Lochlan Museum: The Case of the Collectible Killer

by Melissa R. L. Simonin

  He considered that.

  “Maybe seven? I can be back by then.”

  “Yes—except, I can’t drive,” she frowned, with a rueful look at her ankle. “I won’t be able to meet you. Unless you don’t mind Alec being there. He’s a good listener…”

  Mark looked uncomfortable.

  “I don’t know… I can pick you up, or… it can wait, I guess.”

  “No, it can’t,” Claire said firmly. She took out her phone, and texted him her address. “I’ll see you at seven. We can get coffee, or there’s a park not far away. We can come back here and talk, if we get interrupted.”

  “Alright… I’ll see you at seven, then. And thanks,” he said, his anxiety easing slightly. “Everyone I’d ordinarily talk to, knows my brother.”

  “That doesn’t make for an objective listener,” Claire replied. “It’s no problem. I’m glad to help.”

  “Will Alec be okay with this?” Mark considered, his concern returning.

  “I’ll tell him. He’ll understand,” Claire replied. There was a knock at the door to the parking lot, and they both looked in that direction. “And there he is. Right on time.”

  Claire declined a push in the chair, and walked carefully toward the door. Mark went ahead of her, and let Alec in. The guys greeted each other, then Mark left, and Alec joined Claire.

  “How’re you doing?” he asked, glancing at her ankle. She was slow, but steady.

  “Great. I may dance at Daphne’s wedding, yet,” she replied.

  “No pain?” he wondered.

  “Barely any. And I’m being honest, not tough.”

  “Good,” Alec smiled. “We’ll take it easy this evening, anyway. We can watch a movie at my place, if you want.”

  “Maybe tomorrow night. Mark and I were talking today, or trying to. We kept getting interrupted,” she replied. She swiped her ID, then closed the sorting room door behind them, and walked the few steps to Alec’s truck.

  “Does that have something to do with watching a movie, or are you changing the subject?” he wondered, joining her on the driver’s side.

  “We kept getting interrupted. We’ve talked before, we both have half-siblings, and he witnessed a tense conversation between me and Marlena, once. She came around though, and his brother won’t. Mark needs someone to talk to, everyone else he knows, also knows his brother.”

  “I don’t. I’ll talk to him,” Alec promptly volunteered.

  “That’s sweet, Alec, but you don’t have a half-sibling. And he and I have talked before, I’m sure he doesn’t want to have to say everything all over again.”

  “Okay, so what does this have to do with watching a movie?” he wondered uneasily.

  “We’re getting together this evening to continue our conversation. I don’t think there’ll be time for a movie,” she replied.

  “You’re getting together—When is this, and where? You can’t drive,” he was quick to point out. “I’ll take you.”

  “It’s fine, Alec, Mark knows I can’t drive. I told him. He’s picking me up. We’re just talking, that’s all this is. We’re not going out, I hope you know that.”

  He hoped Mark knew that. Rather than reply, Alec focused on parking in front of his garage, then went around to open her door.

  “Maybe it won’t take long, and you and I can do something after,” Claire suggested, as they walked across the basketball court toward her house.

  “Sure. That would be great,” he replied, and managed a smile. It must’ve looked a lot more genuine than it felt, because she seemed reassured. Or else she was busy looking forward to her date with Mark. Alec felt as though he might be sick. “Where are you going? Where’s he taking you?”

  “I’m not sure. Somewhere we can talk and not get interrupted every five minutes.”

  Alec felt sick.

  He helped her up the steps automatically, and she unlocked the backdoor.

  “My ankle’s so much better, I thought I might cook, tonight. There’s plenty of time, I don’t have to be ready until seven. Are you hungry?”

  No, he wasn’t hungry! He was upset, and worried, and wondering if she was really this naïve, or if he waited too long.

  “Alec?” she frowned a little.

  “What?” he replied, stooping to pick up Herschel. He focused his attention on the cat, on not being violently ill, and on not ordering her not to go.

  “Do you want to have dinner with me and Herschel?” she asked again, filling the cat’s dish with food.

