Preservation

by Charles Lemoine

  Someone rushed to her side and scooped her up into their arms. Mariska didn’t bother to even look. It didn’t matter. Not right now. She allowed herself to go limp and she was carried from the room and placed onto the couch in the living room.

  “Mariska?” Detective Wulf said. “Are you hurt?”

  She didn’t answer.

  “You’re covered in blood.” She could feel his hands all over her, looking, searching for the source of the blood. “Are you hurt? There’s an ambulance on the way.”

  Mariska opened her eyes. She showed him her hand, the gash deep, but she could still move her fingers.

  “Oh, no,” Wulf said, undoing his tie and wrapping her hand up tight. “You’re safe now.” He hugged her against him, his warmth felt good to her cold, numb body.

  “He’s dead,” she said.

  “Yes.”

  “I killed him.” She started crying once again. Her shoulders moving with each gut-wrenching heave. “I killed him.”

  “You didn’t have a choice. He came here to kill you.” He continued to hold her, her sobs slowing until they stopped.

  “I know.” She came up to sit, facing the detective. “How’d you know it was him?”

  “Theresa.” Wulf wiped the tears from her face with the thumb of his hand. His kindness threatening to send her into another sobbing fit.

  “She must have gotten my text?” Mariska said. “I was hoping she’d tell you I was in trouble.”

  “Yeah, she called me right away, but I was already on my way.”

  Mariska looked at him with confusion. “Really?”

  “Yeah, Theresa, found a connection linking Caleb Heuston and David Beaumont. They were the same person.”

  Mariska shook her head, trying to make sense of it all.

  “Let’s talk about this later,” Wulf said. “When the ambulance gets here, I expect you to get on it and go to the hospital for a full check.”

  Mariska went to protest but stopped when she saw the look in his eyes. Stern, but caring, Wulf wasn’t going to take no for an answer.

  “Okay, but will you do me a favor?”

  “Anything.” Wulf squeezed her good hand.

  “Call my mom,” she said, tears welling up once again. “I need my mom.”

  He hugged her as the paramedics entered the apartment to take her to Cedar Sinai Hospital. “I’ll come for you as soon as I’m done here.”

  The paramedics asked her if she could stand and she walked with them, arm in arm, to the front door. She turned back to see Wulf watching her leave. She offered him a sad smile before exiting the apartment.

  From this moment on, her life would never be the same.

  Chapter Fifty-Two

  Wulf waited outside Mariska’s hospital room with Theresa and Mr. and Mrs. Stevenson. The doctors had told them she wasn’t in any immediate danger, but they were attending to her wounds. The pit in his stomach threatened to turn the stale coffee he was consuming into a recreation of something straight out of the Exorcist movie. He put the cup down on the table next to him and went over and sat next to Theresa.

  “Should it be taking this long?” Wulf said.

  Theresa looked at him with a curious look. “You’re worried, aren’t you?”

  He didn’t respond but looked back at the closed hospital door. He closed his eyes for a moment and imagery from the night of his wife’s murder flashed through his mind. The same sickening feeling settled deep inside him. He swallowed hard and cleared his throat.

  This wasn’t the time for a trip down memory lane.

  “I didn’t think she’d be in there for so long. All I knew about was a wound on her hand.” Wulf sat back into the chair and crossed his arms.

  “That’s true. They need to clean out the wound and stitch her up. But she’d also been strangled. The ligature mark is going to leave a scar…or at least they said it was a possibility.”

  He shook his head. “That fucking bastard,” Wulf whispered under his breath. A rage inside him squashed all the other feelings he’d just been feeling moments ago. “If I could get my hands on him…I’d fucking kill him.”

  “Mariska did that for you,” Theresa said. “And, I’d suggest when you see her, you keep in mind what she just went through. Anger and rage aren’t what she needs right now. Despite David being an asshole, he was still her best friend, and I’m sure she is hurting on the inside too.”

  But he tried to kill her. How could someone care about someone who tried to kill them?

