Brian Sadler Archaeology 01 - The Bethlehem Scroll

by Bill Thompson

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Darius explained more about the auction. “There will likely be several reporters there. I sent invitations to both the newspapers and the trade press. But have no worries. Collette and Jason are fully prepared to handle everything. I’m just glad you’re there representing Bijan.”

  Brian made a quick call to Karr and Dandridge, Bijan’s law firm handling the offering, and arranged to meet Sam Lowe for a drink at seven. Sam’s office and the gallery were both in midtown, so they chose the Oak Bar at the Plaza for a convenient watering hole.

  The rest of the afternoon went quickly. Brian stayed on the floor as much as possible. Occasionally Collette or Jason would pull him aside to meet one of the firm’s clients.

  “This is Brian Sadler, Mr. Nazir’s new partner in the gallery,” they said to each client. Brian was thoroughly enjoying his first day at his new profession.

  That evening he and Sam caught up on the progress of Bijan’s public offering. From the lawyer’s standpoint, everything was ready to go. They chatted a few more minutes, finished their drinks and Brian picked up the check.

  “Sorry to cut it short but tomorrow’s a big day. I have to be at the gallery at five am so I’d better get some sleep!”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Around midnight a tractor pulling a semi-trailer parked just off Fifth Avenue on 53rd Street, the closest intersection to Bijan Rarities. Emblazoned on the sides of the trailer were the name and logo of the Discovery Channel. Two men exited the cab, opened the trailer and began to raise a satellite dish that extended from panels in its top. Once the dish was twenty feet high one of the men went to a console in the trailer and tested satellite reception in the concrete canyons of Manhattan. If a link to Discovery Channel’s satellite couldn’t be accomplished the truck would move and the process would be repeated until they were successful.

  Reception was good so the other man began to snake thick cables along the curb from the truck to just in front of Bijan’s front door. He pulled them across the sidewalk and covered them with a metal arch that would allow pedestrians to cross over the cables without tripping. He also set out four large yellow caution signs.

  The truck was now in place for the broadcast. For the rest of the night the two men sat in the trailer and communicated with their counterparts in the Valley of the Kings near Luxor, Egypt. Everyone’s job was to be sure the simulcast scheduled for one pm New York time would come off without a hitch.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Brian’s 4:15 wakeup call jolted him from a deep sleep. He jumped out of bed, dressed in slacks and a sweater, and took a complete change of clothes for later in the day.

  There were few people on the streets at this time of morning and Brian walked quickly to the gallery. Collette had posted a sign last evening that the gallery was closed for the morning and would open for invited guests at noon.

  The showroom was ablaze with light. Brian knocked; Collette ran from the back and let him in along with two uniformed police officers that arrived at the same time. These were off-duty policemen hired to guard the front door until noon. The door would have to be unlocked, even open, a good deal of the time while the TV people prepared everything, and Nazir had wanted to ensure passersby didn’t wander in during the hubbub.

  The morning was busy. Collette, Jason and Brian cleared the center of the showroom and set up over a hundred folding chairs while the Discovery Channel team installed a huge screen in the back of the store facing the front windows. They brought in projection equipment, which they connected to the cables that now ran through the front door. Then they tested the video and audio feeds from Egypt.

  A split screen was set up. The bulk of the screen would show the live Discovery Channel broadcast. A smaller screen on the lower right would display the feed from a camera aimed at the podium in the tent where the auction was happening. Similarly, the tent in Egypt had a small television monitor that showed a view of the dais that was in place at the New York store. Each location could see the other.

  Caterers brought in canapés and refreshments and set up a champagne bar. Just before noon they unloaded a beautiful ice sculpture in the likeness of the pharaoh Inkharaton as depicted on his sarcophagus. Brian thought it was a great addition to the upcoming celebration.

  Brian moved about the showroom doing last minute adjustments on chair rows, when he heard, “Good morning, Brian,” through speakers set up by the electronics crew.

  He looked up and saw Darius on the small screen, standing in front of the podium in Egypt. One of the workmen asked Brian to walk to the dais at the back of the showroom. When he did, the camera in New York picked up his image and he sent his greetings to Darius. The men could now see each other on the TV monitors.

  “It’s good to see you! We’re just making last minute preparations here in Egypt – I know you are too. I think everything’s ready to go. As you know, we begin with a tour of the tomb at one your time, then precisely at 1:30 we’ll emerge to conduct the auction. That’ll be the last thirty minutes of the hour Discovery has allotted for the broadcast.” They chatted briefly and Darius signed off.

  Brian checked his watch. It was less than half an hour until the gallery opened. There was a table at the front of the store to register guests and the media, including the two bidders they were expecting. Brian went to the back office and changed into a suit and tie.

  By noon a number of people stood in line outside the gallery. Precisely at twelve guest check-in began and Collette offered them champagne and hors d’oeuvres. Within twenty minutes the gallery was full. Jason’s primary job was to make sure Brian was aware when the bidders arrived. By 12:30 neither had arrived, but by then the room was filled with well-known clients and friends. Major corporate CEOs had been invited to see the auction and a few actors had flown in from California to attend this monumental event. Bijan had hired plainclothes security guards and a few guests arrived with bodyguards of their own.

