Murder in Black Letter

In the leafy garden of a vacant Berkeley house, an off‑duty detective and a lanky former police officer spar over saber versus katana, their banter masking a deeper tension. When the calm is shattered by the arrival of Officer Moffat, the pair learn that a young teaching assistant has been found dead, and the missing student Bruce Lombardi—once a reliable campus fixture—has vanished without a trace. The conversation quickly pivots from friendly swordplay to a gritty, real‑world mystery that drags the academic world into the shadows of the Bay Area.

As the investigation unfolds, the story weaves together the quiet rhythms of university life, the lingering scent of roses, and the relentless hum of a jet over San Francisco Bay. Listeners will be drawn into a world where scholarly ambitions clash with hidden dangers, and where every clue—whether a slipped word in a lecture hall or a silent footstep on a driveway—could turn the case on its head. The first act sets the stage for a tense, character‑driven whodunit that promises twists without giving away the ending.