: : Summary : : A dramatic story set just before TMR in which Alex is lost and feared dead
Evy sat at a long wooden table in the basement of the British Museum translating one of several newly discovered papyrus scrolls. She volunteered several hours each day at the museum. Her experience had made her invaluable. The directors had tried to get her to take a full-time position, but she refused, wanting to be home for Alex and her husband.
�Mrs. O�Connell? Mrs. O�Connell, are you down there?� a voice called out. It belonged to Charles Montague of the Bembridge Scholars. Evy particularly enjoyed turning down his requests for help since he was the one who had continually stamped the word �rejected� on all of her applications years ago.
�Yes, I�m down here,� she called.
A short, fat man rushed down the stairs and up to her table. He was distraught. Evy was unimpressed. Montague was always distraught, often over the quality of the duck sauce in the museum�s dining room. �What is it?� she asked.
Montague held in his hand a golden challis of the 19th Dynasty, part of the treasure that she, Rick and Jonathan had escaped Hamanaptra with a lifetime ago and sold to the museum for a fortune. It was a priceless artifact and Montague dropped it on her desk as if it were a piece of excrement. Evy looked at him questioningly.
�Do you have any idea where I found this?� he asked.
�No, where?�
�In the new 14th Dynasty Exhibit.�
Evy was shocked. �Good God! You must be joking!�
�I only wish I was!� Montague cried. �This place is staffed entirely by cretins! You must sign on and take over here, Mrs. O�Connell. You must.�
They needed her here. Badly. Evy knew that, but her husband and son needed her more and that was far more important to her. �We�ve talked about this before, Mr. Montague. I will help out where I can but I don�t want to spend that much time away from home.�
�Please. We�ll pay you whatever you want!�
�It�s not about the money��
�Do you care nothing for museum patrons?� he pleaded. �The new exhibit was almost open! People almost saw this�� he gestured to the challis, �right in the middle of it! Can you imagine?�
It would have been horrific, Evy had to agree, but she still wasn�t willing� She was interrupted by the telephone�s ring.
*~*~*~*
At the warehouse, Jonathan followed Rick down a long aisle of stacked boxes. �For the last time, no,� Rick told his brother-in-law.
�But why?� pleaded Jonathan.
�Because,� Rick plucked the tin replica of Big Ben out of Jonathan�s hand and waved it under his nose. �These are crap,� He told him. �O�Connell Exports does not handle crap.�
�But they�re to be sold to the Yanks,� argued Jonathan. �They like crap.�
�No.� Rick gave him back the souvenir.
�But I have 20 cases of these things,� whined Jonathan.
�Please don�t tell me how you got 20 cases of those things,� said Rick.
He needn�t worry; Jonathan had no intention of disclosing that information. �What am I going to do with them?�
�I have a number of suggestions, but the one I�m going to give you is why don�t you unload them at one of your casinos?� asked Rick.
�I tried. People won�t buy them. They�re crap.�
They were approaching the office. Rick signed an invoice for a delivery man as Jonathan hovered hopefully by. Rick ignored him. Maybe he�d go away.
Marcy, Rick�s secretary called to him from inside the office. �Mr. O�Connell, your wife is on the phone��
Ah, saved by Evelyn once again. Rick went inside to take the call, shutting the door before Jonathan could enter. �Hello?�
�Oh, Rick. Something�s happened to Alex,� Evy�s voice was worried. Rick snapped to attention.
�What do you mean something�s happened to him?� he demanded.
�The school just called. He never arrived today.�
Rick shook his head. He knew the perfect Alex act wouldn�t last.
�I�m so worried that some one has taken him or something!� Evy continued. She sounded frantic.
Rick�s thoughts were of a less heinous nature. �Now calm down,� he told her. �I have an idea where he might be.�
�Where?�
�At the science museum.�
�No, Rick. He would never do anything like that!� she protested.
�Are we talking about the same kid? Short, blonde, your brains and my attitude?� he asked.
�Alex knows better than to go across town by himself.�
�Alex knows better than to do a lot of the things he does. I�m going to see to it that he thinks twice about doing this again.� Rick said.
�Rick, what are you going to do?� Evy asked.
�I�m going to go get our son.�
�And then�?� she sounded worried.
�I�ll bring him home.�
�And then�?�
�We�ll talk about that when I get there,� Rick said firmly.
Evy hesitated. She knew Rick would insist on spanking Alex this time. She knew he deserved it. She also knew her husband wouldn�t ever really hurt their son, but she wanted to be there to supervise in case his temper got the better of him. �You bring him home in one piece,� she ordered.
Rick gave a short laugh. �Don�t worry. I�ll bring him home before I draw and quarter him,� he told her. �Where are you?�
�I�m at the British Museum,� she replied.
�Stay there. I�ll have Jonathan get you and bring you home.�
�Rick, I�m perfectly capable of driving myself home,� she protested.
Rick turned away from the window so Jonathan couldn�t read his lips. �I want him out of my warehouse, Evy.�
�Well, then have him meet me there. I want to have my car.�
�Okay. Everything�s going to be alright... Love you.�
�Love you, too.