"I knew better than to subject the men in my life to those boring ceremonies."
"I see."
She made a face. "And, I guess, I never kept them around for very long."
"Jonesy was your main focus?"
"Jonesy is only the latest in a long line of projects that have consumed my time and energy. But that's not the only reason. I tend to be attracted to men who are just as passionate about their work as I am about mine."
"Computer guys?"
"Not usually. One was a financial analyst, one was a musician, and another was a college football coach. Their devotion to their work made each of them terribly interesting and exciting, but it possibly wasn't the best thing for our relationships." She smiled. "It was probably just as well. I had Allie to worry about. She absorbed most of my attention."
"You're not even a little resentful?"
She shook her head. "As I said, she had a little while when she was bitter against everything. But when she came out the other side, she was one of the best people I'd ever known. It was as if I'd suddenly gotten my sister back, but even better. She wanted to learn everything, be everything. She was always taking classes. You may have seen some of her paintings. She's fantastic. She was crazy about cars and got her mechanic's license when she was fifteen. She and Letty went to the Indianapolis speed races a few years ago, and she persuaded one of the drivers to let her help in the pit."
"You didn't go along?"
She shook her head. "I wanted to go. I was busy." She made a face. "I'm always busy."
"Trying to save her life."
"She's made it a wonderful life. And we all have our places in it." She looked down into her drink. "There's so much love in her, and every day she sees things that you and I just take for granted." She smiled. "Like to night, when she took one look at this Russian party barge and knew it was just one more experience to be savored."
Tavak chuckled as they watched Allie try to communicate with her new Russian friends with an assortment of hand signals. "She loves you very much. She threatened to take me down if I crossed you."
Rachel frowned. "Take you down?"
"Her exact words. And elaborated it with a promise to destroy me. She's watching your back." He glanced down at her. "I'll just have to convince her that I'm watching it, too."
"As long as I don't step on your toes while you're running toward Peseshet's treasure."
"How do you know I wouldn't step aside for you?"
His tone was quizzical, but there was a curious note that made her gaze fly to his face. What she saw there made her eyes drop quickly to her drink. She was suddenly acutely aware of everything about him. The smell of a spicy aftershave, his long fingers on the glass holding the drink, the strength of his shoulders, the tightness of his stomach and buttocks. The desire to reach out and touch him was dizzying in intensity. What was happening to her? Stupid, she knew what was happening. Sex. Just try not to let him see he was disturbing her. "Because that's not your modus operandi. If I've found out one thing from being with you, it's that you don't meekly step aside for anyone."
"You never know," he murmured. "Maybe Peseshet is casting out her serene influence and trying to change me."
"Not likely."
He was silent a moment. "You're probably right." He was suddenly smiling recklessly. "So I've just got to go with what I am." He grabbed her hand. "Come on. I'll hoist you on my shoulders, and we'll give Allie a run for her money."
THIRTEEN
STATE HERMITAGE MUSEUM
10:02 P.M.
"What the hell!" Tavak whirled on Lev. "Dammit, what did you do?"
"Nothing." Lev was gazing in bewilderment around the exhibition hall. "I swear, my friend."
Rachel, Tavak, Allie, and Lev stood in the exhibition hall where, just hours before, they had seen the large relief from the tomb of Nimaatra.
Now there was nothing.
The other exhibits appeared just as they were before, but the mastaba wall and its wood and glass display case had vanished.
"I don't believe this," Rachel whispered.
"What in the hell happened to it?" Tavak's harsh voice echoed in the large, dimly lit room. He walked around the empty space where the display had been.
Rachel turned to Lev. "Ask the guard where it is."
Lev spoke in Russian to the elderly guard, who seemed more surprised than anyone at the exhibit's sudden disappearance.
The guard's only response was to hold out his hands and give a vague shrug.
"Could it actually have been stolen?" Allie asked incredulously.
The stunned guard mumbled something to Lev, who translated. "The guard says he knows it was here when the museum closed at 6 P.M. He's been in one of the other buildings since then, but he's going to try and find a guard who was working here this evening."
The guard hurried away, obviously eager to get away.
"Dawson?" Rachel asked.
"I don't know." Tavak was staring at the floor, which was mildly discolored where the display case stood. "Maybe."
"Looking for something, Tavak?"
"Oh, shit," Tavak said.
Hal Demanski was leaning against the archway of the entrance, wearing another one of his impeccably tailored suits. He crossed his arms across his chest and smiled. "Perhaps I can help."
Rachel glared at him. "You son of a bitch."
"Aw, come on, Rachel. And here I was getting all warm and fuzzy at the thought of us being together again."
Tavak stepped toward him. "What did you do?"
Demanski shrugged. "I took the exhibit, if that's what you're asking."
"Dammit, you don't know what you're doing."
"I know you need that exhibit. You were less than discreet in your inquiries about it."
"I didn't have time to be discreet," Tavak said. "And what does it matter to you?"
"You made it matter when you broke into my casino's private floors. Just as Ms. Kirby made it matter when she extorted computer time from me."
Rachel and Tavak were on the verge of erupting, but Allie quickly stepped forward. "Stop baiting them. Just tell us what this is all about, asshole. And I seem to have been left out of the loop. You are Demanski, right? I'm Allie Kirby."
"Ah, yes." Demanski took her hand and raised it to look her up and down. "You look healthier than I might have imagined, Ms. Kirby. Much healthier and quite… interesting. Aren't you supposed to be wasting away somewhere?"
Allie shrugged and jerked her hand away. "I figure I can do that as easily in Russia as I can back home."
"Excellent point. A pleasure to meet you, Allie Kirby. Yes, I'm Hal Demanski."
Lev's eyes widened. "The Hal Demanski?"
"Oh, my Lord, be quiet," Rachel said. "His ego is big enough already."
Demanski smiled, still staring at Allie. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I didn't steal that exhibit."
"Then what happened to it?" Tavak said.
"I borrowed it. Legally." Demanski tilted his head. "At least I think it was legal. Oh well. In any case, the museum director signed off on it."