About 'small nose rings'|.... So people need to just back off, let this happen." She had a ring in her nose, like a bull. The ring was a pale piece of bone. "Revolution is from the...
.....A figure, dressed in camouflage, watches through binoculars from the nearby woods as the policeman comes from behind the beach house, climbs into his car and drives up Compass Drive. The observer waits patiently until the silence returns, then stealthily moves toward the cliff edge. It had been a close call, the man who descended to the beach, may have spotted her as she peered over the ledge. Her mind is alert to the dangers, but she must reenter the crime scene to search for what her informant told her was there. She was defying her protocols and experience; she should not be here so soon after killing the young man, a macho college student following his male instincts. But the rush of the drug, the sexual stimulation had overwhelmed her. Shaking away the thought, Cassiopeia knew she had fooled herself into thinking that he could be a key role in the plan. Instinctively, she knew his type and true to form, he had tried to exert his will over her. She had stepped too close to the flame. Sighing, "No more mistakes." Once again she bypasses the alarm system and, seconds later, stands in the cool room near the bar. Methodically, she taps the wood panels, front and back looking for a secret compartment. Minutes pass; her internal alarm about the possibility of discovery gets louder. Her watch beeps once; her allotted is up, time to fly. Moving to the rear door, she waits for several interminable seconds and just listens. When she is sure that there is no one on the other side, she opens the door slips out, rearms the alarm and moves off to the south along the cliff into the fading daylight. Chapter 2 Break Through Friday The next morning, I delivered the dagger to Dr. Pace. He was cautiously optimistic that it was the murder weapon. As I watched, he tweezed small fragments of metal from the blade near the hilt, careful not to mar the potential value of an artifact. Pace had sent the other metal and hair samples to the university lab for metallurgical analysis to determine the metal make up and approximate age of the dagger. He would test these samples personally to establish a possible match. The cell phone McCoy found turned out to be Cy Leyton's The battery was dead and all the calls were over two years old. I asked the Deputy to chase down the phone numbers anyway. McCoy didn't seem to mind; he seemed happy to help out. Pace promised to tell no one but Sheriff Thomson about the knife and I brought it home for safe keeping. If this were the murder weapon, I didn't want anyone else, especially the murderer, to know I'd recovered it. In my experience, back in Jefferson City, facts of evidence as well as the evidence, itself, had a tendency to leak to the wrong people. I expected Sheriff Thomson to question my motives, but he didn't. Thankfully, the murderer had decided that the value of the dagger was worth less than his freedom. He tried to destroy the evidence by throwing it in the ocean. The hair strands may or may not be connected to the murder. I had more questions for Franklin Leyton and called the residence to see if he was at home. Calloway assured me that Colonel Leyton would be available and I headed back to the Leyton Estate. I wanted to know who was responsible for cleaning and maintaining the beach house. The butler again led me into the library where I found the Colonel, dressed in a paint stained artist's smock and facing a canvas mounted on an easel near the library's glass wall. As I watched him, Franklin held his painter's palette and leaned away from his work. He hadn't noticed my entrance and concentrated on his painting as he moved forward to make a short brush stroke on the portrait of a young woman. I recognized the eyes and the curly hair immediately. Caroline's beautiful face smiled beautifully out into the room. Leyton turned as if sensing my presence. "Ah, Detective Farro, still investigating, I see." Calloway stood just inside the library door. It was then I noticed Caroline Leyton sitting as Franklin's model on a chair near the French Doors. "Ah, this is my niece, Caroline." Franklin casually nodded in her direction. "She's my late brother, Cyrus' daughter." Caroline got up, crossed the room and acted as though she were meeting me for the first time and I played along. She smiled and shook my hand. "Detective Farro, pleased to meet you." "Delighted, Miss Leyton." I smiled back. Caroline's smile weakened "Detective, my uncle says you're investigating what happened at our beach house. I can't believe anyone died there. Things like that just don't happen in Lord's Beach." She seemed relatively calm compared to our last meeting. "Oh, I am sorry, can we offer you a drink?" "Club soda with a twist." Caroline smiled at Calloway. "Lemonade for me, please. Uncle, do you want a drink?" Without looking at us, Franklin waved his paint brush dismissively. "Very good, Miss." The butler left. Caroline returned to sit in the chair near the door. But, now she seemed distracted and turned to look at the Ocean. The Colonel continued. "My niece is very photogenic and I wanted to capture her in the mid-morning sunlight. She looks very much like her mother, you know." Leyton laid down the palette and paint brush and turned to face me. "Colonel, do you keep any valuables at the beach house?" "Valuables? Do you suspect robbery?" "Maybe, I'm trying to determine why the victim might have been there, since the house was supposed to empty. He could have been a burglar." "You know, all