Frank

Frank had just grabbed his 11 AM coffee and had stopped at the reception desk to have a chat with Angela about how her home renovation was going. Just in the middle of their talk about bathroom sinks both were surprised when the two sisters walked in. 

The office’s frosted main double doors opened Tasmin first, in jeans and a leather jacket following Nor in her usual office attire of dark skirt and light top underneath her fall coat, maybe even more formal than usual. Even though it was clear Nora and Tasmin were sisters it just took one look at them to see they were as different as night and day, even more so than usual. And yes Tasmin had been traveling around the Sahara so did make sense she was well tanned. But it was not just their complexion, blond to chestnut hair, but their choice of clothes, body language, even the way they spoke most of the time. At first glance, they’d even gone to more of an extreme this time. He could admit, though, when Nora was riled up, he could see a lot of her sister in her.

Tasmin otherwise didn’t look much worse for wear all things considered, although he did spot Nora offering her concern by the way she glanced at him then at Angela. 

Frank raised his cup.

“Ladies,” he said in greeting

A little to his surprise, Tasmin came right to him, and gave him a light hug, which he returned trying not to spill his coffee. 

“Good to see you back in one piece,” he told her accepting her need for the reassurance. “We are all worried for you.”

Tasmin pulled back and nodded, the mask back on. Nora was whispering something to Angela across the room, but too far for him to hear.

“Well one of us had to make it back,” she told him. “I kind of figured it was going to be Andy the way things were going. But you know Andy was a man’s man. He had to do things his way.”

Ouch. But it was just like Tasmin to say it like it was. The two had a pretty confrontational relationship, her and the good professor. Until this trip, though they both thrived on that sort of thing, or so he had thought. Tasmin turned to the reception desk before he could reply.

Frank moved over to where her sister was standing now.

“Didn’t expect you would both be coming to the office so quickly with her,” Frank said to Nora who was standing back her arms crossed over her chest.

“Well, it was an early morning flight and you know Tasmin, she doesn’t like to dillydally around,” Nora told him. “She just wants to get back to work.”

That was Tasmin, he could agree.

“That is true what about Dr. Burnes' body?” Frank wondered while Tasmin started up a chat with Angela about her return to Columbus and about having all her office permissions updated.

“That’s already been sent to the funeral home for treatment and dressing up for the funeral on Saturday,” Nora confirmed.

Saturday. Fast, but according to responses the church would be packed.

“Yeah, got the email.” But like everyone with the exception of Nora and Tasmin, he wasn’t sure what condition the good doctor was in postmortem.

“It can’t be an open casket, right?” Frank wanted to know.

“They do have freezers in Africa Frank,” Nora pointed out. “It is the 21st century over there too.”

Frank nodded to sip some more coffee. Guess it was.

“Sure, but what about our next job? Tasmin’s going to want in on that. Has Esperanza told you anything?”

“Not a peep,” Nora said. “I think that’s going to wait until after the funeral. What do you think about Tasmin though? Do you think she’ll be ready?” 

“You know better than me. All we got was the official stuff from the French Embassy and they didn’t really cover anything about how she’d been treated. But I would be surprised. Tasmin and you going to take a few days off just relax and unwind, aren’t you?”

Tasmin obvious had been listening to their conversation, offering him a sideways glance while Angela worked her keyboard.

“Honestly, the last few weeks I’ve had hardly anything to do Frank. I’d like to get into a job and not just lay around. You have one set up?”

“Anything yet from the boss lady?” Frank asked Angela.

“I’m just the receptionist, Frank,” Angela replied without turning her head from the screen. “I think she said something about having finished looking over the folders you all handed in, so whatever it is it’s probably going to be decided by Monday. Office meeting is set for two as usual.

They had had a pile of stuff come in while they were off up in the upper Peninsula, but he was hoping it was one of the things which had come before, as a few looked interesting and didn’t deserve to get buried.