Erica allowed herself to be carried along by the crowd. She passed through the immigration control quickly and retrieved her baggage. Then she pushed out into the waiting area.
They saw each other at the same moment. Richard ran up and hugged her as Erica dropped her bags, forcing the people behind her to step over them. They held each other without speaking, their emotions balanced. Finally Erica pulled away. “You were right, Richard. I was over my head from the start. I’m lucky to be alive.”
Richard’s eyes filled with tears, something Erica had never seen. “No, Erica, we were both right and both wrong. It just means there is a lot we need to learn about each other, and believe me, I’m willing.”
Erica smiled. She wasn’t sure what it meant, but it made her feel good.
“Oh, by the way,” said Richard, picking up her bags. “There’s a man here from Houston who wants to see you.”
“Really?” asked Erica.
“Yeah. He apparently knew Dr. Lowery, who gave him my phone number. He’s over there.” Richard pointed.
“My God,” said Erica. “It’s Jeffrey John Rice.”
As if on cue, Jeffrey Rice came over, taking off his stetson with a flourish.
“Sorry to interrupt you two at this time, but, Miss Baron, here’s your check for finding that Seti statue.”
“But I don’t understand,” said Erica. “The Egyptian government now owns the statue. You cannot buy it.”
“That’s just the point. It makes mine the only one outside of Egypt. Because of you it’s worth tons more than it was before. Houston is mighty pleased.”
Erica looked down at the ten-thousand-dollar check and burst out laughing. Richard, who did not really understand what was happening, saw her amazed expression and began laughing too. Rice shrugged, and still holding the check, led them out into the bright Boston sun.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s Imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
The Penguin Putnam Inc. World Wide Web site address is
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Robin Cook, Sphinx
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