That changed the air between them. Maya turned toward him. How? Walter looked at her worn gym bag. Campus isn't that big.
That's not an answer. No. He let the silence sit. Maya respected that more than a quick excuse. Finally, Walter said, "Retired Cincinnati police lieutenant, 30 years. Caldwell hires me limited hours as a safety consultant."
Maya looked at the notebook again. "So, you're still working. Depends who you ask. What do you consult on? Mostly things people don't think are problems until after they become problems."
Maya looked across the courtyard. Tyler was nowhere in sight. Then maybe I have one. Walter didn't react immediately. Maybe you do.
She opened her bag and removed the spiral notebook. Walter noticed the dates before the words. You keep records. I started when things got strange. Good.
Why? Answer came without hesitation. Memory argues. Records don't. Maya looked at him.
The sentence landed hard because it sounded so close to what she had already been trying to do. Walter leaned back. What happened? Maya told him carefully. Not everything enough.
The cafe, the rumors, the conduct questions, the formal complaint. Nicole's accusation. Evans warning about the scholarship student who had disappeared the previous year. Walter listened without interrupting. When she finished, he stared at the courtyard for several seconds.
Then he asked, "What name did Evan give you?" Maya told him. Walter's eyes changed. "You knew them." "I knew of them."
"How?" Walter's thumb moved against the rim of his coffee cup. Last spring, I saw Tyler's group corner that student near the south parking structure. Maya sat straighter. What happened?
Nothing dramatic enough for anybody to call dramatic. Walter's voice had gone flatter. Three people still standing too close, blocking a path, one laughing, one taking pictures. Tyler asking questions designed to make the other person lose their temper. Did you intervene?
I walked over and they separated. Did you report it? Yes. Maya waited. Walter looked down at the notebook.
I was told the matter had been resolved internally. Was it? No. The word came quietly. I found out later that the student withdrew before the semester ended. Maya felt anger tighten beneath her ribs.
Walter continued, "I asked about it. I was reminded that my role was advisory. That bothered you. It still does. He looked at her directly now.