of this is so strange. I don't understand it either." The Colonel shook his head. "The house is usually kept closed up. Oh, and yes, we keep some minor art works there. Maybe Mr. Tyson did break in on the chance that there was something of value to steal." Out if the corner of my eye, I saw Caroline stir as the Colonel mentioned Tyson. "Closed up, as in, secured?" "Only my brother used the house. " The Colonel looked over to Caroline. "It was his private retreat and Cy only allowed the house staff to come in once a week to straighten up. When he died, we closed up the house and set the alarm. No one was supposed to be there." A maid came into the library with a tray with our drinks and left quickly; Calloway returned only seconds later. He hovered at the open door. Leyton sensed the butler's presence. "Yes? What is it Calloway?" "Sir, Spence is leaving to pick up groceries and supplies. Will you require anything?" Before the Colonel could answer, Caroline suddenly interrupted. "Yes, I want to go along." The Colonel's icy stare shouted volumes as she glided past the butler and into the hallway. I noted that she didn't look at me or her uncle, The butler stood awaiting Leyton's reply. "That will be all." Leyton commanded. "Detective, I must apologize for my niece. She has been very moody of late." I nodded as Calloway closed the door behind him and I continued my questions. "And, you don't know of anything else at the beach house which may invite a break-in?" "As I said, there are several paintings, but none worth more than a few thousand dollars. Hardly worth killing for." I looked up at the library's balcony. "Are the paintings at the beach house like those up there?" Leyton looked severely wounded. "Those paintings are by Hoogerheyden, Buttersworth and Eugene Boudin. They're priceless." He was momentarily indignant; then became calmer. "My brother donated most of the family's valuable pieces to the museum. It was fortunate that I arrived when I did or those," He motioned with one hand toward the balcony. "Would have gone also." The hint of distress in Franklin's answer was telling. I decided to pursue it. "You didn't approve of the donations?" Franklin picked up the brush again and gently dabbed at his palette, then turned to me. "My brother was a generous man. Many of the artworks he bought were from furthest reaches of the globe and he just gave them away." Franklin frowned shaking his head. I got back to the subject. "I have to determine why the victim was there." "I haven't even seen the house for more than two years." Franklin lowered his chin and seemed to ponder to himself. "That was after my brother was lost at sea." Franklin seemed genuinely touched by his brother's passing. "If you don't mind, I'd like to interview your house staff. Who had access?" "You suspect a member of my staff?" The Colonel seemed incredulous. I shrugged. "I don't know. However, they may have noticed things out of place, maybe unusual activity at the house." Leyton reached over and pushed a button mounted on the leg of a nearby table. Seconds later, Calloway appeared at the doorway again. "And, Colonel, Joseph Tyson worked at the museum on campus. I'll need your influence to look around. I'll keep my investigation as discreet as possible." Leyton nodded. "Set it all up with Calloway." He said as though the butler were not standing there. He was playing the role of rich, arrogant ass to the hilt. The Colonel stared into space before answering. "I want to cooperate as much as possible." Leyton mused out loud. His eyes narrowed. "You will stick with Dean Winslow's accidental death story." "That's right. We don't want the Press involved until we have more of the facts." "You can expect the Dean's complete cooperation." Franklin looked at his watch. "Detective Farro, I am sorry; I just remembered that Senator Stanton called this morning and I must speak to him." Franklin said anxiously. "Callaway will see you out." "Thanks again for your time." I waited for his reply but the Colonel walked quickly out of the room; the odor of the oil paint on his smock wafted across the room as he left me with Calloway. So far, I had a victim, the suspected murder weapon and two strands of dark hair. The motive still eluded me, but it was time to visit the only place in common with all the major players, besides the beach house, Ocean Bluff College. On the way to the campus, I stopped to give Sheriff Thomson a progress report. He seemed pleased to see me. An hour later I drove through the main gate in the high stone wall which surrounded the college. Ocean Bluff College was aptly named, since it sat on a high cliff overlooking Deep Bottom Inlet, a natural deep water bay only a half mile wide but very deep, more than sixty fathoms. This inlet, shaped like a long narrow finger, extended inland from the Atlantic for more than a mile The college sat on the northern shore of this bay and like the rest of the coast in this area, the water's edge, hundreds of feet below the college, was mostly rocky with small beaches of finely ground bits of rocks and shells. The fast tidal currents in the bay prevented any lighter weight material from remaining in place for long. Before going to the Dean's Office, I meandered along Lover's Leap Drive, a narrow winding lane which ran along the seaward end of the campus. There was a spectacular view from the two hundred foot bluff looking out at the blue Atlantic Ocean. And, like many college campuses, whose legends included haunted bell towers or ghost-ridden dormitories, Ocean Bluff's claim to fame was a mysterious Lover's Leap. Apparently, Ocean Bluff's first graduating