Biologic Imperative Frank Pooler #2

By Henri Duffy

Retired college president Frank Pooler is home after a difficult first interim assignment. Winter is setting in and he begins to see snow shoveling as his winter fitness program. He did have one interim assignment the previous year and felt he would not be called upon for other opportunities. He upset the local applecart far too much in dealing with problems there.

A phone call changes all that. He is offered another interim assignment; this time in Hawaii. Another small college in a relatively small isolated locale. According to the placement firm there were no major issues at this college, other than a dearth of senior leadership, after planned departure of two senior administrators and the unexpected passing of its president. Sun and surf, palm trees, the beach, and warm weather. Lots of work, but could it be as bad as the first interim gig?
Like everyone else Frank arrives in Hawaii to find a beautiful island. Unlike everyone else he finds a college divided by culture, religion, and any number of ideologies. His administrative assistant seems to be a phantom, the students rambunctious, the local townspeople dismayed with the college, the media more shark-like than usual, enrollment is declining, but the weather is lovely.

That a male English professor and a female biology professor are living together isn’t even noteworthy for Frank. That the biologist has become pregnant in this relationship doesn’t resonate with Pooler as it does with others. Although this becomes a problem on campus, the real issue develops when the pregnant woman, well-liked by all reports, is killed in a grisly murder. The pregnancy and the murder further divide an already fractured campus where students are making sacrifices to the volcano goddess, students can’t complete degrees, and Pooler has to track down his admin assistant.

Frank works with the police and others to maintain some level of order on campus; repair community relations; deal with faculty, student, and enrollment issues; and find out who butchered the faculty member and why.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Henri Duffy
• Release date: Jun 24, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463843383

Henri Duffy

Henri Duffy has led a very active professional life. He spent 20 years in the military as an active duty and reserve naval officer; and another 20 in higher education as a faculty member, dean, vice-president, and president. He has also led a Chamber of Commerce and served as a senior manager in state government.Currently he lives in the northwest near the ocean with his wife, cat, and dog. He sees the ocean every day and chases fish when the weather is nice and occasionally catches one or two.As you can see, he isn't much for having his picture published.

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Biologic Imperative

Henri Duffy

Copyright 2018 Henri Duffy

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return the book to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Biologic Imperative is a work of fiction. Names, characters, and places are products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any similarity between the characters and actual people, living or dead, events, or locations, is purely coincidental.

Dedication

For Debbie.

Contents

Happy Holidays

January

February

March

April

May

Author’s Note

Other Books by Henri Duffy

Read what’s next for Frank Pooler in Chef’s Choice

About the Author

Happy Holidays

It’s an old joke here, here being New England, that shoveling snow is a good upper body work out. I’m not so sure. To me it’s more of a pain in the back, generally my lower right side. It then spreads to the entire area just below my belt line in back and stays there for the entire time I’m shoveling. Then I need a couple of aspirin until the plow guy comes by, puts a six-foot berm at the end of my walk, and drives way. Then I need a couple more aspirin.

But I grew up here, I mean in this house as well as New England, went away, lived my life, and came back after I retired. It’s just me and the dog. He likes the snow until it gets too deep. After that he’s ready to go south, but he toughs it out with me walking on the icy roads, getting his feet wet and cold, I wear boots, so my feet don’t usually get wet although sometimes cold, and generally longing for spring.

I had just finished shoveling about eight inches of newly fallen snow, when the plow guy drove by and put that berm up in front of my place. I think they have some kind of radar that lets them know when most of the people on a street are done shoveling so they can torture the residents. Actually, I live on a very quiet side street with minimal traffic, so I know they don’t make us a high priority and generally plow us out late in the day. At least they don’t laugh at us as they plow on by. Another thirty minutes of upper body cardio.

I came back to this house because my wife of more than twenty years passed away unexpectedly a few years ago. I retired after she died. Tried living in the town where I worked as a college president, but everything reminded me of her, so I left. Tried a nice city, but it wasn’t that nice, at least for me, since I had lived in smaller towns most of my civilian working life. So, I came back here.

A nice old New England mill town that had seen better days, most of the mills had closed years ago, but a few still hung in there. A lot had changed since I was a kid, but enough remained the same to make it seem homey for me. Close enough to Boston to see a Red Sox game, see the Pats play or to see the Celtics, Bruins, or any of the attractions of Boston whenever I wanted to; far enough away to not deal with heavy traffic or crime because I didn’t want to; all in all, a nice place for me and the dog.

