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.Morgan stood.“We’ve been at this for a while.Let’s quit for the night and we’ll meet again on Monday.Have a good weekend, everyone.”Dex followed Parker out of the room.“Hey, Casey, wanna a grab a bite to eat and go over this stuff?”Parker, who had been watching Morgan make her way out of the room, struggled to wrench her attention away from Morgan’s retreating form and focus on Dex’s question.Funny Dex should bring up dinner.She had been thinking she would corner Morgan and tell her dinner would be a good payback for the house-hunting boondoggle earlier in the week.Surely they could break bread without breaking the boundaries of friendship.She made excuses to Dex in a hurried tone.“Sorry, pal, I already made other plans.Let’s meet in the morning, my place? We’ll get an early start.I’ll make breakfast.”If Dex noticed Parker seemed anxious to leave, he didn’t give a hint.“Sure, Casey.See you bright and early.” As he strolled away, Parker glanced around and noticed Morgan was gone.Hoping to catch her, Parker walked briskly toward the professor’s office.*As Morgan fumbled in her purse for her office keys, all she could think of was a hot bath and room service.I have to buy a house soon or I will forever be spoiled by hotel living.Leaning on the door to dig deeper for the hiding keys, she realized her door was slightly ajar as it swung open into the room.Her first assumption, that the janitorial staff was hard at work within, was dispelled by the sight of a man seated behind her desk.“Good evening, Professor Bradley.My, you’re working late hours.”Steeling herself for whatever might follow, Morgan decided to play along with this man who knew who she was and didn’t seem to think introductions were necessary.“I’m dedicated to my work.”“Clearly.” His words dripped with heavy sarcasm.“Obviously you expected to find me here this late or you wouldn’t be waiting.What can I do for you?”“What can you do for me? What can you do for me?” His repetition was mocking and his voice rose as he spoke.“You, my dear professor, can concentrate on your classes and leave your extracurricular activities to real lawyers.”Morgan resisted the urge to engage in a verbal battle.Instead, she put all her mental faculties to use in an attempt to figure out who she was dealing with.Her silence had the unintended effect of unnerving her visitor, and he spoke through the uncomfortable quiet.“Surely you must know who I am? I find it hard to believe you haven’t done your homework with regard to this case and, if you have, you must have realized I would come to call.”She was sure she had never seen him before, but there was a certain familiarity about his features.She looked hard at him.Something about the lines of his face—she had seen a similar face recently.Her memory recalled a beautiful woman, with sad eyes.The stark features of the face she recalled were reflected in this man, but there was no beauty here, only sharp features, too coarse for sadness, but hardened and shiny with hate.Finally, the pieces fell into place and she realized the identity of her after-hours visitor.“Why, of course I know who you are, Mr.Burke.You’re the late Camille Burke’s brother.”“I have a name!”The nature of his outburst was strange and Morgan wondered about his mental stability.She had been in a hurry to grab her things and leave, but she resolved to take her time sorting through this situation, sensing any sudden action on her part would stir the volatility simmering below the surface.She concentrated on making her voice sound soothing.“Mr.Theodore Burke, everyone knows who you are.”He settled back in the chair, apparently pacified by her acknowledgment of his fame and reputation.He nodded toward a chair on the visitor’s side of the desk.Morgan sat and faced him, allowing him to take the lead.“I’ve come to talk to you like rational people, rational professionals.”“Certainly, I am happy to hear what you have to say.”“You cannot represent my sister’s killer.I’m sure you realize it was a mistake to think you could do so.Perhaps you got yourself in too far, thinking it would be a quaint little school project.” He paused as if to give her time to acknowledge his insight.She rewarded him with a slight jerk of her head, urging him to continue.“But I am here to give you a way out of your benevolence.I forbid you to work on this case.”Morgan had realized Theodore Burke was a bit off the moment she saw him seated behind her desk.She decided to cut him a little slack once she realized who he was.After all, his family gave so much money to the university, it was likely he suffered from the delusion he owned the place.And he had been through a lot with the brutal murder of his sister and having his family affairs dragged through the news day after day as the trial date of the accused murderer drew closer.However, his pronouncement forbidding her from working on the case made her wonder if more than mere emotional turmoil drove him to confront her.His eyes were red and the pupils were dilated
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