Piper rolled her eyes at Maggie as she darted into the bathroom. “So, what’s our plan?” Maggie asked as she poured herself another cup of coffee.
“Recon. Charlie, Piper and Ollie will stay in a van near the museum. We’ll check out what we’re working with on the inside.”
“The old tourist act, huh?” Maggie inquired.
“That’s it, princess.”
“Worked last time,” she admitted.
“We’ll head out as soon as Piper’s ready.”
“So, if this thing’s in storage, we’ll need access to the storage areas,” Maggie added. That’s easier said than done.”
“We’ll soon find out,” Ollie answered.
“Are you sure you can’t just ask to see the storage areas, Uncle Ollie? As a favor to the world-renowned archeologist? It might work!”
Ollie chuckled. “It’s best we don’t let anyone know we’re here. And I’m not certain it would work, anyway.”
“Okay, so we do it the hard way,” Maggie said with a shrug. “Do you have the list from the museum? Perhaps it will help us locate the ankh if we are able to gain access.”
Ollie retrieved the paper from his journal on the counter. He handed it to Maggie. She unfolded it and glanced at it. “A vase, coins, a dagger, the cross,” Maggie read. She shrugged. “Oh well, it can’t hurt!” She refolded the page and slipped it into her blazer pocket. “We probably should get a change of clothes while we’re out, too. While I love this outfit and these shoes, they aren’t going to work well if we need to do more than reconnaissance.”
“Good idea, princess. We’ll do your favorite activity after the museum trip: shop.”
“It’s not my favorite when it’s with you. Shopping with you is the worst. I can only buy black, no heels, shall I continue?”
“No,” Henry replied, “I already realize how much you hate my shopping trips.”
Piper emerged from the bathroom. Her wet hair was pulled into two French braids. The shower’s steam managed to remove some of the wrinkles from her clothes. “Ready?” Maggie questioned.
“For what?” Piper asked.
“We’re going to the museum for some recon,” Maggie answered. “Don’t worry, you can stay in the van with Charlie and Uncle Ollie.”
“Wait, what? No way! If we’re in London, I’m at least going to see something.”
Maggie raised her eyebrows at Piper. “Seriously?”
“Yes, seriously. No one’s going to kill us in the middle of a museum, right?”
“Don’t tempt fate,” Maggie answered as she grabbed the burner phone from the charger and shoved it into the pocket of her dress. “We will want to grab some clothes before we come back here.”
The group exited the apartment building and walked to a nearby parking structure. Maggie recognized the nondescript white van as they approached it. Henry climbed behind the wheel and Maggie slid into the passenger’s seat. Ollie, Charlie and Piper entered the back. Charlie began setting up his laptop as soon as they were on the road.
Henry eased the car along the curb a street away from the museum.
“All set, mate,” Charlie announced from the back. “In their system. I’ll be your eyes in the sky.”
Henry and Maggie climbed from the van. Henry slid the van’s door open. Piper climbed out as Charlie handed an earpiece to Henry. “Thanks, mate. Test, test. You read me?”
“Loud and clear, mate,” Charlie answered.
“I’ll note the entrances and exits, security measures, employee doors,” Henry noted.
Charlie held out another earpiece. “Want one, chicky? I’d love to be in your ear.”
Maggie snatched it from him. “Sure, I’ll take one.”
Maggie placed the small device in her ear. “Have any more of those?” Piper inquired.
“For you, I have anything and everything, fair maiden,” Charlie answered, handing an earpiece to her.
She shoved it in her ear as Henry slid the door shut. The trio made their way down the street toward the museum. As they approached the Gothic Romanesque-style building, Piper stared up at the structure. “Wow,” she murmured. “That’s one heck of a building.”
“Yeah, looks like a palace or a castle,” Maggie commented.
Charlie’s voice crackled in their ears. “I’d love to take you on a proper tour of it some time, fair maiden.”
Piper smiled. “I’d really like that. This place looks lit!”
“Lit, indeed, fair maiden, totally Gucci.”
