Chapter Text
It was McQueen's birthday, and unlike other years, this time Dooley had organized a special outing for the two of them in the town next to Twin Lakes, on the other side of the Great Lake. After Francis's gesture a year ago—taking him to the Twin Lakes curiosities exhibit in the desert—and despite having ended up lost on the Darkside for months before finally returning, he was still thrilled by the experience and was eager to give him a similar gift at the right time.
Patrick wanted to give Francis a really great present because he hadn't had the chance to make it up to him yet, having missed the detective's birthday the previous year. The spellbook (completely illegal and forbidden) he had gotten as a gift on the Darkside was lost when he was teleported back to Twin Lakes, so he had to think of something much better.
The gift for Francis had to be perfect. And he had very good reasons for striving for that perfection.
He wanted to move and captivate Francis, to make him hug him again the way he had when he returned to Twin Lakes. His body still remembered that hug; back then, the detective had held him tightly, possessively, and with such affection, making his insides warm and his stomach flutter with butterflies.
Months had passed since that moment, dreaming of the warmth of Francis's body, and so far, he hadn't received anything similar from him. Perhaps a squeeze on his shoulders or a friendly pat on the back, but the detective hadn't hugged him the same way since.
If everything went well, he was going to ask for a hug. Maybe he could even take the opportunity to tell him how much he appreciated him, how much he had missed him, and if possible, ask him once and for all if he wanted to be more than friends. He had spent several months toying with that idea, and he had come to the conclusion that he couldn't wait another year without declaring his feelings.
Lest the detective be the one transported to the Darkside and have to wait another year.
Therefore, everything had to be perfect. They had to do something harmless, yet something the detective would appreciate and deeply meaningful. They had to avoid him getting involved in a case during this activity, so they couldn't go to cursed places or locations where a case had been solved. No ghosts, monsters, clowns, or strange portals. So, the only option left was to visit a new, unique place far from Twin Lakes, and it just so happened that the neighboring town, on the other side of the Great Lake, had organized an exhibition about the Cretaceous period. Indeed, that day they were going to see boring and harmless dinosaur fossils.
He knew the detective still liked those creatures of dubious origin, which generated more distrust than fascination in Patrick. He had always believed that the existence of dinosaurs was part of a government conspiracy, and that it was just an invention to appease the masses. However, both Francis and the rest of the "scientists" considered them extinct and believed they would never see a living specimen, so he figured it wouldn't hurt to go see something that no longer existed, or perhaps never had, and that wasn't going to be part of any case.
In other words, museums and exhibitions for nerds are boring places with nothing exciting happening, so the chances of Francis ending up involved in a case were minuscule.
Right? Of course, this was a foolproof plan.
Patrick was pondering the possibilities when he saw the detective park the Popo Moto in front of his sister's house. He had taken the day off for his birthday and made sure Francis got his on the same day, since he often forgot. He remembered everyone's birthday, even Buzz's, which Patrick always forgot. But that was his friend, always putting others before himself.
But today was going to be different. It was a special day, and he wanted Francis to have a great time with him. He was going to get that hug, and he could finally confess his feelings; nothing was going to go wrong.
McQueen arrived at the front door, greeted by his older sister, who gave him a big hug and wished him a very happy birthday. Buzz approached somewhat reluctantly, but wished the detective a happy day before running off to his room and returning to his video games. When Patrick arrived to meet him, his friend gave him a huge smile. He was beaming, seemingly very happy with his gift, and they hadn't even started their trip to the city next to Twin Lakes.
"Patrick! Ready for the biggest dinosaur exhibit in the state? I can't wait until we get to White Chapel!" Francis was euphoric; the huge smile on his face only increased his charm, despite wearing his usual clothes and not having changed out of his trench coat.
He was so unfamiliar with that kind of expression from her that Patrick had to pinch himself to react to the sight.
"Of course, I'm ready," Patrick said. He didn't know how long he'd been staring at his friend, but his sister was chuckling at him. Francis seemed to be in another world, because he didn't notice his slip-up. "We'd better go, or the line to get in will be endless, though I could threaten any nerds who get in our way with my gun."
