The primary aim of the "Novel Excerpts" blog category is to showcase my creative writing, specifically from the novels I've written. Hopefully, these posts will provide a glimpse into my storytelling style, themes, and narrative skills. It's an opportunity to share my artistic expressions and the worlds I've created through my novels.
The Case of the Perfectionist Professor, written in 2018, is my sixth novel. I'll post a chapter a day over the next few weeks.
Book Blurb
Late on New Year’s Eve in the small town of Boaz, Alabama, Snead State Community College teacher Adam Parker was found dead slumped over in his car. A preliminary investigation indicated the fifty-year-old biology professor died of a heart attack. Marissa Booth, Adam’s daughter and Vanderbilt School of Divinity professor, didn’t agree.
Four days later, Marissa hired the local private detective firm of Connor Ford to investigate her father’s death. She declared local police officer Jake Stone had likely murdered her father. She pointed Ford to a multi-month Facebook feud between Adam and several local people, including Stone and Boaz City Councilman Lawton Hawks. The controversy allegedly related to Adam’s research that contended that, in layman’s terms, long-term indoctrination caused actual genetic mutations that directly affected future generation’s ability to reason.
Over the next year, Connor Ford discovered multiple and independent sources of motivation to quiet and possibly murder the controversial professor. Ford learned that a civil lawsuit and widespread public outcry had effectively run Adam out of Knoxville, where he was a biology professor for over thirteen years. Ford also learned that Adam had become the number one enemy of Roger Williams, a self-made local businessman, and his son Alex, who is a Republican candidate for governor of Alabama. Adam had discovered Alex and Glock, Inc., the Austrian-based gun manufacturer, was exploring not only the possibility of setting up a large facility in Boaz but also supplying pistols for Alex’s highly touted and controversial ‘arm the teachers’ proposal.
Connor Ford has his hands full enough with these suspects. Add in his need to determine whether Lawton Hawks and Jake Stone are friends or foes of Roger and Alex, which accentuate the pressure no normal small-town private detective can handle.
Will Connor’s discovery there is a link between Dayton, Tennessee, and the 1929 Scopes Monkey trial and a rogue group of CIA operatives bend Connor and his two associates to the breaking point?
Read this mystery/thriller to find out if Adam Parker was murdered and how, and what role the long-standing controversy between science and religion had in destroying the life of a single perfectionist professor.
Chapter 21
Camilla and I had spent the entire weekend together. Saturday was her once-per-month Saturday to be off. We had spent the day clearing off our garden spot and cutting up an old oak that had fallen across the long-winding driveway. Sunday was beautiful, and we had finally gotten to have our DeSoto Falls picnic. A real blessing had arrived on Monday. Camilla’s apartment manager had called and asked if she was going to renew her lease. If not, there was a family desperate for a one-bedroom even though they had two elementary-aged children. After discussing with me, I was able, along with a phone call from Emily, to convince Camilla to not renew but instead to move in at Hickory Hollow. We had spent nearly all day yesterday clearing out her apartment and placing most of her furniture into storage. Wednesday morning came too early. I was sore and stiff and needed my morning walk, but an early morning appointment made that impossible.
At 6:00 a.m., I was sitting at my desk waiting for Paige and Natalie. Paige had called late Monday afternoon and asked if we could meet. The reason for the early time was they both had an eight o’clock class at Snead. I was glad Paige had called. I too had something to talk about, thankful for Blair’s hard work.
Just after the back door dinged I heard, “Connor, you here?” It sounded like Paige. I had told them to come in the rear entrance.
“In here. I’ve got coffee ready.” I walked down the hallway and met them before they passed the kitchen on their right. “Good morning ladies. I’ll let you prepare your own coffee.” They did and we walked back to the conference room.
“Sorry, if I seem a little groggy. I’m beat from yesterday’s physical work.” I said.
“Maybe Camilla will give you a back rub tonight.” Natalie chimed in.
“Do you know Camilla?” I asked.
“She’s now my favorite at Serenity. I was using Barbara but last time I went, a couple of weeks ago, she was busy.” Paige said, looking at Natalie and smiling.
“We also know she’s your girlfriend. She’s open about that. Especially, after I told her it was neat having a detective in town.” Natalie said.
“Okay ladies. Why are we here?” I said, once again it seemed I was the one to push a conversation forward.
“There’s something going on with my mom. It’s weird and may not have anything to do with our investigation.” Paige said. I didn’t know exactly what to make of her “our investigation.” I had asked for their help, but we hadn’t discussed anything particular. I think all I had said the time we met was that I might have some more questions.