  Brian stood on the dais checking the microphone while a technician worked a monitor. Brian noticed a man who appeared to be in his mid-sixties with a head full of wavy gray hair who had completed the check-in process. Collette pointed the guest in his direction and the man strode confidently through the gallery toward him. His suit, Hermes tie and Gucci shoes were impeccable. A gold Rolex peeked out from under a highly starched French cuff white shirt.

  Brian decided this must be the bidder from Canada. He stepped down from the podium, extending his hand, and said, “Welcome. I’m Brian Sadler.”

  “Good day, Mr. Sadler. It’s very nice to meet you. I’m John Spedino.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Brian’s face must have betrayed his astonishment. He was at a loss for words.

  Spedino said smoothly, “I’m looking forward to seeing the auction. I’m a great fan of ancient art and relics and this is shaping up to be the sale of the year.”

  Brian stammered, “I…I suppose I should thank you.”

  “For what? Have we met?”

  Brian stumbled with his words. “I have a feeling you’re behind my move to Bijan.”

  The godfather of New York gave him a puzzled look. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Perhaps you’ve confused me with someone else. I’ve been a customer of Bijan in the past but it’s only been through an agent, so your firm has no record of me as a purchaser in my own name. Regardless, I was pleased to be invited to the event and here I am.”

  He smiled at Brian, excused himself and moved to the champagne bar.

  Brian had a million thoughts running through his mind. Why would Darius invite him? What does he have to do with Bijan? Why didn’t I bring up Bellicose and WT&C? The FBI said Spedino was involved in all this – Carl said it was basically his company. I should have said something to see what his response was.

  The producer interrupted. “Twenty minutes to air time, Mr. Sadler.”

  Within the next ten minutes both his bidders arrived. Collette introduced Brian t
o Paul Lecroix, the bidder representing the National Museum of Canada. Brian thanked Lecroix for attending and offered assistance if the bidder needed anything.

  The second bidder arrived soon after the first. Collette caught Brian’s eye from the front of the room and gave a slight nod in the direction of a man picking up his credentials from the table. She introduced Brian to a New York attorney who would be bidding on behalf of Marilyn Lukonen. Collette quickly checked the power of attorney that would allow him to bid. The dollar amount that was his top bid authorization was in a sealed envelope she handed to Brian. It would be opened only if Lukonen were the winning bidder.

  The producer held ten fingers in the air and began a countdown. Brian went to the podium and spoke into the microphone.

  “Please take your seats. The tour of the tomb of Inkharaton will begin momentarily.”

  He read from a script. He advised the crowd that the tour and auction were being broadcast live to a worldwide audience on the Discovery Channel. He asked everyone to please remain in their seats except during four commercial breaks. As he finished he looked up and saw one late attendee signing in at the desk. As she found a chair, she caught Brian’s eye, smiled and waved to him. Nicole had come after all.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  A couple of minutes before one the gallery lights were dimmed. The live broadcast suddenly appeared on the huge screen. There was an excited murmur from the guests as the tomb in Egypt was shown. A deep, commanding voice read the words displayed on the screen – ‘Inkharaton: The Forgotten Pharaoh.’”

  An announcer welcomed viewers to the first live broadcast of a new tomb in the Valley of the Kings, to be followed by the auction of the pharaoh’s unique second casket. Introductions were made and the program was handed over to the Director of Antiquities, whose role it was to be the master of ceremonies for the tour. While the broadcast continued Brian stepped off the dais and went to the back of the room. Nicole was seated on the last row. He bent to speak to her. She looked at him, put her finger to her lips and whispered, “Shh! I want to watch this!”

  When the tour ended there was a commercial break. The producer gave Brian a finger in the air at exactly 1:29, indicating one minute until the auction would begin. Both bidders had been given auction paddles. Brian would call out any bid on his end and Darius would do the same in Egypt.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  At 3:30 it was all over. Brian took a breather and reflected on the hectic afternoon. During a wrap-up phone call Darius confirmed what he already knew – the auction had been a huge success. The opening minimum bid was set at $10 million and things progressed quickly. At the final stroke of the gavel only four of the six registered bidders had joined in the auction. The golden sarcophagus of Inkharaton sold to the British Museum for $19.5 million. The Museum’s Director of Egyptian Art was present in Egypt; he gave a brief interview at the end of the program.

  The sale gave Bijan Rarities a commission of slightly under a million dollars. Darius told Brian he estimated the gallery’s total expenses at about three hundred thousand, which netted the gallery a lot of money but more importantly, publicity that was impossible to value. In the past month alone calls had begun to come in from places around the globe, offering rarities to Bijan for outright purchase or auction. These were opportunities that the gallery might not have seen otherwise. Even before it happened the Inkharaton sale put Bijan on the map as one of the major galleries in this field. Now that it was over, things promised to be very exciting indeed for Brian’s new employer.

  Brian invited the Canadian bidder to dinner but he declined, saying he was catching a flight back to Montreal. He had never bid but the attorney for Marilyn Lukonen had. That man departed immediately following the auction’s close. Once Brian had a chance to glance around the room, John Spedino was also gone and Nicole was up front talking to Collette.

