walked into the front hallway, sure enough, there was a campus policeman sitting in a chair near the front door. We greeted him, and then Melba braced herself for her first sight of the chaos in her office. She stared at the mess for about half a minute while Diesel and I waited, then she shook her head and without a word walked over to her desk and set down her purse.

She turned to me, her expression hard. “Give me a few minutes to make some coffee and get my computer up and running. I’ll check your schedule to see whether you have any meetings, and then I’ll start on this mess.”

“Okay, whatever you think best,” I said. “I already know of one meeting. Forrest Wyatt and I are meeting with the library staff at nine thirty. Until then Diesel and I will be trying to sort out the mess in the other office.”

“In
your
office,” she said with a slight smile. “Better get used to that, because it’s going to be yours for a while.”

I responded with a rueful grin. “You’re right. We’ll be sorting out the mess in
my
office. Come on, boy.” I headed toward my door. Diesel, however, had other plans. He went to Melba and meowed.

“I’m okay, sweet boy,” she said. “Why don’t you come with me and help me make the coffee?” He meowed again.

“Okay, you two,” I said. “Looks like you have your own assistant.” I watched as the two of them walked out of the room. Having Diesel around would help cheer Melba up, I knew.

I stepped around the papers strewn over the floor as best I could and worked my way into my office. I set my briefcase down in a chair near the door, pulled off my jacket and hung it on the back of the chair, and surveyed the room, trying to decide where to start.

About forty-five minutes and one cup of coffee later, I had managed to get things tidied away. Books were back on the shelves, and papers stacked neatly on the desk. Melba and I would have to go through them later to get them properly sorted, but at least they were off the floor.

I made notes as questions occurred to me, and I called Forrest’s office and spoke with his assistant about gaining access to Reilly’s work e-mail. I knew our campus IT department wouldn’t make it happen without the proper authorization, and the sooner that happened, the better. I had to know what Reilly had been doing during his brief tenure as interim director.

Plus it might shed light on his murder
.

That, too, I acknowledged to myself. I was sure the sheriff’s department would be seeking access to Reilly’s e-mails and work files also.

Kanesha Berry told me so when she showed up about twenty minutes before my meeting with Forrest and the library staff. She had with her another deputy and a person from campus IT, and they were going to copy all the files from Reilly’s computer, she informed me.

That was also when she dropped the bombshell about Reilly’s keys, found with his body. I was surprised by the news. “Then where did the intruder get the key to this building? There must be another key floating around that we don’t know about.”

“Yes,” Kanesha said. “Chief Ford is looking into that.” She glanced over at the desk, where the campus IT staffer was working on the computer. “This may take some time. Sorry to hold you up, but if there’s anything pertinent to the investigation on that computer, I have to have it.”

“It’s not a problem,” I said. “I have a meeting at nine thirty over in the main library building, and that may last an hour. Forrest Wyatt and I are talking to the library staff about the situation.” I checked my watch. “That’s in twelve minutes. I might as well head on over.” I picked up my jacket and briefcase. “I’ll leave you to it. If you need anything, let Melba know.”

Kanesha nodded, still intent on the activity at the computer.

I spoke briefly with Melba and her feline assistant before I departed for the meeting. I knew Diesel would be happy with Melba. I might take him with me to future staff meetings, but for this first one I thought it inappropriate. I didn’t think Forrest would appreciate being upstaged by a cat, and I also knew that tension would be running high in the meeting. Diesel would find that distressing.

The campus police presence at the main library was obvious, and I hoped the library staff, faculty, and students found that reassuring. The sooner things got back to normal here, the better.

On my way to the meeting room at the rear of the first floor, I stopped along the way to say hello to the few staff on duty. Not everyone could attend the meeting, because there had to be personnel on duty. The library was open, and the students were there in force, studying and making use of the computers.

When I walked into the meeting room, the buzz of chatter suddenly stilled, and I felt for a moment like an intruder. Expectant faces examined me, and I summoned up a confident and, I hoped, reassuring smile as I strode to the front of the room. Forrest hadn’t arrived yet, so it was up to me to take charge of the meeting.

“Good morning, everyone.” I set my briefcase on the floor behind me. “You’re all probably as surprised as I am to find me standing here. I know President Wyatt e-mailed all of you to explain that I will be serving as interim director, and I hope you all had a chance to read that message thoroughly.”

I paused for a moment and scanned the crowd. I didn’t sense any hostility in the room, only curiosity and a little apprehension.

“President Wyatt will talk to you about the tragic event that occurred here, and I know he will address your concerns about safety and security. I’m sure you’ve noticed the increased presence of campus police, and that will continue until the investigation into the murder is closed. Chief Ford and his department will be working hard to make sure the library is a safe place for all of us, staff, students, and faculty.”