They climbed the stone steps leading to the main entrance and entered the museum. Maggie’s eyes were drawn upward immediately. “Wow! This place is amazing! I wish we were here to just enjoy it!”
“All right, let’s take a peek around,” Henry said. His eyes darted around, taking in the details of the enormous space. Unlike Maggie and Piper, Henry’s eyes searched for security measures and their potential weaknesses.
“You’re no fun,” Maggie lamented as they began their “tour.”
They climbed the stairs overlooking the massive exhibit space. Maggie leaned against the stone banister overlooking the room below. She admired the expansive room, its tall columns supporting the rounded ceiling and the skylights flooding the room with light from outside.
“Got you on the cameras here. How’s it look from there, mate?” Charlie asked.
“Not great,” Henry admitted. “We’ve no idea where this thing could be behind these walls and no solid plan to enter the museum.”
“Come through a skylight, maybe?” Charlie suggested.
“I wouldn’t rule it out,” Henry answered. He stared up at the skylight before returning his gaze to the floor below. “Still have to make our way into the storage area and find the ankh. That’ll take time.”
“Time we’re not going to have,” Charlie said. “I’ll map the employee doors and run a time sequence. Can you walk around and stop in front of them so I can mark them?”
“Sure,” Henry glanced to Maggie and Piper. “You girls all right here? It might be less obvious if I go alone.”
“We’re fine,” Maggie assured him. “We’ll just enjoy the museum while you boys play.”
Henry nodded and disappeared down the stairs. The conversation between Henry and Charlie continued in each of their ears as Henry traversed the large museum.
“Dude, this does NOT sound good,” Piper admitted after about ten minutes.
Maggie sighed. “No, it doesn’t. Though we’ve been through some tight spots before. You should have seen what we pulled at The British Museum last time we were here!”
“Maybe we need to think outside the box,” Piper suggested.
“Huh?”
Piper rolled her eyes as the men continued discussing options for a less-than-legal way to enter the museum. “Come on,” Piper said as she grabbed Maggie’s hand and pulled her down the stairs.
They navigated to the gift shop. Piper wandered around the store, selecting a few items. Maggie’s brow furrowed as she followed her around the store. When she collected an odd assortment of items, she approached the check out. Piper dug into her pants pocket and pulled her phone from it. She flipped open her wallet case and purchased the items.
With her new purchases in hand, she dragged Maggie out of the store and to the ladies’ room nearest the shop.
“What in the world are you doing?” Maggie asked her.
“Making a plan,” Piper answered.
Maggie wrinkled her brow. “With a few notebooks, a pair of reading glasses, two toy ID badges and a pen?”
“Yep,” Piper said as she removed the badges from their packaging. She hung one around Maggie’s neck and the other around hers, ensuring both were turned backwards. She handed Maggie a hair tie. “Here, pull your hair into a low ponytail or a bun or something.”
“What? Why? Would you mind explaining what you expect to achieve here?” Maggie glanced at the badge before holding it up to Piper. “How exactly is Officer Cute E. Kidd going to help us
?”
Piper pulled the power sticker from the reading glasses and shoved them into Maggie’s hands. She bent the notebooks various ways to appear used and placed the pen in the middle of one. “You are going to pose as a curator from another museum. Tell them you had an appointment with the museum director here. I’ll look up his name in a second. Hopefully I’ll find it before my phone dies. Tell them you made arrangements to review the stuff in storage.”
“Are you crazy? This isn’t going to work.”
“This plan is NOT going to work,” Henry chimed in through the earpiece.
“It might, and it’s better than breaking in. What’s the worst that can happen? They tell us no and we leave. But come on, you totally look the part. Just pull your hair back and look a little… brainier… like a history geek.”
Maggie faced the mirror and pulled her hair into a low bun with Piper’s hair tie. She slid on the glasses and adjusted her skirt and jacket. She grabbed the notebooks and practiced holding them tight to her chest. “This is insane,” she breathed. “Okay, fine, let’s go.”
“No, Maggie, don’t,” Henry warned.
“We have to try. It can’t hurt,” Maggie answered.
