for you!” he exclaimed when she reached him breathing excitedly. “Lovely. But why the worried look on your face?”
“ We were attacked here last night! A group of men!”
“ Oh, my!” He raised his fingers to his lips, accentuating his reaction.
“ You don’t know?” she asked incredulously.
“ Why no, I haven’t heard a thing.”
“ It was right there around the corner.” She pointed towards the side of the building. “Chris shot a couple of men.”
“ Oh?” he replied, still absorbing her words. “Well, I think he’s done that before,” he intoned slowly, regaining his composure. “But in a situation like this, he’s the kind of man you want around.”
“ So I noticed.”
“ There’s a lot of crime in Washington. But here? Outside the museum? This comes as a shock.”
“ Weren’t the police here? Didn’t they ask you anything? What did they say about the bodies?”
“ I don’t know, Laura. I’m sorry. I wish I knew more.”
“ You’re a curator, aren’t you? Aren’t you supposed to know what’s going on?”
“ This is a vast organization, my dear. You know that,” he said solicitously. “My office is way across the Mall in the Old Castle. If this happened last night, the news hasn’t reached me yet. You know more than I do.”
“ I’m sorry, Al. I don’t mean to press you,” she replied, putting her hand on his shoulder. “I’m just sure after Chris fought off the muggers, I heard a woman shrieking inside the building.”
He looked at her curiously.
“ Through one of the windows on that side of the building.” She pointed again towards the east wing.
“ There are stray cats around. The first ones probably escaped from some haggard tourist families,” he reasoned. “They rummage for leftovers from the cafeteria. And they yowl like heck in season.”
“ I know, I know,” she said impatiently. “I heard that version last night.”
“ The main thing, Laura. Is that you’re all right. I’ll check with the police. Several jurisdictions overlap here, you know.”
She hesitated, then asked offhandedly, “Did the Colonel call you this morning?”
“ Why no, he didn’t. I take it he didn’t call you either.”
She looked at him expectantly.
“ Don’t worry, dear. I know Chris. After such a dreadful night, I know he would have called. His work is very secretive, that much I know. I’m sure he’ll get in touch with you as soon as he can.”
Carruthers saw her face soften.
“ Can you show me inside?”
“ Sure. I can show you the exhibits. That’s all there is, really.”
They entered towards a large African bull elephant that was a signature display of the Rotunda. “Haven’t you been here before?” he said as they walked.
“ I have. But that’s just it. I only saw exhibits,” she explained. “Maybe you can show me what’s behind them.”
“ If I can. Where do you want to start?” Carruthers swept his hand in a circle gesturing at exhibit halls radiating from the cavernous Rotunda, which was beginning to fill with visitors.
“ How about that way?” she said, pointing at the second floor atrium.
“ The east wing. Minerology.”
“ Good,” Laura replied, satisfied with her sense of orientation.
They rode an elevator to the second floor and walked towards the Gem Hall along an atrium with an open view of the Rotunda.
“ This is one of eighteen exhibit halls in the museum,” Carruthers explained as they entered a long hallway lined on both sides with glass cases. Subdued recessed lights shone on a vast array of gems and semi ‐ precious stones. Visitors were entering behind them.
“ Our gem and mineral collection is one of the most significant in the whole world.” Carruthers said matter of factly. “We have fifteen thousand gems, and more than thirty ‐ thousand meterorites in the
“ We were attacked here last night! A group of men!”
“ Oh, my!” He raised his fingers to his lips, accentuating his reaction.
“ You don’t know?” she asked incredulously.
“ Why no, I haven’t heard a thing.”
“ It was right there around the corner.” She pointed towards the side of the building. “Chris shot a couple of men.”
“ Oh?” he replied, still absorbing her words. “Well, I think he’s done that before,” he intoned slowly, regaining his composure. “But in a situation like this, he’s the kind of man you want around.”
“ So I noticed.”
“ There’s a lot of crime in Washington. But here? Outside the museum? This comes as a shock.”
“ Weren’t the police here? Didn’t they ask you anything? What did they say about the bodies?”
“ I don’t know, Laura. I’m sorry. I wish I knew more.”
“ You’re a curator, aren’t you? Aren’t you supposed to know what’s going on?”
“ This is a vast organization, my dear. You know that,” he said solicitously. “My office is way across the Mall in the Old Castle. If this happened last night, the news hasn’t reached me yet. You know more than I do.”
“ I’m sorry, Al. I don’t mean to press you,” she replied, putting her hand on his shoulder. “I’m just sure after Chris fought off the muggers, I heard a woman shrieking inside the building.”
He looked at her curiously.
“ Through one of the windows on that side of the building.” She pointed again towards the east wing.
“ There are stray cats around. The first ones probably escaped from some haggard tourist families,” he reasoned. “They rummage for leftovers from the cafeteria. And they yowl like heck in season.”
“ I know, I know,” she said impatiently. “I heard that version last night.”
“ The main thing, Laura. Is that you’re all right. I’ll check with the police. Several jurisdictions overlap here, you know.”
She hesitated, then asked offhandedly, “Did the Colonel call you this morning?”
“ Why no, he didn’t. I take it he didn’t call you either.”
She looked at him expectantly.
“ Don’t worry, dear. I know Chris. After such a dreadful night, I know he would have called. His work is very secretive, that much I know. I’m sure he’ll get in touch with you as soon as he can.”
Carruthers saw her face soften.
“ Can you show me inside?”
“ Sure. I can show you the exhibits. That’s all there is, really.”
They entered towards a large African bull elephant that was a signature display of the Rotunda. “Haven’t you been here before?” he said as they walked.
“ I have. But that’s just it. I only saw exhibits,” she explained. “Maybe you can show me what’s behind them.”
“ If I can. Where do you want to start?” Carruthers swept his hand in a circle gesturing at exhibit halls radiating from the cavernous Rotunda, which was beginning to fill with visitors.
“ How about that way?” she said, pointing at the second floor atrium.
“ The east wing. Minerology.”
“ Good,” Laura replied, satisfied with her sense of orientation.
They rode an elevator to the second floor and walked towards the Gem Hall along an atrium with an open view of the Rotunda.
“ This is one of eighteen exhibit halls in the museum,” Carruthers explained as they entered a long hallway lined on both sides with glass cases. Subdued recessed lights shone on a vast array of gems and semi ‐ precious stones. Visitors were entering behind them.
“ Our gem and mineral collection is one of the most significant in the whole world.” Carruthers said matter of factly. “We have fifteen thousand gems, and more than thirty ‐ thousand meterorites in the
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