"Then we'll be going. I'm looking forward to the talks about the latest fossil discoveries in South America..." Francis began talking about animals that went extinct millions of years ago with too much enthusiasm to be ignored, but Patrick simply tuned out. He felt increasingly nervous and anxious.
He naively thought it would be easy to confess his feelings, even though it had taken him years to make up his mind and he was terrified of not being reciprocated. However, he didn't feel ready at all. He hadn't even dressed properly. Why did he think it was a good idea to wear his police uniform? Shouldn't he have worn something tighter and sexier? Something more formal?
Since when had going out with his best friend become so complicated?!
His face as red as a tomato, Patrick let the detective open the passenger door for him like a true gentleman. He settled into the passenger seat, resigned to his embarrassing attraction. He suddenly felt incredibly self-conscious, wanting to bury his face in his hands and scream in frustration. He remembered his disastrous birthday, how naturally McQueen had gone out of his way to make it happen, getting him a motel room for the night and tickets to the Twin Lakes Museum of Curiosities.
He could do this. Embarrassment and the fear of rejection weren't going to ruin Francis's birthday. Everything would be simpler if he weren't so in love with him…
"Are you okay?" Francis finally called, pulling him out of his reverie. He didn't like to think; it gave him a headache. The detective was clearly worried by his silence. "You're very quiet and you seem feverish. Do you want to go home?"
"Huh? No, I was just thinking how boring everything will be. I don't know why you like this kind of thing," Patrick said, hoping his friend would be annoyed by his comment so he could calm his nerves. However, the detective gave him a smile that was far too attractive for his own good.
"I'm sorry for you, but I'm not returning my gift," Francis retorted with amusement as he pulled onto the highway to reach the next town.
"I was afraid of that," Patrick said, feeling lost. Annoying Francis was impossible, so he had to be content with the gift he'd planned. Besides, they were only going to a museum outside of Twin Lakes, so he could relax a little.
He was sure nothing extraordinary ever happened outside of Twin Lakes.
(...)
Adjusting her name tag, its gleaming metal plate adorning her dark blue t-shirt, Lyra walked through the gleaming paleontology exhibit, her low heels clicking and her long skirt needlessly tugging at her heels, muttering to herself all the information she'd memorized for her role as a tour guide that day.
It was less than an hour before the museum opened, and everything seemed to be running smoothly. The stage was set for the seminar on the latest Spinosaurus discoveries, and the chairs were secured to the floor to prevent the researchers from using them as blunt weapons during debates. Meanwhile, her colleague Ethan was in the gift shop, unpacking the last souvenirs for visitors.
"Kids are going to hate this stuff," Ethan protested, pointing to an overly fluffy, cartoonish T-Rex plushie. "It doesn't look anything like the dinosaurs in the movies."
"Did you pay attention to anything in the exhibit? Dinosaurs don't look like they do in the movies, and if Dr. Simons hears you, she's going to yell at you” Lyra couldn't help but roll her eyes, while her partner opened his mouth in utter indignation.
"I'm in charge of the shop and dealing with kids with attention deficit disorder who are practically in a sugar coma. The thinking work has been left to you," Ethan stuck his tongue out childishly, forcing her to smile resignedly. The boy was incredibly intelligent and should be quietly studying at home, but he needed to work at the museum to pay for college. She could mock him, telling him he was wasting his youth studying and working as a responsible member of society, but it was too early for her to be so cynical.
She had her own problems, like managing the guided tour and all the guests at Dr. Simons' lecture.
"No matter how well I do my job, Dr. Simons is bound to find something wrong with my presentation," Lyra sighed resignedly. She had to lower her head this time and accept any criticism from the greatest paleontologist of recent times. She had made her name through unique discoveries in a male-dominated field of science, and had published a large number of papers in a very short time.
“She’s probably too busy trying to sweet-talk poor researchers into giving her foundation funding so she can study their fossils,” Ethan started, oblivious to his surroundings, so Lyra couldn’t warn him to be quiet in time…
“And that’s called long-term investment, Ethan,” Dr. Simons’s firm, dry voice rose in the middle of the museum reception area. She was much taller than the two of them, wearing a dark gray suit with shoulder pads and a long, fitted skirt. Her stern appearance was accentuated by her bun hairstyle, which was held in far more hairspray than a woman should be allowed to wear.
