Knowlege Can Be Power Or...

Knowlege Can Be Power Or...

Professor Matt Brief stopped speaking. He addressed the large group of students in his Criminal Justice advanced course.

“Does anyone have any questions or thoughts about the case I just outlined for you?”

Several hands shot up. Picking one at random, he asked them to stand up.

“Sir, will this be on the final?”

Matt sighed.

“You never know, Mr. Nicholls, so I’d take notes.”

A young woman jumped up before he could indicate he’d seen her hand.

“I know who did it.”

Matt raised his eyebrows.

“You do? That’s surprising as this is a cold unsolved case that’s thirty years old, Miss...?”

“Samantha Spaid,” she supplied.

“You mean like the fictional detective?” Matt asked with amusement.

She looked puzzled.

“Who?” she asked.

“Nothing, before your time,” the professor mumbled.

“You think you have this case solved, do you? Give me a written outline of your reasoning and conclusions and I’ll give you a passing grade if you impress me. By tomorrow early. Leave it in my office mail slot.

“Our time of torture is up, see you all next class,” he said and watched them file out.

The next morning, the professor opened his office door only to nearly trip over a stack of mail on the floor. Picking it up, he shuffled through it. He stopped abruptly when he spotted the name Samantha Spaid.

Tossing the rest on his visitor’s chair, he slit open the manilla envelope. As he quickly skimmed the single sheet of paper, his face blanched and panic set in.

“How does she know my secret? How did she find out from a brief outline? Will she take what she knows to the police? I must stop her before she can!” he whispered desperately.

He began to make plans.