Curse of the Pharaoh: A Brock Stone Adventure

Trinity ignored him. She picked up her telephone and aggressively dialed Stone’s number. Moses Gibbs, the caretaker of Stone’s property and one of his oldest friends, answered. Stone was not home so Moses took a message. Trinity thanked him and ended the call. She sprang to her feet, grabbed her handbag, and stuffed a notepad and several pencils inside. Fischer’s viewing of the exhibit was scheduled for 3:00. It would be a tight window to get there in time.

“Come with me. Hurry!” She turned and rushed out of the office.

“What’s going on?” Alex asked. His long strides quickly closed the gap between them.

“We have got to get into that viewing!”

“You really liked that hat.” Alex grinned.

“No, you twit. Magda Fischer’s gentleman friend is John Kane.” John Kane was a powerful New York businessman with ties to the Illuminati. He had his fingers in all sorts of illicit plots. Trinity had been trying for two years to delve into the man’s life and business, but his secrets were locked up tight as a drum.

“What does that matter?” Alex asked.

“Connect the dots. Orion was a Freemason who died under unusual circumstances. We know Kane has been working with both the Illuminati and the Nazis.”

“You think Kane wanted something from Orion’s secret collection?” Alex scratched his head with the tip of his hook.

“I think it merits investigation.” Trinity’s heart raced. Her reporter’s instincts told her she was on the right track.

“Shouldn’t we wait until we hear from Stone?” Alex asked.

“There’s no time. We have to get a look at that exhibit before Kane does. You don’t have to come along if you don’t want to.”

“I’m coming.” Alex heaved a tired sigh. “Stone would kill me if I let you go alone.”

2 The Museum

The sun shone brightly on the lush grass of the National Mall. Up ahead loomed the National Museum of Natural History. Opened in 1910, the building combined Gothic Revival and twelfth-century Romanesque architecture, featuring a flat roof, arched windows, a symmetrical granite facade, and a domed rotunda. Its collection included plants, animals, fossils, minerals, rocks, meteorites, human remains, and cultural artifacts.

“Tell me again what I’m looking for?” Alex was already having second thoughts about Trinity’s hastily concocted plan.

“Anything that looks important.”

“In an exhibit full of treasures from Ancient Egypt? Everything will look important.”

“Something out of the ordinary, then. Something hidden. Anything Kane could use to help the Nazis.”

“Lower your voice,” Alex warned. Nearby, a trio of men cast angry glances their way. “Hitler’s supporters are everywhere, even in America.”

Trinity had mulled the problem over on the drive from the newspaper, and she had a hunch Alex had been correct about one thing. “What if you’re right about the significance of his final expedition? Maybe Kane wants to get his hands on whatever frightening discovery Orion made. Perhaps we can learn where Orion went.”

“I’m looking for a Texaco Roadmap of the Upper Nile?” Alex winked, then let out a grunt when Trinity elbowed him in the ribs. “Only joking.”

“This is no time for humor. Have you figured out how you’ll get past security?”

“What?” Alex stopped dead in his tracks. “I thought you had a plan.”

“I do have a plan. I distract Fischer and Kane while you search the exhibit for clues.”

Alex ran a hand through his short ginger hair and let out a deep sigh. Sometimes he wondered how Stone tolerated this woman. To be fair, he also wondered how Trinity put up with Stone’s exploits. They were perfect for one another.

“Should we wait a few minutes in case Stone shows up?” he asked.

“If he arrives in the next ten seconds, he is welcome to lend a hand.”

“Fine,” Alex groaned. “I will figure something out or get arrested trying.”

“That’s the spirit.” Trinity gave him a pat on the cheek. “Swiftly, now. I believe that is Magda Fischer’s car.” She pointed at a long, sleek vehicle pulling to the curb. It was cherry red with black trim and whitewall tires.

Alex let out a low whistle. “That’s a 1930 Cadillac Series 353 Fleetwood limousine. Only 1,400 were made.”

“You can admire it later. We have work to do.” Trinity turned and double-timed it across the street, making a beeline for the crowd gathered near the limo.

Alex jogged up the steps of the museum. He paused to watch as Trinity elbowed her way to the front of the throng. The chauffeur stepped out of the limousine and hurried to open the back door.

A man in a tailor-made suit climbed out first. He was a distinguished-looking fellow, tall and broad-shouldered. Alex paid him little mind. His attention was focused on the leggy blonde bombshell Kane was helping out of the car. John Kane and Magda Fischer made a handsome couple, a regular Sheikh and Sheba. But there was no time for him to stare. He needed to get a move on.

“May I help you?” A short, round man bursting out of an old three-piece suit waddled over to him.