“Why do you say that?” I asked.
“Peyton’s phone. We looked at her phone. Tell him Paige.” Natalie too was moving the conversation forward.
“Last Saturday afternoon, Mom was in the shower, getting ready to go shopping or something. Natalie had just arrived and told me about seeing her, my mom, with Steven Knott on Thursday, and wanting to know if I thought they might be having an affair.”
“That’s either perceptive or naive. I’m not sure.” I said, looking at Natalie.
“Anyway, Jerry, that’s my adoptive dad, was at the pharmacy so Nat and I looked at her phone. Mom’s as predictable as an ant, leaving it laying around in the open anywhere. She thinks because she has it password protected she’s safe. I won’t tell you how I learned her password.” Paige looked over at Natalie and nodded.
“There was a text from Steven Knott that said, ‘I sent you an email.’ Paige then opened her mom’s Gmail and there was a forwarded email that Steven had received from Erica Williams. It contained a photograph of Alex’s car parked at Natalie’s house.” Paige said.
“The only time he’s ever been to my house was when he came with the check for $50,000 and the agreement for us to sign.” Natalie added, standing up. “I’ve got to have more coffee. Anyone else?”
“Before you go to the kitchen, I assume you are talking about the deal he offered in exchange for your silence over the baby?” I asked.
“Yep.” Natalie said and walked out to refill her coffee cup.”
Paige pulled out her phone and scrolled to a photo of her mom’s phone, including the text and the photo within the email from Steven. “I can’t figure out why Erica would be sending Steven anything, much less that photo. You know he’s the minister of music at First Baptist Church of Christ?”
“Yes, I know.”
“Let me offer a suggestion. I’ve learned that Steven is also a counselor, has a counseling degree, and has been known to ply his little sideline.” I stopped while Natalie walked in trying to balance an over-filled cup. “I’ve heard he, Steven, has been counseling Jake Stone and Sandra Goble. Natalie, do you know anything about that?” I asked.
“No, nothing.”
“Here’s a thought.” Paige reached in her purse and pulled out a small notepad. She then started to draw some squares and rectangles. “My stats teacher says sketching out relationships sometimes helps. Connor, based on what you’re saying, what if Steven was counseling Erica? What if she knows about her philandering husband and maybe even the pregnancy?”
“Possibly. Let me share something Blair, my assistant, found a couple of days ago in Adam Parker’s journals. But first, I must request that we keep all of this to ourselves. I’m still operating on what we discussed a few weeks ago, that you want to find out what happened to Adam Parker. Can we agree?” I asked.
The two girls nodded their heads, and both said at the same time, “of course.”
“What did Blair discover?” Natalie asked.
“I think it was mid-November, last year. Adam had written in his private journal that he had met with Steven Knott. It seems he, Steven, was curious about Adam’s research, asking questions about guns and how to save lives. Adam made one statement that now, after what you’ve shared, seems relevant. ‘Steven has a client with two young children. He is trying to encourage her to take a stand against guns in the house; husband is a gun-loving tyrant.’ The relevance may not be apparent but that’s the way connections start off, seeming unconnected to begin with.” I said.
Natalie reached over and touched my hand as though she needed to say something. “Something seems off. Don’t counselors keep their conversations with their clients confidential? Why then would Steven be sharing this with Paige’s mom?”
“My philosophy professor says that everybody is motivated by self-interest. What if my mom has a special interest in Erica. That’s funny. I didn’t mean to imply a sexual interest, but what if, let’s assume, mom hated Erica and wanted to do her harm?” I liked Paige. She obviously listened in class; she has the makings of a good investigator.
“Or, what if Peyton was trying to help Erica. Maybe, both Steven and Peyton are trying to help Erica. She is the one, sorry Natalie but I must be open, Erica is the one whose husband had an affair and got a young girl pregnant. Wouldn’t that upset her just a little?” I said.
“It could also make her madder than hell?” Natalie said.
For the next thirty minutes or so we brainstormed, particularly trying to figure out if the connections between Peyton, Steven, and Erica, had anything to do with Adam Parker. Said another way, did any one of those three know anything about Parker’s death?
After breakfast, Garrett and I walked the six blocks to First Baptist Church of Christ. He was more excited than I was to watch his daughter debate the charismatic Alex Williams. Garrett had called last night to ask me to attend, what he dubbed, ‘the uncreative debate.’