class lost two students whose families forbade them from associating with one other. Arthur Parker was the son of an aristocratic family which had arranged a marriage for him. Cynthia Marron, the daughter of a farmer, was the first scholarship student at Ocean Bluff College. Leyton Shipping granted tuition payments to any student who showed academic promise, regardless of background. However, Arthur unsuccessfully pleaded with his parents to accept Cynthia as his true love. And, Cynthia's father, although he recognized his daughter's dilemma, decided she should marry inside her own community. However, the young couple could not live without each other and solved both their needs by leaping together into the cold dark waters of Deep Bottom Inlet. Their bodies were never recovered but, apparently, Arthur and Cynthia were together in eternity. The plaque mounted on a stone pillar, erected near the site, marked the exact spot of the double suicide. As I drove toward the administration building, I couldn't help but wonder how two vibrant youngsters couldn't find another way to be together. After locating Dean Winslow's Office, I entered the reception area and his secretary, Mrs. Fine, an attractive middle aged woman looked up. She was appropriately dressed in a dark green knee-length skirt and a white blouse decorated, at the collar, by an ivory cameo. Mrs. Fine exemplified a time when I had attended college in my younger days. It was a pleasant change from tattoos and nose rings. Her shoulder length auburn hair was neatly coiffed, not a hair out of place. She greeted me cordially."May I help you?" "Hello, I'm Dan Farro. I'm here to see Dean Winslow." Mrs. Fine smiled again. The Sheriff and Jackson Calloway called and said you would be coming this afternoon. "Please, wait here."Mrs. Fine moved to the door of the Dean's office and stuck her head inside, then turned back to me, "Mr. Farro, you can go right in." Dean Chester Winslow met me halfway to his desk and shook my hand warmly. Winslow was tall, over six foot five, athletic looking with the silver grey hair that many corporation presidents and government diplomats seemed to have. He wore a light blue shirt with a dark red tie decorated with light blue diagonal stripes. "Pleased to meet you, Detective Farro." Sheriff Thomson tells me you're handling the Tyson investigation, what a shame. He was so young." Winslow became very somber. I nodded. "The death of a young person is always sad when there seems to be no reason for it. Just for background, Dean Winslow. What is the student population of Ocean Bluff? And, what do you teach here?" "There are about five hundred students, more than half are female. The curricula includes the study of the oceans and the impact of large bodies of water, on the planet as well as the archeological history of peoples who live near those oceans." "The campus seems deserted. I realize that most businesses slow down at the end of the week, but I didn't know the T-G-I-F syndrome applied to college campuses, too." Dr. Winslow smiled. "Yes, we really taper off on Fridays and our staff leaves early for the weekend, too." Thomson had told me that Dean Winslow was a college chum of the late Cyrus Leyton and had also accompanied him on several Asian expeditions. His office was neatly furnished and his desk top was completely empty except for his nameplate with a pen holder, a call director and a desk blotter. As a detective I was taught to be observant. A person's personality and character are usually reflected by his surroundings according to Detective Frank Randall, my Mentor. As a Detective, when I had first heard about Cy Leyton's disappearance, I was curious about what happened. "I understand that you and Cyrus Leyton were good friends. How long have you known him?" "Actually, Cyrus and I met as Freshmen in college and we got to know each other very well. We were inseparable and took several classes together. I loved archeology and Cy did, also. Boy, I could tell you a few interesting college coed stories about Cy Leyton." Winslow laughed. "But I promised I'd never tell." I laughed. "I'm sure they would be interesting stories but tell me more about the man, Cy Leyton." I was trying to get a feel for Winslow before I asked about Tyson. "You know, Cy always had to be first at everything. He was a tremendous competitor, but I would have followed him anywhere." Winslow's eyes glistened with tears as he reflected on his missing and presumed dead, friend. "Whew." Winslow took out his handkerchief and dabbed at his eyes. " You'd think that two years would ease my grief." Winslow sighed as he pointed to the pictures on his credenza. One was a duplicate of the picture that I had seen at the beach house. I walked over for a closer look. Winslow followed. "Cy is the one in the middle." It was easy to pick out Cyrus Leyton. His large framed body, short cropped whitish hair and broad smile dominated the picture. In one of the other photos, Leyton was holding a magnum cigar in one hand with a bottle of beer in the other and smiling like the cat that swallowed a canary. In this picture, the camera had picked up a wisp of cigar smoke as it curled around his head just as the picture was taken. It made him look sinister. The date on the picture was three years ago. "Did they ever find Leyton's boat?" "The stern section of the Dulcinea drifted southwest toward Jane's Island. They found it washed up on a sand bar. How it got that far south without be spotted is anybody's guess. "That far south? How far is that? "I only know what everyone else knows. He wasn't supposed to be on Grief Bay that night." Grief Bay? How