Three Fates

knowing that. It’s just that that day when he told me my phones were tapped—”
    “Did he?” He shifted in his seat, straightened.
    “Yes. Didn’t he mention that to you? You see, he’d tried to call me about something, apparently, and when he did he detected something about the line. I don’t really understand how all that works. And I have to admit, Detective, even with you reassuring me about him, I didn’t believe him. Why should my phones be tapped, after all? That’s just silly. Don’t you think?”
    “Any reason you can think of why anyone would want to listen to your phone calls?”
    “None at all. I live a very quiet sort of life. Most of my calls involve my research or my family. Nothing of particular interest to anyone but another mythologist. But it did unnerve me a little. Even so, I more or less dismissed it until . . . Do you know anything about the Three Fates?”
    “Can’t say I do.”
    “They’re characters in Greek myth. Three sisters who spin, measure and cut the thread of life. They’re also statues. Small, precious silver statues. Another kind of myth in antique and art circles. One of my ancestors owned one, and it was lost with him and his wife on the Lusitania. The other two . . .” She spread her hands. “Who can say? They’re reasonably valuable separately, but would be priceless as a complete set. Mr. Burdett contacted me because he’s a collector, and he’d learned of the connection with my family. My father owns Wyley’s. The antique and auction house.”
    “Okay. So Jack was hoping for a line on these statues through you.”
    “That’s right. In any case, I told him what little I knew about the art pieces. But the conversation sparked an idea for another book. I’ve started researching. Phone calls,” she said. “Collecting data and so on. Then the other day, I was talking with someone, someone I know primarily through my family. I was surprised when she seemed eager to spend some time with me and, I admit, flattered.”
    Tia lowered her eyes to her glass, turned it around and around with her fingertips. “I didn’t think she’d be bothered with me, socially. It wasn’t until I was back home again, after we’d talked, that I realized she’d not only brought up the Fates, but . . .”
    She breathed deeply, looked at him again. “Detective Robbins, there were a couple of things she said that related directly to my research, to phone calls I’ve made and conversations I’ve had. I know it’s probably just a coincidence, but it seems very odd. Odder when I put it all together with her inviting me to lunch, with her steering the conversation toward the statues and knowing things she shouldn’t have known about my research. And I learned she’d asked both my parents about Clotho.”
    “Who’s Clotho?”
    “Oh sorry. The first Fate. The statue my ancestor owned was of Clotho. I don’t know what to think. She even let it slip about the third Fate, that would be Atropus, being in Athens.”
    “Greece.”
    “Yes, I’d only just tracked down that rumor myself the day before we had lunch, had discussed it with a colleague in a phone conversation. I suppose she could be following the same trail as I am, but it just feels so strange. And when I think of what Mr. Burdett said about my phones . . . I’m very uneasy.”
    “Why don’t we have someone take a look at your phones?”
    “Could you?” She sent him a thankful look. “I’d be so grateful. It really would relieve my mind.”
    “I’ll take care of it. The woman you mentioned, Dr. Marsh. Would that be Anita Gaye?”
    Tia gasped—hoped it wasn’t overdone. “How did you guess?”
    “Just one of the tricks they teach us in cop school.”
    “Detective Robbins, I feel so odd about all this. I don’t want to get Anita in any trouble if I’m just imagining things. And I probably am. I probably am because I’m not the type of person this sort of thing happens to. You won’t tell her I said anything, will you? I’d be horribly embarrassed if she knew I’d spoken to the police about her. And my parents—”
    “We’ll keep your name out of it. Like you said, it’s probably coincidence.”
    “You’re right.” She beamed a relieved smile. “It’s probably just coincidence.”
     
     
    IT WAS A lot like planting seeds, Tia imagined. Not that she’d ever, literally, planted seeds, but it just seemed much the same. You stirred up the ground a bit, scattered around what you wanted to