Henry sighed as Charlie added, “Director’s name is Stephen Thompson. Good luck, chicky.”
“Just… use a fake name and be insistent,” Piper whispered as they exited the bathroom. “Flash the badge, act like you’re important. You know, your normal attitude.”
Maggie shot her a glance. Before they approached the docent’s desk, Maggie recalled the inventory list in her pocket. She pulled the folded sheet from her pocket and shoved it into the notebook.
Maggie’s pulse pounded and her heart thudded as she approached the semi-circle wooden desk. She hoped she could hear the woman behind the desk speaking over the blood that rushed through her ears. Her throat went dry, and she swallowed hard.
She gave one final glance to Piper before she stalked to the desk. She cleared her throat and raised her eyebrow at the brunette behind the desk. “Hello,” the brunette answered in a crisp British accent, “how may I help you.”
“Dr. Ingrid von Bergenstein of Ruhr Museum to see Director Thompson,” Maggie said in an exaggerated German accent. She flashed the badge before turning it to face away from the woman. “I am here to study the items in the private collection.”
“Do you have an appointment?” the woman asked.
Maggie paused a moment. She raised both her eyebrows and stared at the girl. “Yes, of course!”
The girl smiled and nodded as she picked up a receiver behind the desk. She pressed a few buttons, then waited. After a moment, she spoke into the phone. “Yes, I have a Dr. von Bergenstein for Director Thompson.” She paused. Her brow furrowed. “Oh, yes, I will let her know. Thank you.”
“I’m sorry, Dr. von Bergenstein, but they do not have you on the schedule.”
“There must be some mistake!” Maggie continued.
“I am terribly sorry but…”
“Sorry?! You’re sorry?” Piper interjected. “You’re going to have to be a lot more than sorry. I cleared this appointment with Director Thompson TWO MONTHS ago. I specifically recall speaking with Kelly.”
The girl glanced between Maggie and Piper. “Kelly? I’m sorry, I don’t know of a Kelly.”
“Buy me two more moments and I’ll have a message in your inbox from the museum director confirming this appointment,” Charlie assured them over the earpiece.
“Ah, well, I’m not surprised. She was probably fired for her incompetence,” Piper said. “I made an appointment with Director Thompson for June 15 at 12:20 p.m. I specifically remember it because it was on my sister’s birthday and the time was so odd. Who schedules an appointment at twelve twenty?” Piper tapped around on her phone as she continued. “Someone who takes a twenty-minute lunch, perhaps, is what I figured. But who does that? Anyway, I wouldn’t forget a detail like that.”
“I am so very sorry about that, but it appears the director is out of the office.”
“Here,” Piper said as she shoved her phone into the docent’s face. “Here is the confirmation email from the director himself.”
“You’re welcome, ladies,” Charlie said over the earpiece. “One email from Director Stephen Thompson himself confirming the appointment and blabbering on about how much he is looking forward to meeting you.”
Maggie held back a smile at Charlie’s adept tech skills. The girl perused the email and offered Maggie and Piper a nervous smile. “I… I… the director is not here…” she stuttered.
“Then perhaps someone else can assist me! I must have access to the private collection! It is imperative that I study it for my work on the Roman period!”
The docent forced a smile, unsure of what to answer. “Uh,” she hesitated.
Maggie frowned at her. “Here,” she said, pulling the list from the notebook. “It is these items I am interested in! I was emailed this list from the director and told I could view the pieces today! This is most unacceptable! I demand to speak to someone!”
The woman glanced at the list, noting the museum letterhead at the top. She nodded again and picked up the phone. “Uh, what did you say your name was again?” she asked Piper.
“This is my assistant…” Maggie began. “Urkel Grue.”
She dialed another number. She turned her back and spoke a few words into the receiver. She paused and glanced at Maggie and Piper over her shoulder. She held up a finger, requesting their patience with the gesture.
Maggie tapped her foot on the floor. The girl turned away and nodded. She spoke a few more words, then spun to replace the receiver. She smiled at Maggie and Piper. “I have great news! One of our curators is able to assist you. I am so sorry for the misunderstanding, but Ms. Sheffield can handle your request with ease. She is on her way now.” The girl smiled broadly as though she had settled a major ordeal.
