“75 percent? Well, that certainly supports Lang’s claim. So if his grandfather didn’t do it, who did? Of course the other big question is why he would even have it in his diary? Would you let people think you were a murder? I don’t think so. What is missing in all of this?” Brandt said, not expecting an answer.
“It does explain why he had no real money. But I agree. No one would allow such a thing to remain in a diary for anyone to stumble across. It certainly put a strain on the relationship between the father and his son,” Finkel agreed.
“No wonder Lang is confused. When we started out on this I was sure I knew the story, now I am not so sure I understand any of it,” Brandt replied.
“So what do we do now?”
“What can we do? We have to keep following Lang in case he stumbles across something by accident. We also have the problem of Kluge. He will kill Lang if he gets the chance, especially if he thinks he is holding out. Lang may be an American but this time I have more use for him than Kluge.”
“We need to find Kluge and get him out of the picture once and for all. For Gégorie as well. There was no need to kill him. Kluge just likes to kill. He doesn’t need a reason,” Finkel said.
“He is a psychopath,” was Brandt replied.
**
When Kate and Alan got off the bus on the return trip, they went to the hotel to look up where the coordinates would take them. Alan had to go get the password before they could connect.
Kate called up Google Earth and put in the coordinates. Once the program locked in and finally cleared up Alan stood motionless staring at the screen.
“Something is wrong. You must have written down one of the numbers wrong. Maybe a transposition error.”
“Why do you say that?” Alan said coming to look over her shoulder.
“See the problem?”
“That certainly doesn’t seem right,” Alan agreed.
“No it doesn’t,” Kate replied.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
“So what do we do now?” Kate asked.
“We get up in the morning and go see what is there.”
“We know what’s there. A lake. Maybe we should go back to Saint-Michel and check the coordinates again. It would be a lot faster than running off to that lake and finding nothing but a big pool of water,” Kate said.
“Kate, I didn’t write them down wrong. I checked them twice. That’s what took me so long.”
“But you might have.”
“I didn’t.”
“You’re that sure?”
“I’m that sure,” Alan insisted.
“Alright then,” she said shrugging her shoulders.
“Look Kate, what’s the worst that can happen? If it doesn’t make any sense we come back and try again.”
“I’m not arguing with you Alan. It’s just different than any other coordinates that we have found.”
“I know but let’s not just throw the baby out with the bath water. This is the way we have been proceeding all along. I just can’t see us trying to do something totally new. Maybe a grave site is there someplace.”
“I suppose.”
“Look, it’s just another adventure. What could happen out in the open like that?”
“I don’t have a clue,” Kate said.
“I do. Nothing.”
**
“How much further Kate asked?”
“Geez. You sound like a kid. How much further?”
“I need to pee if you must know, nosey parker.”
“Oh. Sorry. Are you too modest to go behind a rock or something?”
“You are a real gentleman,” she said.
“I just meant if you are desperate, I did bring tissue paper for just such an emergency.”
“You’re kidding.”
“I am not.”
“I’ll be darned. You bet. Find a place and let me out,” she said.
A mile later Alan pulled off the side of the road, handed her the wad of toilet paper and off she dashed. She came back a few minutes later and handed him back the remaining paper.
“Thank you.”
“Always a pleasure to serve. Now, shall we?”
“Lead on,” Kate replied.
It was almost an hour later when they got to the closest town with the coordinates.
“Read them to me again,” Kate said.
“48 by 35’ by 51.48” and 01 by 03’ by 11.80”.”
Kate scratched her head.
“Maybe we should go to on into Saint-Hilaire-du-Harcouët,” she said at last.
“Easy for you to say. So when we get to this alphabet town what do we do?”
“Ask about cemeteries, lakes, ponds, whatever. We know it is close by but just like everywhere else, we are going to have to ask questions and poke around,” Kate said.
“Fine. We aren’t getting anyplace sitting here.”
Alan drove them into town. After a few stops and halting answers to questions they finally found a tourist information office.
“Seems strange,” Alan said.
“Why?”
“How many tourists do you think they get out here in the boonies?” he asked.
“Obviously more than you might suspect,” Kate said.
“Bonjour, how may I help you, a pretty young woman asked when they came in.”
“You know we are Americans?” Alan asked.
“Oh my yes. I lived in Florida for three years while attending the University.”
“I sure didn’t expect that. I know this is going to seem strange but we are looking for a specific set of coordinates. We have used Google Earth and have a pretty good idea but need to pinpoint it if possible,” Alan explained.
“We have just the thing,” she said leading him over to a set of maps that were hanging on rods.
Alan gave her the coordinates and within a few minutes she had not only located it on the map but was able to give them detailed directions.
“You’re saying pretty much what we were thinking. They are in a lake?” Kate asked.