appropriate. "And the stern section?" "Sunk! The sight of the shattered boat so upset Caroline that Franklin had the hulk towed out to deep water and sunk after the Coast Guard Inquiry." Winslow sat down on the window seat and stared out into space. I almost hated to break his reverie. "Did you know that Joe Tyson worked here at the college museum part time?" Tyson was a computer tech who worked on the security system. But, Winslow didn't seem to hear me. "Dean Winslow, may I have a look at the museum?" My question awakened Winslow from his daydream. "Oh! Of course, but why the museum?" "The deputies searched Tyson's dorm room and found a pay stub from the college. He had a part time job at the museum, right? It's as good a place as any to start as any." "That's right, this morning Mrs. Fine informed me that we employed Mr. Tyson. Certainly, I'll take you there, myself." Winslow moved to his desk and reached for the intercom. "Mrs. Fine, please get me the security key for the museum." He grabbed his suit jacket and walked out to the outer office and taking the electronic key from Mrs. Fine, he led me outside along the tree lined walkway from the administration building toward the North side of the campus. As we neared the building, I noted that the design of the museum building stood out from the traditional ivy covered brick structures. Constructed of cast concrete, glass and steel, the museum sat on a knoll overlooking an oval shaped pond which extended east toward the edge of the cliff. The building reminded me of the Air and Space museum in D.C. The other Ocean Bluff buildings matched the Smithsonian Institute. I was curious about this structure's departure from the classic Ivy League look. As we climbed the stone steps to the massive oak front doors, I noticed a bronze plaque engraved in understated small block letters. "IN MEMORY OF "KATHERINE". There was no last name, just "KATHERINE". "This building is not like the others. I mean, the design and architecture are quite different?" Winslow sighed. "Yes, it is quite different. Like Katherine." "Who was she? I thought Cyrus Leyton's wife's name was Abigail?" "Yes, Cyrus married Abigail Fitch over twenty five, no twenty six years ago. They were divorced right after this building was built." Without another word, Winslow climbed quickly up the remaining steps faster than I expected a man of his years could. He inserted the electronic key into one of the door jambs and moved to an alarm panel to his right. Shading the buttons from my sight, Winslow punched in a sequence of numbers and the red light on the panel switched to green. He removed the key and I heard several audible clunking noises as dead bolts slid back into their cradles at the top and bottom of each door. Winslow walked up to the doors and gently pushed the right door inward. The cantilevered unit swung open as easily; as though it didn't weigh in excess of five hundred pounds, which it did. Pushing open the other door just as easily, Winslow entered the museum and stopped just inside and looked up at the dome of steel spines and glass which formed the ceiling of this round and vaulted vestibule. He spread his arms wide, theatrically. "Mr. Farro, behold the Leyton legacy." Beyond the massive doors, lay a large circular vestibule over one hundred feet in diameter. I looked at the white marble of the floor. "This marble looks like the Supreme Court Steps." I quipped. "Just so. "Cyrus, Senior knew the designer of the Supreme Court Building very well." Winslow responded. "In fact this marble was imported from the same quarry as those Supreme Court steps. Cy found a company warehouse full of this stone after his father died." I looked around at the sun lit floor and although there were dark grey and black veins appearing deep in the stone, the overwhelming color was a brilliant white. The Dean of Ocean Bluff College seemed invigorated just by being in the museum entry hall as he turned to close the doors. Winslow walked slowly toward the the centerpiece of the foyer. There, captured in bronze for all eternity, was a twelve foot statue of Jack Leyton, sire of the Leyton Dynasty, dressed in a ship master's uniform, grasping a ship's wooden steering wheel in one hand and. a sextant in the other. With his long bronze hair, forever swept back by a strong sea breeze, the founder of Leyton Shipping stood atop a flattened map of the world mounted on a circular platform of light grey granite. Winslow was gazing in awe at the statue; I had to get him back to the present. "Where did Tyson work?" "Oh, yes, Mr. Tyson worked on the security computers. He did the technical work." "Can you show me your security center?" "Yes, I took the liberty of taking the keys to that area, too. Fred Bernard is our Chief of Security, but he needed personal time off. Besides, the museum is closed for renovation and with the tour is being packed for transport. We reasoned that, with the automated electronic security system, there is no need to have anyone on duty today. On Monday, however, the building will be crawling with workmen and we've hired several extra security officers to monitor the activity." "How big is this building?" "The grounds cover two acres not including the pond. The museum itself is thirty thousand square feet and is constructed like the spokes of a Chinese fan with this main entry foyer as the hub. Museum exhibits occupy the five spokes and there are park areas and shady paths outside between the spokes." He pointed to the guide near the statue. It reminded me of the those in large shopping malls, 'You are here'. The various spokes represented different areas of the