Four Ways to Pharaoh Khufu Page 13

  The rain’s mist seemed to hang in the chilly air, but the freshness invigorated her. Anna was in an excellent mood as the gusting winds swished her perfectly curled hair. Settling into her white Audi, she patted her hair back into place and started the car. It was getting close to the lunch rush hour and combined with the foul weather, it took almost an hour to arrive at her romantic destination.

  * * *

  On her way home from Defne’s the rain began to furiously pelt her windshield. She took a few cleansing breaths and concentrated on driving well. As she drove, her confusion and frustration began to bubble into justified anger. When she was almost home, her cell phone rang inside her purse. Fumbling to get it out, she glanced down at the screen while attempting to keep her Audi on the stormy road. Seth. Anna let out a puff of anger and growled in frustration as she turned on the phone.

  “Anna!” Seth’s voice squealed through the speaker, “Where are you? I've been waiting for the past 30 minutes.”

  Anna let his lie hang in the air for a few moments. “You know Seth, I’m not gonna play this sick game with you,” she snapped. “I’m almost home, and I’m done.” Then she added sarcastically, “By the way, thanks a lot for the wonderful lunch.”

  “Let me explain—”

  “Don’t,” Anna cut him off immediately, “I’d really like to know how you made reservations at a closed restaurant. That must be quite the feat.” She paused to catch her breath before snapping, “I don’t want to see you anymore, Seth. I’m sorry, but you’re an ass.” She ended the call and held her cell phone tightly. Her jaw was clenched; she just wanted to get home. A second later, her phone rang again. She held up the phone and looked at the screen before turning it on, “And, don’t call me again,” she screamed as she cut their connection and hurled the phone somewhere in her car.

  As she pulled into her parking lot, tears were quietly pouring out of her eyes. Something was really wrong. She parked her car, pausing to think. Not only had she lost her boyfriend, but she also doubted he had ever been her friend at all. Even worse, she was scared that she was caught up in something really dangerous. I miss my Dad so much. My life doesn’t make any sense. Her car was starting to cool down, so she found her phone and gathered up her tissues and purse. She was shaking. And hungry.

  Taking the stairs two at a time, Anna unlocked her door and then bolted it behind her. As she walked inside, she felt something in the air. When she entered her bedroom, she nearly jumped when she saw her spilled makeup bag lying on the floor. She walked to the window and cautiously looked out. After firmly shutting the drapes, she frantically searched her room for any other disturbances before a slip of paper caught her eye. Clutching it in her hand, she desperately started dialing the international operator. She got connected to the Cairo Downtown Hotel in Egypt and asked for Michael Doyle’s room. After several rings, his answering machine picked up.

  “Michael, it’s Anna Schulze. I don’t know where else to turn and I really need to speak to you.” She swallowed hard and tried to slow down her speech. “Please call me back. Weird things keep happening to me.” Panic and fear were escaping her firm hold on them. She could not breathe. “I know somebody was inside my apartment just now …”

  “Hello, hello, Anna,” Michael bellowed, trying to talk over the answering machine recording. “I’m here, don’t hang up!”

  “Michael, thank God you’re there. I’m so scared.” She let out a shaky breath.

  “OK, hold on. I just walked into my room. What happened?”

  “I think I’m starting to lose my mind,” sobbed Anna. She could no longer hold back the tears.

  “OK, tell me exactly what happened,” Michael tried to sound as reassuring as possible.

  “Yesterday, this lady barged into my home with ridiculous claims and then my father’s DHL envelope went missing right out of my living room. Then, today I got manipulated into leaving my apartment and ran into that same strange lady. And now I think someone broke into my apartment when I was out.”

  “Did you call the police?”

  “No, nothing’s missing. I’ve already checked, but I know somebody was here because things were moved. I’m scared Michael,” Anna’s voice was starting to border on hysterical.

  “Anna, please just calm down. Is it possible you are just imagining it?”

  “Michael, I’ve got a feeling deep in my gut that somebody’s after the package my father sent me. And if someone poisoned him,” Anna’s head started to pound painfully, “I could be in real danger.”

