" It's too soon." " It's okay." "The cemetery's closing for the night." "It opens again tomorrow morning at 8:00." "Okay." "Hello?" "Is somebody in there?" "Who the hell are you?" "What in the name of God do you think you're doing?" "This is a desecration." "Since the beginning oh time  mankind has existed between the world oh light  and the world oh darkness." "Our secret society has been here horever  protecting others hrom the creatures who inhabit the shadows and the night." "Known only to the initiated by our true name  The Legacy." "Did they hit any other display rooms in the hall?" "I don't know." "You'd better speak to the detective on the case." "I'm just the assistant curator." "I'm sorry, Dr. Rayne, I know how much this gallery means to you." "Where are the police?" "Why aren't they here?" "They've come and gone already." "What did they find?" "Did they test it for fingerprints?" "In a museum, it would be hopeless." "There'd be so many." "Who would do something like this?" "Is there anything missing?" "Unfortunately, we were about to start our yearly inventory." "But with all the labels missing and everything in disarray it's going to take twice as long." "Well, if I can be of any help let me know." "Miss Blake, was it?" "Miranda Blake." "Thank you, doctor." "Thank you for your help." "Thank you." "Mother, I'm home." "Hey, Ernie." "Is everything all right?" " Who is it?" " It's..." " It's just me, Mom." " Oh, Miranda." "Oh, I'll get it." " Hello?" " Miranda." "Who is this?" "It's probably that same prank." "Please, who is this?" "All I could hear was his breathing." "Miranda." "Is everything okay?" "Fine." " So how's your new medication?" " I didn't take it." "It's too big." "How are you gonna get better unless you do what the doctors say?" " Where are you going?" " I'm going to wash up for dinner." "The police are looking into the incident but they think the whole thing's very unusual." " In what way?" " Usually the thieves are after a specific piece." "Only this time, they decided to stop and create mayhem." "Exactly." "As if they came in purposely to destroy things." "We'll have to see when the inventory comes in." "What do you think of Miranda Blake?" "Competent." "A bit flustered, but that could have been your fault." "Now, don't be silly." "As soon as she completes the new inventory, I want to know." "What's missing might tell us who the thief is." "Then we should also consider what's been destroyed." " Exactly." " Right." "And if you come up with anything even a hunch, I wanna know." "For heaven's sake you don't have to treat me like a child." "I am perfectly capable of putting myself to bed." "I know you are, Mom." "Get a good night's sleep." "You need your rest." "Why?" "Pretty soon it's all I'll be doing." " I wish you wouldn't say that." " Well, it's the truth." "You spend too much time worrying about me." "Ever since Anton..." "You need to get out more, find yourself another young man." " I don't want another." " Nonsense." "Of course you do." "Good night, Mother." "Where are you now, my love?" "Yeah, yeah." "Hey, man." "Yo, get out of there!" "Hey, yo." "What, you deaf or stupid, man?" "I said, get..." "Let me go!" "Come on, man, no!" "Please, somebody!" "Derek." " Alex, is that inventory done yet?" " That's what I came to tell you." "It's been two days, and I haven't heard a thing." "Have you called Miranda Blake?" "Twice." "I left a message on her voicemail." "She hasn't called back." "This is Miranda Blake." "The Winston Rayne Hall oh Antiquities is presently closed." "Lh you wish to leave a message, please do so at the tone." "I will get back to you soon." "Told you." "Hi, Miranda." "This is Derek Rayne." "Can you please call me so we can discuss whatever items  may have been taken during the break-in at the museum?" "Antiquities, Miss Blake." " How are you?" " Better, thanks." "I've been monitoring my calls, trying to finish this inventory." " How's it coming?" " Almost complete." " In hact, I was just about to call you." " Excellent." "How soon can we see it?" "Hopefully this afternoon." "Good." "I'll send a car." "Why don't you bring it out?" "Bring it myself?" "Right." "So we can go over it together before we reopen the collection to the public." "Yes." "Oh course." "I'll see you this afternoon, then." "Say, around 3?" " I'll look forward to it." " Me too." " Bye." " Bye." "What?" "Nothing." "It's just nice to know she talks to one of us." " Thank you." " You're welcome." " So you made it." " Dr. Rayne." "Yes." "Thank you." " Call me Derek, please." " Derek." "I've always wanted to see inside this house." "Well, be my guest." "Oh, is that what I think it is?" "The armor of Edward, the Black Prince." "Who wore it at his first great victory over the French at Crécy in 1346." "Please." "So did you come to specialize in the Middle Ages by chance or by design?" "Both, I guess." "I was visiting Winchester Cathedral when I realized this was what I wanted to do with my life." "I was looking up at the stained-glass window over the main altar." "The blue ground, with the figure of St. George battling the dragon." " Do you know it?" " Oh, very well." "On weekends, I used to take a train from Oxford to study the windows." " You were at Oxford?" " Yes." "So was I." "My room looked out toward the river." "The most beautiful view I'd seen." "Well, my room had a view of a brick wall." "Please." "So