We arrived early. I wondered if the thing had been canceled. There were two older ladies sitting on the far left side of the auditorium, and Paige and Natalie were with a woman who, at a distance, reminded me of Marissa.
“Come on. I want you to meet Gina.” Garrett said waving her way as she looked up from her conversation.
As we walked down the aisle towards Gina, I saw Jake Stone, Jerry Todd, Steven Knott, and Pastor Caleb enter from the choir room at the back of the auditorium.
“Hey darling. I want you to meet my good friend and breakfast partner.” Garrett said hugging Gina and smiling at Paige and Natalie.
“Hi Gina, I’ve heard a lot about you. Seems your Dad is a big fan.” I said.
“I could be a serial killer and this adorable bear would still love me.” Gina was tall like Marissa, but with a plainer face, not pretty or even femininely handsome. But, she certainly wasn’t ugly. She had straight brown hair, the type that just shines. Her eyes were also brown but darker than her hair. Her face was clean, like it had just been scrubbed. As far as I could tell, she wasn’t wearing any makeup.
“Oh, daughter dear. After this conference everybody will know that you are a serious killer.” Garrett said. I didn’t know what he meant. I suspect he and Gina had some type of inside joke.
“Gina, let us know if you need anything. Natalie and I are heading to the front to pass out your brochures. Thanks again for coming.” Paige said with Natalie nodding in agreement. They walked away but not before picking up a notepad and a stack of, what I assumed were, brochures. I made a mental note to get one for myself.
After a few minutes of Gina quizzing Garrett about family issues, I sat down and watched as the auditorium, surprisingly, filled to nearly half capacity. I could tell by glances from Jake Stone that I had chosen the enemy camp.
Straight up at 9:00 a.m., Pastor Caleb introduced both Gina and Alex. I hadn’t even seen him come in. Apparently, he had been outside in the vestibule, with Paige and Natalie, probably passing out his own brochure, or trying to assess what was going on with his former lover. I obviously was in the assuming mood; for all I knew, the two continued to have an occasional tryst.
After the introductions, Pastor Caleb stated that each guest would make an opening statement, then they would take turns asking each other questions. At 10:30 there would be a fifteen-minute break and then would resume with a time for questions from the audience. He promised the seminar would end by noon.
From the beginning, I was impressed with Gina. She was all professional, which necessarily included her being direct and confident. She laid out how Alex’s idea that Creationism to be taught in Alabama’s public schools was a clear violation of the law. She cited the 2005 landmark legal case, Kitzmiller v. Dover (Pennsylvania) as clear and binding precedent that the teaching of intelligent design (a dressed-up version of Creationism) in public schools was unconstitutional. The reason: the idea is fundamentally religious, not scientific.
Ever since I discovered Adam Parker’s interest in the Scopes Monkey Trial, I had spent quite a bit of time reading about the creationism versus evolution controversy. It seemed there were basically three camps on the subject. One, made up of more liberal and progressive Christians, held to the belief that evolution was true but it had been superintended by God, thus the Genesis version of creationism was metaphor. The second camp held that creationism and evolution were wholly incompatible. The infamous evolutionary geneticist Jerry Coyne of the University of Chicago, was a main champion for this position. Finally, the third camp was populated by what seemed to me a rapidly dwindling crowd of folks like Alex Williams, Pastor Caleb, and an aging group of Southern Baptist fundamentalists; this group obviously held to a literal reading of the creation story as embodied in Genesis.
What Gina talked about clearly reconciled with what I had read. From the beginning of her talk I knew she was rooted smack in the middle of the second camp, anchored to the belief that evolution and creationism were incompatible. Gina spent much of her introduction explaining that the theory of evolution had attained the highest status in science and that it is analogous to the theory of gravity and relativity. This meant, it was well established because of the evidence. Gina also used human evolution as an example of why creationism is simply a mythological story.
She referred everybody to the brochure they were handed to see the fossil record of how modern-day humans had changed from their multi-million-year-old ancestors. Gradually, the prehistoric creature had transformed from apelike to what we are today. She mentioned in detail the discoveries of a creature she referred to as ‘Lucy.’ She was a female skeleton of the hominin species Australopithecus afarensis found in 1974 in Ethiopia by Donald Johansson and Tom Gray. Dating of the geological strata in the Hader Basin indicated the Lucy skeleton was likely more than three million years old.
