“Did you scare me?” questioned Erica. She laughed sarcastically. She pushed herself away to get her white eyelet robe from the closet. “I still feel weak. I mean, you terrified me.”

“I’m sorry,” said Richard.

“How did you get a key?” Erica sat on the edge of the bed, her hands in her lap.

Richard shrugged. “I just walked in and asked for a key to 932.”

“And they just gave it to you? They didn’t ask any questions?”

“Nope. It’s not unusual in hotels. I was hoping they would, so I could really surprise you. I wanted to see your face when you first learned I was in Cairo.”

“Richard, with what I’ve been through during the last few days, it was probably the worst possible thing you could have done.” Her voice took on an edge. “In fact, it was pretty stupid.”

“Okay, okay,” said Richard, lifting his hands in mock defense. “I’m sorry if I frightened you. I didn’t mean to.”

“Didn’t you think I’d be scared if you snuck into my room at midnight? Really, Richard, that’s not too much to ask. Even in Boston, that would not be wise. I don’t think you thought about my feelings at all.”

“Well, I was excited to see you. I mean, I’ve come nineteen zillion miles.” Richard’s smile began to fade. His sandy hair was tousled, and his eyes were lined with dark shadows.

“The more I think about it, the more idiotic it sounds. God, I could have had a heart attack. You scared me to death.”

“I’m sorry, I said I was sorry.”

“ ‘I’m sorry,’ ” repeated Erica testily. “I suppose saying I’m sorry is supposed to make it all okay. Well, it doesn’t. It was bad enough to witness two murders in two days, but then to be subjected to an adolescent prank! Enough is enough!”

“I thought you were glad to see me,” said Richard defensively. “You said you were glad to see me.”

“I was glad you weren’t a would-be rapist or murderer.”

“Well, that certainly makes a fellow feel welcome.”

“Richard, what in heaven’s name are you doing here?”

“I’m here to see you. I came halfway around the world to this dusty, hot city because I wanted to show you how much I care.”

Erica opened her mouth, but she didn’t speak right away. Her irritation softened slightly. “But I specifically asked you not to come,” she said, as if speaking to a naughty child.

“I know that, but I talked it over with your mother.” Richard sat down on the bed and tried to take Erica’s hand.

“What?” she questioned, eluding his grasp. “Tell me that again.”

“Tell you what?” asked Richard, confused. He sensed her renewed anger but did not understand.

“You and my mother conspired.”

“I wouldn’t use that word. We discussed whether I should come.”

“Wonderful,” scoffed Erica. “And I’ll bet it was decided that Erica, the little girl she is, is just going through a difficult stage and that she’ll grow out of it. She just needs to be treated like a child and tolerated for the time being.”

“Look, Erica. For your information, your mother has your best interests at heart.”

“I’m not so sure about that,” said Erica, getting off the bed. “My mother cannot distinguish between her life and mine anymore. She’s too close and I feel as if she’s sucking the life right out of me. Can you understand that?”

“No, I can’t,” said Richard, his own irritation beginning to surface.

“I didn’t think you could. I’m beginning to think it has something to do with being Jewish. My mother is so intent on my following in her footsteps that she doesn’t bother to find out who I really am. Maybe she does want what’s best for me, but I also think she wants to justify her own life through mine. The trouble is that my mother and I are very different; we’ve grown up in different worlds.”

“The only time I think of you as a child is when you talk like this!”

“I don’t think you understand at all, Richard, not at all. You don’t even know why I’m here in Egypt. No matter how many times I’ve explained it, you refuse to comprehend.”

“I disagree. I think I know why you’re here. You’re afraid of a commitment. It’s as simple as that. You want to demonstrate your independence.”

“Richard, don’t you dare turn this around. You were the one who was afraid of a commitment. A year ago you would not even discuss marriage. Now suddenly you want a wife, a house, and a dog, and I don’t think the order makes much difference. Well, I’m not a possession, not for you, not for my mother. I’m not here in Egypt to act out my independence. If that’s what I wanted, I would have fled to one of those canned vacation spots, like the Club Med, where you don’t have to think. I’ve come to Egypt because I’ve spent eight years studying ancient Egypt and it’s my life’s work. It’s part of me as much as medicine is a part of you.”

“So you’re trying to tell me that love and family are secondary to your career.”

Erica closed her eyes and sighed. “No, not secondary. It’s just that your current conception of marriage would mean a type of intellectual abdication. You have always viewed my work as a kind of elaborate hobby. You don’t take it seriously.”

Richard tried to disagree, but Erica continued. “I’m not saying you did not like the fact that I was getting an exotic doctorate. But it wasn’t because you were happy for me. It just happened to fit some grand design you had for yourself. I think it made you feel more liberal, more intellectual.”

“Erica, I don’t think this is fair.”

“Don’t misunderstand me, Richard. I know I’m partly to blame. I never really made a point of communicating my enthusiasm for my work. If anything, I camouflaged it for fear that it would frighten you away. But it’s different now. I recognize who I am. And it doesn’t mean I don’t want marriage. It means that I don’t want the wifely role that you have in mind. And I’ve come here to Egypt to do something that involves my professional expertise.”

Richard sagged under the weight of Erica’s argument. He was too tired to fight. “If you’re so intent on being useful, why did you choose such an obscure field? I mean, really, Erica, Egyptology! New Kingdom hieroglyphics!” Richard fell back on the bed, his feet still touching the floor.

“Egyptian antiquities generate a lot more action than you’d ever imagine,” said Erica. Walking over to the bureau, she picked up the envelope containing the photos Jeffrey John Rice had given to her. “I’ve been painfully learning that fact during the last two days. Take a look at these!” Erica tossed the envelope onto Richard’s chest.

Richard sat up with obvious effort and took out the photos. He looked at them rapidly, then replaced them. “Nice statue,” he said noncommittally, falling back onto the bed.

“Nice statue?” said Erica cynically. “That could be the finest ancient Egyptian statue ever found, and I’ve witnessed two murders, at least one of which I believe involved that statue, and you just say nice.”

Richard opened one eye and looked at Erica, who was defiantly leaning against the bureau. The tops of her breasts were visible through the eyelet embroidery of her robe. Without sitting up again, Richard took the photos back out of the envelope and looked at them more carefully. “All right,” he said at length. “A nice deadly statue. But what do you mean, two murders? You didn’t see another today, did you?” Richard pushed himself up to a half-sitting position. His eyes were only half-open.

“Not only did I see it, but the victim fell on top of me. It would be difficult to be any closer and not be involved.”

Richard stared at Erica for several minutes. “I think you better come back to Boston,” he said with as much authority as he could muster.

“I’m going to stay here,” said Erica flatly. “In fact, I think I’m going to do something about the antiquities black market. I think I can help. And I’d like to keep that Seti statue from being smuggled out of Egypt.”