Cradle of Solitude

Eventually, the city expanded and what had once been outside the city limits now lay hidden beneath its streets. A

“Most of the men on the crew had seen the catacombs at one point or another in their careers so the rooms full of bones were not at all surprising to them,” Laroche said. “However, the discovery of a fully intact skeleton, partially buried beneath a pile of those older bones, was.”

A

“Ordinarily, I’d agree with you,” Laroche replied, “but this particular discovery turned out to be a bit more complex than first thought.”

They paused, waited for the light to change, then crossed, continuing walking along the other side of the street.

“When the crime scene unit arrived, it didn’t take them long to determine that the job would be better off in the hands of a forensic anthropologist. While arrangements were being made to bring one in, word of the find was also sent to the American Embassy.”

A

“In a ma

That’s like saying you’re kind of pregnant, she thought, but when she pressed him on it Laroche wouldn’t explain any further.

“I’d rather not prejudice your opinion,” he said as they turned left onto another thoroughfare. Caught up in the puzzle he was laying out before her, A

“What’s my opinion got to do with any of this?” she asked.

Laroche smiled. “Because of the nature of the find, it was agreed that a representative from the United States should be present when the skeleton is excavated. Mr. Garrison suggested that you would be ideally suited for the task.”

“Is that so?”

Laroche gri

He is so going to pay for that one, A

Perhaps he wasn’t as dim-witted as she’d taken him to be.

Putting the thought aside for the time being, she focused on the opportunity being offered to her. “So are you asking me to get my hands dirty or will this be strictly observational in nature?”

“You can get as dirty as you like, Miss Creed.”

“Am I being brought on as an official consultant?” she asked.

Reading between the lines, Laroche said, “The embassy has agreed to cover your costs and to provide a reasonable fee for your time. Monsieur Garrison would not discuss the specific details with me, but stated he would be happy to take your call so he could provide you with the specifics.” So Billy wasn’tso dim-witted, after all, she thought.

“Well, when do you want to get started?” A

Laroche slowed, and then stopped. “As a matter of fact, I was hoping you would be free right now.”

Startled, A

This time A

“Excellent!” Laroche said.

They descended the stairs and entered the station proper, where Laroche used his badge to get them past the police officer stationed there.

Once past the turnstiles, A

The air was cool in the tu

She was starting to suspect they would.

As if hearing her thoughts, Laroche spoke. “The entrance to the catacombs is several hundred yards ahead. I’m sorry, but there is no alternative but to walk.”

A

They kept to the center of the track, where the pathway was reasonably clear of debris and the chance of one of them turning an ankle was reduced. Not that the chances of doing so were all that great in the first place; the subways in Paris were far cleaner than those back home in Brooklyn.

A

They’d been underground for about fifteen minutes when a faint glow could be seen coming from around a bend in the tu

Waiting for the boss to return, A

It turned out she was right. As soon as the group caught sight of the two of them approaching, they settled down and waited to be told what to do.

“Please wait here for a moment,” Laroche said, and then stepped over to confer with his people. After listening to an update from one of his subordinates, the detective issued a flurry of orders, sending his people scurrying off in a variety of directions on several different tasks. Doing so seemed to help him forget the weight of all that earth above and it was a steadier man who rejoined her a few moments later.

“I’m told that Professor Reinhardt from the Museum of Natural History is already waiting for us below. As the official representative from my country, he will be in charge of the project, though any actions that impact the remains directly must be approved through you. Will there be a problem with that?”

A

“Let’s get to it,” she said.

Stepping over to the ladder that extended out of the hole in the tu

A

4

Lights had been strung along the ceiling of the tu