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Chapter Two

AVA

O ne of my grad students, Ian Lowell, was downing a high-energy drink outside the building as I walked up to the botany lab. Ian was in his late twenties. He’d taken care of his ailing mom after high school. After she died of cancer, he restarted his education and was now a year from his master’s degree. He was highly intelligent. He scrubbed his short hair with his hand and pushed off the wall he’d been leaning on.

“Glad to see you. I’ve been standing here waiting for Norm to come flying out the lab window. Professor Sinclair looked as if he really wanted to pick him up and toss him out.”

“You’d think Norm would get the hint when he’s pushed too many buttons.” I opened the door, and the usual smell of sanitizer, chemicals and that odd odor that always pervaded science labs hit me. It was quite a different scent from the one emanating from Isla’s Bakery. I was sorry that I missed out on a croissant, but since the baker and I lived in the same cottage, I was sure I’d have a croissant waiting for me when I got home.

I reached the lab just as Jack was rushing out. “They’re all yours, and next time call a babysitter.”

“I’m sure a fourteen-year-old babysitter would do a lot better job than you,” I called to his back. He had annoyingly broad shoulders and a posture that was just a little too cocky for my taste. He waved his hand to let me know my insults meant nothing to him.

Ian snickered as we walked inside. “Good one, Prof.” The students called me Prof , which I considered a much better nickname than Lo .

Norman Plimpton was also in his late twenties, but his smooth pink skin seemed to suggest that he had yet to shave. He was still living with his mom, which was not a bad thing, only it seemed she babied him so much that he hadn’t really grown into adulthood. He was oddly thin everywhere but his belly, like an elderly man. Norm was hunched in front of a microscope. I was glad he was occupied. I didn’t feel like hearing his complaints yet. The other two members of our team, Robyn Rylie, a pretty, athletic twenty-something, and Evan Seaver, also a twenty-something who liked to keep mostly to himself, were classifying and cataloging some fungi specimens we’d received last week.

“You’re here, Prof,” Robyn said cheerily. “Thank goodness.” She had blue eyes and a button nose, and I was fairly certain that reclusive, subdued Evan had a major crush on her. It was never ideal in a lab situation, but since he was quiet about it, it didn’t interfere with our work.

I walked over to the table, where petri dishes contained specimens. “I thought Professor Sinclair was going to blow a gasket.” Robyn whispered as if Jack were still in the lab.

Evan smiled to assure me he felt the same way but preferred to keep his opinion to himself.

“Well, I’m back now.”

“How did the grand opening go?” Robyn asked. She looked down at my hands. “Thought you might bring us a few treats.”

I showed her my empty palms. “Sorry. The whole town showed up for free croissants. I’ll bring something tomorrow if there are leftovers.” I glanced at the worktable. About half the specimens had labels. “You two are making good progress on this project. Well done.”

“Oh,” Robyn said as she sat up on her stool. “Almost forgot. Professor Brimley was looking for you earlier.” Her eyes rounded. “Do you think it’s about the Costa Rica grant? I’d sure love to go out to an exotic location to search for fungi. Having the samples delivered to us like this in the lab—it’s just not very exciting.”

“I agree. I’ll go to his office and see if he has some news about the grant. I’ll be right back.” Norm finally looked up from the microscope. I’d hoped to get past him without any interaction. I sensed a complaint coming on, and I already knew what it was about.

“Associate Professor Sinclair should be demoted,” Norm said. “I’ve got a good mind to complain about him to Dean Harper. Do you know he all but threatened to do me bodily harm?”

“He told you he’d stuff your head in a beaker if you didn’t shut up,” Ian said. “I’m pretty sure he was just joking. Your head is way too big for a beaker.”

I shot a raised brow at Ian. He smiled. “Sorry. Couldn’t resist.”

“Well, I’m back now, Norm. How are you coming along with those slides?”

Norm sighed to let me know he’d been working extremely hard, though that was rarely the case with him. “I’m halfway. Perfection can’t be rushed.” Thus far, I’d not seen anything close to perfection in Norm’s work.

I clapped my hands together and rubbed them. “Right. Well, carry on. I’ll be back in a few minutes and then we can go over what you’ve done so far.” I hurried out before Norm could continue his diatribe. I walked down the hallway to Professor Brimley’s office. Brimley was the head of the Life Science department at the university. He was in his sixties and therefore constantly considering retirement. He always wore cardigan sweaters and ties, and I rarely came upon him when he wasn’t sucking a peppermint. He was kind and intelligent, and I liked having him in charge.

I reached his door and lifted my hand to knock. My knuckles fell through the air as the door was yanked open. Suddenly I was face-to-face with Jack Sinclair, and he was wearing a dark scowl. He mumbled something to himself as he rudely pushed past me.

I watched him march away; his broad shoulders taut with tension. I turned back to the office. Professor Brimley was just unwrapping the cellophane from a peppermint. He shook his head as I stepped inside. “Was it something I said?” I asked jokingly.

“Nope, it was something I said.” His bushy brows had been furrowed, but with the fresh mint in his mouth, a smile formed. “I have some great news. The grant your team applied for was approved.”

“Oh wow! That is great news. The group will be so excited.”

The new look on his face told me there was something else, and it wasn’t as brilliant as getting the grant. Brimley opened a folder and took out a paper. “There are some stipulations. There need to be at least six grad students and two staff members on this trip. It’s a substantial amount of money, and the Costa Rican Research Institute wants a good-sized team to ensure the job will be done properly. I don’t need to tell you that the rainforest near the La Selva Biological Station is teeming with unidentified fungi species. It would look very good for the school if your team was able to find and classify some of those yet-to-be-discovered species.”