I glanced over at the door to see Forrest entering the room. “I’ll yield the floor now to President Wyatt.”

Forrest strode confidently to the front of the room and shared
a grave smile with the assembled staff. I stepped to one side and leaned against the wall. Forrest was a masterful speaker with an authoritative manner. I had often thought that, had he chosen another path, he would have made an outstanding preacher.

He reiterated what I had said and gave the staff an update on the investigation. He took pains to reassure them that he and Chief Ford were determined to keep the campus safe and told them to talk to me or to the campus police about anything that concerned them.

He fielded a few questions, but for the most part the staff seemed comfortable with what he told them. The one exception was Cassandra Brownley, who, predictably, scowled the whole time and looked skeptical at every statement.

“Chief Ford is working closely with the Athena County Sheriff’s Department and the officer in charge of the investigation,” Forrest said. “I trust that you will all cooperate fully with Chief Deputy Berry and her officers. They have an important task to perform, and your cooperation will ensure that it is done efficiently and swiftly. Are there any last questions?”

Delbert Winston raised a hand, and after a nod from Forrest, he stood. “Is anything going to be done about lighting in the basement? We’ve been asking for more lighting down there for years, and surely now that would be a priority.”

Forrest nodded. “Excellent point. Yes, I’m happy to tell you that our physical facilities department will be taking care of that. Their work will cause some disruptions, but I know you will all be patient until the work is complete. I don’t have a completion date yet, but as soon as I do, I will communicate with your interim director.” He nodded toward me.

“Let me say how pleased I am that Charlie has agreed to serve
as interim director until we find a permanent director. I’m sure you all are aware of his years of experience as a manager, and of the fine job he has done recently with our rare books and archives. I hope you will give him your full support to ensure the smooth running of one of Athena College’s great assets.”

With that, he thanked them for their attention and departed.

I stepped forward again. “I won’t keep you much longer. I know we all have busy schedules. I just want to say how proud I am to be working with you all, and that I will do my best for you and the library. If at any time you’re concerned about anything, I hope you will come talk to me.”

Lisa Krause stood. “We’re with you, Charlie.” She glanced around the room. “I think I speak for all of us when I say we’re happy to have someone who actually knows how to run a library in charge.”

That brought a round of enthusiastic applause, and I did my best not to blush. This kind of attention always made me squirm.

“Thank you all,” I said. “I appreciate your support. I’d like to ask the department heads to remain with me for a few minutes, but everyone else is free to go.”

They began to file out quickly, until only Lisa Krause, Delbert Winston, and Cassandra Brownley remained with me. I pulled out a chair and turned it to face them. Normally there would have been a fourth department head, for serials and electronic resources, but that position was vacant. These three people constituted my management team, and I hoped we could work well together. Only Cassandra really concerned me, because she was always difficult about everything.

I had been aware of her baleful gaze the entire time I spoke to the staff, and I braced myself for whatever it was she was practically bursting to say to me.

“Cassandra, do you have any concerns you’d like to share?” I asked.

She stood, pushing back her chair so hard it knocked over another one.
“
Public librarian
.
”
She managed to load both venom and contempt into those two words. “What do
you
know about running an academic library?” She stalked out of the room without waiting for a response.

Cassandra’s unpleasant behavior disconcerted me. I’d had no idea of the depth of her animosity toward me, nor did I understand the reason for it.

Lisa and Delbert exchanged an uneasy glance. Lisa said, “She’s bitter, Charlie. She’s been here for twenty years and, in her mind anyway, she keeps getting passed over for promotion. Apparently she applied for the director’s job when Peter was hired and obviously didn’t get it. Then, a few years ago, when Peter decided to appoint an associate director, he hired from outside. She never forgave him for that.”

“When the associate director left”—Delbert took up the thread—“the year after you came, I think it was, Charlie, she thought Peter would promote her then. But he decided not to fill the position because of budget issues. Of course, when Peter left so suddenly, she thought she’d be named the interim director.”

“She’s been nursing these grievances for years,” Lisa said. “I
don’t think it’s really personal. She wouldn’t be happy with anybody in the position, because it’s not her who’s in it.” She shook her head. “The problem is, she can’t see that she isn’t being promoted because she doesn’t have the right people skills to be a manager at that level.”

“We’ve had problems with turnover in her department for years,” Delbert said. “Her staff doesn’t like her, and she’s rude to them all the time.”

“If she’s so unhappy here, why hasn’t she looked for another job?” I asked. “She might stand a better chance elsewhere.”

