Lessons in Exposing a Deadly Alias by Cochrane Charlie

Author:Cochrane, Charlie
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The Right Chair Press
Published: 2023-12-04T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

Wednesday afternoon, Orlando was fighting combined feelings of boredom, guilt and pleasing productivity as he sat in a small, oppressive lecture hall. Boredom because the meeting he was attending—supposedly about areas that students needed to be taught concerning mathematical developments—was rapidly turning into a battle of egos between two of the dons. At first the conflict had proved amusing, but the entertainment had soon soured. Orlando contemplated getting up and leaving in a marked manner, although he didn’t want to be the first to make such a definitive move, so decided to begin crafting his letter to Buttler, on the principle that if something important was mentioned in the discussion, his sub-conscious would surely alert him.

The task would perhaps prove as tricky as refereeing the contest between the two warring fellows, as Orlando would need to weigh each word’s value in terms of reducing the chance of the missive being thrown in the dustbin unanswered. Several drafts might be needed to produce a reasonable epistle. He’d begin with an apology for contacting Buttler out of the blue, then he’d state that the man’s name had been mentioned by a colleague who sometimes flew from Hendon and that mention had struck a chord of coincidence with the master on whose behalf Orlando was writing. He could say that in all honesty, having obtained permission that very morning. He’d also given Dr Peters a brief report about their progress so far, which had gone some way to relieving the master’s mind. As he confessed, a below-par Panesar set all the college’s balance out of kilter.

In the communication with Buttler, Orlando would truthfully state that Dr Peters had received a letter from someone purporting to be a John Buttler, although it appeared to be a different one to the man he was addressing. He’d then make a sombre reference to the dead pupil at Hodnet and would say he was writing on the admittedly unlikely chance that some light could be shed on the matter. He would say he appreciated such a stratagem was drawing a bow at a venture, but anything that Buttler knew, however trivial, might prove useful to put the college authorities minds at rest, as it could fit in with the other information they had. Orlando would emphasise the seriousness of the matter and the likelihood of a fraud being perpetrated, given the proof they held that the letter came from someone using an alias.

It would be useful if he managed to work in a slight hint that they were trying to protect both of the real John Buttlers, in case someone was utilising their names on a wider basis, although he wouldn’t give much detail on that aspect in a first letter. Who knew what a reply would bring and how the correspondence might develop. He would also allude to the newspaper advertisements as a means of locating him, thus providing an explanation for them. He had to bear in mind that if Buttler had anything to

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