Secret Histories

garden, but he pul ed his attention away and focused on the windows into the study. There, hunched over his desk with his back to them, sat Professor

Nakamura. Jack stepped up and rapped on the window.

The professor jumped as if he’d heard a gunshot. He spun in his chair and froze

when he saw Jack. They locked gazes for a few seconds, Jack giving

him his best glare, then the professor took a deep breath and nodded. He gave

Jack the stay-theresignal as he rose and left his study.

A few seconds later the rear door opened and he motioned them inside. “Oh, dear,” he said as they filed past him. “I was hoping for a little more time

before speaking to you.”

“Why is that?” Weezy said. “Did they find something?”

“Let us not talk here.”

The professor led them to the study where the three of them took up seats

around the desk.

“What did they learn?” Weezy said. “Did they date it?”

The professor kept his eyes down. “Not yet.”

“Then what?”

He sighed. “I had hoped this problem would be resolved before speaking to

you.”

“Problem? What problem?”

With a sinking feeling, Jack sensed what was coming.

The professor looked up but stil did not make eye contact. “The artifact has been

… misplaced.”

“What?”In a flash Weezy was on her feet and leaning over the desk. “What are

you talking about?”

“The Smithsonian … it appears to have mislaid the artifact.”

Weezy looked at Jack with a stricken expression. “Oh, no! It’s happening there

too. They’re everywhere!”

Jack needed more information before he climbed onto Weezy’s wagon. “How does something like this happen?”

The professor shrugged. “It wil be found.”

“No, it won’t!” Weezy said, her voice rising. “We’l never see it again!” “Young lady, I am sorry for this, but I am quite confident that by Monday, or by

Tuesday latest, they wil locate it. That is why I told my wife to say I am not here. I felt if I could put off speaking to you until then, al this unhappiness would

be avoided.”

“How did you find out it was gone?” Jack said.

“My col eague at the Smithsonian cal ed me yesterday, asking the whereabouts

of the object I told him I was sending. I had sent it for morning delivery; he should have received it.”

“Did the delivery company get it there?”

The professor nodded. “I cal ed Federal Express and they said they had a

signature from the receiving clerk. My col eague cal ed the clerk who said he signed for a number of packages. He put them on a cart for delivery, but the

package never reached my col eague.”

“And it never wil !” Weezy cried. She slammed her hands on his desk hard

enough to make the pens jump. “I never, evershould have let it out of my sight!”

With that she turned and stomped out of the study.

Shock flattened the professor’s features. “Why is that one so upset? Does she

not believe me? Does she think I stole it?”

Jack didn’t know what Weezy believed at that moment, but he said, “I don’t

think so. She thinks she’l never see it again. Do you real y think we’l get it back?”

“Of course. The Smithsonian wil find it, I promise you. It has simply been