Four Ways to Pharaoh Khufu

by Alexander Marmer

  Shaking his head, Michael looked at her keenly, “Is your stuff supposed to be scattered inside your bathtub?”

  Anna returned to the bathroom and a few seconds later Michael heard a meek, “probably not.”

  “I don’t understand why somebody would be after these modern papyrus imitations,” he said, holding up the cold plastic bag as he walked into the living room where Anna joined him. “I’m confused. These fake papyruses probably cost five dollars each.”

  “Is it because of them that my father was killed?” asked Anna, giving the papyruses a puzzled look. “It doesn’t make any sense.”

  “I don’t think so,” he said, pacing the room. “I agree, it doesn’t make any sense,” he stopped next to the window. Deep in thought, Michael pressed his forehead against the glass and looked through the rain to the street below. “Actually, on second thought, it might just make perfect sense!”

  Anna moved so she could look at what Michael was transfixed by. Looking across the street, she saw the tribesman who had chased them at the airport standing outside der Kaffeefreund, a small coffee house. He was in a heated discussion with somebody inside the café. When he threw a quick glance in the direction of Anna’s apartment, Michael barked, “Don’t let him see you!” as he scooted away. Anna stepped away from the window as he barked again, “Try to conceal yourself!”

  “How did he manage to find us so quickly? Did he follow you from the airport?”

  “Of course not,” Anna replied, confusion slipping into her voice. “After dropping you off at the hotel, I went straight to a friend’s house.”

  “That’s strange. It can’t be a coincidence that the same tribesman is right outside your window.” For the first time Michael was seriously frightened. They stared at each other wide-eyed, hearts pounding as they both tried to absorb the realization that the stranger who had poisoned Anna’s father now knew exactly where she lived.

  “Do you think he noticed us standing in the window?” Anna suddenly exclaimed.

  “He may have seen me, but I imagine he would have reacted somehow. It looked like he just kept talking.” He paused and then continued with what was on his battle-trained mind, “Of course, if he saw me and started coming up here … well, it makes me think he is capable of some nasty things.”

  “I do not know what is going on here, but I would really like to find out.” Anna stuffed the bag with the Egyptian papyruses deep inside her spacious purse.

  Michael was deep in thought. “Should we call the police? After all, he did break in to your apartment.” Anna remained silent, her eyes on the scene outside her window. “Actually, we really don’t have any proof that he’s been here. He might have left fingerprints, but that’s a long shot,” he decided sadly.

  “Precisely!” exclaimed Anna. “Let’s go over there and figure it out.” Michael stared at her in utter disbelief. “I’m going to do it!” she announced as she walked toward her bedroom.

  “What?” Michael was astounded and more than a bit concerned.

  She looked back at him, “That tribesman saw you in Egypt would definitely recognize you.”

  “What about you?” Michael asked, watching her disappear into her bedroom. “He saw you at the airport as well, and …well, there’s no telling what he might do to you.” He paused, listening to her rummaging around. He continued authoritatively, “He’s responsible for your father’s death, and I’m not gonna let you approach him alone.” He waited. Was she ignoring him? “It’s not safe,” he pleaded.

  Anna appeared at her bedroom door, some clothes in her arms and a determined look on her face. “Trust me, Michael, I took acting classes in college and performed in several plays.” With a confident nod, she declared, “I just need a few minutes in the bathroom and even my own mom wouldn’t recognize me.” She quickly went into bathroom and closed the door behind her. Michael, both fascinated and surprised, gave up and decided to sit on her couch and wait.

  Chapter 21

  WolfStraße 57, Berlin, Germany

  Thursday, September 21

  10:15 a.m.

  Anna opened the bathroom door, leaned against the doorway and struck a pose. Michael was bewildered. The woman he saw in front of his eyes was not the same woman who had walked into the bathroom. Pushing off the doorway, Anna sashayed down the hallway, striking another pose at the end of her imaginary catwalk. Employing a British accent she asked, “What do you think?”

