I Wrote This While You Slept - 3. Chapter 3

DALTON

When the sleepy horde of students made their way to the church they were quickly ushered inside the vestibule by panicked teachers and forbidden from going anywhere except to a seat in one of the pews. The administrators felt that it would be the best place to keep everyone contained. For all they knew there could be a serial killer running around in the dorms, and they didn't want to risk sending everyone back to their rooms.

Dalton followed Professor Hearst silently as he walked briskly towards the side entrance of the church where the dead body awaited them. When they arrived Curtis released an audible sigh of relief.

"Did you cover her?" Professor Hearst asked looking at the altar table runner on top of Noelle’s body .

"I didn't want anyone to see her like that," Curtis replied.

"Uh ah," Professor Hearst pursed his lips but said nothing further. He walked over and lifted the sheet to see her face. Dalton noted that his right shoe stepped on a patch of her blood, but it was too late to say anything. He was not expecting the torrent of emotion that came from the older man when he saw Noelle’s face. Professor Hearst put his free hand to his mouth and stifled a cry as he looked at the dead body. Curtis and Dalton exchanged a sympathetic glance. The man really did love and care for all of his students.

When the police arrived, more chaos ensued. Curtis and Dalton were questioned about who, how, when they found her, while the teachers were chastised about letting the students into the church, and principal Archie ran around like a chicken with his head cut off. Curtis and Dalton continued to putter around nearby as Professor Hearst spoke with the police.

"He's the one, he killed her." It was a female voice coming from behind Dalton. Everyone turned their heads to see Mrs. Katherine Miller the History teacher, who bore the same last name, but had no relation to Noelle. The woman hadn't been the same since suffering a miscarriage last year. She was on thin ice with the school's administration due to her heavy drinking and was now on the verge of losing her job. But principal Archie always stuck up for her. Now she stood in front of everyone, a cheetah top that slung down an inch too low on one side, revealing part of her nude bra. Tired eyes with a hint of leftover mascara.

"He's guilty, arrest him!" she slurred out aggressively, and Dalton realized she was pointing at the Professor .

"M'am, what are you saying?" detective one asked, but Mrs. Miller paid him no attention, her eyes locked on the Professor.

"You have unleashed an evil at this school!" she shouted. "And now you've been unmasked. Everyone knows. Everyone," she slurred, then for good measure yelled out, "You're done. Finished. Fi-ni-to!" she wiggled her finger at him. The principal made a noise akin to air being let out of a balloon. Everyone else stood around, confused.

"Okay folks, you're coming with me," detective one said to Mrs. Miller, "and you," he said to Professor Hearst, "are going with him," he pointed to the other detective.

The police took statements and questioned everyone involved. At the end of the day, nobody was arrested. There was no evidence, apart from Mrs. Miller's incoherent and drunken ramblings, to prove that Professor Hearst had anything to do with Noelle’s death.