  Herschel kicked. He wanted dinner now.

  Alec set the cat beside his dish, and slowly stood.

  “Yeah, sure. That’d be great,” he replied, and ordered himself to smile.

  “Great,” she smiled back.

  Claire was relieved. For a minute there, she thought Alec was upset. Mark needed to talk, he really did. But if it meant hurting Alec—but, he was fine, after all.

  And so, she felt relieved.

  “I don’t want you to go,” Alec said quietly. Claire looked up at him in surprise. His expression was entirely serious. “I don’t want you to go. I can’t tell you not to, but… you say this isn’t going out. If I picked up a girl and took her somewhere private to listen to her problems, would you still think so? Maybe you don’t feel the same way about me, that I do you. But I wish you wouldn’t go.”

  “Alec, then—I won’t,” she replied. Relief washed over his face, filling her with remorse. She set aside the package of ground beef she removed from the refrigerator, and hugged him hard. “I won’t go.”

  “I’m glad. Thank you,” he said, his tension easing.

  “Alec, I’m sorry,” she said, her remorse deepening. “Mark was worried you wouldn’t be okay with it, and—I should have been. I’d be so hurt if you were as thoughtless as I was. I’d be insecure, and worried, and completely sick over it.”

  “Okay… good,” he smiled a little.

  “I assumed it was a two-way street, and that you knew it. You wouldn’t date anyone else, and neither would I,” she added.

  “It is. I was afraid you didn’t know it,” he said wryly, and she hugged him harder.

  “I do know it. I need to tell Mark I can’t meet with him. We can talk tomorrow at work, like we tried to do today.”

  “Or, you can give him the option of talking to both of us,” Alec suggested. “I’d prefer that. If I get a vote.”

  “You do. And… I’m glad you want one. What are we, Alec? I know you like me, and I like you. So what are we? People ask if we’re together, and I joke that no, we’re not, because you’re not physically with me when they ask. But… what are we?”

  “Well… we’re together right now,” he smiled, and she shook him a little. “But I’d like to say we’re together, even when we’re not.”

  “I’d like that too,” she smiled back.

  “Good. So… no going places with other guys, or getting together to talk about personal things. Okay?”

  “I can’t believe you’re having to tell me this,” she said, deeply chagrined. “I know what a terrible idea that is. It’s why I have my policy of not being friends with a guy if he has a girlfriend.”

  “Keep your policy, but make an amendment. No being friends with other guys at all, when you have a boyfriend.”

  “Are you saying you’re my boyfriend?” she asked, glancing at him sideways.

  “I’d like to be,” he answered.

  “What’s stopping you?” she retorted, and he laughed a little.

  “I guess… nothing?”

  “Nothing at all,” she smiled, then smiled some more. “Now I’m really looking forward to Daphne’s wedding! I can’t wait to introduce everyone to my boyfriend.”

  “I can’t wait for you to introduce Mark to your boyfriend,” he replied. She saw the teasing gleam in his eyes, and laughed.

  “My brother, you mean? Because that’s how I feel about Mark.”

  “Good. Then let’s give your brother a call, and see if he needs to ta
lk badly enough, to talk to both of us.”

  An hour and a half later, Alec answered the knock at the door, then ushered Mark into the downstairs sitting room.

  “Hi, Mark,” Claire said, from her place on the couch. Alec joined her, and Mark had a seat on one of the chairs.

  “Hi,” he replied. His expression was even more serious than usual. That, she expected. What she didn’t expect, was the determined, resolute glint in his eyes.

  “So… what’s going on?” Claire asked. Mark glanced at Alec.

  “Did she tell you anything about this?”

  “Not much,” Alec answered. “Start where you left off. I’ll catch up.”

  Mark nodded in acknowledgement.

  “Alright. I called my brother. I told him he’s on his own. I’m not helping him. What you said before, about finding the choice that honored God… what I know for sure, is that it doesn’t honor God to help Allen benefit from what he’s done.”

  “Allen?” Claire’s eyebrows rose. Alec’s knit.

  “Allen, my brother,” Mark replied.

