Retribution

by T. K. Walls

  “I have left several messages for you. As you know, we are running short on time. This next charter needs to happen within the next few days, or a week at the very most. It may very well be our last.” Tedesco leaned back in his chair. He was annoyed that his calls hadn’t been returned quickly, and this delay in response time was unusual. Brad usually returned his calls within minutes of missing a call. “I will not tolerate any further delays, Dr. Rivers. You are aware of your obligation as well as our expectations.”

  “I don’t need to be reminded. However, I won’t be able to fly this time. Eric Wilkerson will be the pilot, but I assure you, I will be there to ensure the charter is a success,” Seth quickly replied. But this time he felt the monsignor did notice a difference with his voice.

  Tedesco paused. Something was off with Brad. “Dr. Rivers, please accept my condolences on the loss of your wife and daughter. I certainly hope you aren’t getting sick. You sound different today.” The monsignor leaned forward in his chair, his elbows on his desk, intently listening to the voice at the other end of the call.

  “Yes, of course, everything is all right. My throat is still sore from a breathing tube. I was on a vent for just a short time, and it seems to have left my voice sounding harsh. Perhaps that is what you notice.” Seth wasn’t sure the monsignor was going to believe him.

  “Dr. Rivers, do you recall the first time we met?” Tedesco paused, listening for any indication he was not talking to Brad Rivers. “Perhaps you can alleviate my concerns and tell me about that first day in St. Peter’s Basilica?”

  “Of course, yes, Monsignor. However, I believe you are mistaken. We did go to St. Peter’s Basilica, but it was on the second day. The first day my wife Rachel and I met you was at the entrance to the Pantheon,” he replied quickly. Years ago, Rachel had not only told him all about her beloved trip to Rome and meeting the monsignor, she had shown him pictures of her trip. For Rachel, meeting a Vatican monsignor was the highlight of the trip. “I hope I have alleviated your concerns,” he said as he cautiously awaited the monsignor’s response.

  “Very good answer, Dr. Rivers. May I strongly suggest that from this time forward, when I call, you answer your phone? I will be moving forward on this end, and to be candid, Doctor, I don’t appreciate delays. You wouldn’t want to disappoint me. Don’t mistake me as having a forgiving nature because I am a priest.” With that he disconnected the call.

  Before he could place a call to his associate Liam, there was knock on his office door. Without waiting for a response, the secretary to the pope opened the door and walked into his office. Bowing slightly, he said, “Monsignor Tedesco, the council has requested an update regarding the final steps you are taking to ensure repatriations to the victims.”

  Monsignor Tedesco nodded his head understandingly. “Of course. What time is the council meeting?”

  “Two p.m., Thursday, the fourth of November. I was instructed to return with an acceptance if you are ready or a request for an extension.” The secretary waited for a response.

  Standing up from his chair, Tedesco replied, “Please inform the council that my report will be ready on the fourth of November at two o’clock.”

  The secretary bowed slightly and walked out of the office.

  Tedesco waited until he was certain he was alone and then locked his office door before making a quick call to Liam. He had one week to get the gold out of the old church. “Liam, Tedesco here. We need to step up the retrieval from Nykøbing Mors. Can you meet me there tomorrow morning? I made arrangements to fly out immediately. I will be at the train station by eight a.m.” Tedesco wasn’t asking. He was giving Liam instructions, and he expected nothing less than an agreement.

  Liam had met Tedesco when he was in seminary. Unfortunately for Liam, he had been asked to leave after he was discovered smuggling hashish from Turkey to the Vatican City with the intent of selling it to his seminary classmates. He wasn’t a user, but he was very good at seeing an opportunity and taking advantage of it. He may have been removed from seminary, but his career in smuggling had just begun, and so with it his partnership with Tedesco.

  “I was waiting for your call,” Liam said. “The media is very excited about the upcoming repatriations. Rumor has it the Nazi gold has been found, or at the least, some of the gold. Monsignor, is this true?” Even though they were partners, and had been for decades, Liam was still very respectful of Tedesco’s position and always referred to him by his title.

