A/N: Thanks for the reviews, Virtute and Jackie! I really appreciate your taking time to comment. Short chapter today, but it's going to get the ball rolling for what's to come. Muhahahahaha...lots of nasty stuff on the horizon. LOL Thanks to everyone reading!

Chapter 34

Emily seemed preoccupied with her thoughts when they all met in the lobby a half hour later, and Joe resolved he was going to spend the rest of the day trying to get her to laugh.

"Let me check the files at the front desk for a minute. There's a key list in the drawer so volunteers know who to call if there's a problem," she explained.

Joe patted her arm and smiled. "Okay. And stop worrying."

She nodded and walked towards the reception desk. Joe turned to Frank. "It's not looking very good for the museum bigwigs in this case, is it?"

Before Frank could respond, Emily let out a loud gasp. Joe quickly ran toward her. "What is it?" he demanded.

Her hand shook as she pointed to a pink rose lying across the desk with a card attached to it. Her name was written in the same type of awkward capital lettering as the previous note found in her locker. "He was here," she whispered, clutching at Joe. "He's not going to give up."

Joe pulled her into a tight hug as Frank came over to examine the rose. His lips formed a thin line as he turned to his brother. "We need something we can use as an evidence bag."

"Mitch's office," Joe said, as he stroked Emily's hair soothingly. "He has plastic bags near the coffee machine."

Frank nodded and turned to walk away when a loud voice echoed through the lobby. "Emily?"

She looked up as Brian, from the adults with disabilities program, came toward her.

"Emily what's wrong? Are you sad?"

She hastily wiped at her eyes and gave Brian a wobbly smile. "No, I'm not sad. I'm surprised you're here though. I thought you were going to stay at your house for awhile. Are you feeling better?"

He smiled shyly at her. "I didn't want to stay away. I was worried, because I knew you were still working here. I'm back to protect you." He puffed up his chest and flexed his biceps. "I'm strong and I'm going to stop the bad guys."

She gave him a genuine smile then. "Yes, you are strong, and I'm so happy you've come back to work. We've missed you."

"I brought you something to make you feel better." He gestured toward the desk. "Did you see my flower?"

"Y-your flower?" Emily stepped out of Joe's embrace and moved closer to Brian. "The pink rose? Did you leave that here for me?"

He nodded and beamed. "Yep. I watched a show about someone who had a secret admirer and I decided I was going to be your secret admirer."

Joe stepped up to Emily and quickly slipped his arm around her waist as she began to sway. "Brian, have you left other roses for Emily here at the museum?"

He smiled broadly. "Yep. I left one in her office and in her locker. Did you see them, Emily? Did you guess that I was your secret admirer?"

Emily's voice shook slightly. "I did find them, and no, I most definitely did not guess that it was you." She took a deep breath to steady herself. "Did you leave notes with the other roses?"

"Only the second one. I wrote your name on it so nobody else would think it was for them." He picked up the note on the desk and handed it to Emily. "We have a rose bush near the front porch at home. I thought the flowers were pretty...just like you." Brian blushed and hung his head.

"Oh, Brian, that was very sweet. Thank you so much. It's a lovely rose."

Joe cleared his throat. "Um, Brian? The other times you left Emily the roses? Do you remember anyone else being around her office or her locker when you were there?"

He shook his head. "No."

"Are you sure? It's really important. We need to know if someone else was there."

"No. I walked down to Emily's office and left the flower by her door."

"Was her office door unlocked?" Frank wanted to know.

"I think so. I think maybe it was already open. I didn't go inside though." He smiled. "I wanted it to be a secret, so I just left the flower and ran."

"What about her locker?" Joe asked. "Was it open, too?"

Brian paused long enough for Joe to start fidgeting. Finally he spoke. "Yeah, it was open. It was messy. Her books were falling out." He smiled at Joe. "But I fixed them. Then I put the flower on top and closed the door."

"That must have been why it was jammed," Emily said to Joe in a low voice.

"Brian, did you notice anyone else in the locker room that morning?" Joe continued.

"Um, I think...I think there was a guy."

"A guy?" Frank spoke up. "A guy who works here?"

"Maybe. Yeah, maybe he works here."

"Was it someone you know?" Frank prompted.

Brian shook his head. "Maybe."

Joe gave an exasperated sigh. "What does 'maybe' mean? Do you know him or don't you?"

Brian looked flustered. "I don't know if I know him. I can't remember."

Emily rested her hand on Joe's arm and he relaxed slightly. "I'm sorry, Brian. It's just really important that we find out who the man was that you saw that morning. We don't mean to be impatient. Take your time and think about it," he said.

"Is he a bad man?" Brian looked worried. "Is he the bad man who hurt Duncan?"

"We don't know," Frank said. "That's what we're trying to figure out."

"I don't remember." Brian was looking visibly distressed now. "I don't know any bad men. I'm not bad."

Emily rushed over to him. "No, you're not bad at all. You're a good guy. That's why Frank and Joe were asking you to help. They're detectives. Sort of like policemen. They're trying to catch the bad man."

"If I help Frank and Joe am I a policeman, too?"

Emily nodded. "Almost. You'd be a detective, just like they are."

Brian grinned. "I'd like that. I'll try harder to remember, okay?"

Emily patted his shoulder and smiled. "That would be wonderful. If you remember something, you tell Mrs. Larson at your home and have her call me."

"Okay." Brian moved toward the seating area in the lobby. "I'm going to stay right here and think until I remember something."

"That's great," Emily told him. "And thank you again for the rose. It's very pretty."

Joe tapped Frank on the arm while Emily opened the desk drawer to get the key list she'd originally come for. "What do you think?"

"I think he's seen our man. But I seriously doubt if he can identify him," Frank said with a sigh.

Joe nodded. "Well, maybe this means the guy isn't as much of a sicko as we thought. If he didn't leave the roses, I think he's just after the information."

"Yeah, but now apparently he's willing to kill Emily to get it." Frank looked over at his brother. "And you too."

OOOOOoooooOOOOO

Duncan Campbell eased himself out of the wing chair in front of his fireplace and sighed. I've got to get my student reports finished by five o'clock. With everything that's been going on, I've totally lost track of time. The semester's half over. He sighed. The only good thing about that is soon it will be completely over and I can get away from this cursed place forever.

He pulled out the files he had on his interns and lowered himself into his desk chair. After making a few notations for Kim, he turned to Emily's file. He leaned back and began reading her student information page. Something jumped out at him and he paused. He sat up straight and stared at the paper in front of him. She's a Campbell. Good night, she's a bloody Campbell! He looked again. Her mother's maiden name appeared before him in vivid black ink. There was no mistaking it. Caroline Campbell.

Duncan threw the paper down on his desk. It's Emily. It's all Emily. She's doing it. She's bewitched me and everything and everybody involved with this exhibit. He scrubbed at his face as he leaned back in his leather desk chair. She's got to be stopped. Before everything falls apart. She's got to be stopped.

He looked at the file again. The name Campbell seemed to leap off the page at him. Mocking him. Elizabeth Campbell, you are not going to win this time. This time the MacLeans are going to finish what they should have years ago. You tried to kill Lachlan and then cried wolf and played the martyr when you were only getting what you deserved. Not again. Not this time. Now it's a Campbell who will have to suffer. A Campbell who will pay the ultimate price for your sins. Then this will all be over and the MacLeans will finally be avenged.

A malevolent grin spread over Duncan's face. This is my destiny. To avenge my clan and right the wrong that was done to us all those years ago. To finally give Laird Lachlan MacLean his due. He glanced at the file on his desk. Emily Elizabeth Campbell Clark, the time has come for you to meet your destiny.