  Michael was stunned, not sure where to look first. Anna had transformed from a sophisticated, professional woman into a genuine Goth clubber. Her stunning appearance started at the floor with tall, strappy black boots, torn fish net stockings and a red pinstripe mini skirt with a spiked belt encircling her waist. She sported a black leather jacket, ornamented with dozens of zippers placed in different directions. Her face was made up white with black lips and raccoon-like decorative eye makeup. He hoped her various piercings were not real but stuck to her skin with adhesive. She wore a wig, the long jet-black hair parted down the middle.

  If he had crossed paths with her on the street, Michael would never have believed this gothic, creepy-looking teenager was indeed the charming, suave Anna he knew. He realized his jaw had dropped at some point. “Wow.”

  “Thank you,” a smile flirted across her face. “Don’t worry!” She laughed heartily, “It’s a Halloween costume.”

  “Then, I’m safe,” visible relief showed on his face.

  “So, back to our plan,” Anna’s tone became serious. “The tribesman will have no idea who I am. And besides,” she narrowed her eyes as she cast a menacing glance out the window, “My country, my rules.”

  “It’s your show.”

  “I think this will be safer with you,” Anna handed him the bag of fake papyruses.

  Michael nodded and put the bag into his jacket’s inner pocket. A slight chill ran across his chest, as the bag was still ice cold.

  They walked out the door, down the three flights of stairs and into the building’s lobby. Anna went directly to a window facing der Kaffeefreund and peeked outside. Turning, she whispered, “Stay here, I’ll be right back.” Michael nodded as she opened the door. In just a few moments she had crossed over the street and disappeared behind der Kaffeefreund’s door.

  Michael paced a bit while waiting. He checked his watch and sighed: six minutes. What is taking so long? Time stood still. Two minutes later he checked his watch again. Having completely exhausted his patience, he decided to find her. Opening the door, he attempted to casually walk down the street, holding his knife discreetly by his side. His heart and his pace quickened and quickened.

  As he neared the café door, Anna came flying out of it. She grabbed onto his jacket, her face almost colliding with his. Grabbing his hand, she started pulling him down the street. “This way!” she ordered frantically, dashing into a small grocery store.

  They hid behind a wood produce bin, still breathing heavily from their desperate sprint. Breathless, Anna blurted, “Watch over there!”

  “What happened?” Michael whispered frantically, keeping his attention on the window and unconsciously gripping his army knife.

  The door to der Kaffeefreund was opening. “They’re coming out!” Anna whispered back.

  “They?” Michael hoped she had used the wrong pronoun in the excitement. “I thought there was only one.” He grimaced as the tribesman and another Middle Eastern man exited the café and walked into the middle of the street. They were looking up and down the street.

  “I know that guy,” Anna suddenly announced, her grip tightening on the bin in front of her.

  “Yeah, me too, remember?” Michael looked at Anna strangely. “That’s the guy I saw in Egypt. He was at the airport.”

  “No, not him,” Anna replied weakly.

  “What do you mean not him?” Michael gave her a quizzical look. “That’s the same guy. I’m g
ood with faces.”

  “I meant that I know the other guy.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, his name is Seth,” Anna lowered her head and spoke under her breath, “He is twenty-eight years old, speaks German and Arabic fluently, likes Turkish food, dances well and has a fear of heights.”

  “Well, nice to meet you Ms. Sherlock Holmes,” Michael stared at Anna. “Your detective skills are impeccable!”

  Anna muffled a laugh, “Actually he was my boyfriend up until five days ago.”

  An older gentleman appeared, speaking politely in German, “Excuse me, can I help you find something?”

  Anna looked up, smiled sweetly at the grocer and replied in German, “Hans, it’s me, Anna!”

  The grocer looked stunned and then burst into laughter. “Oh! Anna! What is going on? Do you need some help?”

  “Actually, yes, please. I just broke up with that guy out there and I don’t want him to see me. Would you mind if my cousin and I hid here until he left? He makes me nervous.” Anna’s puppy dog eyes were in full force as she looked up at the grocer’s familiar face.

