Catch a Falling Knife

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    As I retraced my path down the marble steps I considered lying in wait for Mark’s accuser and having it out with her on the spot. I am a direct sort of person and I like to face difficulties head-on. I saw a bench sitting beside the walkway she would take when she left the building. It would be easy to spot her from there when she appeared and then intercept her.
    If I could get her to admit that she had framed Mark, maybe she would drop the charges. Whatever the specific charges, there couldn’t be any truth to them. When she saw the error of her ways my impetuousness would be justified.
    On the other hand, if she refused to drop the charges it would be curtains for Mark when my relationship to him became known because Ms. Estavez would be able to say that he had revealed his accuser to me, despite the gag order. And although that could be argued, I knew what chance we had of winning the argument. Zero.
    “Professor. Professor.”
    The voice behind me called twice before I understood that I was the one being hailed, among all the people walking by, perhaps including other professors. I stopped and turned around as the girl from the Administration Building reception area ran up to me, panting.
    She was dressed in a style similar to Mark’s accuser, wearing jeans and a sweater, but no jacket. I couldn’t help comparing them. They were about the same height, but her hair was an indeterminate brown color, her eyes and face normal but unremarkable, her body slightly chunkier than the other. Small differences, perhaps, but huge in the way the world would treat her.
    “Professor,” she said again, somewhat out of breath. “I wanted to talk to you.” She gulped some air and continued, “When I poked my head in Priscilla’s office to tell her about her next appointment I heard you mention Dr. Pappas.”
    She hesitated and I figured I’d better not say anything.
    After a few seconds she continued, “I’m taking a class from Dr. Pappas.”
    She hesitated again so I said, “How do you like him?”
    “He’s great. He’s the best.”
    I didn’t know whether she referred to his teaching style or his looks so I waited.
    “I think he has been unjustly accused.”
    “Why do you think that?”
    “Because he’s too nice a guy. I talked to him in his office and he was a perfect gentleman. He didn’t come on to me.”
    No surprise there, but I didn’t see how this would help Mark. I said, “Perhaps you could be a character witness for him.”
    She laughed, shortly, and said, “I don’t think they allow character witnesses. But I was wondering if you know Dr. Pappas.”
    My guard immediately went up. I said, “I think I’ll make it a point to meet him.”
    “If you do meet him could you pass on a message? Just don’t tell him I gave it to you.”
    “What’s the message?”
    “Tell him that he should go to the Club Cavalier and look for the Shooting Star.”
    “Why should he do that?”
    “He might find out something that would help him.”
    “Why don’t you tell him yourself?”
    She looked nervous. “I can’t get involved. Please, would you do it?”
    “You could send him an anonymous note.”
    “Notes can be traced. Please.”
    She wouldn’t be satisfied until I promised. “If I talk to him I’ll tell him.”
     “Thank you. Remember: the Shooting Star at Club Cavalier.” She turned to go.
    “Wait,” I said. “What’s your name?”
    She raced back toward the Administration Building without answering. I couldn’t catch her; I could follow her into the building, but I decided I’d better not risk running into Patricia Estavez or Mark’s accuser again.
    Mark’s accuser. This girl must know her name. She had announced her to Ms. Estavez and she had chatted with her. Again I was tempted to go back into the building. But if I nosed around too much it could only hurt Mark. I restrained my impulse for the second time.
    As I strolled among the students I thought about what she had told me—that she had heard me mention Dr. Pappas. I tried to reconstruct the sequence of events and was positive that I hadn’t mentioned Mark until after she had passed on her message and left the office. That meant she had been listening outside the door.
     
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    I pondered what to tell Mark about my activities as we drove back to Chapel Hill late that afternoon. I hadn’t seen him since the morning class. He had been tied up with office