‘Yes, but I couldn’t stand being over there when you’re over here looking like that.’
‘It’s just a dress,’ I laughed. ‘It’s going to come off later.’
‘Even better!’ Finn grinned. I flicked him on the arm with my clutch bag. ‘That’s not what I meant.’
‘Too late. The image is in here now,’ he said, tapping his temple. ‘Firmly rooted and growing away happily.’
Colette laughed, then excused herself and went over to where Greg was standing. She snaked her hand around his waist and he responded by cuddling her close to him as she was brought into the conversation.
9
‘What secrets are you hiding?’ I asked. My companion remained silent. ‘Come on. You can whisper it to me…’
‘You free for dinner tonight or do you already have a date?’
I jumped as the deep voice broke into the conversation I was having with the mummy currently on loan to us and which we were hoping to get permission to do a CT scan on.
‘Don’t creep up on me like that!’ I said, turning to face Finn. ‘And lower your voice.’
Finn rolled his eyes. ‘It’s a good job I’m not the sensitive type. I might start thinking you were ashamed to be seen with me.’
My brow creased. ‘You know it’s not that.’
He gave a small shrug and turned his attention to the mummy on the table in front of me. Something told me he was more sensitive than he liked to let on. I reached out, my hand brushing his momentarily. ‘It’s not.’
‘I know,’ he replied, still not looking at me. ‘So, who’s this?’
I pulled my own gaze from Finn’s face. His feelings were currently as hidden as the identity of the body in front of us.
‘We don’t know. It was part of a discovery made decades ago when methods could be a little more… heavy-handed, shall wesay? The sarcophagus was obviously incredibly fragile anyway and it didn’t survive. Any clues that could have been gained from that are long gone.’
‘So what’s he – or she – doing here?’
‘She. The museum has been loaned it as part of the upcoming exhibition but we’re also hoping to try and use some modern technology to unlock some of its secrets.’
‘A hospital scan?’
‘Yes,’ I said, smiling up at him.
‘I saw a programme where they did that.’
‘It’s been successful in some other cases. But it depends if the owners will agree to it.’
‘Why wouldn’t they? Surely they’re curious too?’
‘They are but they’re also quite rightly concerned about the possibility of damage.’
‘Is that likely?’
‘Of course we’d be incredibly careful. The last thing we want is for any damage to incur either but it has to be transported and with all the best will in the world, accidents do happen.’
‘I guess that’s true.’ He looked at the mummified body. A tiny bit of the wrappings had been damaged in the original excavation, according to the notes. Finn bent a little closer, his face screwing up in concentration. ‘Is that hair?’
‘Yes.’
His nose remained screwed up as he looked at me.
‘What?’
