Part 23 (1/2)

Apparently, thought Jane, if he hears anything contradictory to what he's already established as correct, someone has to come back and explain it away.

Chapter 20

The next witness was Roz Peel.

Throughout the ordeal of the hearing, Roz had been the sparkplug of the outfit. Her high spirits and unquenchable optimism lifted the whole group of witnesses.

Here was a young woman who had known severe adversity in her life which she had battled and continued to battle.

Few knew the particulars because she was a very private person.

She didn't feel that anything was accomplished by bleeding all over other people about her own troubles. It was much better for her and others to be positive and upbeat.

When she identified herself and was sworn, she told the panel that she was a full-time student in the College of Agriculture and worked part-time at the Belmont print shop.

A pet.i.te woman in her late twenties, she sat back in her chair, larger than life and twinkled merrily at the panel. Her good humor was so contagious that the panel, as one, smiled back at her.

She readily confirmed the testimony of Jennifer, announcing clearly that she was present when the conversation with Lyle took place.

”He said many times that no student evaluations had ever been sent to the doc.u.ment examiners. When we asked him how he knew beforehand that none of the ones he was sending were student's, he replied that he knew who had written them before they were sent away to be a.n.a.lyzed.”

Diana asked her to think carefully, ”Are you sure that he meant that he knew this before the doc.u.ments were sent and not as a result of the report of the doc.u.ment examiners?”

Roz's reply was good natured but firm. ”Yes, I am certain.

We asked him the question several times because we found his answer a little odd, I mean, why would he bother to have them a.n.a.lyzed if he knew who wrote them?

”He said clearly, more than once, that no student evaluations had been sent because he knew beforehand who had written the ones sent.”

”Did he have any opinion on why I would do such a thing?” prompted Diana.

”He said you had a psychological problem. He inferred that you were sick but he was not a psychologist so he couldn't define it.”

”How did he conduct himself during your conversation?”

”He was very angry and seemed threatened by us.

I backed away many times when he raised his voice and shouted.

I thought it was a little strange that two undergraduate women would be a threat to him--maybe he needs psychological help!”

Roz turned to the panel with a big smile to share the joke with them.

Diana placed her hand firmly against her mouth and looked down at her notes until the bubble of mirth that threatened to overcome her had dissipated, then continued with her questioning.

”On a different subject now--do you have any contact with medical students?”

”Yes. Working right in the medical building as I have for the last three years, I get to know a lot of them.”

”Last year, during the first semester--that would be from September through December--do you recall any impressions you might have gotten as to their feelings about the radiology course?”

”Yes. They felt that the professors knew very little about what they were teaching so it was a waste of time to go to lectures.”

”Now,” interposed Henry, ”we are getting into secondhand information and we should be hearing from the medical students themselves.”

”Fine,” rejoined Diana. ”If you can get them over here, do that.