“Not a very big lake. It does not look like much from above but the actual lake is under a sort of…what do you call it. Bowl?”
“Dome?” Alan suggested.
“Yes. Dome. There is a hole that you can look down and see the water.”
“That isn’t exactly what I expected but we can at least go check it out. I guess I could have gotten the coordinates wrong,” Alan admitted.
She handed over the directions and they went back to the car.
“Could have gotten the coordinates wrong. Seems like when I suggested that you bit my head off. I guess she was just so adorable you wanted to be nice,” Kate said.
“Give me a break. I was just being nice.”
“And you don’t have to be nice to me?”
“I didn’t bite your head off. I just said I didn’t get them wrong,” Alan replied.
“And you don’t get it? You wouldn’t admit it to me but to her it was okay?”
“You’re right. I apologize for being a dork,” Alan said at last.
“That’s better. Now let’s go see what we can find,” Kate said.
The drive took them over back roads that were mostly one lane. They got stuck behind a tractor and crept along for a good mile before he found a place to pull over enough for Alan to squeeze by.
“Are you sure we are going the right way?” Alan asked at last.
“According to what she has here. It should be up on the right side just about three miles down the road.
“Talk about being out in the boonies.”
“I would hate to have car trouble out here,” Kate agreed.
The drove on a couple of more miles and Kate told him to slow down.
“She said it was hard to find. We are looking for a outcrop of large rocks and then a bunch of trees. When we see that we are to stop and walk back to the rocks and we should see it. The hole is about ten meters across according to her instructions,” Kate told him.
“There,” Alan said pointing.
“That looks about right. I don’t see any other rocks sticking up like that. I see the trees too. This must be the place.”
Alan pulled the car over onto the side of the road and they got out. There was a hedgerow separating them from the rocks but someone had knocked a section out of it so they were able to walk across the field.
“Man. Those are some big boulders,” Alan said.
“How does something like this happen?”
“Beats me. Reminds me of the other ones we saw. I don’t see how they could just pop up like that.”
“So where is this hole?”
“The grass is pretty high. Be careful. The last thing we need to do is fall down a hole,” Alan replied.
They made their way cautiously looking for an opening.
“I see a slight mound. I’ll bet that’s where it is,” Alan said pointing.
“Just be darned careful,” Kate warned.
Alan slowly made his way over to the mound and got down on his hands and knees.
“Yep. I can see the water down below. It’s like a cavern.”
“Is it safe for both of us to look?” Kate asked.
“Yes. It’s pretty much rock. I don’t have a clue how the hole got here.”
Kate came over and got down and crawled up beside him.
“That’s really pretty. The sun sure makes it look blue. I wonder where the water comes from?” Kate asked.
“Underground spring I would imagine.”
“So here we are. Now what? There are no grave sites that I can see,” Kate said.
“Maybe it’s etched in the rocks.”
“That would be pretty darn hard to do,” Kate replied.
“I don’t know where else they could be. I can’t see them being in the hole. No way would someone have gone down and put them in and then climbed back out.”
“I don’t want to be a ‘I told you so’, but I’m starting to get the feeling you have the wrong coordinates,” Kate said.
“I hate to admit it but you could be right.”
“Let’s look at the rocks first and then determine what course of action we should take next,” Kate said.
**
“Can you see them?” Brandt asked.
“At times. They got down on the ground for a while. Why I don’t want to even render a guess,” Durr said.
“And then what?”
“They seem to be looking at the rocks. What could they possibly hope to gain by that?”
“Maybe they have been following a trail of some sort,” Finkel suggested.
“I guess that is always a possibility but I can’t see why or how they would be out here looking around. I think maybe they are doing just as they said. Sightseeing,” Durr replied.
“Well if they are, we are wasting a colossal amount of time following them around,” Brandt said.
“If we simply give up, the gold will be lost forever. We have to stick with it until Lang gives up and goes home,” Durr said.
“I agree. We have few other options,” Finkel added.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Alan sat on the ground next to Kate just letting the sun shine on his face. It would be so easy to just blow the whole thing off and go off with Kate and never look back. He looked over at her and she was looking back intently at him.
“What?”
“Nothing. Can’t I just look at you. You are always looking at me,” she said.
“That’s different. You are a beautiful woman.”
“I happen to find you very attractive Mr. Lang. You float my boat.”
He looked at her to see if she was just pulling his leg.”
“It’s more than that really. I like your intelligence, sense of humor, and the way you want to protect me,” she said at last.
“So, I was thinking, let’s just forget this whole thing and go off and have some real fun without once thinking about where we need to go next. I have some money tucked away and we could just go wherever we want. At least for a while,” Alan said.
She didn’t answer for a second.
“No, huh?” Alan finally said.
“It isn’t that. Would you really be able to do it? I mean, you have put so much into it. Could you really just drop it all and be happy?”
