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Back The Sorority Murder Save as PDF
Chapters (61)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise
  3. Dedication
  4. One
  5. Two
  6. Three
  7. Four
  8. Five
  9. From the Missing Journal of Candace Swain
  10. Six
  11. Seven
  12. Eight
  13. Nine
  14. Ten
  15. Eleven
  16. Twelve
  17. From the Missing Journal of Candace Swain
  18. Thirteen
  19. Fourteen
  20. Fifteen
  21. From the Missing Journal of Candace Swain
  22. Sixteen
  23. Seventeen
  24. Eighteen
  25. Nineteen
  26. Twenty
  27. Twenty-One
  28. From the Missing Journal of Candace Swain
  29. Twenty-Two
  30. Twenty-Three
  31. Twenty-Four
  32. Twenty-Five
  33. Twenty-Six
  34. Twenty-Seven
  35. Twenty-Eight
  36. Twenty-Nine
  37. Thirty
  38. Thirty-One
  39. Thirty-Two
  40. Thirty-Three
  41. Thirty-Four
  42. From the Missing Journal of Candace Swain
  43. Thirty-Five
  44. Thirty-Six
  45. Thirty-Seven
  46. Thirty-Eight
  47. From the Journal of Candace Swain
  48. Thirty-Nine
  49. Forty
  50. Forty-One
  51. Forty-Two
  52. Forty-Three
  53. Forty-Four
  54. Forty-Five
  55. Forty-Six
  56. Forty-Seven
  57. Letter Found in the Journal of Candace Swain
  58. Forty-Eight
  59. Acknowledgments
  60. Booklist
  61. Excerpt

Regan remained standing while surveying the small, tidy, bright office. Like most professors, there were multiple bookshelves packed with tomes—in Rachel’s case, mostly science-related. There was one shelf of fiction, a variety of popular books. Also many knickknacks, trophies, and plaques. On the walls, lots of pictures—of the Sigma Rho sorority, of a younger Rachel in a cheerleading uniform. Regan moved closer and realized that Rachel had cheered for the University of Arizona in college. There was also a photo of Rachel and a large group of women, framed with a plaque underneath that read Sigma Rho, University of Arizona, Class of 2008.

Same year Regan graduated from NAU. Had she gone to U of A she might have known Rachel. Small world.

Rachel was an attractive woman, with a tall, athletic build that suggested an active life.

“Thanks, honey, I’ll see you tonight,” Rachel disconnected and looked up at Regan. “Sorry about that. Finalizing date night with my boyfriend.”

“No problem.” She nodded toward the photo. “You and I graduated college the same year.”

“How neat! Please sit. Can I get you coffee? Water?”

“I’m good, thanks.” She was starving, because she’d only had an energy bar for lunch, but she didn’t think this would take too long. She sat in a comfortable guest chair in front of Rachel’s desk. Her desk was uncluttered with only her laptop computer in the corner. Regan wouldn’t call herself a slob, but she wasn’t that neat. Her style was more like Henry Clarkson’s organized chaos.

But the atmosphere fit Rachel’s sunny disposition.

“First, thank you for meeting with me,” Rachel said. “I’m sure you’re busy, and I appreciate it.”

“I’m glad you reached out. I had planned to talk to the president of Sigma Rho to see if she wanted to talk about the podcast. It’s my understanding that the sorority is unhappy with it.”

Rachel frowned. “They are, especially the girls who knew Candace. I wouldn’t say unhappy. They’re more upset than anything. I’m sure you can understand.”

“Yes,” Regan said, though she didn’t, not completely. Wouldn’t they want closure? “They went through a traumatic experience having one of their own murdered.”

“Exactly. But not just that, though that was the worst, but they were questioned by police, they were put into the awful position of hearing negative things about their sorority sister, who wasn’t here to defend herself. They feel—and I concur—that the podcast is only serving to victim-shame and to tear down the sorority.”

“I think Lucas has been very respectful of Candace Swain and her life.”

“Talking about Candace having two boyfriends, both of whom, I’ve been told, were cleared by the police, it makes her seem unappealing.”