The 15th Star (A Lisa Grace History - Mystery) Read Online Free PDF

sipped her coffee and enjoyed the brisk pace she had to maintain to keep up with the view. Dr. Julian Lone Wolf was the hunk of the department. Make that the hunk of the Smithsonian. He was the department head of the Colonial American-Indian Studies Department. He did not fit the stereotypical mold of a Smithsonian professor. No bow tie, corduroy jacket, or pocket pencil protector for him. The unofficial uniform of most of those who held doctorates in the building. Where did they find that stuff anyway? Antique stores? She wondered if they had special catalogs they ordered their clothing from. Today, Dr. Lone Wolf was wearing his customary blue jeans and a flannel shirt. He looked more the part of a lumberjack than a museum professor. Julian could wear whatever he wanted, because when you looked as good as he did, did clothes matter?
    Julian still looked like the fit soldier he was just a few years ago. Rumor had it an IED in Iraq exploded under his Humvee putting an end to his leg and his military career. He went back to school and completed his doctorate. Obviously, they forgot to send him the geeky doctor clothing catalog, Keiko joked to herself.
    While his bearing was regal, his hair was not. He had let it grow long, just past shoulder length. Keiko prayed he wouldn ’t look back and see her watching him. She had to work on controlling her attraction and separate that part of her from who she needed to be. Besides, he probably had a girlfriend. Washington was known for an excess of attractive brainy assertive women. Someone like him would have had plenty of tempting offers and Julian would not be into an intern still going for her masters. It was hard to see him everyday and pretend indifference. But if she wanted to keep her internship, Keiko knew she had to prove herself. The last thing she needed was a reputation as a schoolgirl with a crush on one of the professors. Her mental energy needed to be focused on finding something new in colonial history. Something she could expand into a thesis for her masters and expound upon for a doctorate. When she received her doctorate, she would not be signing up for the geeky clothing catalog either, though it would be nice to get a decent salary so she could wear prettier clothes than the basic black ones she normally chose because they hid the dust and coffee stains she seemed to attract.
    Keiko reached Doc ’s office and entered.
    Doc was rarely in his office as he was the leading expert in Colonial Americana. His expertise was needed for restoration projects all over the District of Columbia. Even the White House called him for matters as important as consulting on the rearranging of furniture and paintings in the public and private rooms.
    One of the reasons Keiko loved it here so much was because Doc was a wonderful mentor and colleague. His excitement everyday for what he and they did was contagious.
    She went in to start a fresh pot of coffee as the rest of the department would be drifting in any minute. Since Keiko was one of the first to arrive every morning, she thought it was the polite thing to do. Keiko heard Dr. Writer enter and turned around to greet him,
    “Good morning, Doctor.”
    “ Hey ho, Keiko! What a blustery morning. Can you imagine the troops out on a day like today? Oh the wonder of brick and mortar walls, the things we take for granted. Again, today, I am in awe of what our past has wrought.” He put his briefcase down, removed his overcoat, and came over Keiko’s way to pour his own mug, and stir in a few spoonfuls of creamer with two sugars.
    Keiko laughed. You never knew what Doc was going to say. Each day brought a new appreciation of some modern marvel. Doc reminded Keiko of her father. He didn ’t look anything like him, but the way he found joy in everyday experiences made Keiko’s heart warm and ache. Keiko had been adopted from Japan when she was only six months old. She was one of several baby girls dropped off that year at an orphanage