  Tedesco didn’t answer his question. “I will meet you at the seven ten R train at Nakskov Street, Nykøbing Mors. It leaves every hour on the eighteenth minute. Be on the ten eighteen. I will go over the details once we are on the train.” He didn’t wait for Liam to respond. If there were any complications, he knew Liam would contact him.

  THIRTY-FOUR

  TEDESCO’S FLIGHT LANDED ON TIME, AND AS EXPECTED, HIS CAR AND DRIVER WERE WAITING FOR HIM. The driver was an older man with the type of leathered skin you would expect from a fisherman, not a chauffeur. His snow-white hair stuck out from below a well-worn leather cap that he tipped in respect toward his charge. “Good morning, Monsignor. Where to for this trip?” he asked.

  “Just the train station, and good morning to you as well. You are looking well as usual,” Tedesco replied.

  “Thank you, Monsignor. We shall be there in under fifteen minutes. Do you wish to schedule a pickup time for your return?”

  “I am not certain what time I will return. However, as soon as I know, I will contact you. You can drop me off at the ticket booth,” instructed Tedesco as he reached over the seat to hand the driver a tip.

  It was midmorning, and the train station wasn’t busy. Tedesco purchased the 10:18 ticket and waited patiently for the train to arrive. While he waited, he cautiously scanned the platform, looking for Liam.

  “Aw, there you are, Monsignor. I saw you approach. I am surprised you didn’t see me first. I am probably the tallest person on the platform. Were you enjoying your wait?” Liam asked. He had approached Tedesco from behind, and for a man with an imposing size, he was graceful enough to blend in with most crowds.

  Tedesco laughed at Liam’s comments and replied jokingly, “You are getting better at approaching without making noise. I commend you, my friend! We should find a car with few to no people. There is much to discuss.”

  Tedesco switched from jovial to serious in an instant, and nodded his head toward the train as it pulled into the station. Without speaking further, both men boarded and walked toward the back of the train where they were certain to find a car with few or no people. And as luck would have it, they were able to sit alone in the last train car.

  Looking over his shoulder and making certain they were indeed alone, Tedesco finally felt safe enough to talk. “Liam, now to answer your earlier question, yes, I have located a small vault in an old church in Nykøbing Mors. Inside the vault is the long-rumored missing Nazi gold. I have no idea how much gold there is, or if it’s even all the gold. All I know is that there is a lot of gold. Enough for us to remove, and enough to give back for the reparations. Here is a sample of what I found. I only removed one bag.”

  Tedesco reached into the inner pocket of his coat, removed a small cloth bag, and handed it to Liam. “This is only a small sample of what is in the vault. This bag alone contained fifty coins. Look at the markings on each side of the coin. There is no doubt this is Nazi gold. The vault contains much more than these bags of gold coins. There are also several stacks of gold bars and what appear to be hundreds of pieces of art, including paintings, sculptures, and other things wrapped in paper. I didn’t have the time to unwrap those items. But for them to be in the vault, they must be valuable.”

  Liam had been turning the coin over and over in his hand while Tedesco spoke. He waited until he was certain Tedesco was finished. “Where is the vault?” Over the years, he and Tedesco had smuggled several shipments out of Germany, Austria, and Italy. “I heard about the reparations. When is this supposed to t
ake place? If this vault is inside a church, is there a priest we need to concern ourselves with?”

  “There is an elderly priest and a nun. However, the nun has every Tuesday off, and today is Tuesday. We only have today to empty the vault. I have given this a lot of thought, and the only way to get into the vault is if the priest is gone. He isn’t going to leave, so unfortunately, we have to with deal this. At his age, if he were to pass in his sleep, no one would consider anything other than natural causes. I expect you to manage this. I also expect that however you manage this, the priest does not suffer. No reason for a good man to suffer,” Tedesco said softly. Killing the priest was not sitting well with him, but he couldn’t think of any other way to remove the items from the vault without being seen. “It has gotten colder in the last few weeks.”

