Chapter 33
Transfer
She heard her cell phone go off, but to be brutally honest, she didn’t give a damn about answering it. Trying to ignore it the best she could, she continued to work on the report that should have been on the acting curator’s desk two days ago.
A ping told her she had a voice memo. Good. I’ll listen to whatever babbling you left when I’m done here.
The phone went off again.
“Oh, Jesus.” It was going to be one of those days. Another dark, gray, dismal twenty-four hours in a long line of equally dismal days. Ever since that intruder forced her into her apartment, and Garenth put out his lights, her existence seemed to have gone downhill.
Tears rose in her eyes. Grabbing a tissue from the box on her desk, she dabbed at them and sniffed. She had to stop pining like this. She had to go on with her life. This relentless worrying about Garenth…
More tears came, damn it. She shouldn’t have brought him up, but in the short time they’d known each other, he had become a part of her. His strength, his bravery, his caring—everything about him had touched her heart, and she’d never really understood how much her life had changed until he was gone.
We never got to say goodbye.
That was the hardest part, the loss of one last kiss. One final hug. Once the police were finished questioning her, she’d been taken back to her apartment.
The last time she’d seen him was for that too brief moment when their eyes locked through the glass partition at the police station. She’d recognized the worry in his face, and knew he was concerned more for her safety and wellbeing than he was for his own.
Her uncle had been released soon afterwards, and returned to his dig in Egypt. A few weeks later, Garenth was released to the authorities there in Cairo, and Kelling accepted sponsorship of him. In the months that passed, he would email her updates as to Garenth’s status, letting her know of the pitfalls of trying to get the man a work visa, even a temporary one.
“But, by all counts, Brie, it doesn’t look good. I can hire him on as a worker, but as for the proper paperwork…”
“I understand. Thank you for trying.”
“To these people, he has no history, no background, no family members, no birth certificate. Nothing.”
“Is he okay, though? Is he doing okay?”
“Yeah. He’s making it. He’s learning English and adjusting pretty well to twenty-first century life, considering. Don’t worry, sweetie. I’m making sure he’ll never want for anything.”
The phone pinged a second time. Curiosity nagged her, and she finally reached for the cell to see who’d been calling. Was it the same person both times?
Her eyes widened to discover it was.
Her uncle.
“Oh God, please don’t let it be bad news,” she softly prayed as she hit the call back button. It was answered after the first ring.
“Brie! How’s my girl?”
“Uncle Chet, is everything all right? I’m sorry I missed your calls. I’m in the middle of trying to get this report finished for Gilbertson.”
The man chuckled. “Everything’s fine. Sorry if I upset you. Since you mentioned Gilbertson, what’s the latest news on Moring?”
“The grand jury indicted her Tuesday on several charges, including appropriation by theft and the selling of cultural artifacts. I’ll send you the link.”
“Have the police or ICE mentioned who she was obtaining them for?”
“No, but I suspect it may only be a matter of time before she or that guy who stole them rags on their buyer. Oh, and while I’m thinking of it, the lab results came back from those swabbings I took from the vial.”
“And?”
“Inconclusive. The contents appear to be plant-based, but there’s nothing in the database to identify which plants. They’re assuming the plants that were used to concoct the potion may now be extinct. I spoke to Johnstone, and he said they’ll continue to pursue it during their off time because they like enigmas.”
Kelling grunted. “Well, it was worth a try.”
She bit her lower lip. She wanted to ask him about Garenth, but forced herself to remain silent. Her uncle rarely called just to chit-chat, much less try repeatedly to reach her and leave voicemails. “What’s up with you? Where’s the fire?” she teased.
“I called because I have a job offer for you, but it’ll require you to give up your position there at the museum.”
She was immediately intrigued. “What do you mean?”
“Well, the last time we talked, you told me how different things were over there. You mentioned how much more stressful the situation was under the acting curator.”
Brielle softly groaned. “You have no idea.”
“So I’m offering you a position here. With me.”
“In Egypt?”
“I’m needing someone who can label, sort, and file, and do it correctly. And, more importantly, someone I can trust.” He snorted. “Since that’s pretty much what you do there, I thought I’d offer you the job first.”
“I thought that was Arnie’s job.”
“This dig is getting to be a bigger project than anyone expected, so I’ve put him in the field with Irmine. What do you say, Brie? Willing to pull up stakes and settle elsewhere? If I remember correctly, back when you were in high school, you mentioned that one day you wanted to travel to foreign lands with me.”
“And I still do!” she gasped. “Yes! Yes, I want the job. I need to give notice—”
“No time for that. Check your email. Your flight information is there. Your plane leaves at six-ten, so you need to hurry home and pack your passport, your toothbrush, and a bottle of sunscreen.”
“Today?”
Kelling laughed. “There’s no time to dawdle. Don’t worry about giving notice or alerting your landlord. I’ll take care of the details.”
“How many days will I be gone? How many days do I need to pack for?”
“That’s entirely up to you,” he replied enigmatically. “Have a safe trip, and I’ll see you when you arrive.”
Brielle wasted no time and gathered together the few personal items and mementoes she wanted to keep. She sent her report as it was to the curator, then powered down her computer before heading for the main lab.
Cassidy was the only person inside, but that was okay. The woman was the only person she was close enough to that she’d care to give a final farewell.
Cassidy squinted in surprise at the expression Brielle wore. “What’s with you? Did the sun finally come out after all these months?”
“I just quit my job. I’m heading tonight for Egypt to work with my uncle.”
“What? No! Right now?”
Brielle gave the woman a warm hug. “I don’t know how long I’ll be gone. I’m sending Gilbertson my letter of resignation and recommending you for the position. Hope that’s okay.”
“Well, yeah, but…”
They hugged again, and this time neither of them tried to hide their tears.
“I’m going to miss you, Brie,” Cassidy confessed. “Are you keeping your apartment?”
“Yeah, but I don’t know when I’ll be back. But, yeah.”
“Let me know the next time you hit town, you hear?”
“I will. Promise.”
A final hug, and Brielle hurried away.
Funny, but handing over her key card, and knowing it was the final time, had absolutely no emotional effect on her. She was headed for Egypt where, if she was lucky, she might get to see Garenth again.
And if she was blessed, he would remember her…and more.