  The grocer’s eyes grew understanding. He walked over to the front window to get a closer look. He turned, “No problem. I have a back room where you and your cousin can sit comfortably until they leave.”

  Michael looked at Anna curiously as they stood up and moved to the back of the little grocery store. He did not understand what they were saying, but was happy to assume the man was trying to help them.

  “So, this is your cousin?” Hans chatted familiarly with Anna as he took them to the back storeroom.

  “Yes, this is Michael, he’s from America. I’m so sorry, but he doesn’t speak a bit of German. Thank you, thank you so much Mr. Schneider. I can explain it to you later.”

  With a small flourish, Mr. Schneider ushered them into a small, dark storeroom and pulled on the overhead light bulb. “I will let you know when they have cleared out,” he promised with a smile as he shut the door behind him.

  Michael stood in the little room, amazed at their good fortune. Now that they were alone and could talk, Anna knew it was time to confess. Sitting down, Anna took a deep breath and started from the beginning.

  She recounted her short-lived romance with Seth, the strange meetings with his Egyptian friends, his sudden disappearance, the late-night visit by his so-called wife Layla, and finally Seth’s strange phone call about meeting at the restaurant that was closed for renovations. A few tears kept interrupting her, as it struck her how kind and protective Michael, a complete stranger, had been to her. It was if an emissary from her dear father sat next to her. Michael remained quiet throughout her entire story and was deep in thought when she finished.

  “Well, now we know that the tribesman knows about the package,” he said. “You may not want to hear this, but I think Seth was dating you in order to get what he was really after.”

  “That’s probably true,” Anna said softly as she dropped her watering eyes to gaze at the floor.

  “I’m thinking that because he didn’t succeed, the tribesman was sent here for reinforcement, assuming he’s their henchman.”

  Just then, the door opened and an older, blonde woman appeared with a basket on her arm. She smiled at Michael as she wrapped Anna in a hug. Reaching inside her basket she pulled out some freshly baked pretzels wrapped in a worn dishtowel and placed them on a nearby crate. Their heavenly scent filled the tiny room. Michael said, “Danke” as he picked one up and began tearing into the treat. Anna and the woman spoke rapidly in German. The woman turned to Michael and spoke in heavily accented English, “Welcome to Germany.” She waved good-bye and exited the door the same way she had entered.

  Anna sat down with a pretzel, “That was Mrs. Schneider. I’ve shopped here for a few years. She has daughters my age and understood what was going on.” A small smile played across her face. “She thought I was clever to disguise myself to see if he was with another woman.” She popped another piece of the large, warm pretzel into her mouth. “Oh! These pretzels are delicious! They are such wonderful people.” She paused to finish eating. Looking up at Michael, her face started to crumple, “I can’t believe I was so naïve.”

  “That’s all right,” Michael soothed, gently taking her free hand between his hands. “You had no reason to suspect him.” He paused to collect his thoughts. “There could be more of them that we haven’t seen yet. So, we have to act quickly if we don’t want them to get their hands on this package,” he said, firmly pressing a hand against his jacket pocket, making sure it was still there. “How did they recognize you in that outfit?”

  “Not me,” Anna looked at Michael, “you.”

  “Huh?”

  “They saw you through the window.”

  “Oh. What were they talking about?”

  “They were speaking in Arabic, but it sounded like they were quarreling about something. They had a map of Berlin. Then Seth went up to the bartender and asked for directions.”

  Just then the door opened and the kindly grocer entered with his smile. “Those two men just got into a black Volvo and took off. I don’t think either of them saw you,” he reassured her, patting her arm.

  “Thank you so much! You and Mrs. Schneider are so kind. And I need to get this outfit off! Thank you for the delicious pretzels,” Anna gushed happily.

  Waving good-bye to their protectors, they hustled out of the grocery store and into the street to Anna’s apartment. Even though they knew all was clear, they could not help but look around cautiously.

