The Eye of Heaven

34

Lazlo was waiting in the clinic lobby when Sam and Remi’s taxi pulled up outside the imposing building the next morning. He practically ran from the doorway when Sam got out of the car and waved and within minutes the three of them were comfortably ensconced in a booth at a nearby restaurant.

After they’d ordered breakfast, the discussion turned to the tomb.

Lazlo took a sip of his black coffee. “I want to take my time going over the location today. I’m afraid that your Mexican colleagues are a little too quick to declare victory, for my liking.”

“They just aren’t as naturally suspicious as you are,” Sam said.

“Years of poor behavior and cynicism mold one, in that regard,” Lazlo agreed.

Sam’s cell trilled as their meals were delivered. He glanced at the number, puzzled, and answered it as Remi and Lazlo dug into their eggs. After a hushed discussion, he hung up and placed the phone on the table next to his plate, the blood drained from his face.

“Sam. What’s wrong?” Remi asked.

“It’s the site. It’s been attacked. Everyone killed, the treasure gone.”

“How is that possible?” Lazlo asked incredulously.

“Late last night. Someone murdered the soldiers and raided the crypt. All the artifacts … everything gone.”

“How many soldiers were there?” Lazlo asked.

“A dozen. That was Antonio on the phone. He’s absolutely devastated, as you might imagine.” Sam went on to fill them in on what Antonio had relayed. When he was finished, they stared at each other in stunned silence, the reality of the attack taking a while to settle in.

“So there’s nothing left?” Remi finally asked.

“At least they didn’t take the mummy.”

“Who even knew about the find? Had it been reported?” Lazlo asked.

Remi shook her head. “No. But, obviously, somebody talked. Could have been one of the laborers or one of the students or even one of the soldiers. Way too many fingers in the pie.”

“Antonio says that the place is crawling with Federales and TV crews. He said we were welcome to come up but to wait till the end of the day so the cops can do their thing.”

“This is unbelievable. We’re only rock-throwing distance from Mexico City …” Remi said, her thoughts a blur.

“Are there any theories on who perpetrated it?” Lazlo asked.

“A criminal gang. Cartels. Take your pick. But whoever it was had to be very, very good. Nobody heard anything until the day shift showed up at seven. Which means the attackers killed a dozen heavily armed soldiers in silence. None of the soldiers had even fired their weapons. It had to be almost instant.”

“Like SAS. Commandos. Nigh on impossible, I’d have thought.”

“They’re taking tire impressions, but Antonio didn’t sound positive. Something tells me that the Federales aren’t TV-style CSI.”

“No, I wouldn’t expect so,” Remi agreed.

Sam’s shoulders sagged. “I’ve pretty much lost my appetite.”

Remi pushed her plate away. “Me too.”

Lazlo continued plowing through his food as Remi sipped her coffee. After a final forkful of omelet, he sat back and gazed through the picture window at the traffic on the street outside.

“You know, one of the things I was studying last night was accounts of these sorts of tombs. For all intents and purposes, if you’re going to hide something, you should keep it a secret. But even so, secrets can leak. So if you have a treasure that’s unlike anything anyone’s ever seen before and it’s buried with your glorious leader … what would you do?”

“I give up.”

“Well, in a few instances, there’s been a decoy tomb. The one that makes everyone stop looking because they think they found it. Typically, with adequate riches to satisfy everyone that it’s the real thing. Ingenious buggers, some of them were.”

“You think this could be … a head fake?”

“Anything’s possible, isn’t it? It’s just an observation — based on what you were expecting and what you found.”

“You’ve seen the photos. Does this strike you as a treasure fit for a king? Even by Toltec standards?”

“Not really. I think that’s rather my point … and yours.”

“But if it’s not the real tomb, then why memorialize it in the carvings?”

“That’s what’s got me thinking. Perhaps the location’s correct, but the crypt we discovered … was designed to be discovered so that any hunt for it would end there.” Lazlo sighed. “Which, you have to admit, it effectively did.”

Remi considered the idea and looked at Sam. “Didn’t I tell you that Lazlo is a genius?”

“Well, the jury is still out, but still …” Sam replied, smiling.

“No, seriously.”

“Interesting, and it does make a certain sense. But, frankly, the Mexican government probably isn’t going to be thrilled with us digging randomly in the hopes that maybe that hunch is valid. We have nothing to go on,” Sam said.

“But there has to be a way.”