I like it here. After being in the navy for twenty years and working as a college administrator for another twenty I had moved around a lot. In the navy every two or three years was a move. At colleges it seemed it was the same, every couple of years move to take a better job hopefully in a better place. This is a good place.

I had been fortunate. I was able to retire relatively young, just before turning sixty. I had always lived frugally, had no debt, all the 401Ks safely stashed away, some savings, and a modest military retirement income. I wasn’t flush by any means, but I was comfortable.

I wasn’t particularly comfortable now. This was an early nor’easter which dumped a load of wet, heavy snow on the region a few days after Thanksgiving. Not unheard of, but unusual. I looked at the berm that the plow dude left me, and my lower right side hurt like the devil physically and my entire butt was in pain figuratively. Like a good sailor, I hoisted my shovel, or entrenching tool for you army types, and got back out there to clear the paths. Balthazar, the dog, watched from the window. I think he was laughing at me, thankful for not having opposable thumbs.

After another forty-five minutes of forced labor I was back in the house enjoying a nice cup of coffee and warming my hands. The sun had come out and it promised to be a beautiful day of sunshine reflecting off the pristine newly fallen snow. I was considering a nap after my morning’s exertion, too bad the phone in my pocket only counted steps not upper body repetitions, I could feel even less guilty about not going to the gym regularly, when that very phone rang.

Dr. Pooler? asked a vaguely familiar voice on the other end after I said hello.

Speaking.

This is Joanne Meetinghouse, we last spoke in Colorado last January.

Oh yes, I remember, how are you? I asked wondering why she might be calling me. She headed a small company that placed temporary administrators at colleges in emergency situations. They had placed me at a small Midwestern community college last year and while I had been successful in a number of ways, I must admit I wasn’t a big hit with the board of trustees and ran into some problems with the local constabulary, although the problems were not of my making. I know, that’s what they all say.

I have an assignment for you if you might be interested.

Well, considering I just finished shoveling what seemed to be an endless amount of snow, a trip to Hawaii might be nice.

We got the edge of that storm down here in DC, only a dusting though. As to Hawaii, I think I can arrange that, if you’re interested in a short stint there.

Seriously? It could really be a beautiful day; getting paid to go to Hawaii.

She chuckled lightly, "Seriously. There is a small college in an odd situation. Their president was killed in a surfing accident the other day. Further, they have no vice presidents just now either. The academic VP took a job in San Diego and the student services VP retired and both are leaving the islands immediately after Thanksgiving. Both vacancies were last minute announcements so there are no incumbents able to move up. The board asked the finance officer and she refused. She’s been there less than two years, has no other college experience, and doesn’t feel adequately prepared to take on the role even for a few months.

That’s where you come in. This is a single semester placement. Get there as soon as you can and stay until Memorial Day or so. You handled a tough situation at Mid-Prairie as well as anyone could. What do you think?

I’m definitely interested; I had looked into some jobs in Hawaii just before I retired. But to be able to go I have to look into a few things and make some arrangements. If I can get those made I’d love to take the slot, but I need to see about those arrangements before I can commit. When do you need a definite answer? This could be exceptional. Surf, sun, and no snow, no shoveling.

She responded quickly with a happy note in her voice, I need to know very quickly, say the day after tomorrow, at the latest. A couple of other items: don’t worry about housing, they have that already; and, don’t worry about a car, they have that taken care of as well.

I was a little worried about the sound of her voice, You sound very happy about me being interested. Is there some issue, have others said no?

Actually, the biggest issue is that this will be a crazy busy assignment. Remember, there are no vice presidents. And, I called you first because this will be a crazy busy job. After what you did last year I know you can do this.

Can we talk about that for a minute? I honestly thought I would never get a call from these people again. While I did what needed to be done out there on the prairie, I had made some bad assumptions and, at least in the eyes of the long-time college denizens may have acted with a rather heavy hand. I’d like some feedback on the last outing, please.

I thought you might ask about that, so I have your file out. She went over the documents the institution completed after I left. It seemed that staff liked me, most of the faculty too. The board was split. I had learned a great many things and solved a couple of issues that most people didn’t even want to know about in the first place. My solving those issues when no one knew about them did not endear me to certain people. Putting things where they should be; faculty appraisals with the academic vice president; all accounts under the finance officer, little things like that upset the college’s comfortable applecart.