“I’m sorry, I was just…” Ethan tried to apologize, but was interrupted.
“You don’t need to apologize. You’re just a kid who’s barely started to become independent. You must keep your eyes and mind open to my methods. You’ll achieve success when you least expect it.” The doctor seemed to be evaluating the displayed stuffed animals, making a face of boredom as she looked at them. “Kids are going to hate this stuff.”
Lyra looked at Ethan in surprise, and he mouthed, “I told you so.”
“Lyra, dear, it’s time to open. My colleagues will start arriving, and I have important announcements for them all.” The doctor was already heading toward the auditorium, presumably to make sure everything was in place. She was such a perfectionist.
“Are you going to present your new discovery?” Ethan asked excitedly. He was sure he’d be taking notes on everything the doctor said at this conference instead of tending to the shop. Lyra would make sure to cover for him if that was the case.
“That’s right, you know how Spinosaurus discussions go,” Dr. Simons said, sounding a little overwhelmed, but a calm smile suddenly graced her face. “Luckily, my private collection puts me right in the middle of all those hypotheses and pointless ramblings of those poor, unsuspecting souls.”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to call your colleagues unsuspecting,” Lyra tried to reassure the scientist, while Ethan added with some concern,
“With all the money you charge them to use your fossils, you should have some compassion for them.”
The paleontologist seemed amused by the concern of the two museum employees. Lyra guessed that her self-confidence and ambition were part of her charm, but Ethan kept pointing out that maintaining appearances was also important. Who knows what Simons’ colleagues thought, but that was another story.
After saying goodbye to the doctor, Lyra joined her colleagues in the museum’s reception area and greeted the first speakers who were arriving. Many of them wore expressions that suggested they didn't want to be there. Others were laden with papers and boxes of requests. Most of these paleontologists were likely going to try to request Simons' private collection for study, though without a decent budget to back up their pleas, they wouldn't amount to much.
The desperation was palpable, and a bad feeling began to creep into Lyra's mind.
However, Dr. Simons seemed so calm and self-assured that, despite her colleagues' cold greetings, she remained radiant and serene, as if untouchable, just like her entire family in the city.
"What's it like having a thief as your boss?" The shrill voice of a short, chubby man caught her attention. She couldn't recognize him. He was wearing a jacket that looked like it had seen better days, oil-stained jeans, and shoes that looked like they had seen better days too. She decided to ask his name, to make sure he was on the doctor's list of colleagues, but she doubted he was.
“They call me Miles, dear.” The little man seemed annoyed by her question, not very cooperative. His voice was irritating and unpleasant, with an overbearing attitude that didn't match his appearance. “Tell Simons my name; she'll know why I'm here.”
Lyra frowned and called the doctor on the intercom before letting the strange little man in.
“Doctor, this is Lyra. Mr. Miles is looking for you.” She heard the doctor click her tongue; she seemed annoyed, but immediately began speaking to her calmly.
“Tell him to come in. I need him to pick up some important packages,” the doctor stated.
With a strained smile, Lyra let the strange man in. He smelled awful, a mixture of alcohol, cheap tobacco, and sweat, but he entered the room as if he were an important person. She sighed dejectedly, trying to remain calm as the other guests arrived. This was going to be a very long day, and he hoped he wouldn't have to deal with that Miles guy again.
(...)
Despite being a small city, which had barely ceased to be a town a few years prior, White Chapel boasted one of the largest museums in the state, as it was attached to a prestigious private science university.
It was unusual for such a small city to have invested in a campus, but apparently, the establishment of this science university had brought prosperity to White Chapel, causing its population to increase and the city to grow over the years. They owed a great deal to the university and its founding family, the Simons. Francis was a fan of Dr. Simons; he had read all her paleontology publications whenever he had the chance and saved his allowance for months to buy the science journals in which she published.
Dr. Simons was a leading figure in the field of paleontology; she had access to the most complete fossils, and that day he was going to be able to attend one of her lectures, thanks to Patrick.
Francis had no idea what had inspired his friend and secret crush to give him such a gift, because it was nearly giving him a heart attack. His heart was racing so fast and the joy he felt was so overwhelming that he barely noticed Patrick seemed overwhelmed. Realizing this, he immediately asked if he was feeling unwell, ready to cancel the event for his sake.
