Shadowed-Death by Design

Chapter Nineteen - Wicked Venture?

When Mauro arrived to pick up Lucy she was nowhere to be seen. There was a puzzled look on his face when he noticed the closed sarcophagus. It had always been left open. Enlisting help, he finally gathered Lucy in his arms and rushed toward the exit. Outside, in the shadow of the Sphinx, Lucy's lungs filled with fresh air. Escaping in a rented jeep, and surveying all around, Mauro pointed. "Aren't they the same Bedouins who brought us here? Give me the binoculars and get down in your seat, so it appears that I am driving solo. If they are the culprits, they may think they succeeded in their wicked venture and will stop pursuing us. Tell me about it."  

"Mauro, the last thing I remember was looking into the empty sarcophagus and a damp cloth was placed over my nose and mouth. I could not see the faces of the men, but I saw the reflection of the shorter Bedouin in the dark glasses of the man facing me, wearing the same apparel as the short camel owner and face covered.

I awakened in total darkness, lying on a hard, flat, narrow surface, and breathing stale air. Exploring with my hands, I acknowledged I was inside a container about the same size as my mummy sleeping bag. I reached up and pushed against the heavy lid. I realized I should stay still and conserve what little oxygen was left. After I do not know how long, I heard a heavy sound. Fresh air and light were slowly rolled in and your face appeared, Mauro."

"Lucy, I found this cloth. You were anesthetized with chloroform! Someone did not have the nerve to commit cold blooded murder, so they were depending on you to suffocate over a matter of hours. Someone is out to get you, Lucy! We are going to find out whom, and we are going to stop this nonsense! I found you because, as far back as I can remember as a boy, the empty sarcophagus has always been left open. Rollers made of new wood were left behind on the floor and were a dead giveaway. Other tourists helped me maneuver the rollers into place under the sarcophagus lid and slide it open. Afterwards, as a precaution, the men rolled the lid closed and disposed of the rollers. That way, the culprits will hopefully assume that your body is still inside. And then they should stop pursuing you, Lucy! When I returned to the plane, your new suitcase was open, with all your neatly packed clothes untouched and still tied in place. The lid's interior was slit open, as though something thin and large, such as cardboard, had been removed from there. Or maybe the thieves figured you kept your cash in there? Lucy, who knew you were coming to Egypt, your exact itinerary?" 

"Diane knew I was going on a dig with you, Mauro, but not where. I gave no details to anyone, not even to Marie and Franc."   

"Lucy, your umbrella was on the ground just outside the plane and the handle was loose. Was it already loose?" Lucy shook her head no and he continued. "The other contents of the plane were untouched, including your backpack. I soldered the holes and poured in the fuel I borrowed from a security jeep. I had the plane towed to a little air strip near here and I flew the short distance to the airport in Cairo, where I rented this jeep. Now all your belongings are locked inside the plane parked in Cairo. Here is the camp ground. You will be safe here. The only people allowed are authorized, world renowned archaeologists. Security is tight because of the priceless artifacts we will collectively unearth, and they will not take their eyes off you, Lucy. No one can hurt you now! I will get your sleeping bag." But first, Mauro and Lucy shared a passionate kiss, as though it was their last. 

When Lucy eventually arrived safely back in Ville, she rushed to the hall of justice and entered the spectator's gallery with no time to spare. Judge Nouveau had just slammed his gavel. "Court is reconvened in the case of the death of Marcel---" The judge looked up, inquiring, "Where are your four clients today, Attorney Sebastian? I now find it necessary to issue a warrant for their arrests, ignoring subpoenas. Moving along, the first order of business is the contents of the envelope I hold in my hand. Prosecutor Duvet, please explain." 

"Within the envelope is evidence, the single letter X, penned by the late Judge Lamont Letour on his official stationery. He gave it to Bailiff Philippe Georges in his chambers, just prior to his departure from the courthouse at the end of his day, his life as it turned out, following his examination of the fingernails of the four persons of interest. With it he indicated whose injured fingernail would be the DNA match with the nail fragment found at the scene of the murder. It only makes sense that X is for Xavier---"

Remy Sebastian jumped to his fee. "Objection! Circumstantial evidence!"

"Your Honor, this evidence is crucial because the belated Judge Letour and Bailiff Georges were the only persons to see who possessed the damaged nail. Not Lucille Andrews! The perpetrator merely assumed that Lucille Andrews was privy to that information. That is why he made multiple attempts on her life. He believed she was the only material witness, the only person who could put him in prison for a very long time for murdering his own cousin, Marcel."

Lucy leaned over the railing and whispered to Attorney Duvet, who stated, "Your Honor, Lucille Andrews witnessed the penning of the single letter X, given to Bailiff Phillipe Georges in Judge Letour's chambers, the day the judge was killed."  

"Where was exhibit X obtained, Monsieur Duvet?"

"In the pocket of a jacket recovered as evidence in Marcel's pool house."  

Judge Nouveau cleared his throat. "With the bailiff dead, only the perpetrator knows how Exhibit X got from the Bailiff's pocket to the pool house." 

Attention shifted when a woman entered the courtroom and delivered a folder to Judge Nouveau, who briefly studied its contents. Lucy heard the Judge mutter under his breath, "This will likely reverse the previous ruling regarding the twins' birth order." Then he spoke loudly enough for all to hear, "I have just been presented the DNA results of the fingernail fragment found in the humidifier in the deceased's bedroom. It is an exact match with the DNA of one of the four. Since they are not present, the name cannot be revealed at this time. Court stands adjourned." After the final slam of the gavel, Duvet turned around to face Lucy, whose displeasure about the holdup on the DNA results was apparent on her face. He generalized, "Oh, well! That is the law for you!"

Lucy returned home, only to be subpoenaed again to appear in court, but in a distant change of venue, in another country. She was being called as a witness in a smuggling case. She received a phone call from Professor Fiorelli. "Mauro, you have been subpoenaed, too? This is crazy! What smuggling? Will the legalities never end? The only good thing to come out of this is that we will see each other again! It has been way too long! I have missed you!" 

On her way to court in Lindo, Spain, Lucy's cruise ship sailed within three miles of the French coast, within French legal jurisdiction. Her traveling companion, Manuel Castillano, had gone for a massage while she was walking laps around the decks by herself, enjoying the salt air. A tall but nondescript man in jogging attire caught up with her and stuck what felt like a gun in her side!