Artifact (10 page)

The breath was momentarily knocked out of me. The arms that dragged me into the compartment were unquestionably not those of a ghost.

A second wave of surprise hit me as I noticed something else. Rupert’s shoes. The faded red sneakers were the shoes of the partially hidden man in my blurry photographs.

In the precious fraction of a second before I was able to gather my thoughts and my breath, Rupert grabbed his chance. He leaned down and kissed me on the mouth.

He didn’t have to lean far. Rupert was only five foot five. I had always suspected my height was one of the things that attracted him to me. As for what attracted me to him? Well, even at the worst of times, no one could claim Rupert was boring.

He pulled me toward him, kissing me more deeply. He didn’t hold me for long, but his grip was intense. Especially for that of a man who was supposed to be dead.

His lips finally released mine. “All right?” he said, grinning.

That refined accent of his was full of vigor. The sound filled the space of the small compartment. The steady background noise of the train faded away.

“How dare you let me think you were dead!”

I felt foolish that I hadn’t thought of something more clever to say. But when presented with a situation such as this, really, what else is there that can be said?

“Why, darling,” he said, beaming, “I didn’t know you still cared.”

A big part of me wanted to bring down my heel on his foot. Hard. But at the same time, seeing him alive, relief and compassion won out. Rupert’s face was uncharacteristically gaunt. Deep, dark circles stood out under his blue-gray eyes. A sizable bruise covered his jaw. A bandage poked out of his left shirt sleeve near his wrist. Even though he wasn’t dead, whatever was going on had ended up with him getting himself hurt. But in spite of his ailments, his eyes were as lively as ever. They sparkled as he continued to grin at me.

That was too much.

I raised my arm to slap his face. He must have anticipated the move, for he was able to block it and grab my arm instead.

If that’s what he wanted, that’s what he would get. I raised my other arm and slapped his bruised cheek. Not hard. But it was the principle of the thing. He swore something indecipherable, releasing me and taking a step back.

It’s amazing how easy it is to forgive someone’s faults when you think they’re dead. My memories had absolved Rupert of his cocky arrogance. And he was arrogant. First, assuming that I would help him with his scheme. Then, letting me believe he was dead.

“Always so predictable,” he said, rubbing his jaw while he grinned at me. “I knew you’d head for the dining car sooner rather than later. All I had to do was wait.”

“You’re a terrible spy,” I said. It was difficult to speak with a level voice. “I can’t believe you’ve been following me. You didn’t even let me know that you weren’t...that you...all the effort, and you couldn’t even...I mean....” I gave up trying to be calm. “You even broke into my apartment!”

“What? I never broke into your flat, Jaya.” He wasn’t smiling any longer.

“You—”

“Hold on, love,” he said. He sank down into one of the two small seats in the compartment. For a moment he looked seasick.

With his casual attitude and his kiss, I assumed his injuries weren’t serious. But Rupert didn’t suffer from motion sickness. He wasn’t doing well.

“I might not have gone about this in the best possible way,” he said. “But when I first saw you with that tosser at the library, going after the treasure for the two of you....I didn’t know what to do.”

He looked up at me imploringly. His voice sounded heartfelt. But with Rupert, you could never really tell.

“We were trying to figure out who killed you, you jerk,” I said. “I don’t care about a stupid treasure. We don’t even know what we’re looking for. Why did you bother to mail me the bracelet if you were going to steal it back?”

“Wait,” Rupert said slowly. “Why did you think someone killed me?”

“Anna sent me a link to the article in the paper about your death. Remember her? The date of your supposed death was reported as the same date as the postmark on the package you sent.”

Rupert swore under his breath.

“And you put together—”

“Why have you been sneaking around?” I asked. “Why didn’t you—”

“You were with that strange fellow,” Rupert said, a sour expression transforming his face. “I didn’t know what was going on. I’d been searching the library for days, and then all of a sudden you show up making kissy face with some other bloke. I bloody well didn’t expect that you’d show up across the pond, did I?”

“
You
did.”

“What are you talking about, love? This business about your flat? You’re talking about your flat in America? That wasn’t me. How could I have done that?”

He stared at me, confusion evident in his eyes. I again noticed how drawn his face was.

“You don’t believe me?” he said. “No bleeding way I could get out of the country on my passport. I’m supposed to be dead.”

“But then how—”

“Some lucky nutter’s got the ruby, then?”

“No,” I said, feeling suddenly claustrophobic in my surroundings. “It’s safe.”

Relief showed on Rupert’s face. I, however, was less than reassured. I should have been happy it was Rupert who had been following me in London. But I wasn’t. That meant someone else had broken into my apartment in San Francisco. Someone who Rupert knew nothing about.

