The Sean Wyatt Series Box Set 4

by Ernest Dempsey

  “Let me guess,” Tommy said, “now he’s disappeared, and the police don’t know who they’re looking for.”

  “Yes and no. He was able to take out the cameras in the research building. However, he didn’t know there was one across the street that happened to catch a full view of him. The image is lower down in the article. It’s a little fuzzy, but the cops know he’s Asian. They’re looking for him now. He’s the prime suspect.”

  Tommy’s interest piqued. “Asian?”

  “Probably Korean descent.”

  Tara might as well have run a truck through the office. The room fell into a somber silence.

  “You don’t think?” Sean said.

  “That there’s a connection between the guys who tried to steal that medallion and the death of a scientist in Aachen? I know. If it’s a coincidence, it’s a creepy one.”

  “This article says the scientist was doing research on Charlemagne’s DNA,” Tommy said. “It doesn’t say anything about the results of his work.”

  “Alex did some digging around. The reason the article doesn’t mention results is because almost everything related to the study was stolen from the lab. The killer took all the specimens and data.”

  “So we don’t know what he might have found.”

  “Actually,” Sean interrupted, “Tara said almost everything was taken. Tell me this guy slipped up.”

  “Always so astute, Sean. Correct. Investigators swept the entire place. They found something underneath the dead man’s workstation. He’d taped a slide underneath his desk—they assume for safekeeping.”

  “He must have known someone might try to kill him,” Tommy said.

  “It certainly appears that way. Or maybe he was paranoid. In any case, the authorities confiscated the specimen and are holding it as evidence.”

  Sean thought for a moment before speaking again. “I don’t suppose they bothered checking to see what was so special about that particular slide.”

  “I’m not sure at this point. They may have, but if they did, it’s being kept extremely quiet.”

  “Okay, Tara. Thank you, and tell Alex I said thanks, too.”

  “No problem, and will do. I’ll let you know if I find anything else.”

  Tommy hung up the phone and looked across the desk at his friend. It was a look Sean had seen many times during the course of their friendship.

  Sean spoke before Tommy could. “I know what you’re thinking, and it’s not a good idea.”

  “What? I was just going to see what you had planned the next few days.”

  “Look, Schultzie. Just because a scientist was killed researching Charlemagne’s DNA and Charlemagne happens to be on this sculpture doesn’t mean there is any sort of connection to your medallion.”

  “It doesn’t mean there’s not. Plus, if the killer was North Korean, that makes the connection way stronger. It can’t be a coincidence.”

  “Maybe. But then you have to ask yourself, why? Why kill that guy and take his research? And what does he or his research have to do with that medallion? One was dealing with Godfrey of Bouillon and the other Charlemagne. It feels a little like you’re reaching on this one.”

  “Come on, buddy,” Tommy said. “What else do you have going on right now? Huh? We go to Germany, have a look around, and if there’s no connection, then we spend a few days taking in the sights and then leave. What’s the big deal?”

  Sean sighed. “I’ll talk to Adriana.”

  6

  Atlanta

  “Sure, sounds like fun,” Adriana said in a cool voice.

  Sean raised a dubious eyebrow at the comment. “Um…first off, I thought we were going to try to take a little time off from danger and adventure. You know, do some normal people stuff. And second, it wasn’t an invitation.”

  Adriana put a hand on each hip and slowly shook her head. “You’ve been singing that song since we met. We both know you and I aren’t cut out for normal life. Remember your kayak shop in Florida?”

  “Yeah.” Sean sighed. “How can I forget?”

  “You thought moving to the beach and running that place would be relaxing. The whole time you were there, all you could do was pace around waiting for something to happen.”

  “I know.” His head drooped. “But this time, I’m serious. I don’t like the idea of you getting shot again.”

  “Oh, so this is about me?”

  He stepped toward her and wrapped an arm around her waist. “Yeah. A big part of it is.” He pulled her close and felt her breath against his skin.

