On his last afternoon in Drumheller, Dr. Norman showed Casey where in the foyer of the Tyrrell he would he stationed.
“That’ll be your desk and chair right in front of that pillar,” Dr. Norman said, pointing to a long table facing the entry doors. Sitting at the table in a rotating wooden office chair was a skinny man with short-cropped, mouse-brown hair and dark-rimmed glasses.
As they stood for a minute for Casey to take in the scene, Dr. Norman told him, “You’ll have trays of rocks and pieces of bone to measure and classify to the best of your ability — always remember to double-check your measurements — the classifications will be rechecked by our staff.”
“Now,” he said, “come and meet Trevor.”
“Incidentally,” he added, “we’re not planning to tell Trevor all the details of what’s really going down: He understands who he’s to look for and has been told you will be taking over when you’re free to come.” He paused a few seconds, and continued in a low voice, “I have to warn you, though, Trevor is jealous of anyone horning in on ‘his’ territory.”
“I won’t be, will I?” Casey asked.
“No. He has his own job in the gift shop and you’ll have nothing to do with that. We’ll be telling him you’ve been hired as a sort of palaeotology intern for the summer; as well, he knows you’re supposed to look out for the men in question. He knows you’re the one who’s seen them.”
They passed the Gift Shop along a wall next to the main exit and walked toward “Casey’s” table. Trevor was sitting with his arms folded and a belligerent look on his face. Casey guessed the guy was in his mid-twenties.
“Trevor,” Dr. Norman began, “I’d like you to meet Casey Templeton.” Casey shot out his hand. Trevor didn’t. “Casey,” Dr. Norman continued, “who, as you know, saw the men in question. He has a great interest in palaeontology as well and is going to be a Tyrrell intern for the summer.”
Trevor grunted.
“Casey will be taking over the surveillance job you’re doing now when he’s free in about a week. He’ll also be sorting and categorizing stones and bone fragments as well. Eventually, the stones will land up for sale in your shop.”
“The Tyrrell doesn’t have interns,” Trevor complained.
“It does now,” Dr. Norman told him, “and I want you to show every courtesy to Casey.”
A customer walked into the shop. Trevor glanced over to see that a clerk was helping her. He grunted again. (Casey thought, Never heard anyone grunt like that.) When Trevor saw the customer was attended to, he sneered at Casey and lowered his head.
Dr. Norman raised his eyebrows in a “see what I mean” expression and he and Casey walked over to stand near the door.
“Okay. So I sit over there facing the door, and ...?” Casey began.
“We’ll have the procedure worked out for you by the time you get back here.”
Dr. Norman pointed above the door and Casey looked up.
“That’s a surveillance camera, Casey, and there’s one above where you’ll be sitting, so the museum will have photos of everyone who enters.… It’s just that no one but you really knows what these men look and sound like.”
As they walked out the door, Casey told Dr. Norman about a couple of ideas he’d had related to his watching job. Dr. Norman was impressed and said, “Good thinking, Casey.”
They walked in silence for a couple of minutes, then Dr. Norman asked, “You’ll be starting a week from next Monday, so you’ll be coming down on the Sunday?”
Casey nodded.
“Tell your parents they’re invited for an early supper.”
“Thanks so much” — Casey smiled up at him — “I’m sure my dad will be back by then and I know he’d like it a lot if he could check out my set-up here.”
“Well, I’ve got some letters to write,” said Dr. Norman, looking at his watch. “I’ll see you later.”
Casey walked back to the Normans’, got all his gear together, had a good supper, and went to bed early so he’d not have any trouble getting up to catch the 6:45 a.m. bus to Richford.
He got up as soon as his alarm rang, dressed quietly, and went down to the Normans’ kitchen.
He drank juice from the fridge and ate the cereal and muffins Mrs. Norman had left for him on the kitchen table.
“A note,” Casey said out loud. “I should leave a note.”
On a sheet torn from his notebook, Casey wrote:
Thank you both so very much for taking such good care of me.
I will do my very best to help you catch the men who are planning to rob the Tyrrell. See you in ten days.
Casey.
He put the note in the middle of the kitchen table. Then, with his backpack in place on his now healing back, he walked out the back door and down to the Drumheller bus depot.