She rolled over, and Leslie sensed that she fell asleep almost instantly.
But she herself lay awake. She could sense that someone was in the room, and she was certain that…
That it was Matt.
She felt his warmth. She fell asleep at last, content in the sensation of being held in his arms.
The morning went surprisingly smoothly. By the time Leslie and Nikki headed downstairs, Adam and Joe had gone out to buy doughnuts and left coffee brewing. Melissa arrived and was delighted with the company. Then Tandy and Jeff came in, and Adam and Nikki admired their costumes before Nikki exchanged stories with them, New Orleans myth and legend vs New York.
But, inevitably, it came time to head to the dig. They circled the fence, said hello to the guards and were ushered through the gate. They were greeted by a number of the grad students, who seemed to know Joe as well as they knew her, Leslie thought.
She was dismayed to find, when they reached the crypt, that Professor Laymon and Brad were already there. She could feel the tension grip her when Joe greeted Brad, but apparently, whatever suspicion Joe was feeling, he hid it well. Brad clearly sensed nothing, and, true to his word, Joe kept from making a scene.
“Brad, I’d really like some time to talk later,” Joe told him.
“Sure.”
“Drinks after work? I’m buying,” Joe told him.
“If you’re buying, it’s a deal,” Brad said.
“Great. O’Malley’s?”
“A fine place,” Brad said, feigning a decent Irish accent.
“You staying here?” Joe asked Adam a little while later.
“Through the morning, at least,” Adam said. “Longer, if you think it’s necessary.”
“I have to go meet Eileen Brideswell, but I’ll be back later.” Joe said, offering Laymon a hand. Then he kissed Nikki on the cheek. “I expect you’ll be at the airport by the time I get back, but it’s been a real pleasure.”
“Likewise,” Nikki assured him.
As Joe left, Leslie thought that Laymon couldn’t be happy that she had brought Adam and Nikki, two “civilians,” along, but he hadn’t said anything. In fact, he had decided that so long as he was going to be burdened with extras at his site, they should work. Now Nikki was recording a list of their findings, while Adam had been handed a soft brush and told to carefully clear the etchings on the burial stones in the walls. She and Brad had already begun to carefully work on the stone tombs that littered the crypt.
Eventually, Laymon got a summons to come up to discuss something with a city official. Brad went along with him, anxious, as always, to make sure he was there if anything newsworthy came up.
While they were gone, Leslie showed Nikki and Adam the register with the births and deaths. “See? Mary…Mary…a few Kathleens…and more Marys,” she said.
They were all facing the wall, but Nikki straightened suddenly. And turned.
Leslie did the same, while Adam just watched the two women and kept very still.
Mary was back.
She gazed at them solemnly.
“Mary?” Nikki said gently, walking toward her.
The spectral child edged away. To Leslie’s surprise, she felt a tiny hand slip into hers. Like any shy child, Mary was hugging close to her.
“It’s okay,” Leslie told her gently, squeezing the hand that so trustingly enfolded in her own. “Nikki is my friend.”
“And I’m so glad to meet you,” Nikki said. “We think Leslie found your mother, and we can make sure you’re together, but…Mary, what was your last name?”
“Mary.”
“No, I mean…I’m Nikki Blackhawk, and Leslie is Leslie MacIntyre. What’s your last name?”
The little girl whispered something.
“What?” Nikki asked.
Leslie dropped to her knees, praying not to be interrupted at this crucial moment. “Sherman. Mary Sherman,” the little girl said at last.
Leslie stood, rumpling ghostly hair. “Miss Mary Sherman, please don’t worry. I promise that I’m going to take good care of you and your mother. All I have to do now is find exactly where you are, and it’s near here, right? Very near here?”
“I think so,” Mary said.
Leslie smiled at Nikki, then at Adam, who was still just watching her and Nikki silently. “We’re looking for a child’s grave belonging to Mary Sherman. Let’s get to work.”
They began inspecting the crypt, Nikki using the register, Leslie and Adam covering the tombs on the floor and reading the plaques on the wall.
“Bingo,” Adam said softly a little while later.
Leslie hurried over to him. He had dusted off a plaque on the wall. She read the old English carefully. There were six tiny coffins behind the slab; the children interred within had all died of a fever.
The last name was that of Mary Sherman. Leslie looked around, but the little girl was gone.
After the coffins had been discovered, Leslie kept staring at the walls, tapping them.
“Leslie?” Nikki said worriedly.