"Thanks." Amaryllis went behind the counter and picked up the receiver. She dialed Irene Dunley's office number and waited impatiently for a response.
To Amaryllis's enormous relief, the phone was answered on the third ring.
"Department of Focus Studies. Professor Yamamoto's office," Irene said in firm, authoritative accents.
"Irene, this is Amaryllis Lark. I've been trying to get hold of you all morning."
"I'm sorry. Miss Lark. I had a dental appointment, and since Professor Yamamoto was out of the office today, I turned the phones over to a student assistant. You know how that goes. What can I do for you?"
"I've got a favor to ask."
"What is it?"
"I'd like to drop by the office after work today and take a quick look inside those boxes you packed. The ones that contain Professor Landreth's effects. I know it sounds a little weird, but I can explain."
There was a short pause on the other end of the line. "You want to examine the contents of the boxes?"
"Yes."
"Oh, dear."
An unpleasant chill of apprehension went down Amaryllis's spine. "Is something wrong? I realize it's an unusual request, but I really do have a very good reason."
"I'm sure you do, Miss Lark. That's not the problem. The thing is, when I got back to the office a few minutes ago, I found a note from the student who handled the phones while I was out this morning. Apparently he did manage to answer them once or twice."
"A note?"
"It says that a member of the family finally called about the professor's effects. They'll be picked up first thing in the morning."
Amaryllis sat down hard on the nearest chair, a large stuffed leather bag affair that dated from the Early Exploration Period. "I see. But the boxes are still there in your office?"
"Well, yes." Irene cleared her throat. "But I'm afraid I can't allow you to go into them this afternoon. Miss Lark. Now that a member of the family has finally come forward to claim them, I don't feel that I have the right to let anyone else touch the contents. You'll have to get the owner's permission."
"Yes, of course." Amaryllis tried to think.
"May I ask why you wished to get into the boxes?"
Amaryllis hesitated. There was no point alarming Irene by bringing up suspicions that could not yet be substantiated. "I was just curious about some of Professor Landreth's old notes regarding lab test procedures. Nothing important. Thanks, Irene."
"Good-bye, Miss Lark."
Lucas answered his private line on the second ring. He did not look up from the latest field report that had just arrived. "Trent here."
"Lucas? It's Amaryllis. I'm afraid I'm going to have to cancel our date tonight."
His stomach clenched. "Why?"
"It's a little difficult to explain on the phone. Something's come up. I have to go out this evening."
"Alone?"
"Yes. Please, Lucas, don't ask me any more questions. It's better if you don't know the details."
A curious mixture of relief and foreboding washed through him. It didn't sound as though she had plans to meet another man, Lucas thought. That was the good news.
That left the bad news.
"Listen to me very carefully, Amaryllis. I will meet you at your place right after work. Don't leave home without me."
Chapter 9
"This is the second date that you've managed to ruin." Lucas stood next to Amaryllis in the deep shadows of the towering university library and studied the darkened en- trance of the building that housed the Department of Focus Studies. "Don't think I'm not keeping a running score."
"Stop whining," Amaryllis whispered. "I warned yon that you wouldn't want to come along."
"Yeah, you did. Funny, I never would have guessed that you had a hobby like this."
"Like what?"
"Breaking and entering."
Amaryllis pulled the collar of her jacket up around her neck with an uneasy motion. The light from the twin moons lined her delicate profile. Her expression was serious and profoundly resolute. One glance told Lucas that he didn't stand a chance of talking her out of this crazy plan.
"I'm not going to steal anything," she said. "I just want to get a quick look at Professor Landreth's calendar."
Lucas heard the thread of apprehension beneath the bravado and felt a twinge of sympathy. "Do you think they'll drum you out of the Corps of Upright Ethical Prisms if anyone finds out about this?"
"I should think that you'd be more concerned with being laughed out of the Western Islands Adventurers' Club for failing to strike the right note of devil-may-care reckless- ness."
"There is no Western Islands Adventurers' Club. I dissolved their charter in a fit of pique years ago."
"There's no Corps of Upright Ethical Prisms, either. I think it was disbanded due to lack of interest." Amaryllis glanced around. "Come on, let's go. The sooner we get into the building, the sooner we can get out."
Lucas swallowed another remark, which Amaryllis would no doubt have deemed negative, and followed her across the brick walkway. To his great relief, she did not head toward the front steps of the Focus Studies building. Instead, she led him along a shrub-shrouded path and around a corner to the rear of the department.
A moment later she came to a halt at what was clearly a service entrance. She studied the jelly-ice lock.
"With any luck, no one's changed the code since I left," she whispered.
It would all be so simple if she were unable to open the door, he thought. "Your idea of luck and mine are two different things."
"Keep watch," she hissed.
Lucas morosely did as he was told while Amaryllis punched in a series of numbers. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your point of view, campus security was lax in the extreme. He had seen no sign of a guard since they had arrived, and there was no one around now to witness Amaryllis's debut as a B&E artist.
"Ah hah."
Her soft exclamation told him that the door had opened. She stepped into the dark hall and turned to beckon him.
"Hurry," she said.
"Don't worry. I'm right behind you." Lucas moved into the hall. He pulled the door closed behind him, cutting off the weak shaft of moonlight.
The darkness in the hallway thickened abruptly. Lucas heard a soft thud.
"Ouch," Amaryllis muttered.
"What happened?"
"I forgot about the coatrack back here."
Lucas dug out a pencil-thin flashlight and switched on the narrow beam. He aimed it at the floor. "Better?"
"Much. Very clever of you to think of bringing that flashlight along with us."
"As a professional sidekick, I try to make myself useful."
Amaryllis started forward. "Professor Landreth's old office is down this hall. I hope that no one's changed the code on that door, either."
"Given the general state of security around here, I think you can count on it."
"There's never been much of a problem with crime on campus." Amaryllis paused in front of a door that had a frosted glass panel.
Lucas played the light over the name scrolled in black on the front. Euphemia Yamamoto.
Amaryllis punched in another code. The jelly-ice lock dissolved without protest. The office door opened easily when the knob was turned. Lucas saw the orderly stack of boxes against the far wall when he followed Amaryllis into the room.
"Five hells," he muttered. "There's a dozen of them. It will take hours to go through each box."
"Mrs. Dunley is a very methodical person." Amaryllis crossed the room to where the boxes were stacked against the far wall. "I know her. She'll have organized everything very precisely. All I have to do is find the one that contains the items taken directly from the top of his desk."
Lucas aimed the flashlight at the labels on the boxes. They were all clearly dated and labeled in excruciating detail. "Landreth: Private Files--Focus Studies Research Reports," "Landreth: Private Files--Case Histories of Class-Two Talents and Associated Prisms."