  “Your brother, Allen Reynolds?” Alec inquired.

  “Technically, but he goes by Allen Parker,” Mark answered, wondering why it made any difference. “We have the same father, but Allen uses his mother’s name. About a month and a half ago, he sent me a posting for the position at the museum. The job sounded kind of interesting, and I was looking for one. The week I started working there, he told me he quit his job to pursue another, and that his supervisor was mad about it. Allen’s belongings got dumped outside the museum, and since I was working there, he wanted me to find them.”

  “Wow,” Claire said, squeezing Alec’s hand. He squeezed back, and held on.

  “Why did he think that?” Alec asked.

  “He talked to someone where he used to work. They told him. He said he wanted his stuff back… and I wondered why he didn’t go to the museum, and ask directly. He didn’t say, and I didn’t ask.

  “I did call the lab. Allen was fired because he ran an eBay business out of his work office. Allen claimed the reason he did that, was because of the convenience. UPS made daily pick-ups. He didn’t respond when I pointed out that they did the same thing at the UPS Store next to his apartment building. He said he wanted his things back, he had people expecting the items they already paid for. He was really upset. It was the only time I’ve ever seen him care if other people were inconvenienced.

  “Something wasn’t right. I did some researching, and started to suspect Allen was shipping out more than eBay items. I dug some more, and began to wonder if he was stealing research and selling it.

  “I confronted him. He said he was threatened, and had no choice. He said if he doesn’t get what’s hidden inside one of the items left at the museum, the guy who wants it, will have him killed. And maybe he’s right. There’s a professor—he worked for this guy, Ames. But the professor figured out something illegal was going on there, and went to the authorities. He and his wife were taken into protective custody, but their daughter disappeared. She had a bodyguard, but he was murdered. And then she disappeared. No one knows where she is. Ames probably has her, to keep her father from testifying. I’ve seen the articles, the guy is dangerous.”

  “Why doesn’t someone stop him, if this is common knowledge?” Claire frowned.

  “What everyone knows, and what can be proven in a court of law, isn’t always the same,” Mark pointed out. “Think of Al Capone. He controlled the Chicago underworld. Yet all they could get him on, was income tax evasion. This guy, Ames, is untouchable. He’s been indicted and is awaiting trial right now, but he’s been there before. His law firm will get him off. They’ll discredit witnesses, and come up with their own. He wants this research, and Allen is sure if he doesn’t get it to him, he’ll disappear just like Dr. Adams’ daughter.”

  “You seem to believe it too,” Alec commented, and Mark nodded. He was pale, but resolute.

  “Yes. Going by what I’ve read, then yes. It supports everything Allen said, and then some.”

  “What does he want this research for?” Claire wondered.

  “I don’t know for sure,” Mark replied. “But, the research Allen was selling, involved increasing gamma wave activity in general, and restoring theta, alpha, beta, and gamma, when delta is all that’s present. That sounds great, other than the corporate espionage part of it. This was also the professor’s research focus. Maybe he discovered the research material provided to him was stolen, and that’s why he contacted the authorities. Maybe, but… after reading about Ames, it wouldn’t surprise me if the professor discovered he intends to use this research as a springboard for inventing something a lot less altruistic.

  “Whether that’s true or not, by having access to this information, he’s doing damage to the scientists who’ve spent their lives developing it. If he comes up with a pharmaceutical first, their funding will get cut, along with their life’s work. If he patents it, then chooses to sit on it, he’ll hurt all the patients who would’ve benefited from it, along with their families. If he produces it, he’ll benefit at the expense of those who put everything they had into discovering it. In spite of all that, Allen had me believing it would be my fault if he was killed for not turning the missing research over to this guy.”

  “And now you know that isn’t true,” Claire stated. It sounded like an order.

  “Yes. I told him to turn himself in. If he knows anything useful, maybe he’ll qualify for witness protection. But… even if he doesn’t, it’s his choices that have led to where he is. He tries to say it’s mine, if I don’t do everything possible to save him. But I realize now, that isn’t true. If I do what he wants, I’ll be guilty, too.”

