The begging of the University brought a lot of fear of every student that is in the fourth year and studies Bridges and Tunnels. There is only one explanation to that fear and he had a name: James Mortimer. He was out professor for two classes and no one stood him because he was crazy.

The first day brought all the student in the garden. We all talked about our last summer of freedom and what happened. It was like one other begging, but in his car, there he was, James Mortimer dead.

After we finished smoking we entered the Central Hall to hear everyone speaking the same old speeches that every student is bored of.

Walking down to my car I saw Mortimer’s car and I saw him sleeping in his car. I laughed about the fact a professor can sleep in his car, especially when the car is parked in the student parking lot.

I went home and I talked to my best friend Elisabeth. We both laughed. After a night of gossip she went home, to his boyfriend and I went to bed.

The next day, there was the police, taking pictures of his car. Because I watched so many criminal movies I knew that they were investigating a murder.

James Mortimer was dead and all the students were suspects. After a while Inspector John Fitzwilliam asked all the student to come in the Principal’s Office to take statement.

I went first because I wanted to get over with it.

“Good morning, Miss.” He said. “I am Inspector John Fitzwilliam and this is Sergeant Andrew Gregson.”

“Good morning inspector, sergeant.” I replayed. “I am Christie MacClare. What can I do for you?” I asked them. The inspector was tall, handsome, with brown hair and brown eyes. He was big, his uniform was too small for all the muscles that he build. Too much muscles for my own taste. The sergeant was tall, slim, with blonde hair and green eyes. There was something in his eyes that made my mind pop. There was something that made me thing that he was the intelligent one, not the inspector.

“What were your movements yesterday and the day before yesterday?” the inspector asked.

“I was home. I read and played on my laptop. I went out in the evening to go the market to buy something to eat and drink, then I went home. Yesterday was almost the same, with the exception that I came to the University between 10 am to 12 pm and the fact the shopping for that day I made it when I was going back home.” I said.

“Is there anyone who can verify your alibi?”

“Well, there is Elisabeth who works from 9 am to 3 pm. She saw me home, but between those hours, there is a lady that is so vigilant that nothing goes by without her knowing it. So you can ask them.” I said to the inspector, while the sergeant wrote everything I said down. “The lady’s name is Margaret Spinster. She like to gossip you see. This is why she is so attentive to everyone’s moves.” I added.

“How can you describe the professor?” the inspector asked.

“He was crazy. No one liked him. I don’t know what I can add to that.” I said.

“Well, thank you Miss. You may go.” The inspector said.

I rose up from the chair and I went to the door. Sergeant Andrew came to the door and opened it for me.

“Thank you.” I said.

“You are welcome, Miss.” He had something into him that was linked to the nobility.

When I entered the hall, I saw a woman that I taught I saw before. From behind she looked like one of my collages from my classes, who is believed that she had an affair with our professor. Her name was Lourie, a French girl. When she turned around she looked just like Lourie but she didn’t have her distinguish scar on her lower lip.

I went home and I opened a bottle of wine to calm my nerves. After one glass I heard a knock on my door.

“Miss, I need to talk to you.” It was Sergeant Andrew.

“Come in.” I said, even if I was dressed in my sleeping dress and a robe. “I will come back in twenty minutes.” I said. I had, at least to get dressed.

After twenty minutes I got down dressed in a dress and with make up on. I got used to dress and put my make up on in a hurry.

“How can I help you, sergeant?” I asked.

“I have some information that I want to share with you and not with the Inspector.” Andrew answered.

“I will answer any question you have.” I said, as I was bound to tell him the truth.

“I need you to tell me if this is one of your teachers’ writing.” He said. “I do not trust the inspector. You do not trust the inspector.” He said. All what he said was wright, but I was questioning the police and he was one of them.

“I do not trust you.” I said.

“You have to if you want not to end up in prison.” Andrew said.

“Come in, then.” I replayed to what he said.

I let him in and closed the door. He went into the living room and I followed.

“You need to explain some things to me, sergeant.” I told him.

“Yes, Miss. I will explain everything, but first, can you call me Andrew when we are alone?” he asked me.

“If I call you Andrew, you should call me Christie.” I replayed.

“I feel that the inspector is hiding something from all of us. I can’t see his file and that is unusual for a cop. And I realised that you recognised the writing on these files.” He put the files next to my glass of wine.

“I did recognise the writing on these papers. James Mortimer was the protégée of one of our older professors, but I didn’t have time read what those papers say. Do you want a glass of wine?” I ended my speech. Brake

“I would like one. Those papers are for the psychological test to be able to teach at the university.” He answered.