  Anna stopped short. “Wait for me here!” She grinned before turning to jog back to der Kaffeefreund. Michael was stunned. Now what? Minutes ticked by before she reappeared. “Are you out of your mind?”

  “I asked the barista how often those two came by,” she replied with a shrug.

  “And?”

  “Well, Seth has been hanging around for the past three days.”

  “That’s disturbing. So, it’s safe to assume they’ve been staking out your apartment. I’m glad you went to your friend’s house instead of your apartment.”

  Anna interjected tersely, “They know what hotel you are staying in.”

  “What?”

  “Seth asked the barista for directions to it.”

  “Wow, they seem to know everything,” he sighed deeply.

  “It doesn’t make any sense,” Anna shook her head as they walked back to her apartment building. Michael looked at her oddly. “OK, they know what hotel you are staying in, so? That doesn’t prove they’re criminals. You know, maybe it has nothing to do with my father, you being here in Germany or anything else related to Egypt!” she bowed her head as if doubting her own words.

  “So, what do you think happened to your apartment?” Michael raised his voice in frustration. “A simple break-in?”

  “Yeah!” Anna locked eyes with Michael. “A simple break-in!”

  “You can’t be serious! Come on, they’re after your father’s package and you know it!”

  “I’m just so confused. I just saw my boyfriend Seth with the tribesman from Egypt. I … I just can’t wrap my mind around it.” She stopped and closed her eyes for a moment. “Ok, what do you suggest we do, then? I’m still in shock about Seth knowing the Egyptian tribesman.”

  “I think the best course of action would be to analyze these papyruses. They might contain some hidden information or clues.”

  “How?”

  “We need to find an expert on Egyptology. There must be something we don’t see,” he paused before adding, “yet.”

  Anna gave Michael a determined look. “I think I know the right person. And luckily for us, he is here in Berlin.” Her mouth twitched, “Of course, I need to change back into myself first.” They both started laughing at that.

  After they climbed the three flights of stairs and unlocke
d her apartment door, Anna headed straight for the bathroom. Michael waited for her on the couch again. About ten minutes later, Anna strode out into the living room looking like her normal self.

  “Damn it,” she patted down her pants pockets. “I left my cellphone at der Kaffeefreund. Don’t go anywhere,” she said before disappearing out the front door, “I’ll be right back.”

  Michael remained sitting on the couch, astonished, still amused by her transformations.

  Chapter 22

  Berlin, Germany

  Thursday, September 21

  11:45 a.m.

  “I have nothing to say to you, Seth,” Anna’s angry words seemed small and ineffective as she stared in frustration out the tinted window of Seth’s black Volvo. She realized her words were futile at this point. The rainfall outside grew heavier. Her stomach twisted as she pondered how she had gotten herself dragged into this dangerous game, the meaning of which she could not comprehend.

  Moments earlier she had been compelled by the mad tribesman and his sharp knife to get inside the tactically parked Volvo. In the minutes before his surprise assault, she was blithely crossing the street as the rain clouds began to open up again into another storm. Nearing the der Kaffeefreund café to retrieve her cell phone, her eyes and mind were focused on avoiding the small puddles collecting near the sidewalk. The tribesman silently appeared out of nowhere and discreetly grabbed her. Anna almost screamed before realizing he was pressing a sharp metal blade against her stomach. Its enormous size stunned her.

  The developing rainstorm had sent everybody scrambling for shelter. Even if she screamed, she doubted anyone would hear her and come to her rescue. Instinctively she realized that by screaming she would find her death right there on the empty street, ironically only a few feet away from the safety of her home. Still in his grasp, Anna glanced up at her window, hoping Michael might be watching. Unfortunately the window remained dark, her white curtains framing its emptiness.

  When her attacker gestured for her to get inside the Volvo with its running engine, Anna resisted, knowing that if she was inside the vehicle it would be far worse than remaining outside, where the tribesman would at least have to keep his weapon concealed. Inside the car, he would have the luxury and freedom to use it in any way he so desired. Her attacker knew she was stalling and pressed the blade painfully.