Easy As Falling Off A Bike pt 2401

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The Daily Dormouse.
(aka Bike, est. 2007)
Part 2401
by Angharad

Copyright© 2014 Angharad
All Rights Reserved.
  
Bike cover.jpg

“I can’t believe these men are so stupid,” said Stella putting down the Guardian in an untidy heap.

“Which men are these, then?” I asked frowning at her indifference to my paper and I hadn’t seen it yet.

“The Israelis and Palestinians—why can’t they talk out their differences?”

“Perhaps their differences are too great to bridge.”

“Oh come off it, nothing can be that great.”

“If you’re dealing with fanatics you can’t talk with them because they run on pure emotion,” perhaps that should have been impure emotion because much of it is based upon hatred and anger.

“Aren’t most decisions based upon emotional things?”

“So they say.”

“Not sure I believe them,” so Stella was a sceptic was she.

“So what would you like for lunch, ladies?” asked David.

“I fancy...”

“See, an emotional decision.”

“Huh, hardly compares to Arabs and Israelis slinging high explosive about.”

“That’s emotional too, they’re both frightened the other will steal a march on each other plus they’re trying to keep even hotter heads on board.”

“It’s all pathetic.”

“I agree, it’s pointless but like the badger cull, done to appear to be offering a solution, even if it seems to be very short term.”

“There’ll never be peace out there,” was David’s opinion.

I was tempted to answer, ‘as long as people think that there won’t be one.’

“What about all these paedos, then?”

I was about to ask what he meant when my mobile rang. “Can ye come into thae university?”

“When?”

“As soon as ye like.”

“What now?”

“I ken noo why we gave ye a doctorate.”

“Sarcasm doesn’t become you, Daddy.”

“No? Weel get yer arse doon here noo.”

He rang off and I thought I’d better show willing, he is my boss after all. I left David and Stella squabbling about lunch and the Middle east, neither of which seemed presently soluble. I parked in the staff car park displaying my permit and went in search of Tom.

He was in his office with a newspaper tossed onto the floor, I picked it up and saw the story he’d been reading before he threw it down. I could see a headline about police prosecuting six hundred paedophiles. He saw me squinting at it, “Ye’d better read it.”

“What’s going on, Daddy?”I wasn’t sure I needed any further intrigues at the moment.

“Read yon article.”

I did, apparently the National Crime Agency had arrested over six hundred people who’d been viewing or collecting child pornography, this included doctors, teachers, carers, scout masters and a host of others. One doctor apparently had over a million pictures of children some of whom were being abused.

“Okay, it’s pretty sick but you didn’t drag me in here to tell me about it, did you?”

“Remember those images they planted on yer computer?”

“I didn’t actually see any of them.”

“They were doonloaded on oor computers.”

“What Emma’s computer?”

“No, thae dean’s.”

“What?”

“Ye heard me.”

“How would she get access to his computer?”

“It could happen.”

“So what’s happened?”

“He’s been arrested an’ taken for questionin’.”

“You don’t think he did it?”

“Och, I dinna ken whit tae think ony mair.”

“You don’t actually think he downloaded them, do you?”

He looked very sad and shrugged.

“Surely you can’t believe the dean is into abusing children?”

“I dinna ken whit tae believe.”

“So how long is this going to take, before they realise he’s innocent.”

“He’s been suspended indefinitely.”

“But surely they’ll realise it was a mistake?”

“Hoo wud I ken?”

“Sad this may be, what’s it got to do with me?”

“I’ve a favour tae ask ye.”

Here we go, how do I say no without hurting his feelings? “What?”

“I want ye tae stand in f’ me.”

“Stand in for you—where?”

“Here—I want ye to become actin’ professor o’ biological sciences.”

“What are you going to be doing?”

“Actin’ dean.”

“For how long?”

“Tae keep things tickin’ over until we can sort oorsel’s oot.”

“I—uh...”

“Ye’ll be paid f’ it.”

That was the least of my problems and I told him so. “I’m sure there are others who must be more deserving than I.”

“I want tae keep things as they are.”

“Ah, but I might have ideas of my own.”

“Aye, sae ye micht—but ye’ll sit tight.”

“Will the university council approve it? I mean me acting up?”

“Wha d’think proposed you?”

“You I expect, Daddy.”

“Aye, well think again because it wisnae me,” that surprised me.

“I’m rather inexperienced to be a professor.”

“Aye well this’ll gie ye experience.”

“What about the woodland centre?”

“Whit aboot it?”

“Wasn’t that my priority before all this happened?”

“Ye’ll hae tae let Dan act f’ ye, he kens whit ye want.”

“I’d have preferred to do it myself as director.”

“Ye hae tae learn tae delegate. Yer responsibility is tae protect thae department’s budget and reputation.”

“But I’ve never done that sort of thing before.”

“Time ye learnt then. Ye can run a household, so ye can run a department.”

“What? That’s hardly a real comparison is it?”

“Jest a question o’ scale, principle’s thae same.”