  “And he’ll go search for another crime to benefit from,” Claire said grimly. “He won’t learn a thing.”

  “He hasn’t so far,” Mark replied ruefully. “So I won’t do what he wants. He showed up at my apartment a week ago, all beat up. He said it was a warning from Ames, but… I don’t think so. I think he’s the guy who broke into your house.”

  “Really,” Alec said, sharing a glance with Claire. “Why?”

  “The timing, for one thing, and it isn’t like he tells the truth unless he thinks it’ll benefit him,” Mark answered.

  “Right, but why would he break into Claire’s house?” Alec asked.

  “Because he knows what he wants isn’t at the museum anymore,” Mark replied, brushing his fingers through his hair anxiously. “He wants a clock he listed on eBay. Before I knew he’d been fired, or any of the rest of it, he showed me the listing. It sold for a lot, and he claimed he wished he had more of those. He told me to keep my eyes open, and if I ran across one at the museum, he wanted it. He knew about the museum’s donate item policy, because of the coffeemaker I brought back to my apartment. So I told him I would, but that it seemed too common to be worth so much. I saw one in a recent inventory photo on the iPad, and a girl I worked with had one, too. It’s in the picture of Claire’s cat that she showed me, the night Bill Heath tried to get her ID. I never would’ve said anything, if I knew Allen lost his job, and that he wanted me to get hired at the museum so he could use me. I didn’t mention her name, and certainly not her address. But he put it together, and somehow figured out I work with Claire.”

  “He could’ve learned that by reading the paper, after Bill Heath tried to break into the museum,” Claire pointed out.

  “I’m really sorry about that,” Mark said, clearly grieved by it. “But you’ve got the clock. That means you’ve got the research material this guy is trying to get hold of. You have to get that back to Variant Research Laboratories, where it belongs.”

  “Claire did some research of her own, and came to the same conclusion,” Alec replied. “Except, we felt it best to contact the FBI. There’s a warrant out for your brother’s arrest. Did you know?”

  Mark looked sick, and shook his head.

  “I didn’t. That means they know.”

&nb
sp; “The FBI has it in their possession,” Claire told him. “So… you have no reason to feel guilt over the consequences of your brother’s actions. Whatever those end up being.”

  “If you hear from Allen again, you might want to suggest he turn himself in,” Alec pointed out.

  “He might as well choose who gets him,” Claire reasoned. “Unless he wants to wait and see.”

  “I’ll tell him. I’ll tell him to give up on finding the clock, because the FBI has it,” Mark replied. He looked as though a weight had been lifted. “I’m thankful they do. I knew I couldn’t let innocent people suffer to save him when he’s guilty, but I still felt responsible for whatever would happen as a result. That it would be my fault.”

  “He convinced you it isn’t loving to let him pay for his mistakes, but that isn’t true,” Claire said. “God is love, and He rarely, if ever, saves us from experiencing the consequences of our choices. Otherwise, we’d never learn from our mistakes. Maybe Allen will turn himself in, and learn from this, since he can’t count on you to do his suffering for him, anymore.”

  “Make sure he knows that if there’s a next time, you won’t be there for him,” Alec cautioned. “Not the way he wants.”

  “I will,” Mark said with finality.

  Chapter 23

  “You have got to be kidding,” Claire said, raising an eyebrow as she looked from Alec to Mark.

  “Wait just a minute,” Mark protested, holding up his hand. “Why aren’t you opening it?”

  “You’re the one who wants to see what’s inside this thing,” Alec reminded her, as he and Mark gave the sarcophagus a wary look. The mid-morning rays of the sun shone through the high windows of the sorting room, lighting what remained of Mr. Edwards’ estate. The sarcophagus glowed golden, it’s dark-lined eyes glittering mockingly. Maybe it was threateningly. Whatever it was, Alec wasn’t interested in becoming better acquainted with the creepy looking thing. “I’m not curious at all.”

  “Neither am I,” Mark quickly agreed, taking a step back. This was no artifact. And what did they know about Mr. Edwards, anyway. “Was Mr. Edwards married?”