Read The Sword Maker's Seal for Free Online

you?”
    â€œNo,” she said then giggled. “So what brings you here today?”
    â€œI need to talk to Mr. Roy.”
    â€œWhat for?”
    Ezra didn’t answer. Instead he rolled back and forth on his feet and gave Pamela a puppy-dog look.
    â€œI know you’re not trying to get involved in the theft business going on around here…are you?”
    â€œYou wouldn’t happen to know anything about it would you?”
    Pamela sat back in her comfy office chair and studied Ezra’s face for a moment. She fiddled with a book on her desk with an extremely muscular man and a damsel in distress plastered on the front. The cover read, “Dark Prince.” Pamela caught herself daydreaming and returned her gaze to Ezra, then spoke in a hushed voice so only he could hear.
    â€œI guess this isn’t anything I haven’t already told the police. When I got to work the morning after the heist I walked past Tanya’s office and saw the door was open, the light was on, but no one was inside. I know I shouldn’t have gone in, but you know me, I just had a feeling.”
    â€œWhat did you see?”
    â€œHer office was pretty cluttered but I saw a bottle of hairspray on her desk. The only thing is, she always wears her hair pulled back into a tight bun and never uses hairspray.”
    â€œHuh, that’s interesting.”
    Ezra smiled made a note on his notepad. He was lucky that he could always count on Pam to know the good gossip. He thanked her and asked once again to see the curator. Pamela phoned his office and said he had a guest there to see him. Before he could ask who it was Ezra walked through his door and sat down in an old red armchair with golden accents.
    Mr. Roy looked up and slammed the phone down on its hook.
    He asked in his fake British accent, “Ezra Thorne. What do you think you’re you doing here? Did you break something again?” His expression turned from anger to anxiety.
    â€œReally? Come on, I’ve been good lately!”
    â€œWell then, what do you want?” he asked with a note of suspicion in his voice.
    â€œI have a few questions, that’s all,” Ezra said innocently.
    â€œIt better be about an artifact,” Mr. Roy said then stood up and faced his window, fiddling with a trinket in his hand.
    Ezra said, “That would make sense wouldn’t it? This being an artifacts museum and all…I was wondering if you had any leads on the theft of the Masamune.”
    â€œI couldn’t tell you even if I wanted to,” Mr. Roy said, his back still turned to Ezra.
    â€œHow about I tell you what you should be doing. I have reason to believe Tanya knows something about the theft.”
    â€œWell, she is the one who reported it,” Mr. Roy said trivially.
    â€œThat doesn’t mean she didn’t steal it. She’s a sword expert, hated Kenji, and she knew the sword was real from the beginning!”
    Ezra fought the urge to rise to his feet, remaining steamed in his ornate chair, his fingers tapping away furiously on the leather.
    â€œEzra. I don’t know where you get your information, but I think you’re getting the wrong impression. Tanya came to my office the day before the heist to borrow my keys because she misplaced hers. Later that day her set of keys was right on top of her desk. Whoever stole the sword must have made a copy of her keys. And that’s good enough for me.”
    â€œThat’s convenient…”
    â€œI think you’ve had enough fun playing detective. Shouldn’t you be doing homework or something?”
    â€œOne more question, please?”
    â€œOne more,” Mr. Roy said sitting down in his desk chair in one lazy plop. But if you aren’t gone after that I’m calling security. This isn’t a daycare.”
    As he said this, the plump man fixed his bowtie and straightened his suit jacket.
    â€œYou would have known about the theft when it