  On the sidewalk, the paparazzi snapped pictures as some of Bijan’s most famous clients left. Donald Trump and Jack Nicholson were deep in conversation as they walked out. That photograph made the Post’s the front page the next morning.

  Several clients approached the dais and spoke briefly to Brian. Many of them had heard from Darius about his new partner. Each mentioned how pleased Nazir was at having a partner for the first time. Brian received hearty congratulations and promises of lunch and drinks down the road.

  Jason quietly whispered, “Mr. Nazir is standing by in Egypt. He’d like you to give him a ring as soon as you can, please.”

  Brian looked again at Nicole and unsuccessfully tried to catch her eye. He went to the office and called Darius for their wrap-up meeting. Nazir would be exhausted and by the time he got back to his hotel in Luxor it would be long after midnight so this call had to happen now.

  After a short review of how everything went, Darius again told Brian how pleased he was that they had partnered.

  “I’m staying an extra day in Cairo before I head home. There’s a rumor that something’s been found that’s the biggest rarity to surface in years. I have no idea what it is. Everything’s hush-hush right now and I want to look further into it. More news as I hear something.”

  Brian raced back into the gallery, hoping to find Nicole. There were only a few people left. Collette said Nicole would catch up with him later. He would have tried her cell phone, but although she knew his number, he still didn’t know hers. How, he wondered, did she intend to catch up with him? Hopefully she’d call.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Hoping she might to stop back by the gallery, Brian stayed an extra hour finishing a summary memorandum of observations about the auction. He emailed it to Darius. At six Collette and Jason stuck their heads in the door, asking if he was ready to close for the night. Since Brian had neither key nor code to the gallery’s sophisticated alarm system, he had to leave when they did.

  He stood on the sidewalk for a few minutes, hoping Nicole might stop by. Finally he called Ryan Coleman. He asked for Nicole’s cell number and Ryan responded that his instructions were, if you don’t already have it, I’m not allowed to give it to you. He briefly considered asking Ryan to call her and pass along a message, but Brian had to give up. She knew how to get in touch with him, but she hadn’t. That was it.

  As he walked through the Inter-Continental’s lobby toward the elevators, he glanced right and left to see if she was waiting for him. The bar was completely open to the lobby, so he would have easily noticed her blond hair but she wasn’t there. He unlocked his door, put his briefcase in the hallway, and heard, “It’s about time you got here.”

  He turned the corner and looked at his bed. Nicole was lying on it, wearing nothing but a pair of tiny pink panties.

  Part Three

  Chapter One

  The Hills near Qumran

  January 2004

  Two teenage boys hiked in the midday sun. Sons of shepherds, they were no strangers to the hills around the ancient ruins of Qumran. They lived at the edge of the Dead Sea only a few miles from where they stood today and had spent their lives roaming the hills and valleys nearby.

  Since 1947 when the first scrolls were found, the residents of this area had become de facto treasure hunters. Not many days went by without at least a few people combing the hills near Qumran, hoping to uncover the next cache of earthenware and parchment. These boys were no different. They had packed lunches and planned to spend the day enjoying the outdoors and searching for caves. Everyone in the area laughed about it but secretly many of them believed there were more hiding places than the few found so far.

  After hours of roaming they stood on a hilltop overlooking the Dead Sea.

  “It looks as if there is an old trail below us, maybe,” one said. They worked to find handholds as they inched down the rocky hillside. Finally they landed on an area about fifteen feet below the mesa on which they had stood.

  “Doesn’t look much like a trail to me,” the other boy said. They walked twenty feet to the east and saw a small hole at th
e side of the makeshift trail. One of the boys found a stick, knelt and began to dig out the hole, careful lest a snake emerge. They dislodged rocks to make the hole bigger – the rocks fell down inside the hole, a sign there could be a cave.

  Once they’d enlarged the hole they could see that a tunnel went down and then straightened out into a small room. There was an opening in the rear of the cave into a second room.

  The rooms weren’t big enough for both of them. Renewing their pact that whatever one found belonged to both of them, they drew straws and one was soon sliding down through the hole. He crawled on all fours to the second space.

  “It looks like just an empty room,” he yelled. He directed a flashlight through the hole in front of him. He didn’t want to stuff himself through the small opening only to come face to face with a snake.

  The second room was empty so he squeezed through the doorway. It was claustrophobic. The walls were within a foot on each side and the ceiling was not far above his bent back.

  “I don’t see anything,” he said, turning slightly so his friend could hear.

  “Look around closely.”

  The boy rose up off his hands, holding the light in one while he ran the other along the back wall.

  The sandstone wall was smooth until he came to a ridge in the middle. He dug his finger into an indentation running up and down maybe eighteen inches. Along the top the ridge continued left and right. These are rocks, not the wall, he thought excitedly.

  He took a Swiss Army knife from his pocket and inserted it into the ridge. The knife went in easily, all the way to the hilt. His adrenalin began to pump as he ran the knife around the seam.

  “What’s going on?” his friend yelled into the cave.