Free Temple of the Jaguar God by Zach Neal

needs to be thoroughly cleaned,
and properly documented. But for temporary safekeeping, we would
like to rent your largest safety-deposit box. I’m assuming you have
such a thing?” There was just no way they could ever sleep at the
hotel, not with this along.
    Their
find might be worth a hundred thousand pounds, maybe even
more.
    Cezar
paled when he heard that.
    “ I can let you have as many smaller boxes as you need. I don’t
think we have one that big.”
    … Mister Day had his camera hanging around his neck.
    “ The other thing, sir. Ah. Do you have a staff room? We’d like
to separate some of this out and give it a quick rinse.”
    “ Si. I mean yes. Absolutely.”
    Wrinkling his nose in disgust, Señor Cezar, who seemed a
pretty easy-going chap, got up and led them down a back
hall.
    “ Ah, and what about Mister O’Dell, Mister Smith…and all that
sort of thing, gentlemen?”
    “ That, I think, is a job for the police. Seriously, there was
just no way. We were never going to carry two bodies, not with poor
Mrs. O’Dell aboard and a fairly small boat.”
    Cezar
nodded his comprehension.
    “ But of course. Anyways, you are welcome to our facilities—and,
ah, please, let me know so that we can clean up when you are
done.”
     
    ***
     
    Their
next stop was the hotel.
    As soon
as she heard them clomping down the hall on their floor, the door
to her room popped open.
    “ Doctor?”
    “ Yes, Mrs. O’Dell?”
    “ There’s something we need to talk about…all of us. You too,
Mister Day.”
    Day
didn’t look too pleased at that.
    “ Are you sure this is necessary, Mrs. O’Dell?”
    “ Yes, it is, Gerald.”
    “ Jeremy?”
    “ I’m just going to check on Ozzie. I’ll be right along,
Uncle.”
     
    ***
     
    The cat
was sleeping on his bed, which was a nice warm feeling, although he
had no idea of what the cleaning staff thought of it. Probably not
much, he decided.
    Hers was
a big, comfortable room. Jeremy had brought in a couple of more
chairs from his own and the doctor’s rooms.
    “ So, Melody. What’s this all about.”
    “ Doctor, do you remember your lecture to the Explorer’s Club
meeting last November?”
    “ Ah, yes, I do.” It was an open meeting, with several notable
speakers and the general public in attendance.
    “ Mister Syrmes was there that night. There was no way you would
ever recognize him, because he was heavily bearded. He had
different glasses back then and long hair. He saw the potential
straight away, of course. Luckily, he had references and you took
him on.”
    “ Melody, please don’t do this—” Day bit off any further
comment.
    He’d
already gone too far, and yet there was nowhere to run.
    Uncle
Harry was very calm.
    He gave
a discomfited Gerald Day a long look.
    “ What are you trying to tell us, Melody.”
    “ No.”
    “ Shut up, Mister Day. This is all going to come out, Mister
Day. Gerald.” She
glared at him. “Think about it, you fool—all that press coverage.
Doctor Fawcett is going to be the man of the day. His description
of the treasure will no doubt ring many bells. That was before you
recovered it, even. Now there will be pictures in the newspapers.
Lots and lots of pictures, Gerald. And anyone around him will be
subject to great scrutiny.”
    “ I swear to God, I have no idea of what she’s talking about—”
Face flaming, he was getting up to leave.
    “ Shut up and sit down, Mister Day.”
    From out
of nowhere, Melody had a gun on him.
    Not
quite knowing what was going on, Jeremy also stood. He went to get
between Gerald Day and the door.
    Day
slowly sank back into his seat.
    “ It was all a set-up, Doctor.”
    Day
sighed deeply.
    “ Is this true, Gerald?”
    He
shrugged, unable to meet the doctor’s eyes. His pistol was empty,
there was nowhere to run—
    “ Oh, to hell with it, Gerald. He would have figured it out soon
enough. Did you really think you could stick with the doctor now?
All that gold—it’s stuck in your mind and