To his surprise, his friend explained that he was just bored imagining the activity they were going to do, obviously trying to joke about his incurable nerdiness and fascination with creatures that no longer existed.
When they were younger, they had argued about their shared love of dinosaurs. Francis was well aware of Patrick's skepticism regarding the existence of fossilized animals, and of course, the creatures that dominated the entire Cretaceous period. However, as they grew older, Patrick became much more relaxed about his fanaticism, to the point of giving him this amazing birthday present.
Without a doubt, this was about to become the best birthday of his life (although the bar had been set very low, since his parents had been forgetting his birthday ever since he was five), and he owed it all to his best friend, whom he was hopelessly in love with. And how could he not love Patrick? How could he not get out of bed day after day feeling his longing almost suffocate him at the thought of being near the object of his affection?
The entire year he spent searching for and bringing Patrick back after a genie in a lamp made him disappear was not only the darkest, most depressing, and suffocating of his life, but it also made him realize how much he loved his friend. He reached a point where he wasn't sure if he should keep it a secret, or if he could bear it any longer. As soon as he got his friend back from the Darkside, he hugged him so tightly, so desperately and possessively, that later he had to control the urge to touch him again.
Francis was afraid. Afraid that if he touched him, he would lose control. he would have to reveal the reasons for those touches, tell Patrick how his love for him was burning his soul, to the point that he felt like he was on fire every moment he spent with him… Could Francis still consider Patrick his friend if he was seeing him as his partner or lover every second they were together?
Daydreaming was fine, but this was reality. His friend was giving him the best experience of his life, on the day he was born, and he was worried about his silly crush. It was obvious Patrick only saw him as a brother, and that should be enough. However, there were nights when he dreamed of impossible and overly daring scenarios, to the point of waking up completely hard and with an urgent need for a cold shower.
His thoughts stopped when he realized they had been silent for too long, in the middle of the road. White Chapel was just a few minutes away, but it was enough time to strike up a conversation. He hoped Patrick wouldn't find it strange that he was lost in thought for so long.
"Can I ask how you came up with this idea? I know you're not much of a museum fan," Francis had to admit he was a little curious. He hadn't expected his companion to flinch, as if he were nervous.
“Um… I was really tempted to ask the Bloodwolves to help me plan your birthday,” Patrick seemed to recover from the shock and tried to speak calmly. “But their ideas were a bit too extreme, and I wanted you to have a day without searching for clues, exorcising, or solving a case, so I thought of coming to this museum, which luckily fits my birthday budget.”
Francis considered what his friend said. It was true; he hadn’t taken a single day off since the Darkside Division reopened, as he was too eager to make up for lost time and get back into the swing of things. Patrick had an excellent idea and was also very lucky, since it wasn’t common to have a dinosaur exhibit coincide with such a large conference.
“It’ll be a bit boring for you, but I’ll make sure to make it up to you on your birthday.” Francis doubted he could top this gift, but he’d manage. Finally, he saw the university campus as he turned off the main road and onto a side street. They were just a few meters from the museum parking lot, and since it was so early, he was able to find a good spot.
"They open in an hour, so we'll go get some coffee and donuts," Patrick said, pointing to a shop that appeared to belong to a well-known donut franchise. "We'll take advantage of this place since the mayor doesn't allow them in Twin Lakes."
"Okay, I'd really like a coffee..."
"And a birthday donut, my treat." Patrick tugged on the detective's arm, pulling him closer to the shop. A young man emerged carrying a huge box of donuts and several thermal coffee mugs. Francis nearly bumped into the young man, if not for his partner pulling him out of the way.
Patrick may not have realized it, but he had wrapped his muscular arms around Francis's bony shoulders, pulling the detective's face close to his broad chest. Trapped in the strong chest of his secret crush, the detective's face flushed a furious red. He hoped his partner couldn't see how flustered he was by a simple hug, and luckily, he couldn't look him in the eye from that position.
The guy in question finally caught his attention, dropping a latte on the ground but saving the rest of his precious cargo. He didn't seem to have noticed him; he was in a hurry and didn't stop until he'd crossed the street and the parking lot.
He'd dropped something else on the ground, what looked like a key with a very simple eight-ball pool keyring.
