Page 79 of Troy Story
“I’m sure. And I’m also sure Hughes needs to be watched. Trust me on this, okay?” His spine stiffened as he waited for Kerim’s response.
To his relief, Kerim nodded. “All right, my friend. Go after her.”
CHAPTERTHIRTY
After an hour and a half on the road, Dusty’s bus made its first stop at the station in Teskidag. She stood and stretched, grateful for a chance to grab something to eat. She’d spent the entire time battling a painful stomachache. Between her hunger pangs and her guilty conscience, she’d wallowed in misery, unable to do anything but agonize over her next move.
It killed her that Dr. Hughes still had her phone. By now, Stuart must have tried reaching out to her. She could only imagine his frustration when she didn’t respond.
But now that she was at the bus station, she could take action. Even without a phone, she could use the station’s Wi-Fi to contact someone. But who? And how could she report Dr. Hughes’ crime without putting the whole dig in jeopardy?
Slinging her messenger bag over her shoulder, she hustled into the brightly lit bus station. It contained the usual amenities—restrooms, a mini-mart selling snacks, a cafeteria-style restaurant, and a large seating area with tables and benches. Rather than wait in line at the sketchy-looking cafeteria, she dashed into the mini-mart and bought a soda, a package of hazelnut cream cookies, and a bag of cashews.
Settling herself at an empty table, she scarfed down two cookies and drank half the soda. As the sugar rushed through her system, she perked up a little. Any minute now, a solution would come to her.
Next to her table, a faded sign on the wall displayed the station’s Wi-Fi password. She turned on her laptop and logged in, racking her brain over whom to contact. But the first thing that popped up on her screen was a notification that she’d missed a Skype call from her dad. Not one call but three of them.
What was going on?
Being the old-school academic that he was, her father had never installed Zoom on his computer. Instead, he used Skype to communicate with everyone overseas—his friends, his colleagues, and his family. If he’d tried contacting her three times, something dire must have happened. Dusty popped in her earbuds and clicked on the Skype icon, waiting as the familiar tone rang out.
Her father’s face appeared right away. He looked slightly flustered, his hair sleep-mussed, his glasses askew. “Dusty? Is that you?”
“It’s me, Dad.” She could barely control the hitch in her voice at seeing him. “Are you okay? I didn’t wake you, did I?”
“No, no. Of course not. I was up when you sent your first message. Working through a tricky bit of translation on an inscription your mother found last year in Luxor. And then—when I saw those photos in your email—I couldn’t sleep. I tried contacting you, but you didn’t respond. I was getting worried.”
“I’m here. Sorry to keep you up all night.”
He gave her an indulgent smile. “You never have to apologize for that. You know how much I love a good mystery. But where did this come from?”
She sighed. “It’s a long story. And I don’t have much time.” She still hadn’t figured out what to do. Then again, if anyone could help her sort out this mess, it might be her dad. “But maybe you can help.”
“I’ll do my best. Because if this tablet is from Troy, it’s a very significant find. Groundbreaking, in fact.” His brow furrowed. “You aren’t in possession of it illegally, are you?”
“No, but…” She glanced across the cafeteria. Over at a far table, the bus driver and his assistant were enjoying a hearty meal. If her experiences served her correctly, they’d take fifteen or twenty minutes to eat before returning to the bus. “I’m going to give you the abridged version, okay?”
She raced through her explanation but emphasized Dr. Hughes’ threats, so that her dad wouldn’t feel like she’d left without putting up a fight. Even so, she sensed his disappointment when she was done.
“Dusty, I know he put you in a terrible position, but you can’t leave.”
“What about the dig? And Stuart?”
“Stuart will be fine. If it’s an issue of his character, your mother and I can testify on his behalf. Our names still carry some weight in the field.”
At Harvard, sure. Or in Egypt? Definitely. But at the University of Boston, not so much. “I don’t think that will be enough.”
“Think of how many important people Stuart has worked with. His reputation is impeccable. Or rather, it was until he fell in love with you.” He favored her with a wry smile. “I’m not surprised the two of you ended up together. I always hoped it would happen.”
A flush of heat flooded her cheeks. As awkward as it was to talk to her dad about her love life, she was glad he approved. “Me, too. I really love him.”
“That’s why you can’t leave him this way. You need to go back and make things right.”
“But there’s so much at stake. We could all get kicked out of Troy.”
“You might. But if I know Stuart, he’d want you to tell the truth. Maybe if you’re lucky, the blame will fall solely on Dr. Hughes, and the rest of you will be spared. Either way, you’ll be able to sleep at night knowing you made the right call. That’s what your mother would do.”
His words resonated with her. Over the years, her mom had dealt with a few sticky situations in the field, but she’d never backed down or compromised her ethics.