do you work all the time or occasionally take time out?" " Until recently, I was engaged." " Oh, I see." "And that has been broken off?" "Yes." "Oh, I almost forgot." "The inventory." " Any serious damage?" " So far, no." "All that mayhem and nothing destroyed?" "That's curious." "Well, I suppose that it is." "I guess I hadn't considered it." "I was..." "I was simply relieved." "And what's missing?" "Surely something must have been taken." " No, nothing." " Well, there must be something." "No." "No, nothing." "I'm certain." "I expect to have the records collated by tomorrow." "Thursday at the latest." "I'm sorry." "I've really gotta go." "I have so much work to do at the museum." "Of course." "I understand." "Hopefully, next time you can stay a little longer." "Yes, I'd like that very much." "Anton?" "Miranda!" "Thank you for bringing her home." "She's had a terrible shock." "She needs rest." "This Anton Lazaroff." " She knew him well?" " Why, they were engaged." "Was his death unexpected?" "Anton isn't dead." " He's not?" " Of course not." "I've heard what people have said." "But that was just to hide the fact that Anton left Miranda because of me." " Why would you think that?" " It's the truth." "If Miranda didn't have me to care for why, he would have married her without a second thought." "Do you have any idea how difficult it is to get old, Mr. Rayne?" "The strangest thing." "You wake up in the morning, and you lie there in bed and you think of all the things you have to do and you feel just the way you did at 25." "And if you stay there long enough you could almost believe you haven't changed at all." "And then you have to get up and go wash your face and there in the mirror is a stranger staring back at you." "And you ask yourself:" ""Who could this stranger be?"" "Well, life is for the living, Mrs. Blake." "No matter your age." "What makes you so sure Anton is still alive?" "Well, I spoke to him." " When?" " This morning right after Miranda went to work." "I told him I was sorry he went away and that all I wanted for Miranda was her happiness." " What did he say?" " Nothing." "He hung up." "You know, I've been over this material three times." "It still doesn't add up." " What doesn't?" " The inventory documents sent over from the museum don't match our own archives." "Really?" "Who did them?" "The assistant curator, Miranda Blake." "It doesn't look like someone's being careless." "It looks like the confusion's deliberate." "What, you think that she purposely messed with the records to hide the fact that she took something?" "Maybe the idea of making it look like simple vandalism takes pressure off what really happened." " Is that right?" " You're back." "Is everything all right?" "I'm not sure." "I need you to do a complete rundown on a man named Anton Lazaroff." "The violinist?" "I thought he was dead." "I'm sure I read an obit on him a couple of weeks back." " You did." "Only I'm not sure it's true." " Why not?" "Because he was engaged to Miranda Blake." "And after she was here today, I followed her to the cemetery." "Anton's body isn't in the crypt." "You think somebody snatched it?" "Maybe." "Or maybe he isn't really dead." "How can this be?" "I've made my peace." "Accepted my fate." "What right did she have to rip me from my eternal rest?" "Was it love?" "Is that the reason?" "Then she must be taught to grow old together is a lie!" "To die together that's the only truth!" "I must make her understand." "Death is the only path." "United for all eternity." "The time has come, my love, to set you free." "Derek, you shouldn't have come over." "How you feeling?" "And you shouldn't have followed me to the cemetery." "I'm just trying to help you." "I need you to tell me the truth." "The truth about Anton Lazaroff." "What's there to tell?" "He was my fiancé." "He died." "I don't want your pity and I don't want your condolences." "All I really want is Anton back." "It cannot be done, Miranda." "So they say." "I'm sorry." "Yeah, we can talk some other time." " Okay." " Get some rest." " Derek?" " Yes?" "Do you believe that the dead forgive us?" "For what?" "For our folly." "Yes." "I'm sure they do." "How is she?" "Shaken, but she'll live." "What did you find out on Anton Lazaroff?" "Among other things, his obituary." "According to the Chronicle, he was a world-class violinist." "Old money, parents dead, he was an only child." " How about cause of death?" " An aneurysm, without any warning." "He died on-stage during a rehearsal of an adagio he recently composed." "They say he was an eccentric guy." "He even demanded to be buried with his violin." "Well, they said when Paganini played he had the devil on-stage to assist him." "Well, nothing here indicates that Anton went that far." "But if he's not in the crypt how can you be so sure?" "Are you sure this is everything in the current collection?" "Well, the numbers have been altered, apparently to conceal this." " The Bell of Girardius." " It's the only piece still missing." "Remember what it was used for?" "Yeah, vaguely." "Services for the dead, wasn't it?" "Close." "Summoning of the dead." "It was made in 1412 by the goldsmith Girardius." "He made it for this mad Austrian countess whose only son had died." "Oh, yeah, I remember now." "The bell was buried in the boy's grave to absorb the aura of death." "And then when the bell was dug up and rung three