Francis needed to get that key. His hands began to itch, and his skin prickled. His face returned to normal, as if his longing for Patrick had temporarily vanished.
"Patrick, buddy, can you let go?" His voice might have sounded a bit too mechanical, but he was released immediately. The key on the ground was mundane, but it completely captured his attention. When he put it in the pockets of his wide trench coat, he noticed that Patrick was apologizing for some strange reason.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to… I…” He was so nervous and overwhelmed that he couldn’t help but try to calm him down.
“You were great, I almost spilled boiling coffee on myself!” Francis smiled at him sincerely and with a touch of admiration. Sometimes he found it hard to believe he could always count on his friend, and it was a relief to have him around. He was more than happy to have him back. “That was a great save, thanks.”
For some strange reason, Patrick lowered the visor of his police hat to avoid looking him in the eyes and added somewhat shyly,
“Shall we get that coffee?”
“Sure, I’m dying to try my birthday donut.” Francis tried not to worry about his partner’s strange mood swings; he was used to him acting sporadically and oddly. However, the other side of his mind held new information regarding that key that was weighing down his pocket:
You have obtained "Authorized Museum Personnel Key"
(...)
Patrick couldn't believe he'd almost lost control of his body and nearly ruined Francis's birthday. If Francis hadn't asked him to let go, he was sure he would have kissed him right then and there. He was trying to eat to calm down once and for all and forget his slip-up, but he realized that buying his friend a donut had been a bad idea. He could feel his face getting redder and redder as he watched his partner enjoy his birthday dessert a little too much.
Francis had always been terrible with sweets. From Patrick's point of view, it was downright pornographic to watch the detective eat anything with powdered sugar, cream, or anything that could melt. It was rare for his friend to eat that kind of food; he wasn't fond of sweets or any food in general. But when he did, he couldn't help but get his fingers sticky, sucking on them suggestively and licking his lips with a certain eagerness.
Worst of all, Patrick couldn't help but stare when it happened. Damn it, the first time he'd ever had an erection in public was from watching Francis lick a damn ice cream cone, and he was only fifteen. How had he managed to endure this unhealthy attraction to his friend for so long? Right now, he was sure he was going to scream in frustration if his friend didn't finish his damn donut. He was too lost in thought, tearing it into pieces and licking the sugar off his fingers with a faraway look in his eyes.
It was torture, to the point that Patrick started fantasizing, wondering how he could ask Francis to run his tongue all over his body without ruining their friendship in the process. However, he decided against that idea. His best option was to avoid imagining the possibility of using whipped cream to be licked by his companion, because he was going to end up far too excited by something that would never happen.
"Do you think I could take the pepper shaker? It's weird that there's one on our table, and I doubt people put pepper in their coffee," Francis began, speaking quietly, his gaze fixed not on him but on the pepper shaker they'd left on their table. Why was there such a thing at a donut franchise?
"Maybe..." Patrick couldn't continue, because he was distracted by the sight of Francis slowly licking his left thumb. Having his full attention captured by this gesture, he didn't see his friend's other hand take the pepper shaker and slip it into his trench coat pockets. "...and you've already stolen it."
"Sorry, I hope no one needs it." A pink blush spread across Francis's pale skin, proving that his kleptomania hadn't changed a bit in all these years. Patrick found it strange that he was stealing things at that moment, since he usually only did it when they had a case, and they obviously weren't on one.
At least, that's what he hoped.
"Why are you apologizing to me? I've known you for years." Patrick had a bad feeling, as if something terrible was about to happen. His friend gulped down his coffee, drinking the bitter beverage as if it were water.
"Well, you're the only one of us in uniform, you even brought your handcuffs," Francis smiled at him with a hint of amusement, gesturing to his waist as he added calmly, "You could easily arrest and handcuff me for the crime I just committed. I highly doubt I'd be able to resist..."
Patrick gasped at the image that flashed through his mind, and felt his penis harden at the mere thought of having Francis handcuffed and at his mercy. He swallowed hard as his friend continued to fuel his fantasies, describing how he imagined his arrest.
"Besides, I think you could easily subdue me, putting your whole body on top of me and..."