  “I’ll keep that in mind.” He took a deep breath and looked over at Mariska’s parents. They were sitting on the far side of the waiting room, holding each other in a sad, but comforting embrace. He’d better go talk to them—try and offer some kind of reassurance. The look on her mother’s face reminded him all too much of his late wife's mother that night. A mix of sadness and fear etched across her face, eyes filled with tears, and a crumpled tissue clenched in her hand, at the ready—in case bad news was delivered. He turned back to Theresa, “I’ll be right back.”

  He got up and walked across the room; each step grew heavier as he approached. “Mr. and Mrs. Stevenson, may I have a seat?”

  “Absolutely,” Robert said. “Please, sit.”

  “Thank you.” Wulf sat next to Leah Stevenson. “I wanted to tell you both what an amazing daughter you have. She survived so much over the past few days, but never gave up on her beliefs, goals, and her determination was beyond anything I could have imagined. You’ve raised a brave young woman.”

  Leah dabbed a tissue to her eyes, and Robert said, “Thank you.” He then put his hand on his wife’s leg as she leaned her head into his shoulder. “Her stubbornness can sometimes be confused with bravery, but we are sure proud of her. We hope her injuries aren’t something that’ll give her regrets in the future.”

  Wulf thought about his statement for a moment. Scars could last forever, fading with time, but possibly never going away. Would, Mariska look at the scars on her hand and neck in the future and see an accomplishment or a defeat?

  The door to her hospital room swung open and a doctor came out, pulling off his mask as he exited the room. The smile on his face instantly changing the mood of the waiting room from worry to hopeful. Everyone stood and approached the surgeon in a half-circle.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Stevenson?” the doctor asked.

  “Yes?” They said in unison. Leah held onto her husband’s arms with what looked like a death grip.

  “Your daughter has been through some trauma as of late. We conducted a full body examination. Other than some bruises, in various stages of healing, she has no broken bones and no new head injuries. Having said that, she had a laceration on her hand that required stiches. Luckily, it wasn’t deep enough to affect her tendons and ligaments. Mostly, it’s just painful and will take some time to heal.”

  “Oh, that’s a relief,” Wulf said, looking from Theresa to Mariska’s parents. He watched as their expression registered the relief of good news. “How about the garrote wound?”

  “We examined the trachea for signs of damage, but other than some bruising, there wasn’t damage to that structure. But she may have a scar on the left lateral side of her throat. The ligature dug into her skin on that side along with fingernail marks as she attempted to dig out the wire while being strangled. I’ve seen these marks before, but not on anyone that had survived. She’s a lucky young woman.” The surgeon turned to her parents and address them specifically. “Your daughter will make a full recovery.”

  Leah threw her arms around her husband and they rocked each other back and forth while Theresa turned to Wulf and smiled.

  “I’m so happy she’s going to be fine.” Theresa hugged Wulf. “Good job, mister.”

  “Me? I got there too late to help her. Plus, you’re the one who cracked the case. You still haven’t explained how you figured out that Caleb Heuston and David Beaumont were the same person.”

  Theresa pulled him aside, away from Mariska’s parents.
“I know my way around the computer. And, once I set my mind to something, I don’t give up until I’ve solved it.”

  “You’re like a bulldog.”

  “My nickname in college was Badger…my friend Eddie used to call me that all the time.” She grew quiet after mentioning his name.

  Badger, huh? He might have to search into that a little more at another time. “How is Eddie doing?” Wulf asked.

  “He’s out of the hospital and we’ve talked on the phone every day since Mariska went to Copenhagen. I’m happy to say he’s coming back to Los Angeles for a visit.”

  “Glad to hear he’s doing okay. When is he coming? I bet Mariska would like to see him too.”

  “Next week.” Theresa smiled. “I didn’t realize how much I missed him.”

  Wulf nudged her with his elbow. “You really like this guy?”