  “But, I thought you said it was missing already?”

  “Yes, she took the envelope but not the contents of the envelope. I took extra precautions and the contents are safe,” she paused. “Really safe.” She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.

  “Wow, that’s really smart,” Michael said proudly. “You know what,” he paused, thinking. I must be crazy. “Let me see if I can still get tickets for today’s afternoon flight to Germany. Together we can work out what would be the best course of action to keep you safe.”

  “Really, Michael?” Anna was shocked that he would even consider coming to help her.

  “Yes,” he said firmly. This definitely sounded like an adventure. He reasoned that if somebody was trying to steal her father’s package, then it must have had some valuable information in it. I’d never forgive myself if something happened to her because I did nothing. Army’s famous motto, Leave no man behind, was on his mind.

  “Anna, do you have any friends in Berlin?”

  “Yes,” she answered, obviously confused.

  “I mean the kind of friend that you could go and stay with for a couple of days?”

  “Oh, I see, yes, of course,” she said as a bit of strength crept back into her voice.

  “Ok, I’ll book the earliest flight I can get and let you know when I will arrive. In the meantime, just get out of your apartment. Don’t return until I get there.”

  “Yes, Michael, thank you so much for helping me.” She was started to feel better. “I will meet you at the airport. I can’t begin to explain how much this means to me.”

  Anna hung up the phone and pulled out her travel bag. As she began packing, she called a friend from college.

  “Irma, hi. How are you? It’s me, Anna. Hey, would you mind if I spent a couple of days with you?” she asked, trying to neatly toss her things into the bag.

  She peeked out the window as Irma sympathized, “Did you break up with your boyfriend again?”

  “Please? I will explain it to you when I get there. Just say yes.”

  Irma laughed, “Sure, I’ll get some rocky road ice cream, and we’ll have you sorted out in no time.”

  “Rocky road sounds like an excellent idea,” a smile slowly spread across Anna’s face. After she ended the phone call, she quickly opened her door and locked it. She ran down the stairs, trying to look at her surroundings discreetly. She knew she would not feel safe until she got into her car and locked it. Still shaking, she unlocked it, heaved her things into the passenger seat and jumped inside. She could not lock her doors fast enough, but she managed to do it and start the engine as well. She edged into traffic, still looking to see if anyone was following her. Then she forced herself to think of the chocolate, nut and marshmallow ice cream in store for her. As she loved history, it soothed her to recall that rocky road had its origins in 1853 Australia, as a dessert to represent the brave gold miners there.

  Chapter 18

  Tegel International Airport, Berlin, Germany

  Wednesday, September 20

  10:55 p.m.

  Lufthansa flight 2311 made a graceful touchdown at Tegel, Berlin’s international airport. Located in the northern borough of Reinickendorf, the airport is only five miles northwest of Berlin’s city center. Michael Doyle exited the plane and followed the signs, written in both German and English,
to customs. He was pleasantly surprised at the short walking distance; about 100 feet from the aircraft to the terminal exit, and marveled at the architectural feat.

  Forty-five minutes later, after passing through an efficient customs passport control booth and claiming his luggage, Michael was skillfully navigating his rolling camouflage duffle bag along the airport’s pathways.

  Following Anna’s exact instructions, he stopped at the Schnell-Imbiss, a local snack bar. It was not hard to miss, as it was a repurposed, colorful railway car that he recognized by its kitschy vintage sign reading “Die EsS-Bahn.” He understood “EsS-Bahn” to be a German pun on S-Bahn and “essen”, the verb ‘to eat.’ Michael ordered a cup of hot chocolate. As he stood a few feet away and slowly sipped it, the whole situation began to sink into his mind as one of absurdness. What am I doing in Germany? Why did I get involved in this? I don’t even know this Anna. Michael sighed as he finished his drink. He was supposed to be enjoying his hard-earned vacation in sunny Egypt. Furthermore, he was supposed to be exploring the pyramids, his childhood dream. Yet, even a continent away, he could close his eyes and be transported to the Grand Gallery. He could hear Schulze’s trembling, fragile voice echoing through his mind over and over again: “I was poisoned! I was poisoned!” A mystery shrouded the truth. It dawned on Michael that it was the mystery itself that was steering his course. After spending the last few minutes of the man’s life trying to help him, he believed he owed it to Schulze to determine what had happened to him. After his experience with the Cairo police and the Inspector, he doubted the Cairo police were interested in determining the truth. He knew he would not be able to let it go until he solved the riddle. He supposed it would make one heck of a story when he got back home. Besides, he smiled to himself, he felt like a spy on a covert mission.

