Read Online Fire Engine Dead by Sheila Connolly - Free Book Online

know about the museum and their collections, and the director, who I had never met until this week. Look, if you do get any calls, pass them on to me. But I hope it won’t come to that.”
    I managed to get some more work done before Latoya knocked on my door frame. “A moment, Nell?”
    “Sure. Come on in.” This was unusual. Somehow Latoya always made me come to her.
    She sat gracefully, tucking her long legs under the chair before beginning. “I’ve found a candidate for registrar that I’m rather excited about, and I wondered if you’d have time for an interview?”
    “Of course.” I knew how important the position was to the smooth running of the Society, and how badly we needed to fill the vacancy. “Tell me about…him? Her?”
    “Him. His name is Nicholas Naylor. He brings an interesting mix of skills—he was a history major as an undergraduate, but he’s also done a lot of software development, particularly for cultural applications.”
    I settled back in my chair. “That does sound interesting, not that I know much about that side of things. What brings him to us?”
    “It’s not that he needs the job—currently he’s working at Penn. But he’d like more autonomy to work on his software programs. I’ve told him what Alfred was using as software, and he said he could improve on it. And it wouldn’t cost us anything above his salary. I see it as a win-win situation.”
    I wasn’t so sure. We’d paid dearly for that state-of-the-art system not long ago, and the late Alfred Findley had barely begun to explore its possibilities. He was the only one who had really understood the system, which he had quickly dubbed Cassandra, because she was always spitting out reports filled with doom and gloom. Still, we’d invested in it, and I was leery of starting over so soon, especially with someone I didn’t know. “Does he expect to market this software? Because I wouldn’t want him to use the Society as a stepping-stone and then leave us in the lurch after a year or two. I’d rather see someone who is willing to make a long-term commitment to this place.”
    Latoya nodded once. “Of course. I don’t think this is about the money or selling his program. From what he’s told me, it sounds as though it’s pretty closely tailored to each individual institution and its needs. Can you at least give him an interview and let me know what you think?”
    “Of course. His skills sound intriguing, even if he doesn’t work out for the position here. Any other likely candidates?”
    She shrugged. “A few, but nobody who impresses me as much as Nicholas, at least on paper. I’ve already met with him.”
    “When can he come in?”
    “Tomorrow? As I said, he’s currently employed, but he’s in the city, so he could meet with you early in the morning before he goes to work. Does that work for you?”
    I thought it might, but I needed to check with Eric first. I walked over to the door and stuck my head out. “Eric, do I have anything on my calendar for tomorrow early?”
    He punched a couple of keys on his computer. “No, ma’am. It looks open. Do you want to add something?”
    “Yes—pencil in an interview for the registrar position first thing in the morning. I’ll confirm with you once it’s set up.” I turned back to Latoya. “Give this Nicholas a call and tell him coming in before he goes to work will be fine, then let me know if he can make it and what time.”
    Latoya stood up. “Thank you, Nell. I’ll do that and get back to you. Oh, and I’ll have that information on the Fireman’s Museum collections later today.” When she left, I went back to my desk, sat down, and thought.
    I hadn’t had any part in the hiring of our last registrar, and even if I had, the nature and demands of the position had changed substantially in the years Alfred had workedhere. The Society was a collections-based institution, and those collections had been growing for well over a century. Unfortunately the