I went to the library and took another glass of wine.

“I guess I was right. He was crazy.” I said as I walk back to the table. “But what why am I to be blamed for his murder?” I asked him as I was pouring him some wine.

“I don’t know exactly, but I think that the inspector is trying to help someone close to him.”

“I am such an idiot.” I said before I took a zip from my glass of wine and I put myself on the sofa, nest to Andrew.

“You don’t have to say that, Christie. I think you are really observant and really intelligent.” He said.

“I was too harsh when I spoke about Mortimer and, if you are correct, the inspector would like to see me in prison.” I said.

I was a little bit worried. I was staring in front of me I did not realised the fact that Andrew was holding my hand. When I realised it, I squished his hand harder.

“It will be alright, Christie.” He said. I look at him and I saw him so calm it rose a little bit my nerves.

“You won’t go to prison because some detective wants to send you.” I said, as calmly as I could and I rose up from the sofa.

He was left speechless. I was right, but I didn’t have to yell at him, or so I thought.

“I am sorry if I was impertinent. I am afraid.” I said and I moved towards him. He took my hand into his hand and look into my eye.

“It will be alright. I will protect you.” He said while he rose and hugged. I started to cry the next moment when I felt his hands around my waist. I felt a little bit like home, like I was hugged once before by those hands. “Cry, C. Cry.” No one called me C, but A, my friend from Kent. He was the younger son of the Earl of Kent and he was the only one that I cried in front ever. He was my stone, but he disappeared. After that year when I found he left, I didn’t go back in Kent.

“A? Is that you?” I asked him while I was my chick was on his chest.

“Yes. I am. I’ve missed you so much.” He said. “I’ve lost track of every friend of mine from Kent.”

“I did not go to Kent after you left. I wish I hadn’t make that decision.” I said. I raised my head and I saw his friendly eyes. How could I had be so stupid? He was right in front of me and I did not see my friend in almost twenty years.

Now, he was again in front of me, as my friend. This is why I can trust him. This is why he asked me to trust him. He recognised me.

We hugged once more and after that we parted from each other.

“Now, we need to find out why the inspector wants to change you with murder.”

“Well… there was a girl on the hall that resembled my collage who had a relationship with him. Do you know who she is?” I asked.

“No… the inspector is really private about his live and everyone thinks that he is hiding something horrible. I can’t go and ask him.”

“I know… but how about to find out what he is hiding thru detective work.” I said. “I can ask around.”

“You are the prime suspect in the eyes of the police, or in the eyes of those who believe the inspector. You can’t just go and ask around.”

“Well, I don’t need to ask around about the inspector’s life. I can go and ask around about Mortimer’s life. I have no idea about his life. Do you?”

“No, I don’t. The inspector is keeping any information hidden from me. I can look into the files when he is not studying them.”

“That might be impossible. I think that the reason the inspector wants me in prison is in those files, so he won’t let them go as easy as we might think. We must find another way.” I said. “I can ask around about Mortimer at the University.”

“Yes, you can, but the evidence that you will discover might be destroyed in court because the detective might say that you brought those to exonerate yourself because you killed him.”

“But if I the evidence is brought by someone else in court? He can’t say that I paid them to wrongly testify for me.” I said.

“I will find out what I can in the office and we will create a solid case that you are not guilty.” Andrew said. “No one should know that we know each other. That is for the best.”

“I know. You should go now.” I said, even if I wanted him to stay and to talk about our lives. There were twenty years of our lives that went by without knowing what happened to us.

He left the apartment and my day went by as it should have, me drinking wine and watching a Christmas movie, because Christmas is coming.

No texts, no phone calls, no one interested in what I am doing or how I am coping with the fact that I might go to prison for a crime I didn’t commit.

The next day I went to the University’s Library to study for a test that I had on Friday, but my head was spinning around the fact that Mortimer was dead and I was framed for his murder.

My phone vibrated and I saw that Catharine’s number on my phone screen. She was calling me to find out the newest gossip in town, but I wasn’t in the mood mainly because I was the gossip.

After one hour my phone vibrated again and I saw a text from a number that I hadn’t on my phone.

<<It is I, Andrew. This is my personal phone number. Last night was amazing. See you tonight at your place?>> I knew he was just pretending to have a relationship or something like that with me, so no one will bother looking to his text went to.

<<Of course. 8pm>> I answered with no hope that he had good news for me.