world. "I heard you went with Cy on some of his discovery trips." "Just two, actually. One to Southeast Asia and another to South America. As I said, I am very interested in Archeology." I shrugged. "I never could get interested in the history or the people. They live there and we live here and..." I shrugged Winslow winced visibly. "That's a pity. The history of other peoples can be very fascinating. Would you like a little tour, first?" "Why not? My girlfriend will ask me what I saw." "Well, then it won't matter where we start." Winslow smirked. He chose one of the five corridors which led away from Leyton's statue. As Winslow walked slowly along he pointed out various exhibits of primitive tribes and offered his commentary. He did make it sound interesting. "These exhibits contain the indigenous people of the Amazon Region in South America. These manakins have been placed in poses which simulate tracking animals for food in the Central and South American jungles." Winslow stopped and pointed to the exhibits. "Those are examples of obscure tribes of the upper Amazon. Those tribes have survived for thousands of years without any interference from our modern world. I believe there are more tribes that we will never find." "This isn't much different from those in the Jefferson City Museum of Natural History." I offered. Winslow stopped in his tracks. "I thought you didn't like museums or history." I shrugged, raising my hands in surrender. "My girlfriend is one of you." Winslow smiled a knowing smile. "Women do control our wants and desires." I nodded. "She and I visited the museum in Johnson City two years ago. Trish loved it; all I saw was a bunch of stuffed dummies and animals propped up in the curator's rendition of how the natives lived in the jungle. I prefer more modern history and folklore, But, Trish could spend days roaming through museums and art galleries." Winslow frowned again but continued, undaunted by my apparent lack of respect. "In fact, most museum exhibits are very similar to one another. We frequently ship these to the other museums." I was looking for the exhibits with metal weapons, hoping to find a weapon similar to my dagger. "These exhibits, for the most part, show stone knives and axes. Where are the ones with metal weapons?" Winslow stopped. "Oh, those displays are in another section. Follow me this way." Winslow walked toward a nearby doorway which turned out to be shortcut to an adjacent spoke of the museum. As we walked, Winslow continued his tour description. "The far east cultures used more metal for their implements. Those are in this wing, but...." "But?" "But, we're in the process of packing these exhibits for an interstate tour." "Can we look anyway?" Maybe one would be similar to the one I found. "Of course, but the exhibits will be quite bare of displays." I shrugged and Winslow led me through the connecting tunnel to the Asian exhibits. But when we got there, the place was quite dirty and tossed about. Apparently, workers had been busily breaking down the exhibits and constructing new walls. Construction dust and debris were everywhere. Winslow seemed disturbed by the clutter. "Ordinarily, we're not quite so messy. But, we decided to use the opportunity to remodel this area while the exhibits were on tour." I pointed to one of the remaining exhibits. "That looks like India." "Very close. Actually, these displays are from another country in Southeast Asia. That one mirrored India and China. Today, we know it today as Cambodia." Of course, I had heard of Cambodia. "That's near Vietnam, right?" I thought aloud "Some of my old police buddies died there." Randall had many stories about his tours in Southeast Asia. Dr. Winslow frowned. "There are no politics here, Detective Farro, I can assure you. We're interested only in the impact of culture, religion and weather on the civilizations." I interrupted him. "How far back in history are we looking here?" "The twelfth century. Detective, have you ever heard of Angkor Wat?" "Sounds familiar, but like I said, I never was into foreign history." "I understand, but the short story is that, in Angkor Wat, the early Cambodians were very religious people who built large temples and cities. These pieces right here," He motioned to a group of pictures in one of the few display cases left in the room, "are from Oc Eo one of their oldest human settlements near the South China Sea." My puzzled look made the Dean continue. "The early Cambodians built a system of canals for streets and actually traded with China, India and, even with ancient Rome." "Rome, Italy?" I said suddenly recognizing another country I knew. "Rome, Italy; that's right. Maybe with Julius Caesar himself." Winslow smiled. "What kind of weapons did the Cambodians use?" "Bronze and tin swords and knives mostly. But they are not here." I was confused. "They're all gone?" "No, most of the items are downstairs being packed." "Could we take a look at the ones being packed?" Winslow paused for a second, but shook his head. "Certainly. Follow me." He unlocked a nearby door which had a sign which read 'Employees Only' and led me down a flight of steps to the museum's lower level. On the stairway, he paused and turned back to me. "Our insurance company insists that this area be secured at all times and our security systems have been malfunctioning. That's another reason why the museum is closed today." Winslow unlocked the door at the bottom of the staircase with a regular metal key and walked through without touching the keypad. "As you can see, the building security system isn't working down here?" He whispered. "But, all the external