  What really happened there? Was Schulze really poisoned or was it just a figment of his imagination? Was he really a thief or just being framed? Even if he were a thief, he hardly deserved to die from it. Michael shivered slightly as he recalled his unpleasant conversation, more like an interrogation, with Inspector Suliman. He was becoming more and more aware that something else, something much bigger, was at stake here. Now that he was aware of Schulze’s package to his daughter, he believed that its contents contained an important piece of the puzzle.

  “Hello,” a pleasant female voice with a German accent swiftly broke Michael out of his contemplations. “Michael, I presume, correct?”

  Twisting his head in the direction of the friendly voice, Michael took in the slim, attractive and stylishly dressed brunette woman in her early twenties. Anna’s long hair framed her large, beautiful green eyes. Her outfit consisted of a low cut, ruby-red argyle sweater that reached her mid-thigh and was worn over a button down light pink Oxford dress shirt. Combined with trendy light gray argyle leggings and a pair of dark brown classic Australian Uggs, her fresh look and slightly defiant composure reminded Michael of a prep school student. The light-pink Chloé leather drawstring purse, which neatly hung on her right shoulder, told Michael that she must be reasonably well off and fashion conscientious. He thought her most memorable feature was by far her dazzling smile.

  “Yes, I’m Michael,” he smiled. “And you must be Anna, right?”

  “Yes, I’m Anna Schulze,” she said firmly, nodding her head.

  “Great, nice to finally meet you,” he said, extending his right hand to her.

  “OK, Michael,” she stepped closer, closing the distance between them to a mere foot. The expected handshake did not follow. “How do I even know that you saw my father?”

  Michael reached inside his leather jacket pocket, as Anna’s bright green eyes cautiously followed his every move. He pulled out the business card Schulze had given him and displayed it. Anna eyes brightened as she plucked the card from his fingers. “Is this what I think it is?”

  Michael just shrugged, watching her examine the card.

  Anna stared in awe at her own business card before flipping it over. There was her message to her father: To my lovely Dad. She had given her dad that card three years before on a sunny, summer afternoon when she had first gotten her job as a legal secretary. It was one of the last positive memories she had of her father before their relationship had become strained. She looked up at Michael happily, every doubt in her mind erased.

  “I’m sorry Michael,” she said quietly, brushing her bangs out of her face. “I’ve been under so much stress the last few days. So much has happened, and I don’t know what’s going on.” She took a deep breath before continuing slowly. “I used to live in a world that made sense, but now …” she raised both hands up to her face and then dropped them in despair.

  Not sure what to say, Michael remained silent. Anna continued, “Ever since you called me with the terrible news about my father, strange things have started happening to me. My boyfriend started acting weird. Things have started disappearing in my apartment. It feels as if I’ve been trapped in some kind of endless twilight zone.” Visibly shaking, she walked over and sat down on a nearby bench. Michael followed suit, rolling his duffel bag behind him. He sat down, resting his hand on her shoulder in a comforting manner.

  “I’m sorry about what happened to your father, but trust me when I say this,” he looked gently into her eyes, “the circumstances surrounding his death are not right.” Michael paused, watching Anna. “I don’t know what exactly, be it the will of destiny or God’s hand, but something connected me to your father at the moment he needed help the most. Anna,” he paused, taking her hand, “I did everything in my power to save him, but I couldn’t bring him back to life. An injustice has been done to your father. I don’t know how I’m certain of this, but …” he said, dropping his gaze, “I just know it.”

