“Hello?” Cash whispered as he crawled out of bed and shut himself in the master bathroom.
“Boss?” a museum guard said. “You need to get down here.”
“What’s wrong?” Cash’s body instantly went into fight mode.
“Nothing,” the man chuckled. “Nothing at all. Just get here ASAP. There’s something you need to see.”
The guard hung up, and Cash stared at his phone. He’d fully expected to be fired after last night, but by the humor in the guard’s voice, he wondered if he was mistaken.
“Dad?” Clover knocked on the door. “I got to pee.”
“Sorry.” Cash left the bathroom so his son could use it. “Hey, buddy, I need to go to work quick. What do you say we spend the day having fun? I’ll stop by the museum first, and then we’ll get breakfast. Whatever you want. You can pick every activity we do today.”
“It’s Saturday. Can we go to a baseball game?” Clover opened the door, his toothbrush hanging out of his mouth.
“Um… sure. There should be a local game.”
“Okay, that’s what I want. And donuts. I want donuts.”
“Donuts and baseball it is,” Cash ruffled his boy’s hair, and it warmed his heart that Clover smiled. “Go get dressed.”
A half-hour later, Cash parked in the employee garage at the museum and held his son’s hand until they reached the security office.
“Hey, boss,” the room chimed, and Cash stared at the Fae males in confusion. Why were they in such a good mood?
“Hey, buddy. How are you?” an older guard asked Clover. “I’m about to do my rounds. Wanna help?”
“Dad, can I?” Clover asked, and seeing the expression on the older Fae’s face, Cash agreed. His employees clearly wanted his undivided attention for whatever was coming next.
“Thanks!” Clover gave his father a quick hug before racing after the gentleman.
“So what’s going on?” Cash asked.
“Come on,” the guard who’d called him said. “You need to see it to believe it.”
The man left the office, and a confused Cash followed hard on his heels. They wound through the museum, and he was shocked at how the day was business as usual. Guests milled about as if nothing had happened. No police swarmed the exhibits. Everything was completely normal.
“In here.” The guard gestured to the Precieux Exhibit. “See for yourself.”
Cash stared at his colleague, wondering for the briefest second if this was a trap, and then he stepped into the room. “Holy shit!” His voice echoed off the ceiling. “No way.”
“That’s what I said,” the guard chuckled. “I thought I was seeing things.”
“Has it been authenticated?”
“First thing this morning when we found it. It’s the real deal, sir. Right where it belongs, as if it never left.” He stared at Cash with meaning. “Actually, the security footage was on the fritz last night. It went static during the gala and didn’t turn back on until this morning, so we don’t have any proof it was ever missing. As far as anyone knows, it sat there all night… just like it’s supposed to.” He winked, the simple movement confirming that the team supported their boss.
“Do you mind if I take a closer look?” Cash asked as hope filled his chest. Not all was lost. It seemed he still had a job.
“Not at all, Sir.” The guard stepped backward, and Cash strode through the exhibit to the centerpiece. The magnificentcenterpiece. It had always been beautiful, but staring at its brilliant shine, he was convinced something had changed. It was far more precious than he remembered, and with tears in his eyes, he reached out and touched the Precieux Golden Egg.
“I know you’re off today,” the guard said as Cash rejoined him outside the exhibit. “But will you be here tomorrow?”
“Make that Monday when Clover goes back to school,” Cash said. “I don’t want to leave him alone with a sitter.”
“Sounds good, Sir. How is the boy? I can’t imagine what he went through.”
“He’s shaken up and afraid. He’s strong, though, and wearing a brave face, but only time will tell. I’ll probably ask my parents to visit and get in touch with a child therapist.”
