Isidore’s smile slipped as he turned his attention to the screen. “That’s possible. Kairo tells me that your focus is Egyptology, so you wouldn’t have been involved in the dig we funded in Levitha and probably not the small research expedition we funded for Rhodes. Oh! You were part of the one that took place near Luxor! I had no idea!”
“Mother! What were you doing in the Valley of the Queens? You said that you weren’t going back! That all the real work was down in Edfu,” Kairo countered.
“Valley of the Kings,” she corrected, huffing at her son. “This was a couple of years ago. I went for a short fall dig as a consultant. They wanted my expert opinion on some hieroglyphics in the tomb of Thoutmosis the Third. There was some argument over whether they were properly translated in the first place, and I happened to tag along with an archeologist who was exploring signs of another cluster of lower noble burial temples southwest of the Valley of the Kings. It was all quite interesting.”
“It’s a wonder you can be dragged out of Egypt at all,” Kairo muttered.
Janet made a dismissive noise at her son, then grinned broadly at Izzie. “It’s so wonderful to hear that you’re supporting archeological digs. It’s with your kind of funding that we can continue to uncover key insights into the lost civilizations—”
Kairo dropped his head into his hand. “Oh shit, she’s in fund-raiser mode.”
Izzie gave Kairo a shove only to thread his arm through Kairo’s, snuggling close again. “It’s perfectly natural. So much of your mother’s important work is completely dependent on outside funds. I find myself in the very lucky position to be able to help in this regard. My parents set up a special trust years ago with money earmarked to go to historical fact-finding missions. While their focus was largely on our home of Greece, I’m more than happy to extend that interest to our close neighbor, Egypt.”
“Oh, wonderful!” Janet cheered, clapping her hands together.
“Yep. She now loves you more than her own son,” Kairo said.
“Impossible,” Izzie argued.
Edison cleared his throat, trying to remind them that there had been a much larger purpose behind their decision to contact Dr. Jones. He was incredibly entertained by the banter, though.
“Shit! Right! Sorry, Ed.” Kairo glanced over his shoulder and flashed him an apologetic smile.
“No problem. After we get this all sorted out, you and Izzie can fly to Cambridge for a nice, long visit with your mom.” That comment instantly turned that apologetic look into a scowl.
“Yes! I haven’t been to England in a few years! That would be wonderful,” Izzie instantly chimed in, and Ed burst out laughing. Kairo was going to fucking kill him.
Turning to face the camera, Kairo grabbed his phone and sent off the pictures he’d taken earlier.
“Mom, we need your expert opinion on something. We had a…weird encounter earlier today.”
“Honey, I feel like you should be accustomed to weird encounters in your life. I can’t imagine how you would need my opinion on any of your weirdness,” she replied in a dry-as-dust tone.
“Dr. Jones, the gentleman we encountered appeared to be in real trouble. It would be a great help to him and us if you could spare us a little of your time and vast knowledge,” Izzie chimed in.
Ed’s mouth fell open farther and farther as he watched Izzie. The man was so fucking smooth. No one could sweet-talk Janet Jones, but he did it with astounding ease. With every word Isidore spoke, Janet’s shoulders relaxed and her gaze softened. Yes, Isidore’s money could make her life a hell of a lot easier, but he had a way about him that made people want to do whatever he asked. He was a nice guy, and who didn’t want to help a nice guy out?
“What is it you want me to review?” Janet inquired, sounding a bit less put out.
“I sent you some encrypted photos,” Kairo answered.
This time, she was the one sighing heavily. “Always with the encryption. Everything needs all these passwords and annoying encryptions,” she muttered under her breath.
That definitely earned her a glare from her son. Janet did not understand the importance of cybersecurity, and it drove her loving child insane.
Ed pursed his lips together and cleared his throat against the laugh that was trying to break free. He shouldn’t laugh. His parents were exactly the same. The fact that Janet Jones managed to answer the video call with the camera and sound working on the first try was leagues better than his own parents. One or both of those things wouldn’t have been working if he’d called them.
For a couple of minutes, they silently watched as Janet leaned closer to her monitor, her mouse loudly clicking in the quiet room. Ed could guess when she finally saw the picture, because she straightened in her chair and her frown deepened.