Part 54 (1/2)
Ryan raised his I-am-quoting-a-quote index finger. ”a.s.sumption is the mother of screw-up.”
”You made that up,” I said.
”Angelo Donghia.”
”And he is...?”
”It's on the Internet. Simpson's Quotations. Google it.”
I made a note to do just that.
”The Ferris autopsy was February sixteenth,” Ryan said. ”When he gave you the photo, did Kaplan say how long he'd had it?”
”No.”
Back to the records. Several lines down I spotted a vaguely familiar number preceded by an Israeli country code. I got up and checked my agenda.
”On January eighth Ferris called someone at the IAA.”
”Who?”
”I don't know. It's the main switchboard number.”
Ryan sat back. ”Any idea why he'd do that?”
”Maybe he was offering to give the Masada skeleton back.”
”Or sell it back.”
”Maybe he was looking for doc.u.mentation.”
”Why would he want that?”
”To rea.s.sure himself of the skeleton's authenticity.”
”Or to goose its value.”
”Authentication would do that.”
”When you first made contact, did Blotnik mention knowing about the bones?”
I shook my head.
Ryan made a note.
Another half hour pa.s.sed.
The fax was fuzzy, the numbers and letters barely legible. My neck ached. My eyes burned. Edgy, I got up and paced the room. I told myself it was time to quit. But I rarely listen to my own advice. Returning to the desk, I plowed on, hearing each breath in cadence to the pounding in my head.
I saw it first.
”Ferris phoned Kaplan again on the tenth.”
”Someone at Ferris's warehouse phoned Kaplan again on the tenth.”
Maybe it was the headache. Maybe it was the tedium. Ryan's pickiness no longer amused me.
”Am I being a liability here?” It came out sharper than I'd intended.
Ryan's eyes came up, blue and surprised. For a long moment they looked directly into mine.
”Sorry. Can I get you anything?”
Ryan shook his head.
I went to the minibar and popped a Diet c.o.ke.
”Kaplan received another call from Ferris on the nineteenth,” Ryan said to my back.
Dropping into my chair, I found the outgoing call on Ferris's warehouse record.
”Twenty-four minutes. Planning the big score, I guess.”
The vessels in my head were now hammering with heavy thumping strokes. Ryan saw me press my fingers to my temples. He laid a hand on my shoulder.
”Knock off if you've had enough.”
”I'm fine.”
Ryan's eyes roamed my face. He brushed bangs from my forehead.
”Not as heart-pumping as surveillance?”
”Not as heart-pumping as mitosis.”
”But meaningful detecting.”
”Really?” I was full-out cranky now. ”In five hours we've learned what? Kaplan called Ferris. Ferris called Kaplan. Big deal. We knew that. Kaplan told us.”
”We didn't know Ferris called Morissonneau.”
I smiled. ”We didn't know Ferris called the monastery. monastery.”
Ryan raised a palm. ”We be good.”
I slapped a lifeless high-five.