Midnight Betrayal (Midnight #3)(37)

Louisa’s phone buzzed. “Excuse me.”

She got up from the table, went outside, and answered the call on the sidewalk.

She returned a few moments later and slid her phone into her purse. “Xavier English is the professor of Celtic studies. He comes to the museum frequently. He’s also Zoe’s mentor. Professor English will talk to us if we meet him off campus. He doesn’t want us to let anyone know he’s speaking with you.”

“I can understand that. Where does he want to meet?”

“He’s coming here. It’s dark enough, and he can always claim I didn’t tell him you were here,” Louisa said.

“How did you convince him to come?”

“I told him I thought you were innocent.”

“And that was enough?”

She raised a shoulder. “He said he wants to decide for himself.”

Ten minutes later, the door opened. Louisa half stood and waved to a man in the doorway. With a nod, he threaded through the tables to their booth. Professor English wasn’t the old geek Conor expected. Fiftyish, the professor was six feet tall and athlete-fit. His salt-and-pepper hair was thick and cut short. He wore jeans and a button-up shirt.

He greeted Louisa with a warm smile and a handshake.

She introduced him to Conor. “Thanks for coming all the way over here, Xavier.”

He sat next to her. “I’m worried about Zoe too. Punctuality might not be her strength, but running a little behind isn’t the same thing as missing classes and her work at the museum. That’s not like her. But do you really think she’s been abducted? It seems so unreal. The police have been all over campus the last two days.” Xavier’s eyes flickered to Conor. “The picture of you on the news doesn’t look much like you.”

Conor shrugged. “It’s old, and my face was beat to shit.”

“Why should I believe you’re not guilty?” Xavier asked.

“I never met Zoe before Monday night,” Conor said. “And isn’t that backward? What happened to innocent until proven guilty?”

“The police think they have enough evidence to make you the lead suspect,” Xavier said. “They’re showing your picture around the college and asking everyone if they’ve seen you.”

“What if Conor didn’t do it, Xavier?” Louisa twisted in her seat to face him. “And the police are focusing their investigation on him? They won’t find Zoe.”

Xavier’s eyes weren’t 100 percent persuaded, but enough doubt lingered for Conor to plow ahead.

“When was the last time you saw Zoe?” he asked.

“Monday morning. I mentor four students. Zoe, her roommate, Isa, plus two undergraduates.” Xavier laced his fingers. “I like to meet with the graduate students every couple of weeks. Both Zoe and Isa have a lot going on this year.”

“Isa received the Pendleworth grant, is that correct?”

“Yes, and she’s my teaching assistant as well this year.” Xavier’s casual smile faded. “I’d hoped to groom Zoe for the job next year.”

“Zoe’s young for a TA position,” Louisa said.

“Young, yes, but dedicated to her studies. Frankly, she’s one of the brightest students I’ve ever taught.” He frowned. “I sometimes wonder, though, about the pressure she’s under.”

“What do you mean?” Conor asked.

“Well, Zoe is only twenty-one. She doesn’t have many close friends. Most of her classmates are at least three years her senior. Socially, that’s a large gap. Even though I’ve only been mentoring her since the start of the term, I’ve gotten glimpses that she isn’t always happy.” Xavier rested his forearms on the table. “I think she’s lonely. Until recently, her age kept her from joining the others when they would go out for beers after class.”

Louisa nodded. “She was very excited about her birthday. I got the feeling she thought it would be a magic ‘in’ to the social scene.”

“That’s not very realistic,” Conor said.

Xavier shrugged. “Their IQs don’t make them more emotionally mature. In fact, I find it’s often quite the opposite. Frequently, other children have shunned them from a young age. Plus, if they’ve been allowed to skip grades, like Zoe, their age is a definite detriment. Three years doesn’t seem like a big deal at twenty-four, but in the lower grades, the gap might as well be the social Grand Canyon. What high school senior is going to invite a fifteen-year-old to her graduation party? Some of the brightest kids haven’t had close friendships. They aren’t good at reading social cues, and they have little experience interacting with their peers. They are easily taken advantage of. Frankly, Zoe would be an obvious target for a predator.”

“How mature is she?” Conor asked.

“She’s just as emotionally volatile as any other twenty-one-year-old girl. In fact, on Monday, she was distracted, a very unusual state for her. I was concerned. Part of a mentor’s job is to make sure the kids haven’t overextended themselves. When I asked if everything was all right, she mentioned that she had a date, but she seemed nervous about it. I could be wrong. Maybe she was just excited. We didn’t discuss it beyond me making sure it wasn’t a school-related issue.” Xavier put his hands on his knees and pushed to his feet. “I have to get back. I hope someone finds her. I hope she’s not . . .” He let the implication trail off.