Gina compared the Lucy discovery to a more recent hominin fossil find in the Rising Star cave in south Africa. Naledi, unlike Lucy, was much younger, probably living two to three hundred thousand years ago. This pre-human species continued to possess apelike characteristics but much less than Lucy. Naledi was much more like modern humans in that the hands suggested finely tuned motor skills. Also, the feet suggested Homo naledi was capable of walking efficiently for long periods. This part of her introduction drew several moans from the crowd. She said, “Science has proven there could not have been a literal Adam and Eve.”
Gina also cited a multitude of discoveries from non-biological science, including geological and cosmological. She said that although science does not yet know exactly how the universe began (if it had a beginning at all) science was still working on it. She was clear that life on earth had begun from a single-celled organism that went on to evolve into millions of different species over the nearly 4.6 billion years the earth had existed. She said that our known universe was at least 13.6 billion years old.
Gina concluded her remarks by expressing the importance of facts. She said science defined a fact (and thus, evidence; as what is true) as any observation that has been repeatedly confirmed and accepted as true; any scientific observation that has not been refuted. She emphasized that in science, truth is never final, for what is accepted as a fact today may be modified or even discarded tomorrow. She said all it takes is for new facts to be discovered that overturns previous facts. Unsurprisingly, her final statement prompted several boos from the crowd. Gina said there was absolutely no evidence the world and life began as the Bible relates. She said that creation as described in Genesis is simply a metaphor and shouldn’t be taken as science. Anyone who takes the story literally is doing so in the face of science which provides facts that are in direct opposition.
Alex’s opening statement revealed why he is likely to become the next governor of Alabama. He knew how to work a crowd. Of course, it was easy when the crowd was your own kith and kin. His first statement, “ladies and gentlemen, Ms. Lane’s statement shows a complete ignorance of our Christian faith. I’m a little surprised that she is also rather ignorant of science. She speaks of truth, well, truth is, the fossils she speaks of just as easily could be those of apes and chimpanzees, having nothing at all to do with humans. Scientists are known for their theories. They make leaps in logic. Ms. Lane knows that if she can ridicule the Bible and say it’s full of falsehoods that her and her liberal friends can say that God also got a lot of other things wrong. That’s when all hell breaks loose. Folks, we get our morals from the Bible. Without it, the world would be in chaos. Without objective morals there wouldn’t be anything wrong. A man could go about robbing and raping whoever he wanted.”
At that moment I heard a voice that sounded eerily like Paige Todd. I heard her say from the back of the auditorium, “isn’t that what the Old Testament calls for?” Brother Caleb stood up and said, “let’s keep our questions until after the break. With that statement I felt the atmosphere shift. I couldn’t put my finger on it but the thought crossed my mind that the Q and A time might be anything but boring.
During the next portion of the seminar or debate the pattern was quickly and easily established. When Alex would ask Gina a question, she responded clearly and tightly, keeping her response to facts and discoveries, and openly confessing when she didn’t know something. Alex’s performance couldn’t have been more different. He really didn’t say anything that me or anyone else present could go and verify. His approach revealed that he certainly wasn’t a scientist. His typical fall back argument was that without faith we cannot know God and that even then, He is mysterious and has chosen not to reveal everything to us yet.
After the break, Jake asked Alex if he believed the right to own guns and to defend ourselves was a God-given right. Alex’s response was quick but seemed disjointed at best. He tried to argue that since man was made in the image of God, that man has the same rights as God if he is being obedient and faithful in his service to his master. Alex said (without citing any example) that God defends Christians all the time, and that ultimately, God will fight the final battle at Armageddon. It appeared Alex wanted to continue but Pastor Caleb, acting as moderator, said, “everyone please, try to keep your questions more on topic. We are here talking about creationism, not about guns.”
About ten minutes later, after both Gina and Alex had responded to a question on how a single-cell organism could have started to exist if it weren’t for God, I noticed a man about Garrett’s age walk in and sit down three rows in front of where we were sitting. It seemed that occurred at the same time there was an absence of questions. Brother Caleb stood up and said, “surely, there are more questions. Folks, this is your time to ask and to learn.”
Another minute or so of silence ensued, then the newest guest stood up and said, “Sorry, I was late, but I have a question if that’s okay.” Caleb seemed to be thankful anyone at this point would ask any question. “I’m Kramer Dickson from Knoxville and have come to Boaz to pick up a few books I loaned several years ago to a dear friend of mine. Many of you would either know him or would have heard of him. He was Professor Adam Parker. Now, to my question, and I’ll direct it to Professor Lane. “Is there a biological basis for religion?” Just as soon as Mr. Dickson mentioned his name, where he was from, and that he was a friend of Adam Parker, I knew he had to be his mentor, and the man who probably had gotten Adam started on his multi-year quest to discover how a person’s environment can alter a person’s genetic code.