“Where will we get the extra grad students and staff member? I’m sure if we talk to them and explain that I have a great deal of experience in the field?—”

Brimley was shaking his head before I could finish. “I mentioned that to the grant committee when they called. They want a bigger team, and if we can’t pull one together then the grant money will go to a larger university.” He set the paper down.

My earlier elation had deflated. “It will be disappointing to lose that grant.”

“Exactly, and that is why I’ve made an executive decision. Associate Professor Sinclair and two of his grad students will join you on the expedition.”

I stared at him for a second, hoping a big laugh would follow. Brimley knew that Sinclair and I were oil and water. “When Jack stormed out of here just now?—”

Brimley crunched down on his mint and nodded. “I’d just informed him. He put up a bit of a fuss—” Brimley cleared his throat. “Understatement, but I’ve made my decision. Now, I must ask you—will that work, or do I let the grant committee know that we’re turning down the opportunity?”

None of it was ideal, but I envisioned two entirely separate camps with the Sarapiqui River in between. “No, it’s fine. I’m sure we’ll manage. I’ll go let the team know.”

“Probably a good idea because you leave on Friday.”

I straightened. “As in this Friday?”

“That’s right. That way you’ll avoid the monsoon season and the torrential rains.”

I nodded. “Wow. All right. I’ll go let my team know.” I walked out feeling like a woman who’d been split in half. One side was thrilled and proud that we’d landed a nice grant that would allow us to explore some of the Costa Rican rainforest. The other side dreaded having to share the experience with Jack Sinclair. Anyone else—Scrooge, the Grinch, even Ms. Helton, my wicked high school English teacher, would have been better than Jack. I had no idea how this would work.

I walked into the lab. Everyone was working quietly at their stations. Robyn was the first to notice my return. Her white smile flashed from across the room. “Any news?”

I was apprehensive now about making the announcement. It was like telling someone we won the lottery, but we can only spend the money on socks and underwear.

“Yes, everyone, if you could put aside what you’re doing and join me here at the discussion table, I have an announcement.”

Norman’s chair scraped the ground as he got up. “We didn’t get it. I can tell by her face. I told you we should have added that data spreadsheet to give the whole thing more weight. Now some other team will go in our place.” I couldn’t help but notice the tiny bit of glee in Norm’s speech. I was sure the idea of camping in tents in a mostly wild landscape, complete with reptiles and insects, wasn’t really Norm’s cup of tea.

The rest of the team had gotten caught up in Norm’s usual negativity. Robyn’s smile vanished. “We didn’t get it?” she asked as she plopped down on the stool. Ian and Evan looked equally crestfallen.

“Actually, good news. We got the grant.”

They all stared at me as if I was pranking them.

Ian perked up first. “We got the grant?”

I nodded. “Sure did.”

Ian shook his head and pointed at me. “You sure had us there with that long face.”

“Actually, Norm was the one with the long face. Mine was more—a mix of joy and?—”

“Uh-oh. Don’t like where this is going next.” Evan rarely spoke up but when he did, he proved himself to have incredible intuition. He knew there was more to the joyful announcement.

Everyone sat forward with interest. While Norm had gone on incessantly after I walked in, he was now noticeably silent. No doubt he was imagining himself in the wilds of Costa Rica trying to get a spider out of his shoe.

“Well, the grant committee has some stipulations,” I started.

“Like?” Ian asked.

“They want a team of six grad students and two staff members.”

Robyn sighed with relief. “Oh, that’s all,” she said with a laugh. “The more the merrier, right?”

Ian was on board with it, but clever Evan had already figured out where this was leading. “Not Sinclair,” he said.

I nodded. “Professor Sinclair and two of his team.”

Robyn scrunched her nose. “Oh my gosh, not Pam.” She always said the name with an extra emphasis on the “a.” “She is such a know-it-all.”

“Professor Sinclair will choose who he takes along,” I said.

Norm smacked the table. “Well, I’m out. I won’t travel with Sinclair. I don’t even like being in the same building with the man.” Norman looked pleased that he’d found an easy out. I knew he wasn’t game for such a big adventure.

I would have loved to leave him behind, but his name was on the grant, and he was one of the six grad students. “You’re going, Norm. You were part of the grant application. It’ll be fine. We’ll do our thing, and they can do theirs.”

“When do we leave?” Ian asked.

“That’s the other thing. We leave this Friday.”

The group broke into a flurry of discussion that was edged with both angst and excitement. Robyn and Evan had never been out of the country, and while Ian had traveled some, this would be his first trip to a rainforest. Before applying for the grant, the entire team made sure to have their passports renewed and ready to go just in case. Norman never talked much about his travel experiences, but something told me leaving his mom’s front couch to go down to the local market might have been the extent of his world so far.

“Lo!” Jack’s terse yell silenced the room. He stood in the doorway to the lab with his fists curled and an expression that reminded me of someone chewing a mouthful of nails. “If your little coffee klatch is over, I need a word. My office.” His words came out of a jaw that was tight as a steel trap. He spun around and stomped out.

I glanced at my crew. They all wore looks of grave concern. “Should I go with you?” Ian whispered.

I smiled at him. “Sweet of you to offer, but I’ve faced down far worse animals on my travels.”

Ian’s shoulders relaxed with relief.

“Go ahead and get back to work. Plan on a lunch meeting so we can discuss some of the nuts and bolts of the trip. And cheer up. This is a fabulous grant, and it’ll look great on your resumés. Should be a lot of fun.”

“As long as we send Sinclair down the river,” Robyn muttered.

“There’s miles of rainforest out there. I’m sure we can put plenty of space between us. Now, into the lion’s den I go.”