entrances are secured and hooked into a central monitoring company. The police, er, the Sheriff's deputies," Winslow snickered. "Can be here in less than three minutes." I must have missed the humor in what he said. "What's so funny?" "I just realized the police are already here, aren't you, the Police?" Winslow chuckled, again. I shook my head and frowned. But, my cop's curiosity started pinging when Winslow said that the security system was not functioning. And, Tyson was working on the security computers. The Dean continued. "There have been intermittent computer programming glitches; they started several weeks ago." "That's a long time for a security system to be malfunctioning." I thought out loud "It's not totally down. But we are having a variety of smaller system breakdowns. Last Tuesday, for instance, the packing room alarms would not engage until we rebooted the system. But, you are right. It is a long time and we have a software team from the manufacturer coming on Monday, also. The only thing that works properly is the fire alarm. They said there's an issue in the program's deep logic, whatever that is. But, as I said, all external doors and security fields are still working." Winslow sounded defensive. We walked further down the corridor where there were three more doors one to the left and two to the right. "Where do you usually station your security officers?" "When the museum is open, only authorized personnel are allowed down here and usually we keep one officer upstairs and another down here when the packers are working in this room." Winslow opened the door on our left with a security card; reached and switched on the lights. We entered a large room; there were dozens of stacked wooden crates which, I assumed, contained art treasures. On a work bench directly across from the door, I noticed several wooden statues and two light green fat men, each about a foot tall. Winslow noticed my reaction. "Buddha representations." Winslow offered. "Twelfth century under Jayavarman VII. Jayavarman was the last great king of the Angkor. He built the new capital of Angkor Thom, north of Angkor Wat." I shrugged. "If you say so." Winslow smiled. "Ah, the arrogance of the present. Detective, to ignore the fact that a human being crafted those statues without machines or computers, is showing our arrogance." Winslow shook his head. "I am afraid our younger generation has little desire to learn about how we got here, our civilizations, I mean." Hoping to change the subject, I didn't respond but walked past the workbench with the statues. There were two small boxes protruding from beneath the bench. I gingerly stepped around them, but Winslow apparently didn't see them and stumbled, falling forward. His shoulder struck the edge of the table and he landed hard on his knees on the concrete floor. "Dean Winslow!" I grabbed his arm and helped him up. "Are you alright?" Winslow shook his head. "Quite!" He seemed a little embarrassed. "How clumsy of me. I should have...." As he was dusting off his slacks, his eyes narrowed as he looked down at the floor. "What's the matter, Sir?" "Look at that!" Winslow pointed at one of the wooden boxes which he had tripped over. It had sprung open; he reached down to pick up the piece of smooth river stone which had been inside. "What's this?" He picked up the top of the box and looked at the label. "This should contain a Khmer Jade Elephant, a priceless statue!" I pried opened the other box. It had two steel rods, mounted in Styrofoam packing material. We continued opening the remainder of the boxes on the bench. In a short time we completed our inventory of the packing list. Everything was there except for the missing elephant and a brace of royal daggers. Winslow's description of the missing knives matched the one I'd found in the surf. The knife came from the museum. And, now I knew there was another one out there. That could be another lead to finding the killer. Suddenly, I remembered my new technology, my cell phone. As much as I hated these gizmos, I realized that I had a crime scene and I needed pictures. I opened it like I knew what I was doing and tried to remember Trish's instructions. After a couple of attempts, I aimed the phone camera lens at the boxes and other items and took several pictures. Now, all I had to do was get them off the phone. Trish would be here tonight. I'd ask the Sheriff to send a fingerprint guy, but I wasn't hopeful to find useable prints with all the dirt down here. "Have security look through the rest of the exhibits, just in case." I suggested. "I'll inform Sheriff Thomson." I had one of a pair of royal daggers, but Winslow didn't have to know that. There was a thief who worked on the campus and the thief could be a murderer. Everyone was a suspect. Did the murderer still have my knife's mate? Did he know what he had? At about 6 o'clock, I got back home. It would be dark in an hour and I wanted to get cleaned up because Trish was on her way. For a second time that day, the hot shower felt great on my face and chest. I recalled the cold surf yesterday and shuddered at the thought of being swept away by the backwash. I shook away the thoughts as I toweled dry and wiped the steam off the mirror. A fresh shave would go a long way; Trish preferred the smooth as a baby's butt feel. At 7 o'clock, I was sitting on my rear deck; it was just getting dark as a cool ocean breeze stirred the tall pines which separated my cottage from Farragut Lane. The ocean below was calm as a lake. Suddenly, I heard a distant sound carried on the light breeze through the trees. I recognized it, the distant whine of a motorcycle