"W-what if we go to the museum? I'm sure we can find a place before the lecture starts." Patrick had to stop the inspector before he ended up killing him in frustration. The dinosaur lecture was going to do the trick; he needed boring, nerdy facts to stop thinking about how he wanted to grab Francis and kiss him hard, sucking his tongue in with too much intensity.
"That's right, it's almost time for it to start," Francis seemed to have woken from his lethargy and stood up from his seat, more animated. "This is so exciting, I can't wait to hear the discussions about the Spinosaurus's true appearance."
"What exactly is going on with that dinosaur that's causing so much trouble? I hope I don't have to arrest anyone; we came to celebrate your birthday." Patrick hoped the paleontologists would behave. He had taken Francis out of Twin Lakes so he wouldn't be forced to solve any cases and they could enjoy a normal day off.
"Dude, it's a long story, but I'll try to summarize it," Francis began to explain what had happened with the Spinosaurus, managing to momentarily make him forget the frustration that had been consuming him. Luckily for him, the topic was so boring that he could empty his mind and let his companion's deep voice gently penetrate his skull "It all began in 1912, in Bahariya, Egypt..."
(...)
Lyra could handle the museum's more childish visitors, from insufferable brats to forty-something paleontologists (who were currently fighting over the coffee and donuts Ethan had brought). But what she couldn't stand was the dinosaur enthusiast who practically recognized fossils without needing to listen to the museum's summarized guides and was therefore far more competent than she was.
It was ridiculous to feel this way; she knew there would always be some overly enthusiastic kid whose hyper-obsession could ruin any researcher's career, so she shouldn't feel bad about herself. But she hadn't expected this level of passion from a grown man, who looked like a vagrant and had questionable dark circles under his eyes, making him seem like some kind of addict. If it weren't for the police officer accompanying him, she would have been worried about the strange man's presence.
However, the officer in question didn't inspire any confidence in her either. He wore a uniform that was far too tight, to the point that his muscles were about to burst out of his shirt and pants, making him look more like a stripper dressed as a cop than a respected member of law enforcement. Lyra realized she was losing the attention of the other visitors because of the homeless man who wouldn't stop talking about the exhibit, and she immediately decided to get the two strangers' attention.
"...And so, in the '80s and '90s, more Spinosaurus fossils were found, which led to changes in their design, causing many reconstructions to be discarded," the man in the trench coat continued, speaking in front of the Spinosaurus exhibit, drawing the attention of the other visitors, so she had to use a small megaphone to interrupt him.
"Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the White Chapel University Science Museum!" Lyra finally got the visitors' attention, so she adjusted her small megaphone to be less loud. "If you'll come with me this way, we'll begin our tour of the White Chapel Museum, one of the largest in the state."
"Should we follow the young lady?" the uniformed officer asked quietly, but Lyra could hear him perfectly from where she was standing.
"We should ask her where the event hall is; this place is huge." The homeless man approached her, and despite his rather unattractive face and wrinkled clothes, he didn't smell of tobacco or alcohol. Lyra relaxed a little; he was simply a man who dressed very poorly and had no awareness of how he looked in public. Her companion seemed a little distracted, so she figured she should ignore him. "Excuse me, miss, we have a pass for Dr. Simons' event."
Lyra sighed in relief. She'd been worried that the dinosaur fanatic with a clear caffeine addiction would be on the tour with her. It was best to get them out of the way so they wouldn't bother her with the visitors; everything had to go perfectly.
"You can head straight to the hall this way." Lyra smiled somewhat nervously, but pointed to the corridor that led directly to the lecture. Seeing how wide it was and how many fossils lined the hallway, she tried to urge the homeless man to hurry. "You'd better hurry; you might lose your place."
"Thank you very much. Let's go, Patrick." The homeless man smiled at the officer, who followed him like a lost puppy.
"Francis, why was she so nice to you? I don't like the way she smiled at you." The officer was being an idiot. Lyra was sure he was as indifferent as possible to the strange man in the trench coat, who apparently was named Francis. It was almost uncomfortable to overhear a couple arguing in the hallways, especially one fueled by jealousy, but she'd witnessed worse outbursts.
"Relax, she was just doing her job, and I'm sure she only wanted to help us..."
