LITMIR.BIZ

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at each other and shook their heads.

      “None of us on the managing board knows enough to digitize this important information, not to mention putting it on the city’s Web site,” Dorothy said. “And, as generous as Oliver’s offer is to use personnel at the Smithson Pharmaceutical Company, Phoebe’s right. These artifacts are too valuable to let out of our hands.”

      “Josh is employed part-time by the Society,” Oliver said. Scanning the now nearly deserted gardens, he called, “Josh? Damn it, where are you, boy?”

      “Here,” Josh said as he scrambled up the platform steps.

      Oliver grabbed his grandson’s shoulders. “You took computer courses in high school, didn’t you?”

      “Yeah.”

      “So you could do whatever it takes to get images of these items into a computer and put them on the City’s Web site, right?”

      Josh shrugged. “I don’t know.”

      “Oh, that overwhelms me with confidence,” Phoebe said.

      Oliver slipped his hands from his grandson’s shoulders and let out a huff of disappointment.

      When Emily saw the look that flattened Josh’s face, she immediately stepped forward. “Josh is doing a superb job for the Botanical Gardens and the Society. He’s also been a big help getting things organized for today. I don’t know what I would have done without him.”

      Oliver wasn’t listening. He was too busy shaking his head like a windshield wiper on high.

      “Damn kids today come out of school dumber than when they went in,” he muttered.

      Josh slunk off the platform just as Holly came out of the museum. She waved in his direction, but Josh turned away and disappeared into the trees.

      Emily was trying to decide whether to try to talk to Oliver or just kick him when Dorothy raised her hand to get everyone’s attention.

      “As much as Emily is right about Josh’s great work in the Heritage Museum and around the Botanical Gardens, it’s not fair to ask him to take on a task of this magnitude. We need someone from the Historical Society who has both experience in document preservation techniques and computer expertise.”

      Dorothy looked pointedly at Emily.

      Emily felt both Phoebe and Oliver’s eyes turn toward her as though assessing her right to have the job.

      “She has the gardens to see to,” Oliver said, “and her own research.”

      “You’re absolutely right,” Dorothy agreed. “Which means these important artifacts will not leave this site. That’s another plus.”

      “You said everything would go off today without a hitch,” Phoebe complained. “But there was that long delay when the skeleton was unearthed.”

      “I’m so glad you mentioned the skeleton,” Dorothy said, ignoring Phoebe’s unfair implication that unearthing a skeleton was somehow Emily’s fault. “Isn’t it a fascinating find? Emily will be working with Dr. Winslow to identify the remains for us and the items that were found in the grave.”

      “What items?” Phoebe asked.

      “Detective Corbin is sending them and the skeleton to the Courage Bay Hospital morgue so that Dr. Winslow and Emily can study them,” Dorothy said. “She’ll be able to write the article on everything they discover for the newsletter.”

      “Since there may be some clue as to the skeleton’s identity in the time capsule documents, it makes sense that we look them over as soon as possible,” Brad said from behind Emily.

      She spun around to find him standing not five feet away, holding two glasses of champagne. He’d left with the mayor in the direction of the reception hall after the ceremony had ended. She hadn’t heard him return.

      “Dr. Winslow makes an excellent point,” Dorothy agreed. “Emily’s a whiz with computers. And, since she is a member of our society, we know she will properly preserve these valuable items. I realize this is asking a lot, but will you do it for us, Emily?”

      Be the first to see everything that was in the time capsule? Did Dorothy really have any doubt?

      “I’ll be happy to,” Emily said in as calm a tone as she possessed.

      “Well, Phoebe, Oliver?” Dorothy asked. “What do you think?”

      What both Oliver and Phoebe thought was clear on their faces. Each still wanted access to the contents first. But it was hard arguing with Dorothy’s logic and persuasive techniques.

      Phoebe nodded. Oliver shrugged. And that, Emily knew, was as close to a “thank you for taking on this incredibly time-consuming assignment” as she was going to get from them. But she didn’t care. She was thrilled.

      After seeing that all the items had been returned to the time capsule and the lid closed, Phoebe and Oliver set off for the refreshments and the socializing they both reveled in. Ken waved goodbye to Emily and Dorothy and trotted after them.

      Brad handed Dorothy one glass of champagne and held out the other to Emily.

      She shook her head. “I don’t think Sprout would like it.”

      “Sprout?”

      She rested a hand on her stomach. “That’s its botanical name.”

      He nodded as though in tardy understanding. “Of course, the baby. My apologies, Mrs. Barrett. I forgot.”

      Had he? Or was this a really good act?

      As he sipped the champagne he’d offered to her, she studied him. It could be a coincidence that Ed had brought him today. He certainly gave no indication that he knew she’d had artificial insemination, much less that she’d selected his sperm.

      Ed had promised he’d say nothing to Brad. Maybe she’d been worrying for no reason.

      “Where do you plan to go over the time capsule contents?” Brad asked.

      “My office is on the second floor of the Heritage Museum,” Emily answered. “I’ll see if I can round up the crane operator and his rigger. Between the two of them, I’m hoping they’ll be able to lug it up the back stairs.”

      “Why don’t I give it a try?” Brad offered.

      Emily blinked at him in surprise.

      “Are you sure, Brad?” Dorothy asked. “It has to weigh at least a hundred pounds.”

      “Dot’s right,” Emily said. “You can’t possibly carry it over to the museum, much less up all those stairs by yourself.”

      “Can’t I?”

      He picked up the capsule and held it as though it weighed no more than an empty orange crate.

      “Dr. Winslow, I don’t think—” Emily began.

      “Light as a feather,” Brad interrupted. “Lead the way.”

      Emily’s eyes traveled from the heavy time capsule to the stoic face of the man holding it with such deceptive ease.

      “I’ll wait here to be sure that no one disturbs our skeleton until Ed can arrange to have it removed,” Dorothy offered. “If you need to find me later, I’ll be at the reception looking after things.”

      Still Emily hesitated.

      “Go on, Em. It’ll be all right.”

      At her friend’s urging, Emily gave in and led the way to her office. But she did not have a good feeling about this. And she very much doubted everything would be all right.

      BRAD’S ARMS WERE IN AGONY and his back was killing him. A hundred pounds. Ha! This damn time capsule weighed a ton. And he still had another eight steps to climb.

      What

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