Dr. Meetinghouse and her staff understood why I had several rather critical comments about my performance and weren’t all that worried about them. She told me that the company had even received an unsolicited call from the college’s accrediting body telling them that if I hadn’t gotten things moving the college would have been unsuccessful in its bid for re-accreditation. The accreditors were surprised that an interim would take on such a challenge.

Knowing all of that I told her I would try to get back to her tomorrow, the morning after at the latest. Convinced I was interested she told me the pay, which was quite generous even in view of Hawaii’s high cost of living and reiterated trying to be there as soon as possible. Time was everything, she said, the sooner I could tell her and the sooner I could go the better.

After I hung up and took a few minutes to process all of this I called my longtime friend and colleague, Brad Lee. Brad and I had known each other for something like twenty years. We worked together at two different colleges and kept in touch when we didn’t work together. When we were able to, we made sure to have a drink or two at conferences we both attended. We acted as each other’s sounding boards when we encountered difficult situations and gave each other frank advice; the kind you would only give to a close and dear friend who, unlike the characters in the Jack Nicholson movie, really could handle the truth.

When he finally picked up the phone I said hello and briefed him on what had just transpired.

Well, when you going? And if you don’t go give me her number; I’m up for a sabbatical.

I smiled at his mid-winter desire to escape the windy, cold, raw, icy high plains of North America in December. Well, Brad, if I do this I need a favor from you and Debbie. His wife Debbie was just a peach of a person, happy, level headed, and a good cook.

I need someone to watch Balthazar for five or six months. Could you and Debbie do that? Please. I can’t take him to Hawaii unless I quarantine him for six months, which is the entire time I’m there. It would be foolish to take him and keep him cooped up for the whole time. I looked for ways around it, but the regulations have so much double talk I’d hate to get him there and then have to kennel him.

Without even a minimal pause, Of course we can. I don’t even need to talk to Debbie about it. When do you want us to pick him up? Why is it so hard to get him in there anyway?

Brad, I know you mean well, but please talk to your wife first. If you both agree I’ll drive him out to you and then I’ll fly out from Denver. That means I’d also need to leave my car there, but you can certainly use it. The issue is that Hawaii is the most isolated ecosystem on the planet. Look at a map; it is really isolated from any other ecosystem. They are trying to minimize any invasive plants or animals coming in. I understand why the state is doing what it’s doing.

Brad, the ever-thoughtful guy that he is, replied with I imagined a bit of a smile in his voice, You’re probably right. She’s out shopping now but should be back in an hour or so. I’ll call you back after she and I talk.

Brad and I chatted for a few more minutes before I turned to other tasks. I assumed that it would be okay, so I started seeing what I would need for the next few months in the tropics. The tropics for six months; all I could think of was Van Gough, tall frosty drinks on the beach, and Magnum PI. I’d at least have to read Michener’s book and one good history of the islands very soon.

Over the next hour I had put all my heavy woolen suits to one side in my closet, since I wouldn’t need those. I had enough light weight suits to make due. I never liked the heat, so even many of my winter suits were lighter than average and the relatively constant temperature on the islands coupled with the breeze would allow them to be comfortable. Men consider clothing too you know.

Brad called back after about ninety minutes. He and Debbie said they’d take the pooch on the condition that they could come and stay with me for a few days over spring break. Not an onerous deal so I readily agreed since I would have invited them anyway and they knew it.

The next morning, I called Dr. Meetinghouse and told her I’d take the assignment. I’d get there about December 15, a more precise arrival would be forthcoming shortly, and I needed an address to ship a few things to, so I wouldn’t have to travel with a large portion of my Earthly belongings.

She was quite pleased. She said that she’d spoken to the board chair, Leilani Kinimaka, and provided my resume to her and discussed what I had done earlier with her. The chair thought I’d be a good fit. There were no pressing issues that she knew of; accreditation was up to date with a committee overseeing the process, the college had done searches regularly so the only issue was the number of searches happening for senior executives but that was explained in the advertisements; all I needed to do was to keep the college moving forward and do three jobs at the same time. That, explained Dr. Meetinghouse, was why the compensation package was so generous, three jobs at the same time.

