Douglas Preston - The Cabinet of Curiosities

“What kind of an archaeological expedition?”

Nora didn’t answer.

“Dr. Kelly?”

Nora looked at him. “Where on Riverside Drive?”

O’Grady looked confused. “I’m sorry?”

“ Where was Smithback’s car found on Riverside Drive?”

O’Grady fumbled with the paper. “It says here upper Riverside. One hundred thirty-first and Riverside.”

“One hundred thirty-first Street? What was he doing up there?”

“That’s just what we were hoping you could tell us. Now, about that archaeological expedition—”

“And you say he came in this morning, gained access to some files? What files?”

“Old security files.”

“Which ones?”

O’Grady flipped through some other sheets. “It says here it was an old personnel file.”

“On who?”

“It doesn’t say.”

“How did he do it?”

“Well, it doesn’t say, and—”

“For God’s sake, can’t you find out? ”

Pink anger blossomed across O’Grady’s face. “May we get back to the questions, please?”

“I know something about this,” Finester suddenly broke in. “I was on duty earlier today. When you were out getting donuts and coffee, O’Grady. Remember?”

O’Grady turned. “In case you’ve forgotten, Finester, we’re supposed to be the ones asking the questions.”

Nora gave O’Grady her coldest stare. “How can I answer if you don’t give me the information I need?”

O’Grady’s rose-colored face grew redder. “I don’t see why—”

“She’s right, O’Grady. She has a right to know,” Finester turned to Nora, pug face lit up by an ingratiating smile. “Mr. Smithback lured one of the security guards away with a phony telephone call, allegedly from the Human Resources office. Then he pretended to be from Human Resources himself and persuaded the remaining guard to unlock certain filing cabinets. Said he was conducting some kind of file inspection.”

“He did?” Despite her concern, Nora couldn’t help smiling to herself. It was vintage Smithback. “And what were those files, exactly?”

“Security clearances, dating back over a hundred years.”

“And that’s why he’s in trouble?”

“That’s the least of it. The guard thought he saw him take some papers out of one drawer. So you can add theft to—”

“ Which file drawer?”

“It was the 1870 personnel file drawer, I believe,” Finester recollected with obvious pride. “And after the guard’s suspicions were aroused, they cross-checked the files and found that one of them was missing its cover sheets. It had been virtually emptied.”

“Which one?”

“It was that one on the nineteenth-century serial killer, what’s-his-name. The one written about in the Times. Clearly that’s what he was after, more information on—”

“Enoch Leng?”

“Yeah. That’s the guy.”

Nora sat, stunned.

“Now, can we please get back to the questions, Dr. Kelly?” O’Grady interrupted.

“And his car was found up Riverside Drive? At 131st Street? How long had it been there?”

Finester shrugged. “He rented it right after he stole the file. It’s staked out. As soon as he picks it up, we’ll know.”

O’Grady broke in again. “Finester, now that you’ve managed to reveal all the confidential details, maybe you can keep quiet for a minute. Now, Dr. Kelly, this archaeological expedition—”

Nora reached into her purse for her cell phone, found it, pulled it out.

“No cell phones, Dr. Kelly, until we’re finished.” It was O’Grady again, his voice rising in anger.

She dropped the phone back into her purse. “Sorry. I’ve got to go.”

“You can go as soon as we finish the questions. ” O’Grady was livid. “Now, Doctor Kelly, about that archaeological expedition…”

Nora didn’t hear the rest. Her mind was racing.

“Dr. Kelly?”

“But can’t we, ah, finish this later?” She tried to smile, tried to put on her most pleading look. “Something really important has just come up.”

O’Grady didn’t return the smile. “This is a criminal investigation, Dr. Kelly. We’ll be done when we get to the end of the questions — not before.”

Nora thought for a moment. Then she looked O’Grady in the eye. “I’ve got to go. Go, go to the bathroom, I mean.”

“Now?”

She nodded.

“I’m sorry, but we’ll have to accompany you, then. Those are the rules.”

“Into the bathroom? ”

He blushed. “Of course not, but to the facilities. We’ll wait outside.”

“Then you’d better hurry. I’ve really got to go. Bad kidneys.”

O’Grady and Finester exchanged glances.

“Bacterial infection. From a dig in Guatemala.”

The policemen rose with alacrity. They crossed the Rockefeller Great Room, past the dozens of tables and the endless overlapping recitations of other staff members, out into the main library. Nora waited, biding her time, as they made their way toward the entrance. No point in sounding more of an alarm than was necessary.

The library itself was silent, researchers and scientists long since gone. The Great Room lay behind them now, the back-and-forth of questions and answers inaudible. Ahead were the double doors leading out into the hall and the rest rooms beyond. Nora approached the doors, the two cops trailing in her wake.

Then, with a sudden burst of speed, she darted through, swinging the doors behind her, back into the faces of the officers. She heard the thud of an impact, something clattering to the ground, a yelp of startled surprise. And then came a loud barking sound, like a seal giving the alarm, followed by shouts and running feet. She glanced back. Finester and O’Grady were through the doors and in hot pursuit.

Nora was very fit, but Finester and O’Grady surprised her. They were fast, too. At the far end of the hall, she glanced back and noticed that the taller sergeant, O’Grady, was actually gaining ground.

She flung open a stairwell door and began flying down the stairs, two at a time. Moments later, the door opened again: she heard loud voices, the pounding of feet.

She plunged downward even more quickly. Reaching the basement, she pushed the panic bar on the door and burst into the paleontological storage area. A long corridor ran ahead, arrow-straight, gray and institutional, illuminated by bare bulbs in wire cages. Doors lined both sides: Probiscidia, Eohippii, Bovidae, Pongidae.

The thudding of approaching feet filled the stairwell behind her. Was it possible they were still gaining? Why couldn’t she have gotten the two porkers at the table to her left?

She sprinted down the hallway, veered abruptly around a corner, and ran on, thinking fast. The vast dinosaur bone storage room was nearby. If she was going to lose these two, her best chance lay in there. She dug into her purse as she ran: thank God she’d remembered to bring her lab and storage keys along that morning.

She almost flew past the heavy door, fumbling with the keys. She turned, jammed her key into the lock, and pushed the door open just as the cops came into view around the corner.

Shit. They’ve seen me. Nora closed the door, locked it behind her, turned toward the long rows of tall metal stacks, preparing to run.

Then she had an idea.

She unlocked the door again, then took off down the closest aisle, turning left at the first crossing, then right, angling away from the door. At last she dropped into a crouch, pressing herself into the shadows, trying to catch her breath. She heard the tramp of feet in the corridor beyond. The door rattled abruptly.