Free Grey Dawn by Clea Simon Page B

expression. Nancy was referring to the pressure of knowing the Newmans were starting, Dulcie knew. But Dulcie couldn’t help wonder if the waxing moon had played a role as well. At any rate, her stomach was growling loud enough to be audible over the crowd. Before she could go in search of dinner, however, she had a mission. ‘Is Professor Lukos here?’
    â€˜I don’t know if he’s arrived yet.’ The motherly secretary stood on her toes, trying to see over the crowd.
    â€˜Is that whom you’re looking for?’ Dulcie caught herself. ‘And, may I help in any way?’
    That won her a warm smile. ‘No, dear. You go have fun. I was actually looking for one of our students. She said she was going
to drop by tonight, but she was a little nervous, and I promised to introduce her around. Maybe the crush was too much for her.’
    A bad feeling came over Dulcie. ‘One of our female students is missing?’ She swallowed the lump in her throat. ‘Who?’
    â€˜Not missing, dear. Just – not here. I believe you know her. She’s an undergrad. Emily Trainor?’
    It couldn’t be coincidence. Another woman, the room-mate of last night’s victim. Had something happened to Emily? Dulcie looked around. Neither Thorpe nor the charismatic Lukos were here, which meant either could be out there … in the moonlight. Without responding, Dulcie turned and left.
    â€˜There you are!’ Raleigh and Lloyd seemed to have made up – over sherry. Raleigh was red cheeked, her flush strangely pretty against her dark auburn hair. On Lloyd, it was less appealing, possibly because he had a greater face to hair ratio. But despite Dulcie’s murmured refusal, he reached behind him and grabbed two more plastic cups of the sweet drink.
    â€˜Did you find him?’ Lloyd asked, handing her one. ‘Lukos?’ At the sound of his name, Raleigh made a face.
    â€˜No,’ Dulcie took the cup, but kept trying to see past her friends. ‘I’m actually looking for a junior who’s in one of my sections. Emily, Emily Trainor. Nancy is trying to find her.’
    Lloyd shook his head. ‘Who could tell, in this crowd. Oh, wait!’
    An excited murmur had them all turning toward the front of the room. The door had opened, letting in a blast of cold air – and the visiting scholar. For a moment, he stood in the doorway,
and Dulcie could see how the moonlight illuminated his dark curls. Then he stepped inside, and the room exploded in cheers and applause. Raising one hand in a general greeting, he nodded and smiled, but seemed more interested in ducking off into a side room than greeting his admirers.
    â€˜There he is.’ Dulcie looked around for a place to jettison the sherry. The surge of the crowd had moved them forward, however, and once again she ended up downing the sticky drink.
    â€˜Go get him.’ Raleigh was laughing. Dulcie, however, was serious as she pushed her way through her colleagues back into the room she had just left. She found Lukos there, leaning in toward Nancy. Although he was surrounded by a wall of admiring students, the two seemed to be having a private and very serious conversation.
    â€˜If he hurt Emily …’ Dulcie realized she was speaking out loud when one of the admiring throng turned toward her. It was Tom Jones-Smith, the department’s Anglo-Saxon star, and from the look on his boyfriend’s face, he’d succumbed to the visiting scholar’s appeal. ‘Tom, may I?’ Ryan gladly pulled his partner back, allowing Dulcie to move in closer.
    â€˜Worried …’ That was all Dulcie heard before Nancy saw her, and turned toward her with a smile that was patently false. ‘Why, Dulcie, here he is. Professor Lukos? Have you met Dulcie Schwartz? She’s one of our top graduate students.’ Dulcie vaguely heard what Nancy was telling the visitor. Something about the newly discovered