“Scale, you’ve a budget of millions, my budget for housekeeping is hundreds occasionally thousands.”

“Whit’s thae problem?”

“I’m still trying to get my head round all this, it’s all a bit much for one brain cell to deal with. The responsibility to start.”

“Yer a bank director, ye control millions if not billions o’ people’s money, this will be a cakewalk.”

“Some cake,” I muttered and he snorted.

“Richt,” he said glancing at his watch, “ye can tak me tae lunch tae celebrate.”

We agreed we wouldn’t talk about things academic over lunch, which gave me a chance to air my concerns about Neal. “I cannot believe he would either kill or drive Gloria to kill herself, even if he had doubts about the paternity of their daughter.”

“No, but it micht hae played on her mind, especially if there were some groonds f’ question.”

“I couldn’t see Gloria having someone else, can you?”

“Ye’d ken mair o’ that being a lassie, but I’d hae tae agree wi’ ye, it seems oot o’ character.”

“What about Neal then? Surely, you can’t believe what they’re saying about him?”

“He’s a deep ain an’ a man wha feels deceived can get awfy upset.”

“I know he’s got a bit of a temper, but killing or precipitating her suicide is something else and I’d have thought would require some time to plan, not the actions of an angry man.”

“Och, we’ll mak a scientist o’ ye yet,” he grinned but I suspect he was feeling anything but jocular given the potential for two scandals to hit the university at the same time. No wonder he wants me to head the department, he feels he can trust me—goodness, I hope I don’t mess up—oh poo, I feel sick. I ran out to the toilets only just making it in time. I watched the lettuce from my tuna salad floating on top of the water through tear filled eyes. I just hoped I could cope.

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Comments

It ne'er rains..

Podracer's picture

But it floods, I hope Cathy can cope. Perhaps some family support? She never seems to expect it.

The Dean. I can't think of this office any more without thinking of the Unseen University.

"Reach for the sun."

Pin point

The way I understand this culling of the child pornographers is that they were 'caught in the act' of exchanging information and only being the tip of the iceberg as such.
If this is true then there could be more than just coincidence in the arrest.

Over here across the pond.

I was given the information by a Homeland Security bloke, that the majority of the budget is spent on apprehending human traffickers. It seems that those who terrorize are also into the slave trade, and drugs. Hmmm Not a surprise to me.

Gwen

perhaps some of Cathy's intrepid and brilliant family

can help out a bit. Should be able to figure out when the pictures were put on the machines. (even if the dates are hacked)

of course going farther with this could expose Cathy since she'd admit that her computer had the images on it. Probably a way around that I suppose.

Cathy's reaction...

shows she's the perfect person for the job. Now to convince her the job is "perfect for her."

Oh, myyy

Seems they don't have "assistant chairs" over there... But, this combination of problems is quite interesting.

I do wonder what the story is with the Dean - and whether he's being attacked (like Cathy was) to hurt the Uni... Or if he actually did download the kiddy porn. :-( Sucky to think about.

As to running the Department... I'm sure Cathy can do that. The hardest thing will be finding someone to teach Tom's class - and some of hers. LOL... Over here, it's not uncommon for someone fairly "young" to end up as the chair of a deparment... Sometimes they do a good job, sometimes not.

I'm looking forward to what happens next!

Annette

I have alot of catching up to do

I started on part on about twp weeks ago and im on part 246, will I ever catch up? I still have 6 years of posts to. Catch up on.


Good luck girl!!!

You'll have an interesting journey.

I'm still lovin' it.

bev_1.jpg

GUILTY UNTILL PROVEN INNOCENT

I am not in any way trying to play down the harm child porno does. It is insidious and truly evil. But we have started executing peoples careers and there reputations by acting with out thought. This is the same stupidity here in the USA where rather than investigate performing the proper computer Forensics to determine when and how the files were loaded onto the computer. The authorities no longer have to answer if they are wrong.

I hope the evidence does not imprison an innocent person. May be Catherin's ability's can force the truth to surface.

Huggles

Michele

With those with open eyes the world reads like a book

celtgirl_0.gif

I believe Cathy will do an

I believe Cathy will do an amazing job. She is just so unsure of herself, that she needs a "good swift kick" sometimes and Tom is just the one who can give it to her and get away with it.
I don't know how much has changed regarding the laws; but I do remember a pedo that we had in a Federal prison for this type crime, and all he got was a 4 year sentence. This was back in the early 1980s. Needless to say, he was not the most favorite inmate on the compound.

It does seem

to be a little strange that the Dean's computer has been found to contain those nasty images, Strange in the sense that the original idea was to get revenge on Cathy, Maybe the plotters also had a grievience against the Dean too, The alternative answer is not a pleasant one to contemplate, Whatever the answer it does seem that life has once again taken a turn for Cathy, Whether that different path is for better or worse only time will tell..

Kirri

nervous breakdown

Im surprised that Cathy hasn't has a nervous breakdown. how can she juggle all these things at the same time ?