Asp of Ascension (A Nefertari Hughes Mystery #1)

Chapter Thirty-One

Terry accepted the mug of tea and wrapped her fingers around its warmth. Gus Tanner's kitchen was homey and quaint. Maude cooed when she saw the cherry wallpaper and Kit-Cat Clock, with its rolling eyes and pendulum tail.

"Thanks again for agreeing to see us, Mr. Tanner," Fraser said. His leather jacket was draped over the chrome kitchen chair. He pushed up his glasses and gave his best 'trust me, I'm harmless' smile.

"I'm not sure if I can help you kids," Gus replied. His white hair was cut short, and even though it was late afternoon there were still crisp pleats in his slacks. He leaned against the spotless counter with his own mug of tea steaming in his hand. "You said over the phone it was urgent."

Terry and Maude hit Fraser with a worried stare. He didn't even flinch. "Like I said in our earlier conversation, our friend is missing," he began smoothly. "And we know this isn't the first time something odd happened in that museum."

Gus placed a plate of cookies on the table. Terry noticed the tiny roses painted around the plate's edges. "Go ahead." He motioned to sweets. "My daughter makes them for me."

"Thank you." Terry took a bite, then stopped mid-chew. She looked at Fraser, who had taken one as well. She guessed she was wearing the same hesitant expression.

Gus chuckled at their reaction. "Gluten-free," he explained. "My daughter thinks it will help my arthritis."

Fraser swallowed. "And raisins too," he said.

Maude leaned back, distancing herself from the healthy snack. She counted out and added five sugar cubes to her tea, clinking her spoon against the cup's edge as she stirred.

Terry squirmed in her chair. "We're here because of June Macallum," she said.

"I thought as much." Gus put down his mug and looked out the window over the sink. A collection of salt and pepper shakers lined the sill. "June loved the museum and spent every weekend there. She knew more about the exhibits than most of the staff." His voice took on a nostalgic quality. Terry thought she could see the young man he used to be under the wrinkles. "I teased her and said she should work at the museum. But she told me she wanted to get far away from Devonshire. That she needed to be free."

Terry gripped the edge of her chair.

"So you think she ran away?" Maude sounded hopeful.

He dropped his head. "I can't imagine a young girl being able to disappear that easily. If she did run away," he paused and all the lines came back to his face, "I think someone or something got to her soon after."

"Maybe the same thing that knocked you out?" Fraser asked.

"I don't know," Gus said hollowly. "I heard noises in the Egypt room, but I didn't see anyone. The asp was perfectly safe under its glass case. Then everything went black. I woke up with the fire department standing over me and one hell of a bump on the back of my head." He shrugged. "Glass shards covered the entire floor, but the asp was still in place. Two weeks later, it went missing for good."

"And they never found any fingerprints or any other clues?" Maude asked.

Gus shook his head. "The police scoured the area, but all they found was a pink sweater crumpled up in the girls' bathroom, one of the sleeves ripped and missing a few buttons." His voice sound heavy, like he'd told this story too many times. "It was June's."

The bitter wind howled outside. The Kit-Cat Clock ticking away the seconds was the only sound inside the little kitchen. Gus straightened up and put his hands in his pockets. "You say your friend is missing now?" he asked.