Museum Murder: Part II
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"Where
do you think you're going?" Dani asked. She asked it in the tone of voice
that suggested she wasn't interested in an answer, that she wasn't even asking,
and that she'd kill you for even *thinking* of going somewhere at this point in
time, no matter where it was, because obviously .. well.. obviously something.
Scott
stared down at her blankly, trying to figure out what that obvious something
was.
"I
was .. .. going to the cafeteria?"
he asked, noticing most of the other animals from his hall sitting or standing
in the lobby with looks of confusion or guilt on their faces. Whatever Dani was
fishing for, she had certainly caught her quota.
"Tonight
is your voluntary cultural experience night" Dani replied, reminding him
of something he'd never known. She removed a sheet of paper from her clipboard
and showed it to him.
"Voluntary
Cultural Experience Night!" it proclaimed. Then there was a clip-art
picture of some kind of vase or pottery jug, and "Be in the lobby, 9:15,
Friday night". Scott had an idea the latter was an order, as opposed to a
suggestion. He was right.
Dani
replaced the flier in her clipboard with a cultivated look of boredom. On the
couch, Kevin leant over and whispered to Tony: "So THAT's what she carries
in her clipboard. I always wondered what its for".
"Besides
hitting you with?" Tony replied, scratching an ear.
"Besides
that, yes", Kevin said, quietly rubbing his nose. Dani'd used the
clipboard for THAT when he suggested to her that voluntary activities should be
voluntary earlier in the evening. He rubbed his knee and then returned his
attentions to the group.
Dani
now turned her renowned terseness on the group assembled in the lobby.
"People", she began, "I am so pleased to see the turnout we have
for this VOLUNTARY..". She shot a quick look at Kevin, who visible
flinched. She then continued ".. voluntary cultural experience night. As
you no doubt know, from the various literature on the subjects I have left on
PROMINENT display around the general area, our University museum's funding is
in direct relation to the number of visitors it gets".
Cindy
gave a concerned frown. Surely the "popularity" of something had no
relation to its cultural importance? That's why museums were subsidized and
football games weren't. Mikey was obviously of the same mind, but differed in
the foolish decision to actually say it aloud, interrupting Dani.
Dani
nodded thoughtfully, and hit Mikey on the nose with her clipboard.
"There
will be time for questions at the end", she explained.
"But
that wasn't a quest-OW!!" Mikey exclaimed, holding his nose for the second
time that night. Kevin snickered. Brad actually smiled.
"As
I was saying before the rude *interruption*", Dani begun, and cast a
scornful glance at Mikey, "if attendance at our museum continues in the
poor way it has been over the past, it may have to be closed down, and you
won't be able to enjoy its treasures at all".
"But,
we weren't really enjoying their treasures anyway, since we were never
going" Lisa said cheerfully. She added quickly, however, "but the
museum closing would be a pity". Dani would never actually *hit* Lisa, but
she'd cast a mean look at her, which had the same effect on Lisa anyway. Lisa
toyed with the charm bracelet she wore on her left wrist until she was sure
Dani wasn't looking at her any longer.
Dani
looked dismissively over everyone to make it clear in their minds that she had
a few more things to say, and she would appreciate everyone being quiet whilst
she did so.
"So,
as PROUD MEMBERS of the college community, I'm sure we're all VERY enthusiastic
about supporting our college tonight by attending a very special tour of the
museum, given by myself, in which we will view the amazing antiquities of
yesteryear with awe. SILENT awe." she finished.
She
ignored the collective groan.
"Hey,
where's Biff? Why isn't he getting cultured with the rest of us?" Brad
asked.
"Biff
is .." Dani begun, "absent. BUT-" she quickly added, before the
rest of the group no doubt would try to use that as a leverage point to excuse
themselves from the same outing, "he will be displaying his patronage with
a very generous donation to the museum's continuance".
"He'd
have the *money* to do that" Kevin said in a quiet, scornful voice.
"Yes,
no question of *that*" Cindy replied, in a whisper, before sitting upright
with a guilty start. "Why... what did you mean?"
"Uh,
nothing" Kevin replied, "why, what did you mean?"
"Nothing"
Cindy said, and turned to face Dani. Scott shot them both a quizzical look,
having overheard what they said. Why would *they* be remarking on Biff's
finances? Fortunately his shades covered his perplexed emotion, and he came off
looking what he thought was cool and debonair, which Scott always thought he
looked like, anyway.
He
glanced at his left wrist. 9:25. The cafeteria was going to close in 5 minutes.
Guess he'd have a snack *after* the thrilling museum tour. Of course, the
stabbing pains in his stomach could always distract him from learning about the
Minoan whatevers and the Grecian jugs. Every cloud has a silver lining, after
all.
Dani
pinned a small badge saying "Tour Guide" onto her overalls and led
the small group outside, across the quadrangle just as the tower clock chimed
the half hour, and to the front of the museum.
"Good behaviour, guys" she
reminded, and swiped her swipe card through the swipe card reader on the door
that reads the swipe cards that are swiped there.
