“Only to pass it along to its rightful owners if I find it.”
“Rightful owners.” He scoffed. “Linus van Tessel never concerned himself with rightful owners before.”
“This isn’t about Linus,” Luke told him. “It’s about honoring Mrs. Van Tessel’s wishes as stated in a legal document.”
Elsa reached back in her mind to what she’d read in the field notebooks and diaries. She’d read about a Geoffrey and assumed that was a given name, but it could have been a surname. “Was your father acting as Linus’s assistant?”
Dr. Geoffrey said he was. “Guy said you read the field notebooks. I imagine you saw him mentioned there, but not to the extent that acknowledgment was due.”
Oh dear. From what she’d read, Linus had not treated his cousin well. “I read enough to know that while Linus stayed at camp nursing blistered feet or a digestive ailment, your father did the hard work of hunting and collecting.”
“That’s right. Furthermore, when my father discovered a new species in theAratingagenus, Linus stole credit and had it named for himself. Half the birds you are cataloguing here should belongto him. Or to me, rather, as his heir. Oh, don’t worry, I’m not interested in those dusty specimens. But the aviary is another matter. A medieval illuminated manuscript has no business going to a gardener or her daughter. Neither does it belong to Guy or either of his kids. Don’t think I don’t know what’s going on here. I saw Wesley talking to you in Luna Park. Maybe he’s offered you something in exchange for the aviary.”
“He has not.”
“Then he’s not as smart as I took him for. I know he’s miserable in Morningside Heights, going to Columbia when Juilliard is right there in the same neighborhood, taunting him. If he finds the aviary, he’d have enough money to give up economics and live as an artist for years.”
Elsa licked dry lips. “I told you I don’t have it. Neither do the Petrovics, which I think you know, since you paid them a visit this morning, didn’t you?”
“But she has theprovenancedocument. Why would she have that unless she had the artifact, too?”
“I imagine she tried to explain that to you, but allow me to remind you.” Elsa shared how that had come about.
“If we do find it,” Luke added, “it will go straight to Tatiana and Danielle.”
Dr. Geoffrey poked a finger in Luke’s direction, then swung it toward Elsa. “There’s where you’re wrong. If you know where it is, and you don’t tell me, I’ll see to it that you lose your job. I’ll tell your boss you’re in possession of stolen goods.”
“That’s not true and will never be true,” she sputtered. “You couldn’t prove it.”
“I don’t have to. The scandal alone would ruin you.”
“You’re done here.” Luke stepped forward, and Elsa let her hand drop from his arm. “She doesn’t answer to you.” He took another step forward, and Dr. Geoffrey stepped back. Luke lowered his voice so Elsa couldn’t hear what he said.
Whatever it was, it was persuasive. The professor blanched, then pursed his lips and climbed back into his auto. He drove away beneath the dappled shade of the elms.
Elsa joined Luke on the drive, coughing in the exhaust fumes left behind. “That’s the second time today you’ve chased someone off the property.” Weeds had begun to sprout up through the pebbles. She fought the urge to reach down and uproot them.
“More importantly, that’s the second time it was necessary. I don’t like that.”
“That makes two of us.” She forced a laugh, but it was hollow. “Thank you.” They stepped into the shadows of the carriage porch.
His brow creased, he pulled open the door and waited to enter after her. “The sooner we finish our work here and put Elmhurst behind us, the better.”
“The sooner we find the aviary, the better,” she countered. “Everyone wants it. Everyone is looking. And we’re the only ones respecting Birdie’s will.”
But they both had mountains of work to tackle, and they both knew it. Mr. Chapman wouldn’t fire her for allegedly possessing stolen property, but he’d be none too pleased if she neglected her duties for what he might call a wild goose chase.
Her heart heavy, she parted with Luke and braced herself for the boxes of mixed-up birds that awaited her in the dining hall.
Only, they weren’t in boxes anymore. The birds had been lined up all along the table in neat rows once more. But this time they weren’t grouped by color.Who...?
She glanced out the window in time to see the back of Danielle. Frowning, Elsa turned her attention back to the birds.
They had been alphabetized by their scientific names.
Stunned, Elsa picked up her ledger and opened it. As her fingertip skimmed down the rows, she referred to the birds onthe table. They matched up perfectly. Assigning catalog numbers and tags would be easy now.
Only Danielle could have done this. Only Daniellewouldhave done this.