engine winding up then the drone of decelerating as the rider shifted through the gears and making hard turns. The echoes sounded like the bike was traveling along Cliff Road and moving fast. I walked through the house onto the front porch. About a mile away, I caught a glimpse of a single headlight as it slashed along the roadside trees through the gathering darkness. I knew there was a sharp curve ahead of the speeding bike where the road sweeps out toward the cliff's edge as it rounds a long bend. "If that jerk isn't careful," I thought aloud, "He'll drive right off the curve and won't feel a thing until the Atlantic Ocean slaps him in the face." But, he made it around that turn and the engine screamed louder as the biker downshifted again and the light shifted as the rider leaned over to round the final curve before Farragut. I could see the bright headlight dip back toward me as the biker left the bike in the lower gear coming off Cliff Road. "That idiot probably has a death wish. If he were my kid, I'd kick his ass." But, this was none of my business. The droning engine grew louder as the biker downshifting again, decelerating onto Farragut, instead of heading away along Cliff Road. The noise became a low growl. The rider revved the engine twice, leaned hard left and cruised slowly into my driveway. Covered in black leather from helmet to toes, the intruder slid the bike to a stop on the loose driveway gravel and kicked down the stand right in front of me. With hesitating he leaned the bike over and killed the throbbing engine. And, I was ready. This creep was going to get a piece of my mind. The cop in me wanted to stuff him up his exhaust pipe and that stunt driving deserved another blast. I walked halfway across the porch and stopped short as my uninvited visitor swung one leg off the machine and looked right at me through his dark visor. Reaching up with gloved hands, he grabbed both sides of his black helmet and lifted it straight up. Trish's long dark auburn tresses fell down over her shoulders as she shook her head. Her smile was lost on my blank stare. "Hey Dan! Great day for a bike ride, isn't it?" Trish bubbled. For a second or two, I was stunned. "Ride?" My temper took over. "Who the hell taught you to ride like that? Do you realize how dangerous a motorcycle is? Do you know there's a hundred foot cliff out there and …." I was livid. But, my tirade seemed to have little effect. She set her helmet on the handlebars and walked right up to me, put her arms around my neck and planted her beautiful lips on mine. At that instant, I forgot why I was angry and several dazzled seconds later, I had to push her away. "Well, aren't you glad to see me, Dan Farro?" Trish pouted, curling her lower lip. "Ah yeah, it's just that..." I stumbled. "You look terrific." I hesitated; I was smitten again. How could I stay mad at this beautiful brunette with that pouting look and the tight fitting leather pants and her bright hazel eyes? Trish unzipped her leather jacket and moved closer. She pressed herself up against me. "I missed you!" She purred. I pushed her away again. "How long have you had that?" I frowned, nodding toward the bike. She pulled back and sighed. Her eyes went wide. "You don't approve?" She put her hands on her hips. "You don't like women bikers, huh? Oink. Oink." Trish mocked coquettishly." You've become a sexist?" I frowned again. "You know me better than that." "Oh, you're just jealous that I can ride and you can't" She teased. I scowled. "I rode a motorcycle before you learned how to say the word." "That's only because you're an old man." She laughed and continued her teasing. But, before I could respond, Trish's eyes went soft and she moved even closer. "My old man." She sighed and kissed me again, hard. The porch light showed the auburn highlights in Trish's long brown hair which smelled clean and fresh and.... her leather pants fit her well, too. "I'm starved." Trish said as she pushed me away. "What are you making for dinner?" I was still half dazed again. "Reservations." I whispered. Trish laughed. "We're going out? Great! Where?" "Down to the wharf.... The Lobster Pot." "I'll grab a quick shower and change, okay?" Trish went back to the bike, opened a saddle bag and took out a small duffel bag and her helmet and went inside. I walked the bike over toward the garage. *********** It was about eight when we got to the restaurant overlooking the Lord's Marina. The waitress had just served our drinks. "Our gallery's been busy." Trish began. "Last month, we located several Asian artifacts and the buyers have been all over us. What have you been doing with all your spare time, Dan?" I wasn't sure I should tell her about the Tyson case. But she had helped me on several cases back in Jefferson City before I retired. Unlike my ex-wife, Trish took interest in my job. I liked that and decided to tell her about the murder. I thought she'd be surprised that I'd agreed to help the Sheriff. But she wasn't. Trish seemed delighted that I was involved in the investigation. "I suppose even sleepy Lord's Beach has to have a little excitement" she laughed. "You aren't in any danger, are you?" She added as an afterthought. I smirked. "Danger? No, I don't think so, not in sleepy Lord's Beach, right?" She rolled her eyes in response. As with my previous cases, she listened intently to my findings. "Are you the lead detective?" "No way! I'm just gathering clues." At least, I thought that's what I was doing. I knew, in my heart, I was hooked. I told Trish the general facts of the case. And, since we were in a restaurant, I didn't tell her the whole story about the