  “I don’t know what to do.” Anna leaned back against the bench, shaking her head in frustration.

  “I believe your father’s last words about being poisoned. And I have more bad news,” Michael paused. “The Egyptian police are accusing him of stealing an important artifact.” Anna gasped, staring at him. “I personally don’t believe he is a thief. I firmly believe that a person should be presumed innocent until proven guilty.”

  Anna nodded her head slightly as tumultuous expressions played their way across her face. He squeezed her hand, “We will solve this puzzle together, and I promise I won’t let anything happen to you.” Anna’s face brightened, prompting him to add, “As one wise man said, ‘a trouble shared is a trouble halved.’”

  “Thank you, Michael, for coming to Germany,” Anna replied, a spark of hope shimmering in her eyes. “You seem like a really nice guy, and it comforts me that you were the one that was there during my father’s final moments.”

  Suddenly, Michael’s eyes caught a glimpse of a bizarrely dressed man. Standing about a hundred feet behind them, he seemed to be watching them intently. The peculiar man made Michael feel both apprehensive and curious at the same time.

  When Michael released her hand, Anna noticed an apprehensive look cross his face. She asked curiously, “Michael, are you all right?”

  “Shhhh.”

  “What’s wrong?” She hissed sharply, turning her head to mirror the direction Michael’s eyes were looking.

  “Don’t look back!” he whispered emphatically. “It could be dangerous!”

  She spun back to face Michael, “What is going on? Don’t keep me in the dark!”

  Michael’s eyebrows furrowed. “I don’t exactly know yet, but that man standing next to the escalator seems really familiar to me. I have a gut feeling that he is bad news.”

  “Can I take another look? Maybe I’ve seen him before,” her curiosity was gnawing away at her self-control.

  “Yes, but make it look natural, so he doesn’t get suspicious. He is about a hundred feet behind you and slightly to my left.”

  “But there are dozens of people in the terminal.”


  “He has a dark complexion and a thick, black, bushy Afro hairstyle. He’s wearing a brown sweatshirt with a hood. You can’t miss him!”

  “And, what’s so special about him? For your information guys often stare at me.”

  Michael gave her an expression of disbelief, biting his tongue.

  “What? It’s true!” snapped Anna as if reading his mind.

  In an attempt to get her refocused, Michael decided to appease her. “Anna, I have no doubt that many guys find you very attractive, but …”

  “So, do you find me pretty?” She looked at him innocently.

  Cornered, Michael had no choice but to respond, “Yes, I do.”

  Anna’s eyes sparkled mischievously.

  “I have no doubt guys admire your beauty,” Michael said seriously. “But, please, now is not the time for this.” She gave him a quick flirty smile, but he continued without hesitation. “You see, I’m pretty sure I saw him back in Egypt inside the Great Pyramid, when your father died.”

  Anna froze. She took a deep breath and asked, “Are you sure?”

  “Very sure. He almost knocked me to ground in his big hurry to get out of the pyramid. And I’ll never forget those ice cold eyes or his distinctive appearance … especially that hairstyle,” Michael’s confidence was draining from his voice. “There’s no way his presence here is a coincidence.” Anna started to turn back to look at the stranger, but Michael stopped her by impulsively reaching out and brushing his hand through her hair. “Not like that,” he scolded in a whisper, looking directly into her eyes. “More discreetly. Do you have a mirror?” he asked, looking pointedly at her purse.

  She paused, “I’ve got a better idea,” she said, looking rather pleased with herself. Reaching into her purse, Anna pulled out a compact and a tube of lipstick. She flipped open the compact and pulled the top off the lipstick, slowly applying it to her lips. After replacing the top on the lipstick tube, she dropped it. “Oops! My goodness! Butterfingers,” Anna announced loudly as the lipstick bounced against the bench before dropping to the floor and ricocheting underneath. Smiling, she slid down onto her knees and crawled beneath the bench until her upper body was concealed from view. Michael watched the whole enactment in awe. “OK, now tell me where the guy is,” she ordered from under the bench.