"You're late," Claudia said as Nigel opened the door.
"Look who's talking, Miss Punctuality," he replied in a grumpy tone.
"So?"
"So what?" Nigel said as he sat down at his desk.
"Why are you late? Did you have a hot date or something?" she asked.
"You could say that," he answered while trying to look busy, in hopes that Claudia would give up and leave him alone.
"So which was it? A hot date, or something else?" Claudia asked again.
Nigel knew if he didn't give her some kind of answer she would keep nagging him all day. "Okay, if you must know, I did not sleep well last night." He paused before adding, "Bad dreams."
Claudia walked over to his desk. "Scared of the Boogie Man, are you?" she asked with a smile. "Well if you like, I could get you a night light."
Nigel looked at her, annoyed. "Ha, Ha, very funny. No, I had a nightmare about a certain American blonde with a squeaky voice who keeps bugging me and won't let me get my work done."
"Who's squeaky?" Claudia fired back.
Sydney stood at the door, listening to the all-too-familiar bickering between Nigel and Claudia. She couldn't remember a day that they weren't arguing about something, but underneath all the bickering she could sense the close friendship both denied.
"Good morning - or should I say, good afternoon!" Sydney said with a grin as she entered the room, effectively putting a stop to their current spat. "So nice of you to make an appearance, Nigel."
He looked up at her with a sheepish grin on his face "Sorry, overslept, it won't happen again."
Sydney headed for her office door, but before entering she turned around. "We all have bad dreams sometimes. Don't worry about it. Punctuality is not one of your weak points." She cast a glance at Claudia.
Before either Nigel or Claudia could respond, the phone rang. "Ancient Studies," Claudia said as she answered. "One moment." Claudia punched Syd's line. "Detective Johnson from the New Orleans police department for you." Claudia connected the call to Sydney.
"What was that about?" Nigel asked.
"I don't know. All he said was that he wanted to talk to Syd." After a few minutes, Syndey hung up the phone.
"Nigel, can you come in here?" Sydney called from her office. Nigel got up and walked into the office. "Close the door behind you."
He pulled up a chair. "What's up?"
"I just got off the phone with Detective Johnson. Do you remember our run- in last year with Professor Richarde?" Sydney asked.
Nigel looked at Sydney wearily. "Yes."
"Well, both he and the cross have disappeared."
"What...How, I thought Richarde was in prison and the cross was in a safe location."
Sydney saw the look of shock on Nigel's face. "They don't know yet. When the guards did the nightly check, Professor Richarde was gone. Shortly after, police were notified of the theft of the cross.
Sydney looked at Nigel, not sure how he would take the next bit of news. "When the police searched his cell, they found a newspaper clipping about us - with a snake drawn over your picture."
"Look who's talking, Miss Punctuality," he replied in a grumpy tone.
"So?"
"So what?" Nigel said as he sat down at his desk.
"Why are you late? Did you have a hot date or something?" she asked.
"You could say that," he answered while trying to look busy, in hopes that Claudia would give up and leave him alone.
"So which was it? A hot date, or something else?" Claudia asked again.
Nigel knew if he didn't give her some kind of answer she would keep nagging him all day. "Okay, if you must know, I did not sleep well last night." He paused before adding, "Bad dreams."
Claudia walked over to his desk. "Scared of the Boogie Man, are you?" she asked with a smile. "Well if you like, I could get you a night light."
Nigel looked at her, annoyed. "Ha, Ha, very funny. No, I had a nightmare about a certain American blonde with a squeaky voice who keeps bugging me and won't let me get my work done."
"Who's squeaky?" Claudia fired back.
Sydney stood at the door, listening to the all-too-familiar bickering between Nigel and Claudia. She couldn't remember a day that they weren't arguing about something, but underneath all the bickering she could sense the close friendship both denied.
"Good morning - or should I say, good afternoon!" Sydney said with a grin as she entered the room, effectively putting a stop to their current spat. "So nice of you to make an appearance, Nigel."
He looked up at her with a sheepish grin on his face "Sorry, overslept, it won't happen again."
Sydney headed for her office door, but before entering she turned around. "We all have bad dreams sometimes. Don't worry about it. Punctuality is not one of your weak points." She cast a glance at Claudia.
Before either Nigel or Claudia could respond, the phone rang. "Ancient Studies," Claudia said as she answered. "One moment." Claudia punched Syd's line. "Detective Johnson from the New Orleans police department for you." Claudia connected the call to Sydney.
"What was that about?" Nigel asked.
"I don't know. All he said was that he wanted to talk to Syd." After a few minutes, Syndey hung up the phone.
"Nigel, can you come in here?" Sydney called from her office. Nigel got up and walked into the office. "Close the door behind you."
He pulled up a chair. "What's up?"
"I just got off the phone with Detective Johnson. Do you remember our run- in last year with Professor Richarde?" Sydney asked.
Nigel looked at Sydney wearily. "Yes."
"Well, both he and the cross have disappeared."
"What...How, I thought Richarde was in prison and the cross was in a safe location."
Sydney saw the look of shock on Nigel's face. "They don't know yet. When the guards did the nightly check, Professor Richarde was gone. Shortly after, police were notified of the theft of the cross.
Sydney looked at Nigel, not sure how he would take the next bit of news. "When the police searched his cell, they found a newspaper clipping about us - with a snake drawn over your picture."