“Are you kidding?” Lakshmi sped up. “I think that was him.”

Caitlin jogged to catch up. Lakshmi cornered a cyclist near the bike racks. He took off his helmet and smiled.

Chad Branford had great teeth, straight and white, just like the commercials. Under thirty, clean-shaven, short brown hair, maybe six foot, with a lean physique, he looked like he cycled other places than campus. Hardly what Caitlin would have called dark and brooding. He even had blue eyes.

Lakshmi motioned her over. “Caitlin, this is Chad Branford.”

He strapped his helmet to his backpack, held out his hand. “Hi.”

Caitlin shook his hand. “And the devil appears. I asked Lakshmi if we might see you today, and you rode right past us.”

He laughed. “Finally, someone asks me to play the devil.”

Lakshmi laughed harder than the weight of the witticism. Caitlin had a feeling most of his students would.

“Why would you ladies be talking about me?”

Lakshmi put her arm around him. “She wanted to know who the best professor I’ve had at IU was.”

“And when you couldn’t find that prof, you talked about me?”

Lakshmi, a little color to her cheeks, laughed again. “Didn’t I tell you, Caitlin? He’s the coolest.”

Caitlin addressed him. “Lakshmi’s giving me the campus tour today. I’m working with her as part of a mentorship.”

“So, not an acting student?”

“There’s some crossover. Where are you headed?”

“Acting 101.” He checked his phone. “Shoot, I’m running late, but it was so nice to bump into you.” He gave Lakshmi a little hug. “Don’t be a stranger.”

They watched him jog up the steps into the building.

“Fun guy,” Caitlin said. “Great teeth.”

“Plus he owns Pizza Monster.”

“Pizza what?”

Lakshmi didn’t get to answer. A window above them slid open, and Branford popped his head out. “Any chance you ladies want to audit my class?”

Lakshmi turned to Caitlin. “Do we have time?”

Caitlin’s phone rang. “Hold that thought.”

The caller ID read Bloomington Police.

She answered. “This is Caitlin Bergman.”

“It’s Maverick. You busy?”

“What’s up, Detective?”

“Campus PD’s got a student who claims she was sexually assaulted. Your name came up.”

Caitlin apologized to Lakshmi and Branford. “Change of plans.”

Chapter 17

CHAPTER

17

CAITLIN SAT BACK in the hardwood chair. “Is this where you break them, Jane?”

Maverick took the opposite seat. “That’s right, Bergman. Now talk.”

“Oh no, you have to trap me with seemingly meaningless questions, let my lies trip me up. You’d better start.”

Maverick set a folder on the table. “A female student under the legal drinking age claims a male campus police officer sexually assaulted her last night.”

Caitlin recalled the name. “Laura Baker?”

“That’s the girl.”

“Is she okay?”

“Nothing a stomach pump and a Pedialyte couldn’t improve.”

“There’s no evidence of assault?”

Maverick answered by placing a recorder on the table and hitting “Start.”