Page 62 of Immortal Unveiled

“How you doing, hon?” Emily asked as she released her.

“I’m alright,” Kim managed to say, wiping a traitorous tear off her cheek. “It’s so good to see you, Emily.”

“And it’s good seeing you. I wondered when you’d be ready to come by and get your mother’s things.”

“I’m sorry it’s taken me so long.”

Emily made a dismissive hand movement. “It’s no bother. You just weren’t ready. All in good time.”

Kim smiled at her, grateful for the kind words. “Could we go to her office?” She sighed. “I just want to see it one more time and remind myself of where she spent most of her time.”

“Of course,” Emily responded. “Come with me.”

They walked to the end of the corridor, then turned left before Emily opened a door and stepped inside. Kim followed.

“You’re in luck. The new curator is out of town today.”

“Oh.” Kim hadn’t really thought about the fact that her mother had been replaced so soon. “Is she going to mind?”

“He,” Emily corrected, “and he’s not gonna find out. He doesn’t need to know everything.” She grimaced.

“Do you like your new boss?” Kim asked, sensing a trace of hostility in Emily’s tone.

The older woman shrugged. “I think I might put in for my retirement after all.”

“That bad?”

“It’s just not the same without your mother.” Then she took a deep breath. “So, let me see, I put all your mother’s personal effects into a box in the office closet.” She walked to a large built-in that covered one entire wall and opened a cabinet. “Ah, there it is.”

Emily lifted out the box, and Kim immediately reached for it. “Let me help you.”

“Thank you, hon.”

Kim took the box and set it on the coffee table in the corner of the office that was equipped with a seating area. “Do you mind if I look through things quickly just to make sure I’m not taking anything that should really be given to her successor?”

“Oh, uh…”

“If you’ll get into trouble for letting me in here, then I’ll leave, of course. It’s just…” Kim cast a look around the room to give Emily the impression that the memory of her mother was stronger. “…so much in here still reminds me of her…” She turned her face away and faked a sniffle.

“Oh, of course, hon. You take all the time you need. Why don’t I get us some coffee from the kitchen?”

“You’re the best, Emily. No wonder Mom loved you.”

Emily smiled and left the room. The moment the door shut behind her, Kim heard the sound of somebody rifling through the box. She whirled around and stared at a snow globe floating in the air. She’d almost forgotten during her exchange with Emily that Manus was with her.

“Let’s go through everything,” Manus said, still invisible. “Here, start with the notebooks. I’ll check out the calendar. The trinkets in here don’t look like much.” He placed the snow globe on the table.

Kim pointed to it. “I brought it back from a trip to Jasper National Park. I didn’t realize she still had it.”

“I didn’t mean to diminish—”

She lifted her hand to stop him. “I know you didn’t. But it’s not gonna help us find a lead.” She reached for the notebook and started leafing through it while she saw from the corner of her eye that the pages of the large paper calendar her mother had kept on her desk were being turned by an invisible hand.

For a few moments, there was silence between them.

“Have a look at this,” Manus suddenly said, thrusting the calendar in front of her.

“What am I looking at?”