“I could with you,” he said.
“Alan, you don’t really know that. We have both been on our best behavior. What happens when you get over the lust and we really get to know each other?” she asked.
“I guess I would like to find out.”
“I’ll tell you what. We have come this far. We are at a place where our only clue seems to be this underground spring or lake. Maybe we should see if there are some coordinates down there. We can get some climbing gear and repel down. I’ve done climbing in the States and this is a piece of cake,” Kate told him.
“Oh sure. Just tie a rope off and drop down. I don’t think so. I don’t know the first thing about repelling.”
“I can show you in a few minutes. Think of it as another adventure. What’s the worst that could happen. We fall in the water. You can swim can’t you?”
“I can swim just fine but you are missing one little detail,” Alan said.
“What?”
“Getting back out. What goes up must come down but what does down does not necessarily have to come up,” Alan pointed out.
“Phooey . I’ll get us out I guarantee it.”
Alan looked at her for as second.
“Okay, what the heck. We are here and you only live once. Let’s go see what we can scare up. You will have to get what we need. I won’t have a clue.”
“Just leave it up to me,” Kate assured him.
**
“What are they doing now?” Brandt wanted to know.
“Just sitting there. Talking about what to do next I would imagine. It was pretty animated for a while but now they just seem to be chatting away.”
Brandt rubbed his forehead, trying to think what to do next.
“Hold it,” Durr said suddenly, “They are getting up. They are looking at something on the ground but I have no idea what. The woman is walking around something,” he reported.
“Do you think they found something?”
“I’m not sure. She keeps looking down and Lang is just standing there,” Durr said adjusting the binoculars.
“We will need to check it out as soon as they leave,” Brandt said.
“They are sure in no hurry. She is with Lang again and seems to be talking. She points to the ground every once in a while. He is just listening from what I can tell,” Durr reported. “Wait, they are starting back across the field.”
“Thank goodness. I am sweltering out here.”
“They are getting into the car,” Durr reported.
A few seconds later he could see them pulling back onto the road and after a few maneuvers, get the car turned around.
“They seem to be headed back the way they came.”
“Give them a few minutes then let’s go see what was so interesting,” Brandt said.
They waited five minutes then came out of the trees and walked across the field.
“What were they looking at?” Brandt said, looking around.
“Over there,” Durr pointed.
“What is it? A well?” Brandt asked.
“I don’t know. A grotto or spring I think. I can definitely see water. It looks like it is pretty far down.”
“So what does all of this mean?”
“Sightseeing? Maybe someone told them about it and they just wanted to check it out to see what it looked out.”
“Maybe but I think there is more to it,” Brandt replied.
**
It took the GPS to finally locate a sporting goods store that carried climbing gear. The Magasin se Sport had a good selection according to Kate. Alan had no clue what was good.
“I am not using that,” Alan said.
“Why?”
“It’s
purple. Do I look like I would wear something purple?”
“Oh for heaven’s sakes. It’s a harness. No one is going to see you.”
“I’ll take that one over there,” he said pointing to a black and burgundy one.
“Fine. Men are so weird,” Kate muttered.
“Like women aren’t? You went right to the purple one first.”
“Okay, okay. You have a point but it is a brand I know and trust,” she said trying to defend her actions.
“Are you kidding me?” Alan said holding up a bundle of rope, “250 Francs for this?”
“How much is your life worth to you?”
“Still. That seems like a heck of a lot of money for a stupid rope.”
“Waite until you are hanging 30 meters above the water and tell me that.”
“What are those things you are looking at?” Alan asked.
“Belaying devices. They stop your descent so you can control how fast you go down.”
“Thank goodness for that,” Alan replied.
“You are worrying too much. We will try everything out before we leave.”
“How?” Alan asked.
Kate pointed to a rock climbing wall.
An hour later and close to 900 Francs later they were ready to tackle the rock wall. Kate walked him through each step of the procedure.
“Is it going to be like this when we get there?” Alan asked exhausted after an hour on the wall.
“Not really. We will be using a controlled descent. It will take hardly any effort in comparison,” she assured him.
“All I can say is I might get down there but after that I’m not sure what will happen,” Alan replied.
“You let me take care of that. This will be fun.”
“Fun. Right,” Alan said.
“Come on, we need one more thing.”
“Now what?”
“Wet suits.”
“What? Why in the world would we need those?” Alan asked.
“Because if it is a spring the temperature will be around 72 degrees. Hypothermia happens pretty quickly at that temperature.”
“This is sound like a bad idea. Maybe we should just buy scuba gear as well,” Alan said kidding.
“I hope we don’t need it,” Kate replied.
“I was kidding,” he said.
“I’m not. We have no idea what we will find when we get in the cavern.”
“Should I get a spear gun in case some creature tries to attack us?”
SINS of the FATHER Page 14