If he could be believed.

“Rupert,” I said, “tell me what’s going on. Why did you write that you needed my help?”

“Right, then....” he trailed off.

“You conceited bastard! You let me think you were dead.”

I tried to pace around the small quarters. I had to do something to quash the urge to hit Rupert again.

“Hold on, then,” Rupert said. “I tried to get in touch with you. You didn’t get any of my messages? Is that why you’re angry?”

“Messages? Really, Rupert.”

“I emailed you first.”

“Where?”

“At your
email
account,” he said tersely.

“The university one you knew from when I was finishing my degree? I don’t use that anymore.”

“Bloody hell, how am I supposed to know that? I rang up and left you a message, too. Your old mobile phone number I knew didn’t work, so I called that other number you had. I left a message on the machine. You can’t say I didn’t try.”

That explained the phone call from my brother. I needed to remember to yell at Mahilan later for all the trouble his Hindi-only policy was causing.

Rupert took my silence for annoyance directed at him.

“It’s not easy to track people down when running for your life,” he said, tugging at the sleeve that covered his bandage. “You never gave me your new number. I only had your address since you sent me that graduation card—”

“You kept it?”

Rupert’s cheeks flushed.

“It doesn’t matter now,” he said. “The point is, I’m trying to protect you.”

I tried to scoff. I’m pretty sure it came out more like a snort.

“Someone did try to kill me,” he said, the blue in his eyes shining brightly with urgency. He held up his bandaged arm for me to see.

“I thought I needed your help,” he said. “But then it didn’t seem worth it once things got more dangerous. I never in a million bleeding years thought you’d show up after you’d gotten my messages asking you to do nothing except hang onto the artifact for me.”

“What the hell is going on, Rupert?”

“Listen, love,” he said, pulling me down onto the seat next to him. He kept my hand in his. I didn’t try to remove it.

“I sent you that ruby before I knew how dangerous this whole business was. I thought I was being cautious when I sent the artifact to you. But now...now it’s best you go home and stay out of it.”

“I’m already involved.”

“I’ll still give you a cut,” Rupert said, caressing my hand. “Not that wanker, but you—”

“That’s not what I mean.” I pulled my hand away. “Someone besides you knows about it. Weren’t you listening to me? He broke into my apartment. He also hurt the person who interrupted him.”

“That’s not possible,” Rupert said, rubbing his jaw slowly. “Your burglary can’t be related. Only a few people know about it. They’re all still at the...ah....”

“I already know about the dig.”

“You do?”

“I also know you quit your job lecturing, and that you and Knox are in over your heads.”

Our faces were inches apart in the small space. Rupert’s face looked even more haggard up close. I spotted a few strands of gray in his hair.

“I can help,” I said. “You did ask for my help, remember?”

He smiled. His eyes moved over my face.

“There is one way you can help,” he said. He moved in to kiss me again. I stopped him by pressing my fingertips to his lips.

“Tell me,” I said.

He laughed gently, shaking his head from side to side.

“Oh, Jaya,” he said. “I knew I had to see you again.”

“Dammit, Rupert. I came all this way to find out what got you killed. You better start telling me what’s going on.”

“I really don’t know.” He wasn’t laughing any longer.

“Fine,” I said. “Then I’ll formulate my own hypothesis. You and Knox stole a valuable piece of ancient jewelry. You stupidly bragged about it, so then you needed to go into hiding, hoping things would blow over. That’s why you quit your position. You found a remote dig where you could lay low for the summer. Only you didn’t realize Knox’s photograph would be posted on the dig’s website. Whoever you stole the piece from was able to find you easily after seeing the picture. They tried to kill you, so you played dead so they wouldn’t try it again—I haven’t worked out how you managed that yet. But whatever the answer is, the best thing for me to do is to drop off the bracelet with Interpol, and take you to a doctor.”

“Christ, don’t do that,” Rupert said, his face pale. “That’s not what happened. It’s not stolen, I swear.”

“Why should I believe you if you don’t tell me where it’s
not stolen
from?”

“Have I ever let you down before? Wait, don’t answer that. You’ve at least got to believe me that we’re both safer if they think I’m dead.”

“Who are
they
?”

“I’m not sure. Honestly!”

The exclamation took the wind out of him. He put his head in his hands and rubbed his temples. He didn’t look well.

“Knox and I found out something...how should I put this? Something interesting,” he said, looking back up at me with his elbows resting on his knees. “Before we had a chance to find it—”

“Stop,” I said. “You had the bracelet already. You’re after more. I get that. But you don’t know where the treasure is?”

“Of course we don’t know where it is.” Rupert blinked at me. “Why else would we bother asking for help?”