Shadows of Bureaucracy: The Dark Mystery

Chapter 9: Confronting Whitmore

"Why was Professor Blackwood supposed to attend that meeting?" Emily asked, her voice shaky, but her gaze unwavering.

Whitmore sighed, sinking into his chair. "The meeting was about 'The Founding Consortium.' It's a group of faculty members who believe in certain... principles. Blackwood was supposed to give a presentation on his research."

"And why didn't he show up?" Max pressed.

Whitmore hesitated, his eyes darting around the room as if searching for an escape. "I don't know. He said he had some urgent matter to attend to. But I have my suspicions that he was getting cold feet about revealing what he knew."

Lila leaned forward, her eyes narrowing. "What exactly is 'The Founding Consortium'? And why did Blackwood have so many enemies within it?"

Whitmore rubbed his temples, clearly stressed. "The Founding Consortium is a selective group of faculty who share a vision for the future of academia. It's about pushing boundaries, challenging norms, and sometimes, that means stepping on a few toes."

Emily crossed her arms. "And the three professors—Foster, Lang, and Thornton—how do they fit into all of this?"

Whitmore's eyes darkened. "They're key members of The Founding Consortium. Each of them had their own disagreements with Blackwood. Foster believes in the supremacy of emotions over reason. Lang sees the world in stark black and white, good and evil. And Thornton  agrees with Foster, classifying any challenge as trauma. Blackwood's rigid adherence to reason and logic clashed with all of them."

Max nodded, connecting the dots. "So, all three had motives. But who would go as far as to kill him?"

Whitmore shook his head. "I can't say for sure. But I do know that Blackwood was onto something big, something that threatened the very foundation of The Founding Consortium. He had uncovered information that could have brought the whole thing crashing down."

Lila's eyes widened. "Do you think someone within The Founding Consortium silenced him to protect their secrets?"

Whitmore's expression was grave. "It's a possibility. And if that's the case, you're all in danger too. The Founding Consortium won't hesitate to protect itself."

Emily felt a chill run down her spine. "We need to find out what Blackwood knew. Do you have any idea where he might have kept his research?"

Whitmore hesitated again, then finally spoke. "He had a private study in his home. If he kept anything important, it would be there."

As the trio stood in Whitmore's office, discussing the intricacies of The Founding Consortium, a sudden crackling sound filled the room, followed by a booming voice over the intercom.

"Attention faculty and staff," the voice announced. "The strike has officially been called off. The faculty has accepted an 5% pay raise. Please resume your duties as normal."

The words hung in the air, causing a moment of stunned silence among Emily, Max, Lila, and Whitmore. The unexpected news of the strike being over reverberated through the room, catching them off guard and shifting the course of their conversation.

Whitmore, visibly taken aback by the unexpected turn of events, cleared his throat, breaking the silence that had settled in the room. "Well, it seems things are changing faster than we anticipated," he remarked, his tone laced with a mixture of surprise and resignation. "I guess the rain was too challenging, er, traumatic."

"Surprising turn of events," Max remarked, his eyebrows raised in astonishment.

Emily's eyes widened, her mind racing to process the implications of the announcement. "But that's much less than they were offered yesterday."

Professor Whitmore shrugged. "I am starting to think this whole strike was like working class cosplay. They did the strike until it wasn't fun. Perhaps this means I should reconsider the parking issue..." He gazed thoughtfully at the rain beating against the window. "I think critically about why I should agree with the cause. If I publicly disagree..." He shuddered with horror.

"Everyone will be coming back to campus!" Lila exclaimed. "We don't have time to watch him try to think critically!"

"We need to move quickly," Emily agreed, her voice urgent. "Let's get to Blackwood's study before The Founding Consortium realizes what we're up to."

As they left Whitmore's office, the realization sank in that the students would soon have to return to campus and attend the Course of many forms again. The challenges ahead were mounting, but Emily, Max, and Lila were more determined than ever to uncover the truth and confront The Founding Consortium head-on.