  “I’m not talking to you about this…not right now, anyway.” Theresa’s face flushed red.

  The hospital door opened and drew their attention. They watched as Mariska’s parents went in to see their daughter.

  Theresa started walking toward the door and turned to address him, “Are you coming?”

  The nervous feeling in his stomach deepened as he thought about the woman sitting in the hospital bed. He wanted to see her. He wanted to rush to her side and hug her and not let go, but that couldn’t happen—not right now.

  “I’ll catch up with you later,” Wulf said. “Please let Mariska know I said hi and hope she’s feeling better soon.”

  Theresa cocked her head to the side and nodded. “See you later?”

  “Sure.” Wulf turned and walked away. He turned back as Theresa disappeared inside the hospital room, the door slowly closing behind her.

  He had an investigation to finish so he could move on with his life—pursue the things he wanted to without official rules getting in the way.

  Chapter Fifty-Three

  It’d been five days since the attack and Mariska was finally able to sleep throughout the night. The sleeping pill had helped, but it was great to finally feel rested. She sat behind her desk and looked around the office.

  Dr. Snyder had offered her the position of lead paleontologist back yesterday, but she’d declined the offer. The box sitting on the desk was filled to the brim with her personal things she hadn’t gotten back the first time her office had been cleared out.

  A sinking feeling filled her belly as she thought about all the great times she had in this office. The first time she’d discovered a new, previously unidentified fossil. The long nights putting together the perfect grant-proposal to study the La Brea Woman. Even, the time she and David shared a bottle of wine and a large pepperoni pizza when they’d found out Dr. Snyder was going to retire.

  David. How could he have done this to her? The betrayal still stung like a fresh wound, but she hoped it’d fade in time. She got up from the desk and walked around to the wall across from her. Her diplomas had been framed and mounted onto the wall years ago, and she’d almost forgot to take them down.

  She reached up and plucked each one off the wall and hugged them against her chest. Was this a final goodbye? After everything she’d been through, good and bad, could she really say goodbye to this place? But could she stay and move on like nothing had happened?

  A knock at the door tore her away from her musing.

  “Come in,” Mariska said.

  The door pushed open, and Dr. Snyder came inside. At first, he didn’t make eye contact, but simply stepped around inside the office, looking at all the empty wall spaces and a clean desk. He shook his head.

  “Have you thought about my offer?” he asked, turning his attention to her.

  “I have.”

  “And?”

  “I think I need a little more time.”

  Snyder nodded, “How much time are you talking?”

  “I’ve already spoken with Human Resources. They said I could take up to six months paid leave…considering everything that’s happened.” Mariska hated sounding weak. But she had a plan, and this seemed the best way.

  “I understand. HR informed me of your decision a few moments ago, and for that reason, I’ve decided to postpone my retirement. I can’t very well leave this ship without a captain.”

  “Captain?” Mariska arched her eyebrows. “What are you saying?”

  “I’m saying that until your return in six months, I’m going to remain as head curator and manager of this institution,” he arched his back and puffed out his chest. “Once you’ve returned, I am handing over the responsibility to you.”

  “Me? Really?” Mariska blinked away her astonishment. “Just a few days ago you wanted me fired. Crucified and blackballed from this field.”

  “That was before I realized you were completely innocent.” He shrugged. “It also doesn’t hurt that the museum hasn’t been this full—and had this much press—in decades. It seems your popularity might just reestablish this institution as the place to visit. I was even contacted this morning by a popular travel company that wanted to put the Page Museum on their list of Must-See places in Los Angeles.”

  So, this had nothing to do with her merit as a scientist and everything to do with money and popularity. Whatever, that was fine with her. Maybe, after a six-month hiatus, she’d be ready to return and take control of this place. Bring it back to life with the intention of its founders—to bring the latest and greatest scientific discoveries to the populous, and to inspire future generations of scientists.

  “I’ll let you think about it, but trust me, Dr. Stevenson, we’ll be making you an offer you can’t refuse.”

