On Thin Ice by Eliza Lloyd

Author:Eliza Lloyd
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ellora's Cave Publishing Inc.
Published: 2013-10-04T00:00:00+00:00

Somehow, Keefe found herself inside Evan’s embrace. She turned her mind off to everything except the feel of his arms around her. She could not dwell on the awful truth. She fought back the churning nausea.

Eventually Evan brought her back to reality. “Tell me what happened.”

Keefe tried to organize her thoughts. What had she heard after Carol delivered that awful statement? “Paul is dead.”

Carol Hysten had stated the news in a cold, heartless tone. Time, method, location. Carol’s shock was just as apparent in her wooden words. My God, he’d died right in the office, probably while working over one of the lab tables.

“What do we do now?” Carol asked at the end of the conversation.

“Who’s in charge of the investigation?”

“Chief Inspector Nigel Ainsworth.” He’d probably make it his personal mission to pursue this investigation until the very end after his suspicions from the break-in. Had she told him the truth then, would it have prevented Paul’s death? Somehow she doubted it.

“Have they said anything? What do they think was the motive?” As if she didn’t know. The urn. Just like the burglary.

“The inspector said you would know and he wanted to talk to you about it. Does it have to do with the break-in?” Carol’s voice cracked under the strain. If she wasn’t already crying, tears were imminent. “I don’t know what to think, Dr. Pearson. Everyone’s very upset, what with the burglary and now Dr. Atwater’s death.”

“Do whatever the inspector instructs. Tell him I’ll fly in sometime tomorrow. Have you talked to his wife yet? We have to be strong for the family, Carol.”

“Susannah’s distraught. Both the children are at university. She’s trying to get them home. As soon as Inspector Ainsworth allows it, I plan to see her.”

“Thank you, Carol. I’ll call her after a while too. Help her in any way you can. Tell her…tell her…how sorry I am. Send everyone home when Ainsworth gives the okay.”

She might as well have wielded the knife herself. Sick at heart, she dropped the phone and sat down, folding her arms and lowering her head to the desktop. Tears wouldn’t come. She concentrated on breathing normally, trying to come to grips with the reality. Paul Atwater was dead.

If Rafe had anything to do with this, she’d do everything in her power to see that he spent an eternity behind bars. How could he be involved with such people? Were they so determined to get their hands on the urn that nothing would get in their way? Why hadn’t they come after her? She had the urn. Or did Rafe forget to tell them that fact? And how could one simple artifact, which had only been out of the ground for two weeks—less than two weeks—be the cause of such turmoil?

Coping with her own sense of responsibility would involve more energy and thought than she had at her disposal.

Once she could breathe normally, she had picked up the phone and called Evan. He could help sort through the illogical facts—he could help her make sense of this mess.

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