One Night - Night at the Museum

Nineteen: The End Will Come...

"Speaking of starting somewhere, I think I have a good idea of where to start looking," Nat said as she and Larry walked hand-in-hand to the museum the next day. "When I first started working here, this is where I did a lot of my research and compiled a lot of my notes." She led Larry down to the records room in the basement of the museum.

"Hi, Judith," she said to the woman at the front desk playing a game on the computer.

"Oh, hi Natasha," she answered, pulling her gaze away from the screen.

"This is my boyfriend, Larry," Nat introduced, gesturing to him. "He's head of the Night Program."

Judith turned away from the computer and eyed him over the rim of her glasses. "You're the security guard."

"And head of the Night Program," added Larry.

"We're just doing some research," Nat explained.

"Oh wow, a night guard doing research," remarked Judith.

"Yeah..." said Larry.

"We're just heading to records on Ancient Egypt," Nat said. "See you, Judith."

"Bye Natasha," called Judith, who had already turned back to the game.

For the next hour, Nat and Larry poured over every book on Ancient Egypt they could get their hands on. Luckily, Nat knew where to look.

She came back over to their table, holding a tall stack of books in her arms. "Okay, so I've got Lists and Descriptions of Egyptian Antiquities and Pharaohs and their Prized Possessions  among others – many others."

"Please tell me those are ones we've already looked through."

"Sorry, no such luck."

Larry sighed, taking off his glasses and rubbing his hands over his face. He looked completely wiped out. Then he held up a photograph he had found compiled with a notebook. It was of the group who had excavated during the Ahkmenrah Expedition in the late 1930s, as Nat had told him earlier. "I wish we could talk to these guys."

"Well, you can't, cause they're all dead." The two looked up to see Judith coming over, setting down her cup of coffee and joining them at the table.

"Well, this guy, he's just a kid," said Larry, pointing to the young boy in the photograph.

Judith took it from him, sighing as she stared down at the boy, almost lovingly.

Larry and Nat exchanged a glance. "You didn't know him, did you?"

She sighed again. "C.J. Fredricks, He worked here."

"He worked here?"

"Yeah, he was a night guard, same as you."

"Wait a minute," said Larry. "Did you say C.J. Fredricks?"

"Cecil?!" cried Nat, now catching on too.

Judith nodded. "Sexiest night guard we ever had. Present company included," she said, eyeing Larry.

"Oh, I don't know about that," said Nat, smiling at Larry.

Half an hour later the two arrived at the senior's home Judith said Cecil now lived at. They found him in the entertainment room, where many people sat and watched TV, or read. Part of the room had been cleared of furniture and now served as a dance floor. They couldn't help but smile as they watched Cecil grooving to the music. He stopped and stared when he saw them. "Larry? Natasha?"