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“Alice and I started researching South A Joe’s attention back “Because there’s already a lot of information out there and ere novices The s and read other members’ papers on the topic, the more ere convinced that some Peruvian mummies held secrets”

“What kind of secrets?” Joe said

“Will you stop interruptingpeople have no patience these days When I was your age, I would never have drea so rude”

“Gran” Julia looked up from her iPad “We’re on a deadline here”

“Yes, I’m aware of that, Julia It’s literally a deadline, because if we don’ttoo slow for you I’ve just spent a sleepless week in a cell with ten other wo I’d have to spend the rest of irlfriend of a serial killer called Bertha”

Joe felt his ire rise as Julia shrank back at the rebuke

“Do not speak to Julia like that,” he said

“Joe” Julia placed her hand on his leg, a plea for his silence But it wasn’t going to happen There was no way Joe would sit back and let anyone talk to her that way

He kept his eyes on Patricia and hoped she saw his intent He didn’t give a damn that she was family She would respect Julia “Keep inyou into this mess in the first place Here’s a clue: it wasn’t Julia All your granddaughter has done has been to drop everything and run halfway across the world to save your ass So watch your tone”

He felt Julia wince beside hi his thumb over the back of it

To her credit, Patricia was instantly contrite “I’ht; this is entirelyit out on anyone else Forgive lass for a moment “The obvious secrets the s they’re buried with Each grave tells a tale They hold insight into ancient practices and cultures Then there are biological and environmental secrets Sometimes, because of the drier preservation conditions over here, scientists are able to unlock information on illnesses and the cures ancient Peruvians used Then there are other secrets” Patricia looked away and sipped frolass She sed hard before she looked back at them “I was an art history professor Alice was amany different cultural and historical stories Between us, we heard a lot of rueted in her seat, and Joe leaned towards her They were obviously getting to the heart of the matter

“During our studies intothe sacrificial mummified children of the Andes, we caes hidden with these children Messages that the Incas didn’t want the Spaniards to find And those es ritten in code”

“You cracked the code, didn’t you?” Julia’s head shot up

Joe shared an incredulous look with Ed Patricia thought she was a codon

“Yes” Patricia souilty and excited at the same time “I specialise in the study of textiles I’ve spent my life on it, and it’s an area of expertise that isn’t cost mummy hunters The code oven into the textiles the mummies rapped in You see”—she leaned forward in her seat, bubbling with enthusiasm about the topic, despite the circumstances—“for decades, scholars have believed the Incas didn’t have a written language, and when they wanted to communicate, they used a series of knots in a coed object called a q