Luckily, she didn't hear the rest of the conversation. What an odd couple, but at least she doubted they'd cause any trouble. It wasn't long before Dean Collins came sprinting down the hall, sweating beneath his badly styled quiff from the run he'd had to make to get to the museum from campus.
"Was I on time?" The dean looked worried, trying to straighten his corduroy suit and his awful brown tie. He seemed concerned about something, but she couldn't tell what it could be.
“Yes, sir, Dr. Simons will begin her lecture shortly.” Said Lyra.
The dean seemed relieved, possibly because of the formidable influence the doctor and her family wielded over the university.
“If you hurry, you can arrive before she starts.”
“Did she mention anything about donations to the university? We need to maintain the science program, and the budget isn’t sufficient to support the paleontology department.” The man was a bundle of nerves. Lyra knew that Dr. Simons’s family were the university’s largest investors, but she had no idea about the paleontology department’s financial situation.
“Why does the department need so much money?” Lyra was certain that the doctor’s discoveries, her publications, and the rental income from the paleontology department’s fossils were a significant source of revenue, with thousands of dollars flowing into their accounts every month.
“Something very strange has happened with the available budget,” the dean said, worried, as he tried to wipe the sweat from his forehead with a crumpled diamond-patterned handkerchief. “The accounting books are incomplete and show some discrepancies. It’s as if all the donations and rental income from the paleontology department’s fossils have suddenly vanished.”
Lyra wasn’t sure if the dean should be telling her this kind of thing, since she was just a guide within the museum. However, Collins seemed to need to vent. This situation was stressing him out a lot because they could face legal problems if they didn’t present the books correctly, and the university would lose prestige as a result.
“I don’t understand why you need to speak with the doctor. Isn’t there an accountant who handles all of that?” Lyra inquired, knowing the dean might be annoyed by her question. To her surprise, the poor man continued rambling. It was clear he didn’t function well under pressure.
“Simons demanded complete control of the paleontology department from her relatives, including its accounting,” the dean seemed to catch his breath, continuing to talk about his problems as if he were in a therapy session. “She’s the only one who can explain this whole situation. It’s all very strange because in my ten years of service, nothing like this has ever happened.”
The dean glanced at his watch, sighed, overwhelmed by the situation, and headed straight for the lecture hall, hoping to find Dr. Simons and demand an explanation. Lyra didn’t think it was a good time to get answers, since the doctor was about to begin her lecture and would surely be busy confronting her paleontology colleagues.
There wasn't much more Lyra could do for the dean, as she had to tend to the gift shop to start selling souvenirs. Lyra wondered where Ethan was, since that was also his job. She hoped that at least the boy hadn't had any trouble delivering coffee and donuts to the professor's invited colleagues. She didn't mind covering for him, since she had to admit that the young man had been given a rather complicated task. Most of those people wouldn't turn down free coffee and greasy pastries.
The lecture finally began in the main hall, and Lyra continued guiding the visitors throughout the museum, with no sign of Ethan anywhere. It was strange that he hadn't appeared, but she was so busy that she hadn't had time to contact him.
Suddenly, a scream of horror came from the Jurassic fossil exhibit. Lyra and her companions rushed out in the direction of the screams. In the middle of the exhibit, on the polished museum floor, she saw the severed half of a human body, its viscera splattered in all directions and blood seeping between the tile grout lines.
She immediately recognized the jeans and hideous shoes Mr. Miles had worn when he entered the museum. Lyra had no doubt that this was the same person who had called Dr. Simons a thief. Part of her wanted to flee the place, while the other wondered:
Where had the other half of that person gone?
(...)
Patrick was incredibly bored at the paleontology conference, but seeing the look of joy and fascination on Francis's face, he tried his best not to fall asleep during the tedious lecture on dinosaurs they were witnessing. He didn't understand a thing that was going on, but he had to admit that the discussions were escalating to a certain degree of violence, which kept him somewhat entertained.
The debate was getting so heated that, suddenly, a couple of fellow paleontologists started throwing chairs at each other. Patrick was genuinely shocked. He had no idea that discussing how to interpret the fossils of non-existent creatures would generate so much discord among such a small and seemingly harmless group of people.
The officer looked at the inspector beside him with concern and asked somewhat hesitantly,
"Are you sure I shouldn't arrest them? I think one of them is about to rip some poor guy's ear off," Patrick remarked casually. Beside him, Francis shook his head.