“I didn’t say there wasn’t. Just that they won’t let us excavate in a proven historical find just for giggles.”

Remi studied his expression. “But you have an idea, don’t you?”

“I do. One of the things Antonio told me on the call was that the sonar finally showed up, albeit too late to do us any good. Only, I’m thinking maybe it’s not too late after all.”

Sam paid for breakfast and they stepped out onto the street. Remi waved at a cab and waited as it pulled to the curb, traffic surging past it.

“Does this mean that our glorious stay at the St. Regis is over? Back to the Teotihuacan motel?” Remi asked.

“Only if you want to give this one more go.”

“Of course I do. Lazlo’s instinct is the same as mine on this one. We may have discovered the only chamber and it’s just a wildly exaggerated tale or we fell for a tricky Toltec ruse.”

“Human nature hasn’t really changed in a thousand years, has it? Anyone normal would have found this, seen some treasure and a body, and called it a day,” Lazlo agreed.

Sam held the rear door open and slid in next to her while Lazlo climbed into the passenger seat.

“But we’re not normal, are we?” she said.

Sam smiled. “Thank goodness, no. We’d be bored to death.”

Kendra leaned back in her chair, another long day of research concluded, and sneaked a glance at Pete, who was shutting down his computer. Wendy had taken off a half hour earlier, leaving the two of them to their devices as they worked on their latest assignment.

“Any luck?” Pete asked as he stood, a two-day dusting of stubble on his face. He brushed a boyish lock of hair off his forehead and smiled at Kendra, who shook her head.

“No, but we weren’t really expecting any miracles. This is going to take a long time. Nothing’s jumping out at me,” she said.

“That’s why they call it a job, right?”

“Beats flipping burgers.”

Pete approached her desk. “Are you speaking from experience or in a hypothetical burger-flipping way?”

Kendra batted her eyes. “I’m not going to give up all my secrets so easily. A girl’s got to have her mysteries …”

Pete seemed suddenly uneasy and shifted from foot to foot before clearing his throat. Kendra raised one eyebrow, waiting for his next utterance.

“You have any plans for tonight?”

“I was going to get another tattoo. Why?”

That threw him, but he continued now that he’d begun his pitch. “Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about heading into Old Town and grabbing a beer at a new microbrewery that opened up. I read about it online. It’s supposed to have awesome pizza.”

“I don’t eat carbs or dairy or drink alcohol,” Kendra said and then offered a grin. “I’ve always wondered what I would sound like saying that. I’ve heard it so many times it makes my head want to explode. Now I know.” Pete looked confused and Kendra sighed. “It’s a little humor, Pete. I love pizza and beer. What red-blooded American girl could resist an offer like that?”

“So no tattoo?” he asked, relieved and happy she’d accepted his invitation.

“Depends on how many beers I have. You buying?”

“First round’s on me.”

She clicked her mouse on an icon and shut down her computer, then stood and slid the shoulder strap of her slim purse over her head. “There. I travel light. Two cars or one?”

“That’s up to you. I don’t mind dropping you off later if you only want to take one.”

“Sounds like a deal. Lead the way. I’m actually starving — I kind of forgot to eat lunch today.”

“I thought I was the only one who did that around here.”

“Like minds think alike.”

As they walked to the door Kendra held up a finger and mouthed the name “Selma,” and then she moved across the darkened floor to Selma’s door. Seeing light beneath it, she rapped lightly on the heavy wood. Zoltán let out a protective bark from inside and then Selma cracked the door open and smiled when she saw Kendra.

“I’m just heading out of here, Selma,” Kendra explained. “Do you need me to get you anything in the morning on my way in?”

Selma shook her head. “No, darling, thank you. I’m fine. Have a good night. And remember to set the alarm when you leave.”

“I will. Are you managing any better?”

“Isn’t there an expression? ‘That which does not kill us …’”

“Nietzsche had a way with words, didn’t he?” Kendra said with a smile.

“He did indeed. You take care of yourself,” Selma said, then spotted movement in the shadows. “Oh, Pete. You still here?”

“Yes, Selma. I was just walking Kendra out.”

Selma gave Kendra a knowing glance before her face assumed its customary neutral expression. “That’s very chivalrous of you. All right, then, it’s time for this old lady to hit the sack. You kids have a nice time.”

Kendra leaned forward and gave her a light kiss on the cheek. “Take care and sleep well.”