Formula for Murder by JUDITH MEHL Page B

time.”
    “I’ll tell you something, now that I know who you are. What I tell you goes nowhere else. Definitely not to Katharine, ya hear me? I don’t need her investigating.”
    “You’re clear. What is it?”
    “We’re almost positive the killer is left handed. Do you know what Dr. Higgins is?”
    “No, but that will be easy enough to find out. I’ll get back to you.”
    “OK. I would have checked into it myself eventually. My instincts say Higgins didn’t do it, but it’s a loose end. Like I said, we’re looking at these other people off campus right now. Plus delving into Dr. Abbott’s background, checking out this student, Sean Perry, and looking for that damn journal. We still can’t find Jeffrey Billings and his student Downings, and I have no idea how important it is to keep looking.”
    “OK, OK. I’ll leave you to it. Thanks for your confidence. I promise to be discreet,” Nick assured.
    Nick went to toss a few things at Gerald—literally. He stopped off at the dining hall, bought a couple of apples, stuffed them in his jacket pockets, and went to find Gerald.
    Nick introduced himself to the chemistry secretary, sitting shyly behind her computer in her windowless ground-floor office. “I’m Christine,” she said, and shook his hand lightly. “I’ve heard about you.”
    Nick’s eyebrow arched at the reference to his reputation preceding him, but he only said, “I’m here to see Gerald Higgins.”
    “Dr. Higgins is probably in his office. He’s usually there long past sunset.”
    “That much into his research?”
    “That, and he’s been somewhat lonely since his wife died. Lately it’s been even worse. Had some of his work upstaged in one of the latest journals. Put him in a funk, if you know what I mean.”
    “I never had any research worth upstaging, but I guess I can imagine. How long ago did this happen?”
    “A few weeks ago maybe. Just before you came.”
    “Thanks. I’ll go on up and look for him. Nice meeting you.”
    Nick stood in Gerald’s open doorway and quietly observed. It looked like a frenzy of cleaning in progress. Or was it a cover-up? Gerald stood at his desk with the trash can nearby and was sorting and tossing in turn.
    The professor liked the new man immediately and it showed in his greeting. Besides, Gerald knew Katharine now liked Nick and that was good enough for him. “Nick, how are you? What brought you to this turret?”
    “It’s not quite that far up. But I suppose it gets hard on the legs after a while.”
    Gerald was noncommittal. “They say the stairs are good for you.” He turned back to sorting the piles of paper still on his desk and tossed some intermittently into the trash while they talked. “What can I do for you?”
    Nick settled into the guest chair, took the apples from his jacket pockets, and juggled them carelessly while he spoke. “First, sit down and relax for a few minutes. What’s the rush? Are you moving?”
    Gerald turned to face him, setting the trash out of the way. “Just felt the urge to clean, regroup.” He sat in the desk chair and propped his right calf over the left knee. He looked relaxed and comfortable, not guilty, Nick thought. He nodded questioningly towards one of the apples and tossed it slowly to Gerald before he could respond one way or the other. Startled, Gerald automatically raised his right hand and snagged it before it bombarded the papers still scattered on his desk.
    Nick smiled and continued the conversation.
    On alert now, Gerald contemplated the apple, then drifted unerringly to the well-used pipe buried under one pile of papers. He gathered it up while his eyes never left Nick’s.
    “Mind if I smoke instead?” he asked as he set the apple aside.
    “Not at all. I was hoping you could help me.”
    Gerald nodded and proceeded to light his pipe. The ritual was benign as such rituals go. He used a lighter, and was not prone to playing daring-do games with a match that some men played. He had