Dead Secret

moment and shook her head. “Mike told her he was seeing someone. She told him she didn’t want a relationship—these are her words—she just wanted a ‘good, hard fuck.’ That clearly was the last straw for Mike. He grabbed her wrist and jerked her hand away and told her that what she was doing wasn’t appropriate. Man, she got angry, I mean really angry. I couldn’t make out everything she said, but it sounded like she said he owed her.” Sylvia let out a deep breath. “I was appalled, but I didn’t report her, and I’m ashamed of that.”
    Diane leaned forward with her elbows on her desk. “Why didn’t you?”
    “She’s got tenure and is better connected than I am. Frankly, I was scared. I rationalized that Mike was a guy and it wasn’t a big deal for guys—and I felt sorry for her.”
    That surprised Diane. “Sorry for her? Why?”
    “Did you know her husband? Ransford Lymon, bigwig in chemistry?”
    “I’ve never met him.”
    “He ran off with his twenty-four-year-old graduate student about three months ago. Up until then, Annette thought he was a devoted husband. It turned out he’d been planning his escape for months. Got a position at a university in California, had everything in place before he left with his nymphet and their bank account. Annette was beside herself. She canceled her work with the oil company this summer. For a month she barely left her house. I’ve never heard of her doing anything like this business with Mike before, and believe me, Bartram is a hotbed of gossip. I think she just wanted to stop feeling old and used up, and there was Mike and that crooked, dimpled smile of his.”
    Sylvia stopped talking a moment. Diane thought she was about to get up and leave, the way her hands were perched on the arms of the chair, but instead she slumped forward, looking defeated.
    “I know this is hard,” said Diane.
    “Hard and embarrassing.” She shook her head. “I had convinced myself that Annette just felt safe with Mike because she knew him so well, and that it was harmless. Then I heard she pulled his assistantship. God, the sleepless nights I had over that.”
    “Why didn’t you come forward then?”
    “Same reason. Annette is a member of the tenure approval committee for the university. I had the support of my department, but I needed hers.”
    “And now?”
    “And now I have my letter of tenure. It arrived today—and there’s Mike in the hospital. He’s had so much bad luck in the past few months—getting shot, stabbed, sexually harassed, losing his assistantship. And with all that, he is always cheerful. I’d made up my mind to come forward even if I didn’t get tenure. I’m so sorry I didn’t do it sooner.”
    Diane was sorry too. But she didn’t say it. “I appreciate your telling me now.”
    “Maybe something can be done about his assistantship. I know it’s already been awarded to someone else, but . . .”
    “I think things will work out.” Diane started to ask her if she thought that Annette Lymon could have stabbed them, but stopped. She’d put David on the task, and he had his own ways of investigating. Asking questions now would only interfere.
    Diane stood, and Sylvia rose with her. It was then that Sylvia noticed Diane’s bandaged arm. “Are you hurt?”
    Diane rubbed her upper arm. “Whoever stabbed Mike got me too. Apparently the knife was so sharp that neither of us noticed it at first.”
    “Oh, my God. I hadn’t heard. What kind of maniac is out there? It makes me afraid to walk to my car.”
    “I think it was just some nut at the funeral. But you should ask one of the security guards to walk you to your car. They don’t mind.”
    Diane walked to the door with Sylvia and again locked her osteology lab, retracing her steps back across the overlook and past the staff lounge. At the elevator she met Jin and David getting off.
    “You want me to take you home?” asked David. “I’ll drive your SUV and Jin can follow in mine.”
    Diane thought for a moment. She could drive, but her arm hurt and she was tired, and it would be an opportunity to tell David about her conversation with Sylvia. “Yes, if you wouldn’t mind.”
    She looked at her watch it was just after eight. It was too late to go by the hospital to visit Mike. Too bad; she was looking forward to telling him of her decision to accept his proposal. It would have to wait until morning. On the way to her house she told David about Sylvia’s confession.
    “That