Leyton's. After dinner I suggested we get back to the cottage. When we got there, I stoked the ashes and threw a few of hunks of oak on the fire. The fire crackled and the scent of burning wood and warmth filled the living room as we sat in the glow of the flames. We talked for a while about the Leyton Mansion and, in passing, I mentioned Cy Leyton's disappearance two years previously. Then, I selected a CD from my collection. The classic love songs played in the background as Trish leaning her back against my chest sipping wine and watching the jumping flames. The music brought back memories of my younger days. Trish never complained about my choice of music. In fact, she seemed to like it as much as I did. She settled back and snuggled even closer and I gently kissed her on the top of her head. Her hair smelled like flowers as she moved away from me and took my wine glass. Placing it next to hers on the table, she turned back and crawled up onto me, nuzzling her head under my chin. Her warm body melted against mine and I held her a little tighter. Trish looked looked up into my eyes and I knew she wanted me to kiss her. The crackling fire and the warmth of her body were too much to resist. I leaned forward and gently kissed her on her lips and she responded by pulling herself on top of me, kissing my neck and pressing her body harder against me. Her kisses moved across my cheek, then her parted lips gently but passionately touched mine. I felt the tip of her tongue probing at my bottom lip and then, my top lip communicating her needs. She was answering my unasked question. *********** Meanwhile, ten miles to the west, Cassiopeia sat in her darkened car and pushed the answer button on her phone. She knew she needed to visit the house one more time. Pressure was mounting as she spoke to her handler. "You must find another way." The female voice said. "You are risking the entire mission. Do you understand?" The gravely voice hissed through her cell phone speaker.Cassy dared not respond and quickly touched the off button. She had less than two weeks to obtain the material and forward the information to the dead drop. Her employers were getting more impatient by the hour and had threatened more than once to close down the operation. But, she knew the consequences of failure as much as the need to preserve her solid cover. Two years ago the op had failed because her team ignored her instructions and went all 'terrorist' against the target. They were supposed to board the sailboat, retrieve the device and any computer paraphernalia and then sink the boat. She had been specific about Leyton. They were to subdue him, administer the sedative and meet a second team at a rendezvous south of Castle Point Light, where they would turn over their prisoner and the equipment and get paid. Compartmentalizing was the goal. There were three teams involved and each one only knew its own tasks. The final team was comprised of two pilots who would fly the goods out of the country. Once in international airspace, they would learn their destination. Of course, the first leg of the mission went wrong and the rest of the plan continued down the tube. If only she were allowed to lead the mission. But, that was irrelevant now. Apparently, Leyton had installed a fail safe device aboard his sloop and he blew himself up with his invention. Cassy recalled the searing pain that shot through her eye as the bomb detonated and the fireball, magnified by the night scope, flashed across the five miles of open water and into the telescope. And, it had taken a year and a half to set up her present cover and her employers were adamant. Her current undercover position was inviolable. Even speaking on phone ten miles away from the beach house was risky, let alone her recent trips to the property to search. If they knew, they would scrub the operation and recall her immediately. But, the mission had become personal. Cassiopeia, her name sake, was a mythical arrogant woman who didn't get on too well with Poseidon. The Greek god of the sea. She was sure that the American Analyst, who established her code name, must have thought that she, too, was arrogant and vain because of her bold and successful missions against the Agency, not to mention the little clues she left behind to twist their tails. With the loss of the Leyton prototype at sea, the only solution was to find any plans and documentation to help recreate it. They had hacked into Leyton's company computers and found little, and she knew that Leyton didn't like digital records. Her sources discovered that Cy Leyton preferred carrying only encrypted flash drives and paper drawings. He left no data on his personal computers and laptops, either. Leyton feared industrial espionage, not her kind. To wit, Cassy surmised that Leyton had hidden a duplicate device or drawings or another flash drive. They weren't at his corporate offices. And, her search of the museum had also been fruitless. Every time she stepped out of her cover identity, she risked disaster. Her handler had to know that she was violating protocol, but so far, the female voice on the other end of the phone didn't hint that he or she knew. But, now, she had made the mistake of killing the student. He had given her access to the museum on the lie that she was an art thief and that she had clients waiting for Asian artifacts. He was infatuated with her persona and acted like a puppy dog of sorts, that is, until the puppy grew sexual fangs. She must have been too stressed or drugged; her instinct was to protect herself and the young man died. ****** |
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