Greer huffed a rushed breath. “Man, did she. First time a ghost has ever been useful.”
Remi’s phone rang. She picked it up from the table, then sent Greer a panicked look. “It’s my department chair.” She wrapped a hand around her stomach as she answered the call.
He felt her fear. This was the week she should have returned to work. He went over to the bowl and pitcher, then brought back just the bowl. “Just in case,” he whispered with a grin, hoping the call didn’t make her puke.
She held a finger to her mouth as she put the call on speaker.
“Dr. Chase.”
“Dr. Zimmers. Thank you for returning my call. I need to give you an update.”
“Yes. And I have some new information for you. There have been some developments in our investigation that affect your situation. Can you please come meet me at the provost’s office?”
Her panicked eyes zipped over to Greer. “I can’t right now.”
“Where are you?”
She pinched her eyes shut. “I’m at the Friendship Community…and I’m stuck here under quarantine.”
“Ah. Do you by any chance know Senator Whiddon, from Colorado?”
Remi looked at Greer. He held his breath, waiting for her answer. “Yes.”
“Mm-mmm. So much has happened since we last spoke. I was hoping to tell you in person. The FBI has been here.”
Remi’s mouth and eyes opened as she waited to hear more.
“Dr. Crawford has been arrested.”
“Board member Dr. Crawford?”
“Yes. We discovered he paid the thugs to tag the building. And it was he who broke into your office.”
“Oh my God. Why?”
Dr. Zimmers skipped that question and went back to his own. “How is it that you know Senator Whiddon?”
Remi was silent for a long moment. Greer wondered how she would answer. She sat heavily on the edge of the bed. “He was a prophet in the polygamist community where I was raised. The Grummond Society.” She met Greer’s eyes. “I was married to him when I was twelve.”
“Ah. It all makes sense now. Dr. Crawford, apparently, was being blackmailed by the senator, who had some ugly dirt on his extra-marital affairs. Dr. Crawford was pressuring your assistant to get you to stop working on your Friendship Community research. Your assistant did the right thing. He reported the situation to me immediately, and I brought it to the provost.
“When things escalated, and when the FBI started talking to us, we brought the issue to you. It was our hope at the time, when we didn’t know everything that was happening, that having you put some distance between yourself and your project might have kept things from taking a disastrous turn. I’m sorry that we couldn’t give you a better explanation at the time. We, too, were kept in the dark.”
“I understand. I never faulted you for your decision. I just couldn’t figure out what I had done to lose your support.”
“You never lost my or the university’s support, I assure you. Agent Villalobo has filled us in regarding your pivotal role in helping spot the perfidious activities being conducted through the Friendship Community. He’s going to be recommending you for the Presidential Citizens Medal because of the danger you put yourself in so that a national and international crisis could be averted.”
Greer grinned. He’d found the link between Whiddon and Dr. Crawford. Lobo had taken the info and run with it. He was glad to hear that Dr. Crawford had been arrested.
The stress in Remi’s voice yanked him out of his thoughts.
“Dr. Zimmers, I don’t want that medal. Absolutely not. I did not do this for personal glory. I don’t want to become known as the person who destroyed this community so that I could make a name for myself. I would never again be able to establish rapport with any other groups I want to study. And I will lose all standing with the Friends, which I cannot do at such a critical juncture. Please have him withdraw his nomination.”
“Dr. Chase, you did not destroy that community. It was their own actions that secured their downfall.”
“I insist, Dr. Zimmers.”
“Very well. I can’t say I agree with your decision, but I will see that it’s honored. When will your quarantine be finished? And, of course, I should have asked first—how are you feeling?”
“I believe I should be in the clear in about two more weeks. I feel fine. I’ve had the vaccination. I don’t think I was exposed, so I’m not worried about the quarantine, other than what it will do to my position at the university.”
It seemed to Greer that he heard a little chuckle in Dr. Zimmer’s voice. “Put your fears to rest. The provost encouraged me to consider putting you up for tenure early.”
Remi looked up at him with a stunned expression. He bit his lip to keep from shouting out.
“As you know,” Dr. Zimmer continued, “going up too early isn’t good for one’s career, but it shows how deeply the provost supports you. I only mentioned it so that you would have no worries about your position here. We’re far more concerned about losing you to more competitive universities, though of course you didn’t hear that from me. Mr. Weston will be covering your classes until you can return. And by no means am I implying that you need to rush. You have before you an extraordinary opportunity as a sociologist to document this event and its impact to the Friends’ community.”
“Thank you, Dr. Zimmers. You just made my day.”
“Stay well, Dr. Chase. And stay safe. I would love to hear more about your time with the Grummonds. I can imagine it being a very formative experience.”
“It was.”
“You were brave to tell me. I’ll keep that information confidential. By the way, are you in a safe place where you are?”
“Yes. Why?”
“The FBI informed us the senator has gone missing.”
Chapter Thirty-Six