times the boy came back to life." " Well, assuming it really worked." "Supposedly the boy went mad and the only way to stop him was to ring it again." "Is that what killed him?" "According to the legend." "So Miranda stole the bell to bring Anton back to life." "That's what I intend to find out." "Miranda!" "What's going on?" "Are you there, Miranda?" "I'm here, Mother." "Everything's fine." "Go back to sleep." "Anton!" "Miranda, open the door." "I need to talk to you." "I don't believe the omission was accidental." "I believe it was intentional." "But who would do that?" "You would, Miranda to keep us from discovering the Bell of Girardius had already been taken." "And then you staged the entire act of vandalism to cover up the theft." "But I am a curator." "Do you honestly believe that I could deliberately destroy artifacts?" "No." "That's what gave you away." "Despite the mayhem, nothing was actually damaged." "Why would I do such a thing?" "To bring your lover back from the dead." "You buried the bell in his coffin then rang it to wake him." "Miranda you have to send him back." "The bell's created enough havoc." "It must end now." " I don't know what you mean." " You saw the body in Anton's crypt." "Who do you think killed him?" "Whoever removed Anton." " Or Anton himself." " No, that's impossible." "Nothing is impossible." "If Anton were alive, he would never be capable of murder." "He was..." "He was gentle and caring." "Whatever's come back from the dead, it's not Anton." "It's something else." "I think you better go." "Don't be foolish." "Think about what I've said." "We'll talk again in the morning." "Miranda." "You brought me back." "It worked." "How?" "Why?" "The Bell of Girardius." "Because I love you, Anton." "Love?" "Yes." "Ours was strong." " Do you still love me?" " Oh, yes." "No matter what?" "Yes, always." "What have I done?" "I need to take you back with me." "The bell." "Where is it?" " It's in my room." " You rang it?" " Yes." "Three times." " And if you ring it again?" "Then you will return to the dead forever." "Together in death." "Never to part." "Now." "Forever." "Oh, Anton, please." "Please." "I could never go on without you again." "Even in my coffin, I wanted you with me." "L..." "I..." "I need time." "I need time." "I have to say goodbye to my mother." "And you've gotta understand." "Just wait here for five minutes." " Five minutes?" " Five minutes." "You can wait here." "I know how I look." "But all this will disappear once you come with me." "You'll see." "Death is so much sweeter than life." "I had to kill him." "He wouldn't stop." "Miranda!" "Miranda, don't leave!" "Miranda!" "Open the door, Miranda!" "I've got to save you, Miranda!" "We were meant to be married, Miranda." "It's still possible, even in death." "Together forever!" "Miranda!" "Miranda." "Miranda!" "You left him there?" "Alone in the cellar?" "It's me he's after." "He wants me to return to the dead with him." "So I bolted the door." "I told my mom not to leave her room." "I don't know what to do." "You've gotta help me." "Give me the bell." "Anton!" "You must confront Anton and ring the bell again three times." "Are you up to it?" " Lf you'll go with me." " Every step of the way." "Ernie?" "Are you in there?" "Is that you?" "No, Mrs. Blake." "It's Anton." "Miranda said that you were here, but I didn't believe her." "She said not to let you out." "Why would she say that?" "I'm not gonna hurt you." "Why don't you open the door, find out for yourself?" "No, I..." "I don't think I should do that." "I think I should wait for Miranda and she'll know what to do." "I'm very thirsty." "Can I have some water?" "And then, of course, I will come right back here." "All right." "But you'll have to go right back until Miranda comes home." "I understand." "Just open the door and let me get a drink of water." "And then I will go right back." "I'm sure Miranda will understand." "This bolt is very stiff." " Take the bell." " No." "Let me get him to the mausoleum first." "I owe him that." " What if he doesn't want to?" " Then we'll do it your way." " Mother!" " She's going to be all right." "I don't think he hurt her." " I mustn't..." " We can't take any more chances." "Go to the car and get the bell." "Anton's got to be here somewhere." "We have to finish it." "It's all right." " No, no." "She'll be very angry." " It's all right." "I knew you would come back!" "Yes." "I need an ambulance." "Oh, no!" "Let go of me!" "Let me go!" "We have so much to share now in death." "I was wrong, Anton." "Our chance is over." "I don't wanna die." "You know nothing about death." "How could you?" "How could anyone?" "Death is silent and serene." "It's nothing like this." "No decay no change." "It's like music." "No longer playing yet haunting in its melody." "It's like nothing I could say in words." "Where could you go that I couldn't find you?" "You're hurting me." "Please, Anton!" "The bell!" "Put it down!" " Don't do it!" " Do it!" "It's your only chance!" " No, Miranda!" " I'm sorry, Anton." "Don't!" "No!" "No!" "Thank you, Derek." "I'm so sorry for everything." "It's done now." "It is." "It's strange." "Until now I believed that love was strong enough to overcome anything." "Even death." "But it isn't." "No." "It isn't." "Love has no past, no future." "Just the present." "Cherish the moment when it comes for, all too soon, it may slip away."