  Mariska nodded and gave a tentative smile.

  “Now, it seems there’s a few people who want to see you.”

  “Who?” Mariska asked.

  “People. I don’t know. They’re waiting for you in the lobby. I’d suggest hurrying up we’ll be opening soon, and I don’t want a big spectacle.”

  “Of course.” Mariska paused while Dr. Snyder opened the door for her to walk through first. She carried the box herself as she hadn’t been offered any assistance.

  Down the long hallway in silence she went until she reached the entrance to the main lobby. Dr. Snyder opened the door, and she stepped through to a round of applause. Standing in a group was Theresa and Eddie, her parents, Ingrid, Kathy, and in the far back stood, Detective Wulf. His mouth smiled, but his eyes seemed sad.

  “I can’t believe you all came out to see me off,” Mariska said. “You’re all too sweet. Thank you.”

  Theresa and Eddie stepped forward and gave her a hug. “We sure are going to miss you around here, but I know you’ll be back,” Theresa said.

  “You’re probably right. And, Eddie, I’m so happy to see you. How are you feeling?”

  “Much better. Got banged up, but nothing too serious.”

  Mariska put the box down and gave him a big hug. “I wouldn’t be alive right now if it hadn’t been for you. Thank you.”

  “Nah, you’re a tough woman. I bet you would have done a better job than I did.” Eddie side hugged Theresa.

  His gesture wasn’t lost on Mariska who gave Theresa a wink. “Well, you two go and enjoy your time together. I hear classes will be starting back up again soon at the University.”

  Eddie nodded. “Yeah, but I’m contemplating transferring back to USC.”

  The glow on Theresa’s face could not be hidden. They were back together and neither one seemed willing to put that on hold again. “Sounds wonderful to me. You both had better keep in touch with me.”

  Theresa hugged her again. “You couldn’t get away from me. Even if you tried.”

  Mariska watched as they walked away hand-in-hand. Turning the detective, who’d moved up close as he had something he wanted to say.

  “You kind of disappeared after the attack. How’ve you been?”

  He blushed. “I’ve been okay. Busy…still working the investigation.”

  “David Beaumont. Guilty as charged.”


  “True,” he said. “Although there’s a lot more that goes into it. We still haven’t found the La Brea Woman. I’m sorry.” He looked away as if he’d failed her.

  She smiled and reached out and grabbed his hand, giving it a squeeze. “I know, it’ll be okay. Will I ever see you again?”

  “I’d like that.” He leaned in and wrapped his strong arms around her.

  His body felt so good pressed up against her. She felt her heart race and her face grow hot. After a second she realized she could feel his heart pounding against her as well. She pulled away and held his hands in hers.

  “Thank you for everything. I don’t know how I would have made it through all this mess without you.”

  His eyes searched hers, and his intensity made her look away, the moment severed. “I’ll let you know when the investigation has been completed.”

  “That’d be great.” Their gaze met, eyes locked, searching for more. “I miss you.” She looked away, turning to pick up the box.

  “No, let me help you bring this to your car,” he rushed past her to get the box.

  “Why thank you.”

  Wulf hauled the heavy box off the floor and went for the door.

  Mariska hurried over to her parents and gave them a hug. She’d seen them earlier that morning, but she would never take their presence for granted again. Standing next to them was Ingrid. They would all be eternally connected from now on, for the remainder of their lives. Mariska saw her mom and Ingrid exchange a look of profound respect and concern for not just her, but for each other. Her parents stepped aside, and she hugged Ingrid.

  “Our agreement still stands?” Mariska asked in whispered tones. “If we determine who her rightful descendants are, we return her?”

  Ingrid’s eyes searched hers for a moment before she nodded—no doubt a difficult acknowledgment.

  Ingrid whispered in her ear, “I’ll see you on Monday…bright and early?”

  Mariska whispered back, “I wouldn’t miss it.” She then stepped back and arched one eyebrow and said, “I’ve got six months.”