Page 9 of Colorado Christmas Carol
“I had a few courses in forensics myself,” Duke replied. “So I gather you’re here for the workshop?”
Dean nodded. “I’m particularly interested in the reconstruction artist’s work. I saw a documentary that featured her. She’s very good.”
“Coincidentally, I know her,” Duke said. “And yes, she is. Very good.” He glanced at his daughter. “You really want to go dig up old artifacts?” he asked. “In the snow?” he added, because it was coming down.
Mellie’s eyes lit up. “Oh, yes!”
“It’s a recent construction site,” Dean explained, “or they certainly wouldn’t be out in this. And they have a very limited time for the dig. I understand that the construction site manager is raising Cain daily about the delay.”
“I hear that.”
Duke glanced at Essa, his eyes narrowing. It caused an odd sensation in her nervous system, and she lowered her gaze quickly. “I guess you want to go, too?” he probed.
“I would like to,” she stammered, glancing at Dean and smiling. He smiled back, apparently fascinated.
“Okay, Mellie,” Duke said. “If she goes,” he indicated Essa with a shoulder lift, “you can go. But I want to know when you leave and when you’ll be back. And make sure your damned cell phone is charged this time, so I won’t have to send out search parties!”
“It was just the once, Daddy,” Mellie defended herself.
“You got lost in Chicago,” he muttered. “There are places in the city where you could vanish in a heartbeat and never be found. And your battery was dead!”
“A very nice policeman rescued me,” the child protested. “And drove me all the way home.”
“Lucky,” he replied, “for you!”
She grimaced.
“So we don’t want a repeat of that, right?” he persisted.
“Absolutely not,” she agreed.
“And especially we don’t want to have Destiny 2, and the Xbox both taken away for two weeks again?”
Mellie stood up and crossed her heart. “Oh, no, we don’t!”
“Destiny 2?” Essa was all at sea.
“It’s the best video game on the planet,” Dean said before Mellie could reply. “I loved Destiny 1. I still play it, in fact, but Destiny 2 is out of this world.”
“And Starfield is coming soon!” Mellie added.
Dean chuckled. “I know. I preordered it.”
She grinned. “I’m hoping I might get it for Christmas,” she hinted, glancing at her somber dad. “But I have to have the new Xbox model to play it,” she added sadly, with another pointed look at her parent.
“We can talk about that later.” Duke checked his watch. “I have phone calls to make. You through with breakfast?” he asked his daughter.
“Yes, sir.” She stood up. “It was delicious,” she told Essa.
“Thanks,” she replied. “But Mabel cooks breakfast. She’s talented!”
“I’ll say!” Mellie added.
“We can go tomorrow after the last workshop, if you two are agreeable,” Dean suggested. “About four o’clock?” he added. “And we’ll be back here about six.”
“That works,” Duke said.
“Okay. I’ll see you both then,” Dean said, smiling.
