“Artifacts.”
“Stellar,” I grumbled.
“You know,” she started, “now that I think about it, Dr. Newell might have had an enemy.”
“Who?”
“Angela.”
“Did he… catch her stealing?” I asked, confused.
“No, no. Again, this is hearsay,” she declared. “My second week here,afterAngela was booted, I heard from down the grapevine that Dr. Newell had been caught—by Dr. Thyne, no less—fooling around with his intern. IfIheard about it, Angelamusthave.”
Sex, backstabbing, and the pursuit of scientific and artistic truth. Gotta love the academics.
“Can I have her name? The intern?” I asked.
Gould bit her lower lip. “Him. Dr. Newell’s intern is a him.”
“I see.”
“Daniel Howard. He’s a student at CUNY.”
“And how is he? As an intern, I mean,” I said, quickly rewording the question.
“He’s a good kid,” she said politely.
I looked at my pretzel, tugged another chunk free, and took a bite. “But?” I prompted.
“But… he came as a recommendation by Dr. Hart, a very well-respected field paleontologist. I figured Dr. Newell owed him a favor by taking Daniel when CUNY has more… erm… overachieving students. But he’s nice!” she insisted again. “Maybe kind of gaga over Dr. Newell, now that I think about it. I’m of the opinion that an academic should date outside their field. Less controversy.”
I kind of understood that, actually.
“Is Daniel working today? I’d like to talk to him if that’s possible,” I said.
Gould shook her head. “He’s got a sporadic work schedule. Dr. Newell was in charge of his attendance. I haven’t seen Daniel for a few days, but I think winter break is starting, so maybe he’s gone home.”
“Where’s home?”
“Michigan, I think.”
Fuck. That would be extremely problematic, because something smelled off about this internal drama at the museum. With a head curator probably being the individual who fired the assistant curator’s criminal girlfriend, then catching said assistant sleeping with a student, there was definitely strife, maybe even motive, to do something potentially fatal to Frank Newell. And considering someone mailed him toes and an ear, only to come to learn his intern hasn’t been seen lately?
This didn’t sound like it’d be a happy ending.
For FrankorDaniel.
The fact that I had zero association or knowledge of either individual prior to today confirmed for me that it was most definitely my reputation that caused the Collector to come rapping on my chamber door. The museum staff had struck out at solving this skull mystery, so the Collector decided upon a different approach. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.
“Thanks for all of this information, Dr. Gould,” I said politely as I got to my feet. “It’s been… enlightening.”
“I hope your fiancé is found.”
I swallowed and nodded. “Me too.” I started down the steps and then stopped suddenly. “You said the curators had been arguing about an upcoming exhibit?”
Gould paused midmotion in standing. “That’s right.”
“What’s the exhibit?”
