he’d run into the same issues he had with his former fiancée—he liked to live a life of adventure in faraway places and austere conditions definitely not a place for a woman as refined as Edie Ragsdale. She’d probably never even been on a campout.
Edie punched at the numbers on the telephone and chewed on her bottom lip.
“What’s he still doing there, Edith Ragsdale. I know I taught you better.” Mr. Ragsdale’s voice blasted so loud, Harry could hear every word he shouted at his daughter.
With a sigh, Edie held the phone away from her ear tapping her toe as the man continued his tirade. When the shouting died down, she pressed the instrument to her ear again. “Why did you call, Dad? Just to ream me out about having a man in my apartment?”
Harry couldn’t hear his response this time and he tried hard not to eavesdrop, but he couldn’t help it.
Edie’s face paled. “What did you say?” She listened, gripping the phone until her knuckles turned white. “You heard this on the morning news?” She sank onto the couch. “I don’t believe it. And the security guard? Will he live?”
Harry abandoned his pretense of not eavesdropping and stood in front of Edie his gaze intent on her face.
“Dad, I need to go. I’ve got to call Mr. Baumgartner. Yes, I’ll be careful. No, I’m not kicking the gigolo out. I know, I could get diseases or pregnant. I know gigolos sleep with hundreds of women.” Her lips pressed together for a moment and finally she burst out. “Goodbye, Dad.” And she clicked the button marked “off”.
“What happened?” Harry sat beside her on the couch.
Staring straight ahead, she shook her head side to side in a slow, dazed motion. “There was a break-in last night at the museum.” She turned to him, her eyes widening. “They killed Carlos and his dog. I knew them. Carlos had a family, two girls and a boy. Oh God, why did this have to happen?” Eve buried her face in her hands, and sobbed.
Harry pulled her into his arms and rocked her back and forth, smoothing the hair from her face.
When she’d spent her tears, she looked up at him. “I have to call Mr. Baumgartner.”
“Are you sure you’re up to it?”
“Yes, yes. I need to find out what happened.” She pressed the numbers on the telephone, yanked a tissue from a box on the table next to her and dabbed at her nose. “Mr. Baumgartner, this is Edie.” With a frown denting the skin above her nose, she listened for a few moments. When she said her goodbyes and hung up, she turned to Harry. “I’m not going to work today since they have the warehouse closed to all traffic until the police complete their investigation.”
“What did Mr. Baumgartner say about the break-in?”
“Nothing was disturbed but the sarcophagus.”
“Damn.” Harry had hoped to go back there today to search for clues about his friend Will.
She walked away from him and back. “What do you suppose that means?”
“I’ll bet my last dollar someone is after the stone of Azhi.”
“But why?”
Harry paced across the floor, raking a hand through his hair. “The stone is supposed to grant great power to whoever commands it.”
“But it only works for the woman who frees the man in the bottle.”
“We know that now, but only after experiencing it.”
Edie stared around her apartment. “I’m at a loss. What do we do now?”
Harry stopped pacing. “When do we meet with Professor Johansson?”
“At noon.” Edie snatched another tissue from the box and blew hard into it.
“Any chance of going earlier?” It wasn’t like Harry to stand around and do nothing, he needed action.
“No, the professor teaches classes at the university in the mornings.”
Perhaps they could learn more about the stone on their own. “Is there a library we could go to?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact, there is.” She strode to her room calling out over her shoulder, “I’ll be just a minute.”
Ten minutes later, she emerged wearing a
Edie punched at the numbers on the telephone and chewed on her bottom lip.
“What’s he still doing there, Edith Ragsdale. I know I taught you better.” Mr. Ragsdale’s voice blasted so loud, Harry could hear every word he shouted at his daughter.
With a sigh, Edie held the phone away from her ear tapping her toe as the man continued his tirade. When the shouting died down, she pressed the instrument to her ear again. “Why did you call, Dad? Just to ream me out about having a man in my apartment?”
Harry couldn’t hear his response this time and he tried hard not to eavesdrop, but he couldn’t help it.
Edie’s face paled. “What did you say?” She listened, gripping the phone until her knuckles turned white. “You heard this on the morning news?” She sank onto the couch. “I don’t believe it. And the security guard? Will he live?”
Harry abandoned his pretense of not eavesdropping and stood in front of Edie his gaze intent on her face.
“Dad, I need to go. I’ve got to call Mr. Baumgartner. Yes, I’ll be careful. No, I’m not kicking the gigolo out. I know, I could get diseases or pregnant. I know gigolos sleep with hundreds of women.” Her lips pressed together for a moment and finally she burst out. “Goodbye, Dad.” And she clicked the button marked “off”.
“What happened?” Harry sat beside her on the couch.
Staring straight ahead, she shook her head side to side in a slow, dazed motion. “There was a break-in last night at the museum.” She turned to him, her eyes widening. “They killed Carlos and his dog. I knew them. Carlos had a family, two girls and a boy. Oh God, why did this have to happen?” Eve buried her face in her hands, and sobbed.
Harry pulled her into his arms and rocked her back and forth, smoothing the hair from her face.
When she’d spent her tears, she looked up at him. “I have to call Mr. Baumgartner.”
“Are you sure you’re up to it?”
“Yes, yes. I need to find out what happened.” She pressed the numbers on the telephone, yanked a tissue from a box on the table next to her and dabbed at her nose. “Mr. Baumgartner, this is Edie.” With a frown denting the skin above her nose, she listened for a few moments. When she said her goodbyes and hung up, she turned to Harry. “I’m not going to work today since they have the warehouse closed to all traffic until the police complete their investigation.”
“What did Mr. Baumgartner say about the break-in?”
“Nothing was disturbed but the sarcophagus.”
“Damn.” Harry had hoped to go back there today to search for clues about his friend Will.
She walked away from him and back. “What do you suppose that means?”
“I’ll bet my last dollar someone is after the stone of Azhi.”
“But why?”
Harry paced across the floor, raking a hand through his hair. “The stone is supposed to grant great power to whoever commands it.”
“But it only works for the woman who frees the man in the bottle.”
“We know that now, but only after experiencing it.”
Edie stared around her apartment. “I’m at a loss. What do we do now?”
Harry stopped pacing. “When do we meet with Professor Johansson?”
“At noon.” Edie snatched another tissue from the box and blew hard into it.
“Any chance of going earlier?” It wasn’t like Harry to stand around and do nothing, he needed action.
“No, the professor teaches classes at the university in the mornings.”
Perhaps they could learn more about the stone on their own. “Is there a library we could go to?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact, there is.” She strode to her room calling out over her shoulder, “I’ll be just a minute.”
Ten minutes later, she emerged wearing a
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