Dragon Bones (Red Princess 3)

Stuart thought about it, then said, “Go ahead. I have nothing to hide.”

“Were you in China when Brian died?”

“I was visiting Cat at the site when they found his things. We used my hydrofoil to look for him.”

Why had no one mentioned this?

“Tell me more about Brian and Lily. I understand they were lovers.”

“More than lovers. They were business associates.”

“He did research for her—”

“Research! That’s funny! He was her courier.” Stuart rubbed the nap of the suede on his armrest, turning it a darker color. “She’s dead now, so I guess it doesn’t matter, but she wasn’t exactly on the up-and-up.”

“Meaning what?”

“She got stuff out of China, then doctored the records so that an artifact would have untraceable provenance. She hired people like Brian to work for her. I give fellowships to kids like him, but it doesn’t surprise me when they do a little extra work on the side.”

Three knocks on the door announced the arrival of the tea girl. Stuart cleared a spot on his side of the desk and told Hulan to move whatever was in her way.

Once the tea girl left, Hulan said, “You still haven’t explained how Lily could get artifacts out of China or how she sold them.”

“I don’t know how she did it exactly. People don’t usually tell you the ins and outs of their criminal activity even if you both know it’s happening.”

“But you’ve given some thought to it,” she prompted.

“Sure,” he said. “Who wouldn’t? I figure Lily used kids like Brian and other archaeologists who’re working on sites in China and need extra cash—I guess that would cover the lot of them—to find things. After all, they’re on a site. It would be very easy to find yourself alone with your brush and sieve, uncover something, pocket it, and keep working. No one would know.”

“Which would explain why Dr. Ma doesn’t know all of what’s missing,” Hulan prodded.

Stuart disagreed. “Brian brought Ma pieces for identification, but I don’t think they came from Site 518.”

“If not Site 518, where?”

Stuart shrugged. “I don’t know, except that the pieces I saw last year weren’t consistent with Site 518 artifacts.”

“What were they consistent with?”

“I’d say the Erlitou site on the Yellow River.”

“But Brian wasn’t up there, was he?”

“Not to my knowledge.” He paused, then said, “As for getting pieces out, just look at the river. If it were me, I’d put my contraband in a bag of fruit or tuck it inside a duck basket, then get on one of those ferries or barges. Who’s going to stop one of those?”

“Who else knew what Brian and Lily were doing?”

“The scholars literally have their heads in the sand,” Stuart answered. “And Cat’s as naïve as the rest of them. Dr. Ma knew, but all he cared about was where.”

“Where?”

“If Brian wasn’t going to Erlitou, then where did he find those artifacts?”

Hulan tucked that thought away, then said, “I get the impression you were one of Lily’s biggest customers.”

“Only at Cosgrove’s.” He hesitated, then explained, “I love beautiful things, but I can’t do anything to jeopardize my position here at the dam.”

“Are you sure she put Site 518 artifacts up for auction at Cosgrove’s?”