"Believe me, it's best not to interfere." He seemed too calm despite the chaos unfolding in the auditorium. "At some point, they'll stop arguing and let the doctor give her presentation."
"It's strange that you're taking it so calmly," Patrick remarked, surprised.
"I may like to follow the rules, but this is an important discussion for the advancement of paleontology,” Francis sighed, a little worried, but not about the increasingly heated argument in the auditorium. “I just hope that if they decide to change Spinosaurus’s appearance again, it doesn’t lose its ferocity. We’ve already had four interpretations where it looks friendlier each time.”
“Sometimes I find it hard to believe you’re a fan of gigantic creatures that literally look like monsters,” Patrick remarked, amused, enjoying sharing these moments with his friend, without a care in the world. “I might even change my mind about these non-existent dinosaurs…”
Suddenly, he felt Francis’s cold hand on his, and instinctively, Patrick wrapped his fingers around it, interlacing them. It was an automatic movement; he had done it so many times when they were younger that it felt natural. His friend’s hands were always cold and only warmed up that way.
“Patrick. I don't know if I've told you, but…” Francis whispered softly in his ear, and out of the corner of his eye, he could see a huge smile on his lips. Patrick wanted to kiss him right then, but his friend continued speaking “Thank you so much for this birthday present”
This wasn't the hug he'd hoped for, but he had to admit it was close. Patrick mustered his courage, opened his mouth, ready to speak, determined to confess right then and there:
"Francis, I want to tell you that I…"
A heart-wrenching scream echoed from the hallway, and a commotion began to build on the other side of the auditorium entrance. Something was happening inside the museum. Francis looked at Patrick with concern, letting go of his hand. They both rose from their chairs and headed inside. His friend seemed to have a strange urgency to get out of there, while Dooley followed reluctantly.
Something bad had surely happened, and knowing the Dooleys' bad luck, it had to be a police case. Patrick just hoped it wasn't related to his work in the Darkside Dimension. If it was, they would have jurisdiction and should solve it. He had to admit he was very irritated by the situation. He had brought Francis out of Twin Lakes so he could enjoy his birthday on his day off with him, spend some quality time together, and make him feel so excited that he would get a hug.
But he had to let go of Francis's hand and simply follow him to a possible crime scene.
Upon arriving at the Jurassic exhibit, they encountered a group of people crying hysterically, terrified by their presence. His uniform betrayed him as a law enforcement officer, unlike Francis, who appeared to be just a visitor, but he helped clear a path for them to reach the designated area.
In the center of the exhibit, surrounded by enormous fossils mounted in menacing poses, lay the remains of what had once been a person.
Francis stopped him and tried to block his view, but he couldn't avoid seeing the corpse on the polished floor. He immediately closed his eyes, but the image was seared into his retina, and he was sure to have nightmares about the scattered remains of half of this person. He felt his stomach clench and bile rise in his throat, making him nauseous. He almost vomited his breakfast in front of the lifeless body, but his partner told him to move away from that spot and look toward the T-Rex fossil while he examined the crime scene.
"This is horrible," Patrick swallowed, hoping the nausea would subside, as he stared intently at the exhibit posters. Apparently, a T. Rex bite could easily tear apart any prey. Terrifying.
"Don't you think something's missing?" Francis suddenly asked from behind him, undoubtedly examining the carcass closely.
"There are a lot of pieces of meat scattered around that body," Patrick commented, feeling dizzy.
"Yeah, but... where's the other half?" Francis asked gently, as if his mind were wandering far away, not feeling scared or uncomfortable at the gruesome sight of those scattered remains.
Francis was never squeamish about the bodies of the deceased, but it was funny that he got so nauseous on a bus or train that he vomited. Patrick was about to make fun of his companion's strange behavior so he wouldn't feel guilty for not being able to help, when suddenly, something caught his attention.
"Patrick, the White Chapel authorities are here."
"Can they handle this? Because I don't want to deal with a dead body." Patrick protested without hesitation, but something told him it wasn't going to be that easy.
"I don't think so," Francis said calmly, as Patrick watched the newly arrived young officer talking to the museum guide.
"This person was killed by a T. Rex."
(...)
TBC