After she gave me the mailing address I told Meetinghouse that I’d provide flight information as soon as I made reservations. She gave me the chair’s contact information and told me to call her instead. She thanked me for taking such a busy assignment with no notice, wished me luck, and disconnected.

The next morning was a flurry of packing leisure clothes suitable for the tropics until I realized I didn’t own that many. I had a few pair of short pants and a few light weight shirts, but I didn’t have to do the packing I thought I would. I wasn’t taking any books with me since I had discovered e-reader devices a few years ago. I had already downloaded enough reading for a while and I was quite sure there would be internet access on the island.

I ended up with only two small boxes to mail, which I would do the next day. I had more than ten days before the fifteenth. I looked at the mailing address and then a map to see where precisely this college was in Hawaii.

It was on one of the smaller islands that you don’t normally hear about. Not the highly tourist oriented ‘Big Island’ or Oahu that people hear about most. This was good from my point of view. Fewer tourists, less hustle and bustle, and a quiet few months while doing a good job for someone. Sure, that’s always been my luck; but I could hope.

Air reservations were surprisingly easy, and I was able to book a very convenient flight from Denver to the Aloha State. The other things took more time. Calling the insurance companies, letting your credit card company know that you would be going across country and then moving to Hawaii for a few months--I’d had my card shut down before because I hadn’t told them I was moving. They were just doing their job and trying to protect me, but it was monumentally inconvenient. Making arrangements for someone to watch the house and do some shoveling and later mowing until I returned. Making sure Balthazar had all his shots and other things before handing him off to Brad. Talking to the utility providers; and the list goes on. It’s not as easy as you think.

The next day I took a breather and called the board chair. After the usual pleasantries I gave her my flight information. I was surprised when she told me that she’d be the one to pick me up at the airport. When I told her that she didn’t have to do that, she let me know that she wanted to speak with me privately, so I could have a little insight before I arrived on campus. The ride from the airport to would provide that private time.

I was also surprised when I didn’t catch any hint of an accent when we were talking. I don’t know if I expected the little hitch some Native Americans have in their speech, or maybe even an Asian accent based on her name, but it was basic and bland English. One should never make assumptions. I knew that and had told myself that many, many times. I should know better.

She told me that she’d have a sign with my last name on it by the gate exit. She asked if I’d be bringing much and if I needed anything to be here when I arrived. I told her I was bringing just two suitcases, I had already mailed some other things to the college and couldn’t think of anything I might need unless there was something she knew that everyone from the mainland forgot.

Her response to that intrigued me. She asked if I had ever been a foreigner. I told her that I had when I was in the navy. I was stationed in Japan for a couple of years and it was a humbling experience to stand out among the local population physically because of my appearance. It was even more humbling to be an educated person and yet be functionally illiterate. Yes, I had some experience being a foreigner.

She told me to remember that when I got there. She also let me know that the late president was well liked by the board, had good relationships on campus and in town, but was a little standoffish without being a snob. She was told that I was formal but friendly, and did things by the rules, that wouldn’t be all that bad for the college and certainly an easy transition for everyone. Being born and raised in New England, being a little standoffish was part of the culture I grew up in. No problem there.

I decided to leave for Brad’s place the next day. I was packed, all my arrangements had been made, and all I was going to do was hang around. I could take my time. If nothing else, I’d give myself some extra time in case I hit any bad winter weather on the way west. As Eisenhower is reported to have said, the plan is nothing, but planning is everything.

As usual, I left at midnight so that I’d miss the New York City traffic. As usual, I was successful. The weather cooperated, and the night was clear, and the stars were bright. I was able to enjoy the stars for a few minutes in Connecticut after Balthazar gave me the cues for a need to go outside.

Through New York by five in the morning, just as traffic would be picking up; get on Route 78 and go through Pennsylvania, then onward past Columbus as fatigue set in hard. The first night and day were generally pretty easy because of the excitement, but as the second night came on, my eyelids became unbearably heavy. I’d now stay on Route 70 for the next couple of days until I got near Brad’s. Stop every four hours or so to let the dog walk and do his business and for me to stretch my legs a little too. It was a long drive and because it was winter, not a particularly picturesque one.

I decided to take a side trip to Serpent Mound in Ohio since I had some extra time. I was interested is seeing a mound built by people sometime between 300 and 1000 BC depending on whose radiocarbon dating you preferred. Assuming it was built with stone tools it was quite a mound with a considerable amount of