  She looked up into his cool blue eyes. “When you put it that way, you almost sound like a nice guy.”

  His grip on her lower back tightened at the joke. He snorted a quick laugh. “I can be nice.”

  “I think you need to go with Tommy. It’s been a few months since you did anything with him.”

  “Oh, so you’re trying to get rid of me?” he asked, pretending to be offended.

  She put her hands on his chest and pushed him playfully. He didn’t budge. “No. I’ll come along for the ride.”

  “It’s up to you. I’d prefer you stay somewhere safe.”

  “As sweet as that is, we both know that’s not going to happen. And besides, how unsafe can it be? Aachen is a nice place.”

  “A safe place where a scientist was murdered in his lab.”

  It was Adriana’s turn to sigh. “I know. Honestly, maybe I need to be there to have your back. I know Tommy will be there, but you can never have too many allies.”

  He knew she was going to get her way no matter what he said. If he was honest, he’d rather she be with him than off doing her own thing. She’d been looking into a new mystery lately, a painting that went missing during the early years of World War II. Adriana had made quite a name for herself in the art underground. She’d successfully discovered and returned more priceless works of art than any other single investigator in history. As a result, she’d also picked up a few enemies of her own.

  “So when do we leave?” she asked before he could fire off another protest.

  Sean sighed. “Tommy’s getting the details sorted out on our end. He’d like to get access to the crime scene. That’s not going to happen. I spoke with Emily about the North Koreans. They’re trying to get more information on the case, but right now it’s coming at a trickle. Hard to get any real intel on that country since they’re so closed off from the world.”

  “Look at it this way: we’ll have time to pack.” He offered a weak smile.

  “I already packed.”

  The front door opened, and a moment later Tommy entered the room. “Well, it looks like everything’s all set on my end. Heard anything new out of Emily yet?”

  “Not yet,” Sean said, giving a quick shake of the head. “She’ll keep me in the loop.”

  “Well, I’ve got some news. Under tight security, some scientists at the university near Aachen have analyzed the remaining sample. The results should be ready by the time we get there.”

  “Well done, Schultzie. What does that mean?”

  “It means we can find out what that scientist was learning about Charlemagne. By doing that, we can try to draw a connection between his murder and the North Koreans at the dig site in France.”

  Adriana cocked her head sideways and passed Tommy a dubious, narrow-eyed glare. “Did you order the sample analysis, or were they already doing that and you’re just taking credit?”

  Sean giggled. His friend was busted.

  “Okay, yes,” Tommy confessed. “They were doing it independently. But I did have to request access to the analysis. I would love to be able to get into that scientist’s lab.”

  “Won’t happen,” Sean said. “With a full-on murder investigation, I doubt the German authorities will be happy to have us poking our noses around. It would be best if we get in with your friend, get what we need, and get out of there.”

  “What is it we need, anyway?” Adriana said.

  Tommy fumbled for an e
xplanation. “Well…”

  “He doesn’t know,” Sean answered for his friend. He turned to Tommy and shook his head. “Honestly, this feels like a wild goose chase. If you think you’re going to find any connection between your medallion and some DNA samples from a guy who’s been dead for a thousand years, you’re drifting toward the crazy side of the river.”

  “Look, I know it’s a stretch, but let’s see where it goes. I mean, Germany is nice this time of year. Maybe we can relax, get out and see the sights.”

  “You found a girl!” Adriana said out of the blue.

  Tommy was taken back by the sudden comment. “What? That’s silly. Me? A girl? Come on.”

  Sean crossed his arms and stared at his friend with disbelieving eyes. “Seriously, you’re an awful liar.”

  “What’s her name?” Adriana asked.

  Tommy sighed. “What? No. You know what? Just…no, I’m not doing this. We’re going to Germany to investigate a potential connection with a probably priceless artifact. This has nothing to do with a woman.”

  “Oh, so there is a woman?”