“Thank you,” Maggie said, continuing her unimpressed and annoyed act.
Within a few moments, a short brunette scurried toward the docent’s desk. “Dr. von Bergenstein?” she inquired as she approached Maggie.
“Yes,” Maggie answered. “I am the doctor. I am here to view the private collection.”
“Hello, I’m Emily Sheffield. I’m a curator here at the museum.” She extended her hand to shake Maggie’s and Piper’s. “May I see the list of items you hoped to peruse?”
“Of course,” Maggie answered. She snatched the list from the desk’s top and shoved it toward the woman. “I am most unimpressed with this delay.”
The woman glanced over the list. “I apologize, Dr. von Bergenstein, if you’ll follow me, I can set you up in an examination room with the items.”
Maggie nodded to her in response and motioned for her to lead the way.
“How was your trip to London? Are you enjoying your stay so far?”
“I am finding it most tedious,” Maggie answered. “The weather is always damp, and the city is too large and overcrowded.”
Emily offered a nervous smile. “And then the debacle with the appointment has gotten on the last nerve!”
“My last nerve, doctor, MY last nerve,” Piper corrected.
Emily licked her lips and glanced between the two women as she led them through a door marked STAFF ONLY. “Yes, I am so very sorry about that. Director Thompson was called away. Quite unexpectedly, from what I understand. I am certain it was an unfortunate oversight that you were not notified. But I am so pleased that I can assist you.”
“As am I that this was not a wasted trip!”
The woman wound through the corridors and arrived at a door. She pulled it open and ushered Maggie and Piper inside. “If you’ll wait here, I will have the items brought to you. You’ll find everything you need to examine them here.” She motioned to the table, which contained gloves and a table-mounted magnifier.
Maggie nodded to her. “I shall return!” Emily joked.
“I should hope so,” Maggie answered,
pretending not to understand the joke.
Emily gave a nervous chuckle as she pulled the door closed.
Maggie breathed out a sigh of relief once they were alone.
“I can’t believe that worked!” Piper exclaimed.
“Me either,” Henry chimed in.
“Hey! My acting skills are Oscar-worthy,” Maggie teased. “And good job, Urkel Grue!”
“Oh, dude, next time, how about don’t call me Urkel Grue? That was the worst name ever.”
“Sorry, it was all I could think of!”
“Seriously?” Piper questioned, her face a mask of disbelief. “You couldn’t think of any other name but Urkel Grue?”
“Well…” Maggie began when the door popped open. Two men wheeled two crates into the room. “Here we are,” Emily announced. She used a crowbar to pop open the lids of both boxes. “I assume you’d like some time to peruse the objects.”
“Yes, thank you.” No one moved. Maggie widened her eyes. “Eh, thank you, that is all.”
“Oh!” Emily exclaimed. “Of course. I’ll step out to finish some work. If you need anything, simply ask Tyler,” Emily said, motioning to one of the men, “and he can assist you or call me.”
Maggie nodded, already peering into the bins as though only they could hold her interest. “Yes, thank you,” she mumbled.
“We will, thank you,” Piper followed up.
Emily nodded to her before exiting. Tyler remained in the room.
Maggie adjusted her glasses and cleared her throat. “Would you mind? I need solitude to find the clarity for my research. I cannot have distractions.”
“Uh…” Tyler mumbled.
“Dr. von Bergenstein requires isolation to maximize her concentration. Only I can remain in the room,” Piper informed him.
“Exactly right,” Maggie agreed, still feigning her German accent. “My concentration must be razor sharp. You are a distraction. Now, if you please.” Maggie made a shooing motion with her hand before sliding on a pair of gloves.
“I’ll be just outside, doctor,” Tyler said.
Maggie nodded, waving him away. The door closed and Maggie breathed a sigh of relief. “Okay, we’re alone,” she reported.
Secret of the Ankhs: A Maggie Edwards Adventure (Maggie Edwards Adventures Book 2) Page 12