The now gracious Alex deferred to Gina and she went into a deep discussion of how likely it was that, to survive out on the savannah, our ancestors learned the hard way. A hunter might hear a rustling in the bushes. If he concluded it was likely the wind, he might become a lion’s supper, but if he concluded it was danger, he might save himself. Gina said this lesson would have been taught to the hunter’s children. So, children learned to listen to their parents and to others in authority. She said her response was certainly abbreviated, but this same scenario likely led to religion. Over time, tribes began to believe that thunder and lightning were signs the gods were disappointed. They associated calamities with forces beyond themselves and they began creating stories of how to please these forces or gods as they were later known to be, including child sacrifice. Again, parents, and those in authority, shared their beliefs with their children and advised them, if they wanted to survive, to listen and follow their beliefs.
Gina said that two to three thousand years ago men began to document their beliefs and thus the Bible was born. She said, until the past fifteen or twenty years, especially in Christian fundamentalism, children tended to adopt the beliefs of their parents. Someone, it may have been Natalie, asked, “what changed, you seemed to indicate that something changed twenty or so years ago?” Gina responded by saying, tersely, “the Internet.” Now, more and more children are growing up with a vast library of information at their fingertips. This change is the single greatest force to overturn centuries of indoctrination.”
The crowd certainly didn’t like Gina’s last word. There were groans and a few cried out, ‘lock her up, that’s pure heresy.’ Pastor Caleb was making every effort to quiet the crowd when I saw Alex jump up out of his chair at the front of the auditorium and rush back toward the entrance of the church. His action seemed to calm the crowd. That’s when I heard two women shouting and screaming. I couldn’t make out much of what they were saying. I did hear, the words, bitch and whore. I stood and watched Alex as he made his way through the door into the vestibule. Everyone else did the same. In just a minute or so the screaming match ceased, and Alex returned to his chair. It was almost 11:45 a.m. Brother Caleb probably did the right thing by concluding the seminar.
Gina didn’t seem phased by what had just happened. She walked down from the stage and started talking with Kramer Dickson. In a few moments Garrett and I joined them. I think Garrett was surprised to learn that Mr. Dickson and Gina had already been talking by phone and email for several weeks. She had invited him to not only drop in at the seminar but to spend a couple of days with her and her father.
During this time, I noticed Jake and Alex talking, along with Pastor Caleb. When they left Alex alone, still sitting in his chair on the stage, I walked over to him. “Alex, what just happened? Who was arguing out front?”
“It seems my dear wife now knows or at least is highly suspicious of Natalie. That was the two of them nearly coming to blows out in the vestibule.” Alex said, looking as though God was either testing him or had left him to the wolves.
“Sorry, but I need to ask you a question. Remember, you promised to help me as much as you could to learn about Adam Parker’s death.” I said.
“Connor, now isn’t a good time. I need to think.”
“You are a busy man. This may just be in your best interest to know what I know. Why did you pay some money to either Steven Knott or Peyton Todd, or both?” I asked.
Alex’s face turned even whiter, if that were possible. “Where on earth did you hear that? That’s a fucking lie.” I always found it very revealing when a supposed man of God used the ‘F’ word. Quite frankly, it is refreshing. It seems to show he is a genuine human.
“I have learned that Peyton sent a text to Steven that said, and I quote, ‘RAW deposit made.’ By the way Alex, I know your initials are RAW.” I said feeling like I had the mighty politician cornered.
“That’s true, but my father and my brother have the very same initials. Have you thought about that? Better put, there’s probably a much better explanation than those letters have something to do with me or my family.” Alex said.
“I shouldn’t have been surprised. I never cease to be amazed at how vulnerable my thinking can be. As Bobby Sorrells always said, you need to always assume there is something relevant you don’t yet know.”
I chose not to pursue my line of questioning any further. I felt sorry for Alex. He was in a quandary. Likely, his lovely Erica now knew about Natalie’s pregnancy, or was highly suspicious. His governorship campaign could be about to blow up in his face, and he was suspected of paying some mystery money to two people he knew he had nothing to do with.
I left the church and drove home, virtually kicking myself for having jumped to a wrong conclusion and feeling depressed over how little progress I was making in discovering what had happened to Professor Adam Parker.
The Pencil Driven Life 