  Tommy’s face flushed red. “Look, can we just get back on task? We’re going to Germany to investigate why an innocent man was killed and a possible connection to the medallion I found in France. End of story.”

  The other two remained silent for a moment, so he continued. “With any luck, the university will have already come up with some answers.”

  “So she’s a professor at the university,” Sean said with confidence.

  “You know, I don’t have to listen to this. We’re dealing with a very serious matter.”

  “You’re right, buddy. I’m sorry.”

  “We both are,” Adriana added, desperately fighting back the smile that was trying to escape.

  “Yeah,” Sean agreed. “We both are. You’re right. Let’s just go over there and figure out what’s going on with this medallion thing.”

  “Thank you,” Tommy said, exasperated. He was visibly relieved they’d finally dropped the subject.

  Sean’s eyes narrowed and his lips curled in a mischievous smirk. “And while we’re there, if we happen to bump into a lady friend of yours, that’s just a bonus.”

  “All right, you know what? Yes. Yes, there’s a woman at the university who happens to be a friend of mine. No, I wouldn’t mind seeing her again. Okay? But nothing ever happened between us.”

  Adriana turned sympathetic. “Oh, why? Why didn’t it work out?”

  Tommy put his hands out wide. “Isn’t it obvious? We live a few thousand miles apart. I can’t just drop what I’m doing, hop in the car, and drive out to meet her for dinner.”

  Sean understood. Distance had strained things with him and Adriana. Not to mention the fact that Adriana’s hobbies were extremely dangerous. Fortunately, she’d been spending most of her time with him in the States lately. They went a few weeks without seeing each other, but those times usually happened after long stretches together.

  Still, Sean was curious how Tommy had been able to keep this a secret. He decided not to press the issue for now even though it itched his mind like a flea on a dog.

  He’d get to the bottom of it sooner or later.

  Tommy struggled to get them back on topic. “Can we please focus?”

  His guests nodded.

  “Please continue,” Sean said, fighting back the urge to giggle.

  “Okay. What we know is that the verse on the back of the medallion is from Matthew 26. It’s a quote from Jesus when Peter cut off a man’s ear in Gethsemane.”

  “When they were about to arrest Jesus,” Adriana said.

  “Right. The guy who lost the ear was Malchus. Of course, Jesus reattached it for him. It was one of the last miracles He performed. Anyway, that’s beside the point. The thing is; why was Peter carrying a sword?”

  Tommy let the question hang in the air for a moment while his friends considered it.

  Sean and Adriana exchanged a questioning glance.

  “Funny,” Sean said. “I never really thought about that before. I mean, I’ve known that story since I was a kid, but it never dawned on me that Peter was armed. Of course, I knew he was. Just never bothered to ask why.”

  “Exactly!” Tommy exclaimed. “He was armed, carrying a weapon right there on his belt. Why? Up until then, the entire mission of Jesus had been about peace and healing and hope for eternity. Why would one of His closest followers be carrying a weapon?”

  “Some of the disciples were zealots,” Adriana offered. “They were ready for a rebellion against Rome. At least in their minds they were.”

  “That’s a good thought,” Tommy said, “and we know that a few of them were zealots, for sure. Peter had all the makings of one.”

  Sean interrupted. “I feel like you’re about to refute that theory.”

  “Am I that transparent?” Tommy asked. “Okay, fine. Yes, the zealot thing is a good theory. The verses, however, don’t suggest that any of the other men were armed. If they had been, wouldn’t they have tried to fight off the authorities for their messiah? You have to figure the brothers known as the sons of thunder would have done something about it had they been armed.”

  “James and John, right?” Sean said.

  “Correct. They were known to have a temper, as was their father. It would seem much of their angst was against the empire.”

  “So it would follow that they would have been armed, or at least tried to fight.”

  “Exactly,” Tommy said. “If they were carrying weapons, seems likely someone else would have been hurt.”

