Written in Stone (A Books by the Bay Mystery)

in the doorway and smiled at Rawlings. “You were good, but I’m not serving you breakfast in bed. Coffee’s ready whenever you want to come down.”
    Rawlings stretched his arms and yawned. “I’ll be there in a bit. I’m going to wallow in the afterglow a little longer.” Grinning, he grabbed Olivia’s pillow, hugged it against his chest, and closed his eyes.
    Olivia followed Haviland downstairs to the sliding glass doors in the living room. After the poodle darted outside, she headed into the kitchen to make him breakfast and pour herself some coffee.
    She’d just added a splash of cream to her cup when the phone rang. It was too early to be a business-related call, so she examined the caller ID box before answering. The name and number belonged to Fred Yoder.
    Olivia felt a thrill of excitement. Had he confirmed his hunch about the gold medal embedded in the memory jug?
    Picking up the phone, she said, “Hello,” as brightly as possible, but her voice was still husky from lovemaking.
    “Uh, Ms. Limoges? I hope I’m not disturbing you,” Fred said and Olivia’s mouth curved into a small smile, thinking that it was a good thing the antique store proprietor hadn’t called fifteen minutes earlier.
    “Not at all. Haviland rarely lets me sleep in.”
    Fred chuckled. “Tell me about it. Duncan is capable of producing some of the most noxious odors known to man between the hours of five and six in the morning.” He cleared his throat. “Anyway, I called because I believe I’ve located a photograph of the medal on your jug. It’s a rather unique item, and as I mentioned the other day, it’s . . . controversial. The kind of thing only a few dealers will sell. I’d be glad to explain everything in more detail, but I need to show you a photograph to do so. I’ll be at the store by nine thirty if that suits you.”
    “I’ll be there. Thank you, Fred.” She cast a glance at the memory jug, which continued to occupy a prominent place in the center of her kitchen table. “No matter what you’ve found, I’d be grateful to have one of Munin’s riddles solved.”
    Fred hesitated and then said, “I wouldn’t count on that, Ms. Limoges. You’ll understand when we meet, but I suspect I’m only going to increase the jug’s mystique. In any case, make sure to bring Haviland along. Duncan would love to see him again.”
    Olivia assured the shopkeeper that she rarely went anywhere without her poodle and, after thanking Fred again for his help, hung up. Pouring Rawlings a cup of coffee, she forgot all about her claim that she wasn’t going to serve him in bed and hurried upstairs.
    She found him standing in front of the oversized window facing the ocean. Setting the coffee cups down, she moved to his side. He put his arm around her waist and pulled her against him.
    “Why do I get the sense that a phone call is about to ruin my chances of getting you back into bed?” he asked, frowning.
    “Because you have a cop’s instincts.” Olivia loosened the sash of her robe, lifted one of his hands, and invited him to slip his fingers beneath the silky material. Pivoting, she pressed her bare breasts against his chest. “We do have someplace to be,” she whispered. “But there’s still time . . .”
    Rawlings didn’t need any further encouragement. He lifted Olivia into his arms and carried her to bed, laying her down on a rectangle of yellow white light. “There’s still time,” he repeated, lowering himself until his lips met hers. He kissed her, his hands moving over her body until she forgot about Fred, Munin, and the memory jug. There was only Rawlings, the heat, and the shooting stars behind her closed eyes.
    * * *
    Fred unlocked Circa’s front door and invited Olivia and Rawlings inside. Rawlings carried the memory jug while Olivia held the door for Haviland and presented Fred with a small gift bag.
    “Organic treats for Duncan,” she said. “These are Haviland’s favorites.”
    Fred peered into the bag. “Oh, these look fancy. I’ll give one to each of the boys so they have something to chew on in the back room. I want to show you some images on my computer.”
    With Duncan and Haviland happily settled in the kitchen, Fred sat down at an old desk with a cracked leather blotter and gestured for Olivia and Rawlings to take a seat in a pair of Victorian side chairs upholstered in rose-colored brocade. Placing the memory jug on the desk, Fred swiveled his computer screen so that it faced