Sophy saw Deke and Luke exchange silent messages again and knew the crystals had survived. They were probably in Luke’s or Deke’s pack. She looked at Bea, who winked.
—
An hour later Deke announcedthat they had cell service. “I’ll call Victor Arganbright at the Foundation. What’s left of the Fool’s Gold Canyon lab is his problem now. He can take Hatch off our hands, too.”
Hatch stirred in the back of the SUV. “What’s this about the Foundation?”
“We’ll let Arganbright figure out what to do with you,” Luke said.
“Huh.” For the first time, Hatch brightened. “I wonder if they are doing any work in the field of photonics.”
“Probably,” Deke said.
Sophy cleared her throat. She met Luke’s eyes in the mirror. “You’re calling in the Foundation?”
“There’s no other authority that can handle this,” he said. “If we go with the FBI, the CIA, or any of the other alphabet agencies, we’ll have an even bigger mess on our hands.”
“I see,” Sophy said. “Will it be absolutely necessary to mention Aunt Bea and me?”
“Don’t worry,” Deke said. He grinned at her over his shoulder. “It will be like you and Bea never existed.”
“Are you sure Arganbright will go along with that?” Bea asked.
“Wellses and the Foundation have worked together for a long time,” Luke said. “Arganbright knows when to stop asking questions.”
“I hate to say this,” Sophy said, “because I am not a fan of the Foundation. Butifthose crystals somehow survived the explosion andifthey were to be recovered, it would probably be best if the Foundation took charge of them. I’ll bet Arganbright and his crew have a really secure vault.”
“Sophy is right,” Bea said. “The Foundation should take responsibility for those crystals.” She coughed discreetly. “If they happen to show up again.”
“Great idea,” Deke said. “I hear they’ve got first-rate security at the Foundation.”
Luke met Sophy’s eyes in the mirror. “Wells, Inc. designed the Foundation vault.”
Fifty-Seven
“At least it’s not thehoneymoon suite.” Sophy surveyed the hotel room. “But it’s hard to believe that this was the only room left in the entire resort.”
She set the shopping bag containing new underwear, jeans, a white shirt, some essential toiletries, and a slinky little nightgown on one of the double beds. She had bought the gown on impulse when she and Bea had hit the lingerie section of the department store. The plan was to buy only the necessities they needed to hold them over until they got back to Mirror Lake, but she had been unable to resist the sexy little garment. Bea had made no comment but she had smiled a very knowing smile.
“Don’t blame me,” Luke said. He dropped the bag containing his new clothes and shaving gear on the other bed and unsnapped Bruce’s leash. “Deke booked the rooms while I was dealing with the people from the Foundation. He just assumed we were a couple.”
Sophy sniffed. “I wonder where he got that idea?”
“You’ll have to ask him. But you can stop fretting about your virtue. I’m exhausted. I need a shower. After that we are going to meet Deke and Bea for drinks and dinner downstairs and then I’m going to fall into bed and sleep. Do you realize how long it’s been since either of us has had any serious sleep?”
“No,” she admitted. “I’ve lost track.”
She looked at him across the width of the two double beds. They were all exhausted, she thought. Well, except for Bruce. He was eagerly investigating the room.
It had been a long drive through the desert to the regional airport where the Foundation agents had met them. After some discussion with Victor Arganbright on the phone, Luke and Deke had transferred the six crystals into the custody of the Foundation team.
“We can always recover them if necessary,” Luke said after they were all back in the SUV and heading for the resort. “We know the Foundation’s security system inside out.”
Bea chuckled. “You think like a Harper.”
“He thinks like the next CEO of Wells, Inc.,” Deke said.
Hatch had seemed relieved, even enthusiastic, about being handed over to Arganbright’s people. He was certain he could talk his way into a position at one of the labs. He was probably right, Sophy thought. Research into the paranormal was one of the core missions of the Foundation, second only to protecting the secrets of Bluestone. But it was annoying to know that he would go free.
