Page 18 of Disturbing the Dead
“For science,” Lady Christie says firmly. “It is a noble endeavor, and combined with his surgical background, I cannot imagine anyone more suited to this task if my husband is indisposed.”
“I-I do not think—” Gray says, too low for others to hear.
“Please,” she says, meeting his gaze. “I hate to impose but…”
“Either you do it,” Annis says, “or they rip that mummy open like a wrapped present.”
“Please,” Phoebe says.
Gray’s gaze shoots to mine. I won’t add to the chorus of voices begging him to do this. If he’s uncomfortable, he needs to be allowed to make his own choice.
“Would you assist?” he whispers to me.
“Of course,” I say.
“I cannot provide the proper historical dialogue,” he says to Lady Christie. “I can only report on what I see and the medical implications.”
“Michael and I can give the lecture,” Phoebe pipes up. “You only need to do the unwrapping.”
Gray takes a deep breath and glances toward the table, where the jackals circle.
“All right,” he says, raising his voice to be heard. “I will not be able to fully take Sir Alastair’s place, but let us see if we can attempt a proper unwrapping.”
SIX
“It will be fine,” Gray whispers to me as Lady Christie slips away to retrieve her husband’s medical tools. “We will be respectful.” He passes me a small smile. “For science.”
I try and fail to return that smile.
“If you would rather not participate…” he says.
“We have an excuse to unwrap a mummy,” I say. “I’m not going anywhere. I just know that this is also a bigger share of the limelight than you like.”
Gray has always worked off-stage. He presents his findings quietly to McCreadie and doesn’t speak at trials or give lectures. That’s how he’s happiest. Left to work without having strangers accuse him of being a ghoul with an unnatural interest in the dead. He gets enough of that from asshole cops who don’t know that the work he and others are doing will revolutionize criminal investigations.
That has started to change, though. His name slipped into the discourse during our first case together, and it was firmly planted there during our second case, thanks to both Jack and Gray’s own sister—Annis, of course.
At the time, Gray had said he wasn’t concerned because no one would care. He was just a scientist. But now apparently someone is chronicling his adventures, and I can damn well bet the focus isn’t on the science. We’re in a world just discovering a fascination with detectives, and I’m worried that Gray is going to get caught in it.
“I suspect the curtain over my activities has already been drawn back too far to be closed again,” he says. “Which seems to oddly coincide with me taking on a certain assistant. I never had this before, you know, despite my years of working with Hugh.”
“Your vast decades of working together? Exactly how many years, Gray?”
His lips twitch, as they often do when I call him that. “Almost three.”
“Yeah, that wasn’t going to last, with or without me. You’re too damn interesting.”
“That oddly sounds like a compliment.”
“It is one. I toss them out every now and then to keep my boss happy. His ego is so fragile.”
Another lip twitch. Gray might be a very private person, but it is not for lack of self-confidence.
“As for these new stories,” I say. “If it’s Jack, I’ll tell her to stop. If she refuses, I’ll threaten to kick her ass. She’s already said she wouldn’t want to face me in the ring.”
“Are you saying you would challenge her to a duel to defend my honor?”
“Happily.”