Delbert emitted a short bark of laughter. “She has looked, even gone for a few interviews, but nobody else will hire her. Can you imagine that she’s any more pleasant when she interviews than she is on a daily basis here?” He grimaced. “She just doesn’t get it.”

“Thank you for the background information,” I said. “I’m going to have to talk to her about her behavior, and it’s good to know the history. Now, on to other matters. I need to get up to speed on what’s going on in your departments. What I’d like is to have a meeting with each of you, separately, to go over your budgets, any personnel issues you might have, and discuss any concerns you and your staff have. I want to understand the workflow in your areas, too, so information on that will be helpful. This is the end of the week, and I’m not expecting you to pull everything together today. How about Wednesday?”

“That’s fine with me,” Lisa said. Delbert nodded.

“Excellent,” I said. “If you will, e-mail Melba and set up a time. I don’t know offhand what my schedule might be for Wednesday, but she will get it sorted out. Now, before we get back to work, is there anything you’d like to ask?”

“How detailed do you want the budget information to be?”
Delbert asked. “I mean, I’ve got spreadsheets like you wouldn’t believe, thanks to Reilly, who wanted the same information presented seventeen different ways.” He snorted. “I think he did it just to be difficult.”

Lisa nodded. “I’ve never spent so much time on a budget in my life.”

Was Reilly being purposely difficult? I wondered. Or was he hoping to find discrepancies, evidence of financial malfeasance? I kept those thoughts to myself when I answered.

“I’d like to see your most recent figures, with expenses to date for the year, plus, let’s say, the last three years. Can you pull that together by Wednesday?”

Both Lisa and Delbert nodded.

“Thanks very much.” I rose. “I know that, with your help, we’ll get through the next few months in good fashion. I’ll be on the search committee for the new director, and I’m hopeful we’ll find someone outstanding.”

“That would be a nice change,” Delbert said. “See you later.” He loped off, and Lisa, after a quick smile, followed him out of the room.

I stared at the wall for a moment. I didn’t relish my next task, but I couldn’t put it off. I had to talk to Cassandra and let her know I was not going to tolerate her behavior. I had dealt with recalcitrant employees before, and though I didn’t like confrontations, I also wouldn’t shrink from one, especially in cases like this.

I picked up my briefcase and wended my way through the public areas to the staff-only section in the southeast corner of the building. The librarians’ offices formed a row against the outside wall. The wall of each office facing the common area was floor-to-ceiling glass, and that allowed the occupants to see the activity in the staff cubicles
and work areas. I spotted Cassandra, phone to her ear, and I headed for her office. I smiled and greeted staff members as I passed.

I knocked on Cassandra’s closed door, then opened it without waiting for an invitation to enter. I was determined to have the upper hand and keep it. If this action put her off balance, all the better.

Cassandra glared when I walked in.

“I’ll have to call you back,” she said, then hung up the phone.

I stopped in front of her desk and stared down at her.

“Forrest Wyatt asked me to serve as interim director of this library,” I said. “I agreed to do it, and however long I hold this position, I expect complete cooperation from every single staff member in the library. I will not tolerate anything else, and I will not tolerate the kind of behavior you exhibited a few minutes ago. If there are any further incidents like that, then you and I will be sitting down with Penny Sisson in HR and deciding what action to take. I will be going through all the personnel files and examining performance appraisals, staff turnover, and budgets in minute detail. I will not tolerate any obstacles.”

Cassandra looked shell-shocked, and I had to wonder whether anyone had ever stood up to her bullying behavior. I doubted Peter had. He shrank from confrontation much more than I did and was inclined to let problems fester until they became worse. I wasn’t fond of confrontation, either, but in my management roles in Houston I’d had to be tough on occasion.

“I will be meeting with you on Wednesday to go over your budget, your staff, and any ongoing issues in your department that need attention. Please e-mail Melba to arrange a time. I don’t know yet what my schedule for that day will be, but I expect to see your appointment with me on it by the end of the day. Is that clear?”

Cassandra nodded, then opened her mouth to speak.

“I don’t believe there’s anything else I have to say at the moment, and I know you have work that needs attention, so I will let you get on with it. Have a good day.” With that, I turned and walked out of her office.

I realized I had forgotten to close her door behind me when I went in, and obviously some of the staff in nearby cubicles had overheard everything. I was aggravated with myself for the lapse, but also amused to see the miming of applause from several people as I walked by.

