Satisfied with his victory, Otis waved his dust bunny and bounced across the chamber to continue his explorations.
“What did he find?” Lucy asked, hurrying across the room.
“Let’s see.”
Gabriel picked up the larger of the two velvet bags, rose, and went to a nearby workbench. He loosened the cord and emptied the contents of the bag onto the bench. A dozen chunks of uncut gray amber tumbled out.
He took the pendant from his pocket. It was glowing because it was still in close proximity to the other pendant and to the one that Lucy wore. None of the raw, gray amber stones illuminated in response.
“It’s the same kind of gray amber, but it hasn’t been cut or tuned,” he said.
Lucy picked up the other velvet bag and the envelope. She carried both to the workbench and opened the bag.
There was a piece of cut and polished amber inside. It glowed a deep, dark blue. She plucked it out and set it on the workbench.
“Pitney had one tuned rock left,” she said. “I wonder why it wasn’t sold to whoever commissioned the pendants?”
“Good question.” Gabriel picked up the stone and kicked up his talent. Awareness flashed across his senses. “This one is different.”
“How?”
He tightened his grip on the stone. The energy in it pulsed, strong and steady. “It’s more powerful than the pendants. I think it’s doing more than just sending out a short-distance recognition signal.”
“What?”
“I have no idea. Open the envelope.”
Lucy unsealed the envelope and glanced inside. “It’s one of those small video recorders that journalists use.”
“Journalists aren’t the only people who like those gadgets. The police and blackmailers are fond of them, too. Easy to conceal. They’re sophisticated devices. We won’t be able to rez it down here in the tunnels. Let’s get back to the surface and see what we’ve got.”
Lucy put the recorder in her pack. “It will probably be password protected.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem. My administrative assistant is good when it comes to tech security issues.”
Lucy glanced around the chamber. “Otis? Where are you? We’re going home. Time for dinner.”
Otis emerged from behind a crate, made enthusiastic sounds, and fluttered toward the door.
“He’s very keen on dinner,” Lucy said.
Gabriel watched the dust bunny hustle out into the corridor.
“So am I,” he said.
He switched on the locator. I’m also big on the idea of going home. With you.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
“We’d better take our shoes off in the car,” Lucy said as Gabriel brought the big SUV to a stop in front of the apartment house. “Mrs. Briggs will be pissed if we leave sooty prints in the hall and on the stairs.”
“Can’t blame her,” Gabriel said.
Lucy removed her sneakers, hooked them on two fingers, opened the door, and got out of the vehicle. She tried to remember if there was anything left in her refrigerator. She’d had no time to do any grocery shopping recently. It looked like a takeout night. Not pizza, she decided. Anything but.
She liked pizza—nevertheless, what with one thing and another, she had eaten a lot of it lately, including at lunch that day.
Gabriel joined her, his low boots gripped in one hand. Otis had given himself a good shake when they left Pitney’s shop, but his paws were still covered with gray ash, and there was more of it in his fur. He did not appear concerned.
“Here, I’ll take him,” Lucy said. She reached up to remove Otis from Gabriel’s shoulder. “He’ll leave paw prints everywhere.”
Otis started to object to the change of location. She gave him a pat on the head. “Please, Otis. It’s important. We do not want to annoy our landlady.”
Otis allowed her to tuck him under her arm. They walked toward the front door of the lobby.
The door opened before Lucy could punch in the code. Mrs. Briggs stood in the opening, a picnic basket in her hands. That was disconcerting enough, but it was the fact that Briggs was smiling that sent a chill of alarm through Lucy.
“Uh, hi, Mrs. Briggs,” she said. “Going on a picnic?”
“No.” Mrs. Briggs’s smile did not waver. “Waiting for you to get home, dear.”
Dear? The situation was becoming more unnerving by the moment.
Gabriel nodded. “Hello, Mrs. Briggs. Nice to see you again.”
“It’s lovely to see you, too, Mr. Jones.” Mrs. Briggs’s welcoming smile abruptly switched to a frown of concern and, finally, shock. “You’re covered in soot and ash.” Her eyes widened. “Both of you are. And so is the dust bunny. Were you in a fire?”