finally I grilled Ann on depositary procedures.
Other than the different items listed on the two receipts, nothing else looked suspicious.
It was now three o’clock. I turned to Archie. “Do you really think I can catch your thief with only this information?” I asked.
He leaned forward. “You must, Scott,” he said. “We need to know how they robbed our depositary.”
Ann sighed. “They didn’t—”
I raised my hand to cut her off. “Let’s not go there,” I said.
What I needed was something fresh. “Let me see that journal,” I said to Archie. “Maybe it’ll have a clue.”
“No,” Madame Flora said.
We all looked at her.
She sat with her arms crossed. “It belongs back in its soul line collection,” she said. “It is private property.” She shook her finger at Archie. “You know better than to have removed it.”
“Flora, Scott needs it to track down the perpetrator,” Archie said.
“You used your ring to pry open an account in which you have no right to stick your nose.” Madame Flora turned to Ann. “We don’t even know if a crime was committed.”
Ann looked at her for a moment, and then nodded. “She’s got a point, Archibald. The journal belongs in the depositary. Your ring lets you look at it, but not Scott.”
Archie turned to Berry.
Berry’s eyes went from Archie to Madame Flora to me. “I’m siding with the ladies on this one,” he finally said. “Theft or not, the journal belongs in its collection, and not in Scott’s hands.” He paused. “As distasteful as it sounds, we must safeguard that book, along with whatever secrets it contains, for Goering’s future carriers.”
Archie banged his fists on the arms of his chair. But after a minute he nodded and said, “I will return it this evening.”
“We can do it now,” Ann said. “It’ll only take a minute.”
Archie shook his head. “I wish to examine it again,” he said.
Ann looked at Madame Flora, who nodded. “Take as long as you need, Archibald,” the old Gypsy said. “Just don’t share it with Scott.”
“You have my word that I will return it directly this evening.” He stood up. “You will have to excuse Mr. Berringer, Ann, and me. We must attend a staff meeting.”
After the three headed out the door, I looked at Archie’s desk and wondered if I could take a peek at the journal.
“Don’t even think about it, Scott,” Madame Flora said.
I stared at her for a minute. Then I turned to Val. “So where does that leave my investigation?” I asked her.
“On a wild goose chase.” Madame Flora’s voice was sharp. “Go home, Scott. Archibald is wasting your time.” She stood up and walked to the window, then whirled around and faced Val and me. “If you don’t, then mark my words—we’ll all be sorry that Goering’s soul line collection was opened.”
fourteen
Present Day
Sterling, Massachusetts
After Madame Flora made her unhappy prediction, the three of us walked out of the overseer’s office and rode the elevator down. Madame Flora didn’t say a word, but she did give us a tight smile as she exited on the first floor.
Val and I continued down to the dungeon, but when the doors opened, I held up my hand. “I’m going back up to get that journal,” I said.
Val just looked at me.
“We can copy it before Archie gets back from his staff meeting.”
She scrunched up her forehead. “Flora was pretty adamant about you not getting it.”
“All the more reason,” I said. I pressed the button for the third floor. “We’ve got no other clues, and I can’t solve a sixty-four year old robbery based on those two receipts.”
She closed her eyes and didn’t open them until the doors opened back at the third floor. “Okay,” she said as we stepped into the foyer. “Though I still don’t think it’s right.”
When we reached Archie’s office, I took a quick peek down the hallway. Nobody was around, so we hustled inside, then shut and locked the door.
We
Other than the different items listed on the two receipts, nothing else looked suspicious.
It was now three o’clock. I turned to Archie. “Do you really think I can catch your thief with only this information?” I asked.
He leaned forward. “You must, Scott,” he said. “We need to know how they robbed our depositary.”
Ann sighed. “They didn’t—”
I raised my hand to cut her off. “Let’s not go there,” I said.
What I needed was something fresh. “Let me see that journal,” I said to Archie. “Maybe it’ll have a clue.”
“No,” Madame Flora said.
We all looked at her.
She sat with her arms crossed. “It belongs back in its soul line collection,” she said. “It is private property.” She shook her finger at Archie. “You know better than to have removed it.”
“Flora, Scott needs it to track down the perpetrator,” Archie said.
“You used your ring to pry open an account in which you have no right to stick your nose.” Madame Flora turned to Ann. “We don’t even know if a crime was committed.”
Ann looked at her for a moment, and then nodded. “She’s got a point, Archibald. The journal belongs in the depositary. Your ring lets you look at it, but not Scott.”
Archie turned to Berry.
Berry’s eyes went from Archie to Madame Flora to me. “I’m siding with the ladies on this one,” he finally said. “Theft or not, the journal belongs in its collection, and not in Scott’s hands.” He paused. “As distasteful as it sounds, we must safeguard that book, along with whatever secrets it contains, for Goering’s future carriers.”
Archie banged his fists on the arms of his chair. But after a minute he nodded and said, “I will return it this evening.”
“We can do it now,” Ann said. “It’ll only take a minute.”
Archie shook his head. “I wish to examine it again,” he said.
Ann looked at Madame Flora, who nodded. “Take as long as you need, Archibald,” the old Gypsy said. “Just don’t share it with Scott.”
“You have my word that I will return it directly this evening.” He stood up. “You will have to excuse Mr. Berringer, Ann, and me. We must attend a staff meeting.”
After the three headed out the door, I looked at Archie’s desk and wondered if I could take a peek at the journal.
“Don’t even think about it, Scott,” Madame Flora said.
I stared at her for a minute. Then I turned to Val. “So where does that leave my investigation?” I asked her.
“On a wild goose chase.” Madame Flora’s voice was sharp. “Go home, Scott. Archibald is wasting your time.” She stood up and walked to the window, then whirled around and faced Val and me. “If you don’t, then mark my words—we’ll all be sorry that Goering’s soul line collection was opened.”
fourteen
Present Day
Sterling, Massachusetts
After Madame Flora made her unhappy prediction, the three of us walked out of the overseer’s office and rode the elevator down. Madame Flora didn’t say a word, but she did give us a tight smile as she exited on the first floor.
Val and I continued down to the dungeon, but when the doors opened, I held up my hand. “I’m going back up to get that journal,” I said.
Val just looked at me.
“We can copy it before Archie gets back from his staff meeting.”
She scrunched up her forehead. “Flora was pretty adamant about you not getting it.”
“All the more reason,” I said. I pressed the button for the third floor. “We’ve got no other clues, and I can’t solve a sixty-four year old robbery based on those two receipts.”
She closed her eyes and didn’t open them until the doors opened back at the third floor. “Okay,” she said as we stepped into the foyer. “Though I still don’t think it’s right.”
When we reached Archie’s office, I took a quick peek down the hallway. Nobody was around, so we hustled inside, then shut and locked the door.
We
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