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| Jonathan�s features softened and he opened his fist as he looked at his sister. He sighed. �I�m sorry old mum. As your big brother, I feel I should be comforting you and I get angry that their death still has such a strong effect on me.� He took Evie�s hand and placed their mother�s ring on the ring finger of her right hand. He picked up his father�s ring and turned it in his hands, then placed it on the ring finger of his right hand. Jonathan smiled and looked to his sister. �Well fancy that. They�re the perfect fit.� He looked down at his father�s ring on his hand and felt a closeness to his parents knowing that they had cherished the rings symbolizing their love almost as much as they had cherished their children. �Well, let�s get to work and try to figure this out.� Rick got up and retrieved the journal from the cabinets. When he turned back towards Evie, her arms were crossed and she was giving him �the look�. �What?� He asked innocently. �I only took it to see if I could find anything that would help us figure this out.� The hours ticked by as Rick, Jonathan, and Evie began reading each page of the journal looking for any clues. They only stopped twice; once to pick up Alex from school, and also for dinner. It was now nearing midnight. Alex had long gone to bed and they hadn�t found much in the journal so far. �I think that�s enough for tonight,� Rick said standing up. �Tomorrow�s Sunday, so we�ll have the whole day to do some more research. We need to be fully awake for this.� Jonathan nodded his agreement and stood up from the table stretching and Evie followed suit. �Right you are chap.� They headed out of the kitchen and towards the stairs. �Where are you going?� Evie asked when she noticed Jonathan pass the stairs. �Just getting myself a nightcap then I�ll be off to bed.� Evie nodded and she Rick started up the stairs with their arms around each other. They barely made it up five steps when they came to an abrupt stop and turned as they heard a knock at the door. Jonathan emerged from the parlor with glass in hand. �Who on earth could that be? It�s nearly midnight!� Jonathan asked putting down his glass and heading to the door. �Wait, Jonathan. Evie, stay out of sight.� Rick let go of Evie and headed back down. He pulled a gun out of the drawer of the table in the entry, handed it to Jonathan, and pulled another gun out for himself. The two men crept to the front door. Rick signaled for Jonathan to stay against the wall in the shadows to the left of the door. Jonathan nodded. Rick opened the door partially, keeping his hand with the gun hidden. �Forgive me sir for intruding at such a late hour but we must keep this meeting a secret. I have some information about the Carnahans.� A harmless old frail man stood there with eyes darting around looking for anyone that may have followed him. Rick opened the door wider. �Come on in.� The old man entered and Rick gave a quick look around outside before closing and locking the door. �Follow me. We�ll talk in the parlor.� They each took a seat in the parlor and the old man began speaking. �Where to begin�� he mumbled to himself and looked up at the three questioning faces. �Forgive me. I have not introduced myself. I am Charles Sonderburg.� �Welcome to our home Mr. Sonderburg. I�m Evelyn Carnahan O�Connell, this is my husband Rick, and my brother Jonathan Carnahan. I believe I heard you say you have some information about my parents?� �Ah, so that much is true. Aswad mentioned the Carnahan�s having a boy and girl,� he smiled and looked at the confused faces. �Let me explain myself. You see, I was a caretaker for Aswad. A few months before his murder, he was diagnosed as having a mental illness most likely from being a witness to something traumatizing that had taken place in his past. It seems in his old age, he could not suppress the images any longer. His doctor had sent me to be a live in and to care for him. He would ramble on and on for hours about different adventures he had been on. Then, there were times he would seem to go farther from sanity, claiming he kept seeing a man from his past spying on him and hunting him. I finally got the name of this so-called spy of his imagination and looked up the information on him. It seems the man he spoke of died nearly a decade ago. Aswad kept insisting he was seeing him, and so I brought him to the graveyard to show him that it couldn�t be and that he was safe. Sure enough, the name of the man he spoke of was engraved on the tombstone where I found out it would be. I thought seeing the tombstones would help him to come to his senses, but I fear I made his mental state worse. He kept insisting, claiming that it must then be the ghost of that man.� Jonathan interrupted, getting impatient that an important detail was left out. �What was the name on the tombstone?� Charles thought as he scratched his head. �I can remember where the tombstone is, but the name escapes me. I believe it was something like Albert Skor�er Skar�� �Alan Skarzinski?� Evie supplied. �Yes! That�s the man! So you have heard of him.� Charles began searching his pockets. �I�ve brought some letters and such that Aswad had in his possession.� He continued patting pockets in his shirt and jacket. �I figure they may be of more use to you than the safe they were placed in.� He checked the last of his pockets. �Oh blast it. I left them in the safe. I fear my memory is not as good as it used to be. I�ve also been a bit preoccupied and jumpy since Aswad�s murder.� �It�s quite all right, Mr. Sonderburg,� Rick stood up and held out his hand. �We appreciate you helping us out. I think it�d be best if we all get a good nights sleep and meet up again tomorrow. You can bring everything then.� Charles stood and shook Rick�s hand. �That would be splendid. When and were shall we meet?� �How about the museum?� Evie asked. �We can use my office to continue this conversation. How does 10 a.m. sound?� �That would be just fine Mrs. O�Connell. I�ll be there at 10 a.m. sharp with the letters and such.� He bowed to her and shook Jonathan�s hand. �Good night, Mr. and Mrs. O�Connell; Mr. Carnahan.� Penny ([email protected]) November 6, 2002 At precisely 8 a.m. a black Beauford pulled up in front of the museum and stopped. The driver side and back passenger door opened at the same time. Rick O'Connell, glanced at him wife before climbing out from behind the wheel. He saw Jonathan pull her door open and wait for her to exit, but she just sat there, playing with the handle on the attach� case in her lap. She worried the corner of her bottom lip with her teeth, as she usually did when she was worried or frightened or nervous about something. "Hey, Hon," he said, giving her his best lopsided grin. "It'll be okay. Have I ever steered you wrong?" Evie raised her eyes to look into the face of the man she loved. That silly grin always put her at ease and she returned it with a smile of her own. "And you say I'm the charmer, Mr. O'Connell." "What can I say?" he grinned again and bent forward to kiss her. "Oh puleeze!" Jonathan grumbled, "Can't we just get on with it?" Rick pulled away from his wife, cocking an eyebrow. Again he grinned at his wife and sent a comment of his own, to his impatient brother-in-law. "No need to get your knickers in a twist, Jonathan. We're comin'." Five minutes later they sat in Evie's office waiting for the kettle of water to heat for tea. Well, two sat anyway. Evie was ensconced behind her desk, Rick sat on the window sill watching the street and Jonathan paced the room. "You know...you keep doing that and they're gonna have to replace the carpet in here," Rick offered, watching Jonathan out of the corner of his eye. "What bloody time is it, anyway?" he snapped. "Look up at the wall and find out." "Alright you two. If I thought you both were gonna come here to snap at each other, I would have left you home," Evie |