The porter’s eyes brightened in recognition, but Natalie thought he looked somewhat tense and discomfited by their sudden arrival. “You are Mr. Romarin’s niece and nephew?” he asked hesitatingly. Calvin said it was so.
“I’ve been expecting you.” He inclined his head slightly towards Julien. “And I presume you are Mr. Romarin’s brother?”
“Julien Romarin,” their uncle said briskly, extending his hand.
The porter shook it, saying, “I’m Seth Conley. I’ve heard good things about you from Mr. Romarin, and I’ve also read a few articles concerning your recent work on The Alchemist forgery. I’m writing a paper about the affair, in point of fact.”
“How very excellent!” Julien said kindly. “I’d be happy to contribute to your endeavor if you wish. That was one of my more complex cases.”
“Would you?” replied the porter in a delighted voice. “I would be honored! But let me show you to Mr. Romarin’s office.” He glanced at Natalie and Calvin once more. “I know I’ve seen both of you before, but not lately, am I correct?”
“It’s been a few years,” Calvin admitted. “Both my sister and I have been out of the country quite a lot lately.”
They followed him into the expansive chamber of the Radcliffe Camera. Covering the entire curved surface of the interior were shelves and shelves of books, with many desks and long tables arranged across the ground floor. It was a quiet morning, with just a handful students and researchers occupying the main room. Seth led them to a graceful, curving staircase and proceeded to the upper gallery, also lined with a profusion of books.
“We’re going to add a lift soon,” Seth informed them. “It’s quite a necessary improvement, but I hope it won’t take away from the beauty of this place.”
“Ah, progress,” Julien commiserated. “I’m afraid it’s a double-edged sword.”
When they reached the top of the stairs, Seth stopped and looked around. Except for the four of them, the gallery was quite deserted. “I must speak,” he said suddenly, twisting his fingers nervously around a ring of keys.
“Go on, young man,” Julien nodded encouragingly.
“I know I’m just a porter here,” Seth began, “but I’m also a graduate student, and I want to say that your uncle was a great man, and very kind to me. He helped me quite often with my work. I am more grieved than I can say about his passing.” He looked around the gallery, a trifle nervously. “I must tell you that a few days before he died, Mr. Romarin called me into his office. He said he had something important to convey.”
“May we speak in private for a moment?”
“Of course,” answered Natalie. “I have the key to his office.” She retrieved an iron keyring, similar to the one Seth carried, and fit the largest key into the lock.
They filed into the room and looked around. “No one has been in here since Mr. Romarin,” Seth informed them. “When news of his death reached us, a woman showed up at Radclife Camera and commanded us all to leave his office undisturbed until you arrived. That woman is now the Bodleian’s Head Librarian, the first female ever to occupy the job, in fact.”
“I’ve heard about her,” said Natalie. “She’s an American, isn’t she? Also a first.”
“I must say, I like her just fine,” commented Seth, “but still, it’s not the same.” He bit his lip in evident distress, tugging distractedly on the forelock of his bright red hair.
“You had something you wished to tell us, young man,” urged Julien gently.
“Yes, umm …” Seth looked uncertain how to proceed. “You see, the thing is …”
“Go on,” Calvin prodded.
“Well, Mr. Romarin called me in here and told me that he … uh … was sure he had only a few days left to live.” The last words came out in a rush, and upon speaking them, Seth’s face turned quite red. All three stared at him mutely for several long moments.
“What are you talking about?” asked Calvin, finally. “Our uncle would have told us if he was seriously ill. He would have wanted us to be prepared.”
“That’s right,” agreed Natalie. “Besides, he was about to leave for South America. If he was really sick, he would not have attempted such a trip.”
“That’s … that’s not what I mean,” Seth stammered. “What I mean is that he was under some kind of outside threat. He told me someone had written him a letter threatening to kill him unless he gave them something they wanted.”
“I can’t believe this!” Natalie said angrily. “Our uncle died of natural causes. It was heart failure.” She eyed Seth scornfully. “Why are you trying to mess with us?” she asked him. “What’s your motive for causing us such pain?”
“No, no!” he cried, alarmed at her reaction to his confidences. “I’m telling you the truth!”
Julien and Calvin said nothing. Both were too appalled and disconcerted to speak. Seth pulled an envelope from the inner pocket of his uniform. “I’ve been holding onto this for weeks. Mr. Romarin gave me this letter when he told me about the death threat, and gave me strict instructions to hold onto it until you came here in person. When I found out he had died, I desperately wanted to find you and deliver this letter immediately, but he had been so adamant that I wait until you came to the Bodleian yourself.” He held out the letter, and Natalie took it from him reluctantly.
“Thank you, young man,” Julien finally said in a solemn and mournful voice. “You have fulfilled your duty admirably, and we are very grateful to you. I realize how much distress you must have been under these last weeks.” Seth nodded and smiled weakly.
“I don’t get it,” Calvin interrupted. “Why didn’t Uncle Richard call the police? Why didn’t you?” he asked Seth, with some accusation in his voice.
“I wanted to!” Seth told them. “I begged Mr. Romarin to call them, but he said that he would handle it in his own fashion, and that I had to trust him.”
“That does sounds like something our uncle would say,” observed Natalie grudgingly.
“Well, I only did as he wished out of respect for him,” he explained miserably. “Now I wish I hadn’t been so compliant.”
“You did correctly,” comforted Julien. “Now will you excuse us so we might read my dear brother’s last words to us?” He patted Seth’s arm in an effort to soothe his distress, and led him to the door.
“Of course,” Seth said with readiness. He was anxious to get away, now that his task was over. “I hope they’re words of comfort, but I also hope they tell you who did this,” he said fervently. “I asked him who wrote the letter and what it was they wanted, but he wouldn’t say.” He stood looking somberly at them from the doorway. “If there’s anything further I can do to assist you, you have only to ask. If something sinister has happened to Mr. Romarin, I would do anything to help you find justice for him.” He closed the door softly behind them, leaving the three stricken family members alone in Richard’s office.
“Sit down, Uncle. You look pale,” Natalie instructed gently, looking about the room. She noticed a small refrigerator, inside of which were some bottles of mineral water. She took out three of them and passed them around to her sad little family. Calvin collapsed into a leather armchair and buried his head in his hands.
“This isn’t happening,” he moaned, looking up at his sister beseechingly. “Tell me our uncle wasn’t … murdered.”
“Read the letter, Natalie.” Uncle Julien’s voice was subdued. “It was his last communication to us that we know of.”