  “Okay,” Adriana interrupted. “What are you getting at? Peter was the only one carrying a sword. Fine. So? What does any of this have to do with Charlemagne and your medallion?”

  “So we come back full circle to the mission of the messiah. See, most of the disciples believed that Jesus was here to set up an earthly kingdom. They were hoping He was going to overthrow the Romans and set up the new Jewish empire. He had to correct them on that belief constantly. Even when He did, they wouldn’t accept it.”

  “You’re saying Peter was ready to be the first soldier for the new Jewish nation?” Sean asked.

  “At first, I thought maybe that was the answer. Now, I’m not so sure. He would have talked with the others. The entire group would have been carrying weapons if that was the consensus.” Tommy shook his head. “No, Peter was the only one. That makes things interesting.”

  “Looking forward to seeing where you’re going with this.”

  Tommy raised a finger. “I thought you might be. Remember how I told you about the sculpture in Cologne?”

  Sean gave a nod. “Yeah. The nine heroes.”

  “Yes. The Nine Worthies. There is something peculiar about that sculpture. Before you ask, I’ll just go ahead and tell you. Every single man depicted is carrying a sword. While the clothing and facial hair are all somewhat skewed to the era in which each of the heroes lived, their swords are all the same.”

  Adriana raised an eyebrow. “You mean they all look the same?”

  “I mean they all are the same,” Tommy said. “That makes no sense. The sword that Joshua carried had to be different than the one Charlemagne took into battle.”

  “Maybe it’s just an artist error,” Sean said. “That sort of thing happens all the time. Much quicker to keep it uniform. Plus, Charlemagne’s sword is on display in the Louvre.”

  “A valid explanation,” Tommy admitted. “I thought the same thing at first. Sidebar, I’m impressed you know where his sword is. Then I started analyzing the rest of the sculpture. The clothing, while somewhat similar, does have unique traits that date it to the appropriate time frame. Same with the shields, the crowns, even the hair on their heads. Why then, if the artist was so meticulous about everything else, would he make the swords identical?”

  Sean’s mind connected the dots rapidly. “Wait a minute. You’re telling me that all of those guys carried the same sword?”

  “It’s
possible. Or does that sound crazy?”

  “Kind of. You’re talking about a sword that would have been passed down through millennia. Not only would it have had difficulty surviving the hundreds and thousands of years, but how would it have been passed down from generation to generation without eventually getting lost? Not to mention it would have worn down over time.”

  Tommy smirked as if he knew Sean was going to out all those things. “I’m not saying it’s correct. All I’m saying is that it’s interesting to consider. Look at the facts. Every man in the sculpture experienced incredible military success. They were nigh unbeatable in battle. What if their abilities were something more than human?”

  Sean and Adriana were both taken back by the question.

  “What do you mean, more than human?” Adriana asked. “You don’t mean they were extraterrestrials or something?”

  “No,” Tommy said, shaking his head. “I’m not saying those men in the sculpture were from outer space. The sword on the other hand…”

  “So you’re suggesting that the sword—the one Peter had—was the same sword used by all those guys from the Nine Worthies? Not only that, you’re saying it had some kind of power?”

  Tommy could see the doubt on his friends’ faces. He’d doubted the theory himself when he first made the connection. Now, he wasn’t so sure he was wrong.

  “There can be no denying the facts. These men were all men of incredible military prowess. They were nearly unbeatable in battle, in spite of overwhelming odds. It was almost as if they had an unfair advantage.”

  “Yes,” Adriana said, “but let’s say that sword does have some kind of otherworldly power. How does that transfer to one person’s entire army?”

  “It wouldn’t have to do much,” Tommy said. “Look at the story of the three hundred Spartans at the battle of Thermopylae. Those three hundred soldiers held off tens of thousands from the Persian army.”

  “They had a tactical advantage with the bottleneck in that spot, though,” Sean argued.

  “Sure. But fighting all day, every day? Had to be exhausting.”