Since her second, “appropriately constructed” fire hadn’t yielded any indication of the type of curse she faced, as usual, she was flying without a map. Getting access to Clark’s research was more important than ever. Even if that meant working under his supervision.
He flicked on a set of recessed lighting that went all the way to the back of the camper.
“Did you, uh, want a tour?”
Apparently those posh British manners would not be suppressed.
“Why not?” Her mom had always said the best way to get over a crush was to picture them on roller skates. The more Riley learned about Clark, the better her chances of squashing her inconvenient, lingering attraction to him.
It wasn’t even like that many horny feelings remained. Her body was just confused from the whiplash of meeting him, kissing him, swearing to exact revenge, and then having him kinda sorta save her from, if not death, then at least disfigurement. It was fine. Just some wonky brain chemicals. All she needed was to see his toothpaste-stained mirror and the pile of dirty socks next to his bed to nip the last of it in the bud.
“This is the kitchenette,” Clark said, awkwardly gesturing at the sink and then the small two-burner stove with the mini fridge beside it.
He’d made good use of the tight space, with hanging shelves that held neat glass jars filled with things like rolled oats, dried fruit, whole-grain pasta, and assorted nuts. He probably mixed himself a bowl of muesli every morning—reciting all the health benefits of fiber between bites.
“Would you like a drink?” He opened the mini fridge and peered inside. “I have water, or I could put the kettle on for tea?”
“No, thanks, I’m all right.” It was weird, having him be nice to her. Riley knew he resented the bargain she’d gotten out of him, but clearly he couldn’t bring himself to be flat-out rude to a guest. “I’ve got my water bottle in my bag.”
Closing the fridge with a nod, he led her forward to the other end of the camper, where he had a queen-sized bed, neatly made with a sober, dark plaid comforter and an impressive four (matching!) pillows. A big step up from the distressingly large number of men she’d slept with who, even into their early thirties, still kept their mattresses on the floor and offered her half of a single bare pillow.
But the bed didn’t hold her interest for long. No, it was the bookshelves that arched above it, curving toward the emergency hatch in the ceiling in carefully designed angles that kept the books straight.
“Whoa.” She stepped forward to thumb across the spines on the nearest shelf, careful for some reason not to let her knees brush the end of the bed.
Clark had built himself—or more likely paid someone else to build him—a library on wheels. Amid the expected textbooks and journals were pulpy mysteries, the covers worn and fading but obviously well cared for. It hit her then—he was a filthy little hypocrite.
“Hey! You claim not to believe in anything supernatural, but these books, they’re all like Creature from the Black Lagoon and shit.”
Clark folded his arms, leaning his back against the wall between the bedroom and the kitchen. “It’s called knowing the difference between fact and fiction.”
She had a reply poised like a dart on her tongue, but her gaze snagged in that same moment on something—a picture frame—shoved into the small space between the bed and the bookcase, the only thing she’d seen so far that seemed noticeably out of place.
“Something fell.” She reached for it, pulling out the picture—what looked like a hand-drawn sketch of a temple, twin columns guarding the entrance. In the bottom corner was a label.
“What’s the Lost Temple of Hercules?”
Clark’s breath hitched. “It was once one of the most important sanctuaries in the Western world,” he said, voice stilted. “According to ancient accounts, it’s the place where Julius Caesar wept after seeing a depiction of Alexander the Great.”
He held out his hand and Riley forfeited the frame.
“It’s sort of a holy grail for archaeologists. People have been looking for it for centuries.” Clark stared down at the sketch. “My dad was obsessed with it when I was a kid.” He thumbed across the hastily scrawled label. “He drew this.”
“Oh. That’s neat.” Obviously Riley knew what it meant to share a family obsession. “Did anyone ever find it?”
“Someone said they did.” Clark hardened his jaw. “About a year ago, a pair of archaeologists went looking for it,” he explained. “They used a newer methodology, digital terrain modeling, to trace a shallow channel in the Bay of Cádiz.”
“What’s digital terrain modeling?” Was the sharp edge in his voice professional jealousy?
“It’s called lidar. It’s basically 3D laser scanning.” Clark dropped his arm, letting the picture fall to his side. “By targeting an object or a surface with a laser and then measuring the time for the reflected light to return to the receiver, you can create high-resolution models of topography.”
Riley whistled. “Sounds fancy.”
“It is. The technique gets used a fair amount now in archaeology, especially for environments that are as marshy and hard to access as the bay. But the technology is advanced, and you need specific training for it.” Clark swallowed. It looked painful.
“Did you study it or something?”
“No, but my—” He pressed his lips together. “No.”
Riley no longer thought the picture had fallen. He didn’t speak with the distance of someone who had read about this discovery or heard about it casually through the grapevine.
“What happened? Someone faked the scans?”
“Yes.” His face had gone strained, his cheeks hollowed. “One of the archaeologists altered the topography mapping to create the impression that a larger structure had been identified.”
He shook his head.
“It was a clever ruse, until it wasn’t. Because of the nature of the terrain and the tides, the laser renderings were printed and circulated six months before digging could begin.”
Dropping his gaze to the floor, Clark sighed.
“You can do a lot in six months—conferences and press, dinners and donors. Finding an elusive, ancient landmark will make you a hero in certain circles. Someone even my famous father couldn’t help but admire. It’s heady. When it’s finally your name printed on the accolades and invitations—at least until people start to notice your story doesn’t add up.”
Pieces slotted together. Why Clark had taken this job. Had needed a referral from his dad. The defensive crouch he’d gone into over his reputation when he found out her occupation. “Was it a big scandal, when the truth came out?”
Clark smiled ruefully, looking out the window to the castle. “Career-ruining, you might say.”
The bitterness in his tone wasn’t just regret. No. There was a deeper wound beneath his words. One that said he’d lost more than his professional status in the fallout. Riley knew she made him uncomfortable in many ways, but what Clark seemed to fear most about her was being deceived.
“Your partner lied to you.”
His eyes jerked back to her face. “What makes you think I wasn’t the duplicitous bastard?”