Last Breath by Mariah Stewart Page A

panicking, and admitting that fatigue might be getting the best of her, she relocked the room, then the front door, and asked Louise to assign someone from campus security to guard the building through the night. She returned to McGowan house and slept for six hours. She got up, showered, changed her clothes, and returned to the basement, this time asking Louise to join her.
    â€œI realize you’re busy, but if you could spare me a few hours,” Daria had asked.
    â€œOf course. What would you like me to do?”
    â€œI need a hand with the inventory,” Daria told her without voicing her suspicions. “But you might want to change your clothes. And bring some bottled water. You might get thirsty.”
    Louise did just that, and for the next ten hours, crossed off the artifacts as Daria unwrapped them. At the end of the day, Daria sat at the desk and covered her face with her hands.
    â€œDaria?” Thinking the archaeologist was overcome at having handled so many priceless objects in one day—as she certainly was—Louise patted Daria on the back and said, “I know this is overwhelming, but imagine what Alistair must have felt when he first found these objects. It’s like a fantasy, gold and jewels and treasure like you dream about when you’re a child and read of such things. Remember the story about Ali Baba and the forty thieves, and their cave of treasure? I feel as if I’ve walked into it. So I don’t blame you for being blown away. God knows I certainly am.”
    â€œLouise, is there anywhere else on campus we might find other pieces from the collection?”
    â€œNo, why?” Louise frowned. “No. Nothing was ever taken out of this room.”
    â€œI’m afraid that’s not true.”
    â€œWhat do you mean?” Louise put down the golden mask she’d been admiring and turned to Daria.
    â€œSome of the objects that should be here, according to Alistair’s notes, are missing.” Daria ran an anxious hand over her face. “I went through everything last night, but there are items that are not accounted for. They’re on the inventory, but not in the crates. That’s why I asked you to help me go through it all again today. I needed to make sure.”
    â€œWhat are you saying?”
    â€œI’m saying that between the time Alistair inventoried his find and today, someone’s made off with some very important artifacts.” Daria’s face was white.
    â€œAre you certain?” Louise looked stunned. “Daria, you counted the crates. There should be fifty-seven. There were fifty-seven, correct?”
    Daria nodded her head.
    â€œAnd you yourself removed the seals from those crates,” Louise continued. “The inventories prepared by Alistair show check marks next to every item. And every item was checked. So why would you think something was missing?”
    â€œSeveral items checked off on Alistair’s list are not checked off on mine. So unless some of the objects were removed and placed elsewhere in the university, or sold…”
    â€œThere is no record of that,” Louise insisted.
    â€œThen I’d have to say they were stolen.”
    â€œStolen!”
    â€œI can’t think of any other explanation. As you pointed out, the crates were sealed and Alistair’s inventories show that every item was checked off by him—found, examined, then rewrapped and repacked in its shipping crate. But see here…”
    Daria pointed to an entry and read aloud. “Two large solid-gold griffins clutching arrows, lapis lazuli eyes and rubies at the mouth.” She looked up at Louise and said, “There should be two. There are none. Not in this crate, not in any of the others.”
    â€œMaybe we missed them somehow.”
    â€œI’ve looked through every crate twice. When I asked you to give me a hand, it was to help verify my findings. I thought perhaps I was tired;