Murder and Mayhem in Cedar Falls. Walter Wittmuss

      Chapter One

      “Ten miles to Cedar Falls,” the road sign said.

      Ten miles closer to a new life, I told myself as I drove down the two-lane state highway in my vintage Cadillac convertible. A new job, a new town, a new life…

      The green countryside of cornfields, soybean fields, and lush green pastures filled with herds of dairy cows flashed by on either side of the highway. The fifty-five-mile-an-hour wind whipped my brown hair. The rolling hills of the Midwest was a refreshing change from the flat terrain of North Texas.

      Then ten minutes later, a sign proclaiming “Cedar Falls” came into view. I slowed down as I entered the Cedar Fall’s town limits. Another sign directed me where to turn to find Duncan College. I drove past nice, tidy houses with well-kept lawns.

      A large three-story building of gray stone came into view. A curved half-circle drive with parking slots graced the area between the building and the street. Bushes and a large sign reading “DUNCAN COLLEGE” in bold letters and “Administration Building” in smaller letters filled the space between the street and drive. I turned into the drive, drove up to the building, and parked in one of the slots. I grabbed my briefcase and patted my Cadillac affectionately as I exited it. I climbed the Administration Building’s steps.

      As was the case in most hollowed halls of universities, colleges, or other institutions of higher education, it would have been dreary and oppressive but for the modern ceiling lights, which helped to a degree. Silence hung like a heavy cloud in the building’s interior. Most of the office doors I could see had light shining through their frosted windows. I picked the office that had “Chancellor” written on its glass in black letters. I knocked. A female’s voice told me to come in. I opened the door to find myself in an outer office with a good-looking middle-aged woman seated behind an uncluttered desk.

      “May I help you, sir?” she inquired sweetly.

      “Maybe. I’m Professor Brennon. I wanted to let the proper people know I had arrived.”

      “I don’t quite understand, Professor,” she said, puzzled.

      “I am the new astrology professor. I have a letter in my briefcase that would explain everything if you would like to see it.”

      “No, that won’t be necessary. Pretty much everybody knows you are coming, but just a few know what your name is. Let me be the first to welcome you to Duncan College. Now, you need to go to the dean’s office. He is the one who takes care of the academic part. His office is four doors down and to the right of our office. And good luck, Professor.”

      “Thank you very much, and you have a nice day.”

      I stepped out of the office. My footsteps echoed on the highly polished tile floor. I went past the Admissions Office, the Boys’ Guidance Counselor’s Office, and the Girls’ Guidance Counselor’s Office before coming upon the Dean’s Office. I knocked and again was told to enter. A younger and pretty girl sat behind a desk, brightening my day.

      “Yes, sir. What can I do for you?” she asked.

      “I’m Professor Brennon. I’m heading up the Astrology Department. I just got into town and wanted to check in.”

      “Oh, Professor Brennon,” she said in a warm voice. “We’ve been expecting you. Please have a seat, and I’ll let Dean Hawks know that you have arrived.” Then she said into the intercom, “Mr. Hawks, Professor Brennon is here to see you.” After a short pause, she turned back to me. “You can go in now, Professor.”

      “Thank you,” I said.

      “Professor Brennon,” Dean Hawks said with gusto when I entered his office. He stood up and stretched out his hand as I approached his desk. I shook his offered hand. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you in person after all the correspondence. I hope you had a good trip?”

      “Yes, sir. It was a long drive but a good one.”

      “You didn’t have any trouble finding Cedar Falls?”

      “No, sir. It was right where the map said it would be.”

      “Yes,” he said a little dryly. Apparently, he didn’t appreciate my brand of humor all that much. “Have you gotten your living arrangements worked out, or do you need some assistance on finding something?”

      “Thank you for the offer of assistance, but I had an uncle pass away recently, and he left me his house and property in town. I will be living there.”

      “Good. The first semester starts in three weeks. Will that be enough time for you to get all your supplies and teaching material in?”

      “I believe so. If I understand your letter correctly, Mr. Hawks, I will be starting this department from scratch.”

      “You understand it correctly, Professor Brennon. The great-granddaughter of the college founder, just like he did, has a very deep interest in astrology. She feels that with all the advances in space exploration, astrology is a very important subject. Since she is the chairperson on the school’s board of regents, she can add the course to the college’s curriculum. While it was her great-grandfather that built the observatory, it was her who has had the most modern telescope installed in it. Here are the keys to your classroom and to the observatory. If there is anything else I can help you with, just let me know.”

      “Thank you very much, Mr. Hawks. The only other thing I need right now is a map of the campus.”

      “You can get one in the Admissions Office.”

      “One other thing. To whom and where do I turn in my list of supplies?”

      “All school supplies are ordered and picked up at the Maintenance Building. Just look for