During the time it took for me to wend my way through the library and back to my office in the other building, I worked on cooling my temper down. I despised bullying in any form, and that’s what Cassandra was basically: a bully. She used her rudeness and blatant contempt for other people to bulldoze her way through things. When she didn’t get what she wanted, she had no idea why she didn’t get it. I had dealt with her kind before in the workplace, and they had all moved on. I could be unbelievably stubborn over some things, and this was one of them. She would not persist in this behavior. She would either learn to behave properly and professionally, or she could find a job elsewhere.

Back in the office, I found Melba filing and Diesel lolling on the carpet near her. “How’s it going?” I asked. There was no sign of Kanesha and her department. The campus policeman remained on duty near the front door, though.

Diesel chirped happily at the sight of me and got up to come rub against my legs. I scratched his head, and he meowed in pleasure.

“Not bad,” Melba said. “Fortunately the idiot got interrupted before he could dump
all
the files on the floor, only about a third of them.” She waved a hand to indicate the cleared floor. “I’ve got
most of them sorted, and I’m filing them. I should be done by lunchtime.”

“Good,” I said. “I’m going to be working on the files in my office.”

“No need.” Melba smiled. “I started in there and got everything sorted and filed. I printed a copy of your schedule for today and next week, and it’s on your desk. The IT person has set things up so you can access all the files you need, and given you access to Peter’s and Reilly’s e-mail accounts.”

“I’ll be drowning in information,” I said wryly. “Speaking of which, I’d like to take a look at the personnel files we have on the department heads.” I told her about the meetings I wanted set up for next week.

“You’re in luck,” she said. “Those files were in the group that the idiot didn’t get to. I’ll pull them and bring them in to you in a minute. There’s fresh coffee, if you’d like some.”

“Thanks,” I said. “I could use some caffeine.” I set down my briefcase and was about to head to the kitchen for coffee when Melba stopped me.

“No, you go on and get to work. You’ve got a lot to do,” she said with a smile. “I’ll bring you some coffee.”

“That would be great. You really are the best.” I knew better than to argue with her. “Come on, Diesel, we’d better get to work.” I picked up the briefcase and, with the cat beside me, strode into my office.

Melba had indeed worked wonders while I was in the library staff meeting. The pile of papers I’d left on the desk was gone, filed expertly, and the bookshelves looked neat and more orderly than I’d left them. Diesel crawled under the desk and stretched out near my feet while I got comfortable at the computer and started looking through e-mail.

Melba came in a couple of minutes later with my coffee, and I decided I should tell her about my meeting with Cassandra. She chuckled when I finished recounting the one-sided conversation.

“Good for you,” she said. “It’s about dang time somebody told that witch off. Peter never would do anything about her.” She sniffed. “She should have been fired years ago, but nobody would stand up to her.”

“I don’t know whether it will do any good,” I said after a sip of coffee. “I told her I expected to see an appointment with her on my calendar by the end of the day. Let me know if she doesn’t comply. I’m not going to let up on her.”

“Will do,” Melba said. “I’ll be back in a minute with those files.”

I decided I had better e-mail Penny Sisson about the confrontation with Cassandra. Better to have it documented, because I wouldn’t put it past Cassandra to file a complaint with HR against me. I also wanted staff turnover information from HR, and I would compare that to what the department heads gave me.

I spent about ten minutes composing my message to Penny, during which time Melba came in and deposited three files on my desk. I nodded my thanks and kept working on the e-mail. I read it through a couple of times, tweaked it a little, and finally sent it.

A glance at the printed schedule Melba provided made me happy. No meetings the rest of the day today. On Monday morning, however, I was scheduled to meet with the president and the deans of the various schools for two hours. After that, I had a meeting with the vice president in charge of finance, no doubt to discuss the budget and the efforts to get it back on track. The rest of the afternoon was clear. There were a few meetings the rest of the week, but Wednesday was blank. No problem about meeting with the department heads in one-on-ones then.

In light of my Monday schedule I decided I had better spend the rest of the morning reviewing the budget. Dealing with budgets had never been anything I enjoyed, but they were a necessary evil.

By the time the lunch hour rolled around, I had a headache and blurry vision. Diesel had remained mostly quiet while I worked. Occasionally he went to Melba’s office but he spent a fair amount of time asleep under the desk by my feet.

When I told him we were going home for lunch, he perked up and meowed. “I agree,” I said. I left my briefcase. I had no plans to make this a working lunch.

I stopped to tell Melba we were headed out.

“I’ll be going in a few minutes myself,” she said. “I’ll make sure the offices are locked. See you in about an hour.”

Diesel and I headed down the hall to the back of the building. Though the skies outside remained gray and the wind had picked up a bit, there was no rain yet. Diesel ambled toward the car ahead of me, and I glanced at it and stopped as if stuck to the pavement.

The windshield was shattered.