She
opened the main door and led the procession into the empty museum's foyer. It
was a dark, deathly quiet place. Dani busied herself with an electronic panel near
the door as the rest of the group filed into the foyer.
"Sure
gets dark outside this time of year", Lisa said, shivering slightly,
"and a little cold". The little charms on her bracelet made a quiet
tinkling sound as they hit each other.
"It's
good for the plum trees" Kevin replied, sotto voce.
"The
University doesn't have any plum trees" Lisa said, puzzled.
"That's
why it's so good for them" Kevin replied, with a grin.
Dani
walked into a large, perfectly dark room to the right of the foyer and threw
the light switch located on the left of the doorway on. The room was flooded
with a dull fluorescent light that perfectly reflected the dullness of the
exhibits.
"Come
on in" she called, "the exhibits don't bite".
"You,
however, do" Brad muttered, as he walked into the area. It was a large
rectangular room, sparsely filled with glass cases, and, in the center of the
room, a few pots standing on isolated stands. There were 3 windows on the
southern wall, and a velvet curtain in front what looked like a small display
on the western wall. Without drawing the curtain, however, one wouldn't know
what was back there.
Tony
and Cindy walked into the room, somewhat noisily on the wooden floors and
causing a dull echo to resound through the room.
"Sorry"
Tony said to Dani somewhat sheepishly, as the noise had ruined the reverent
silence maintained by those who look at Art.
Next
entered Lisa and Mikey both sporting somewhat interested looks, and finally Kevin and Scott who were competing who could enter the room with the least
seriousness.
"What’s
a Grecian urn?" Scott asked.
"Oh,
about twenty an hour I'd say" Kevin replied.
Dani
silenced them both with a glare. Kevin switched the mobile phone hooked to his
belt off, and Cindy took hers out of her jacket pocket with her left hoof and
did the same.
"The
Incas", Dani begun in a stern voice, "were a fascinating people.
Behold, on this stand, one of their many pots excavated in a dig in 1997. Note
the zig-zag style decoration around the rim of the base of the pot, typical of
most Inca design, and thought to represent the Sun when viewed from the obverse.
The circle design exhibited around the perimeter of the pot is a mystery to us
even today, but may have originated with their observations of the lunar cycle,
or be mere aesthetics. Are there any questions?"
Kevin
raised his paw with a look of mock seriousness on his face.
"Yes,
Kevin?"
"Is
it microwave safe?"
A
giggle permeated through the group.
"Yes,
Kevin, Incan pottery is microwave safe, I'm sure you'll be thrilled to
hear" she replied dryly. "Moving on, to the Aztecs.."
But
there was to be no moving on to the Aztecs. At that moment the lights went out
and the room plunged into complete darkness. Lisa issued a somewhat scared
yelp, and went to grab Mikey's arm (being the opportunist that she is) but he
wasn't there.
"Okay,
quit screwing with the lights, whichever comedian it was, and I'm looking at
you, Kevin". Dani said in a brash manner through the blackness that
negated the fact she couldn't actually look at anyone in the pitch black.
"It
wasn't me, I haven't been near the lights" Kevin's voice replied
innocently.
There
were the dull, now spooky, echoes of hooves on wooden floor and then several
rapid clicking sounds.
"The
lights are broken", came Tony's voice from near the doorway.
"Oh,
great" Scott said.
"The
tour's not so bad now, though" Kevin replied.
There
was the swooshing sound of a rapidly moving clipboard, followed by a deep
squawk.
"Hey,
WATCHIT, you oversized snack!" Brad said, curtly.
"Sorry
Brad, I was going for Kevin" Dani replied.
All of
the sudden there was a terrible crashing sound of broken pottery, destroying
the silence.
"Guys,
guys, DON'T move around in the dark, these things are valuable, OK?" Dani
said. "The lights will be back on soon, it's just a brownout or
something".
The
middle window on the southernmost wall made a small rattling sound, however. A
torch outside clicked on, and the sound of the window sliding almost
noiselessly open could be heard through the silence. The torch beam waved
through the room in a quick search and wobbled as the figure holding it began
to hoist itself up through the window.
"Scott..",
it said in a gruff whisper, "Scott.. are you the-HNG!!!", the latter
part coming off in a pained gasp. "HHNNFFGGGG" came next, a terrible,
clenched sound dictating in no uncertain terms the sudden pain the speaker was
in. The torch clattered to the ground and spun wildly before going out, and
then there was a dull thud, a final gasp, and the sound of the window falling
shut.
The
most nervous of silences followed. Then Scott had only got out
"What-" before the fluorescent lights flickered back on in an
uncertain way only fluorescent lights can. The museum seemed unchanged by the
sudden blackout, apart from the broken pot in the center of the floor. Oh, and one
other thing.
Biff's
body lay on the wooden floor under the central window face down, a pool of
blood slowly spreading around him.
The
museum was a much less dull place, after that.
~End of
Part II~