  Nodding his head in agreement, Liam responded, “Yes, that will make things easier. I assure you the priest will not suffer. Given the lower temperatures, his body will remain intact, and he will be found in his bed.”

  “We are almost at our stop. Were you able to obtain a truck for our use today?” Tedesco asked.

  “Of course. Everything we need for today has been discretely arranged.”

  The train stopped and both men exited, with Liam leading the way to the truck. True to his word, sitting in the parking lot was a white midsize panel truck. Once inside, Tedesco breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn’t a stranger to having someone killed or even killing someone himself, but he always tried not to involve the Church in his outside activities, and that included killing a priest.

  “Here is the location of the church,” Tedesco said, handing Liam a piece of paper. “If memory serves me correctly, we are only twenty-two kilometers from the church. The priest isn’t expecting us.”

  Instead of using the truck’s GPS or his cell phone navigator, Liam removed a map from the glove box. “We go my way, Monsignor.” He started the truck and easily made the trip to the church.

  “Drop me off at the gate,” said Tedesco. “Give me a few minutes to speak with the Father and then you can come inside. Don’t forget, this man is not to suffer. We understand each other?” Tedesco asked.

  “Of course. I give you my word,” Liam assured him.

  Tedesco walked to the church, and instead of ringing the bell, he slowly opened the exterior door and stepped into the vestibule. Opening the doors of the narthex, he called out to Father Joseph. He waited inside for the elder priest to respond. Not getting a response, he entered the sanctuary and made his way to the office of the priest. Without knocking, he entered the office. Father Joseph was sitting at his desk and looked up when Tedesco entered.

  “Monsignor Tedesco, I have been waiting for you.”

  “Waiting for me? What do you mean?” Tedesco asked in genuine surprise.

  “Monsignor, I am an old man, but I am neither a forgetful man nor a demented man. I have been the only priest for this church in close to fifty years. I know what is in the basement. Did you think I did not know what you had found? Did you think I did not know you did not report those findings to the Vatican?” Father Joseph coughed frequently as he spoke. His voice was hoarse and soft.

  “Father, if this is so, why did you not report the contents of the basement yourself?” Tedesco asked as he walked closer to the desk. “Why did you keep it a secret all these years?”

  Shaking his head, the old priest replied, “My purpose was to protect the contents of the vault. It was never my place to question the reason for its secrecy. It is also not my place today to report the contents of the vault, nor is it my place to make possible false allegations about a Vatican monsignor. I knew you would either return to remove the items for the reparations or you would remove the items for yourself. ‘Cursed is he who seizes his neighbor’s inheritance and takes for himself.’ You recall your teachings of Deuteronomy chapter nineteen verse fourteen? If you remove these items, you will be cursed, even if you remove a single item.”

  Father Joseph looked into the eyes of the monsignor, waiting for a glimpse of remorse. Seeing nothing, he said, “I see you have brought someone to assist you.” He pointed toward the door to where Liam stood patiently watching the two men. “Are you going to introduce me to the man who intends to kill me, or am I going to find out his name after I die?”

  Tedesco placed his hand on the shoulder of the aging priest. “Father, it is with great regret this has to be the end.”

  Using the desk to support himself, Father Joseph stood up. “Great regret, I doubt, as greed has consumed your soul.”

  “Ah, a sermon I don’t need, Father.” Gesturing toward the door, he continued, “This is my associate, Liam. He will assist you to your bed.” Tedesco waved Liam into the office. “He will ensure you are comfortable.”

  Gently taking Father Joseph by the arm, Liam assisted Father Joseph to his room.

  “So, Liam, is it? Good to know who is ending my life.” The two men walked the remainder of the way in silence. Once in his bedroom, Liam helped Father Joseph change clothes and even carefully hung his robes according to the instructions given to him.

  Liam poured a glass of water from the table in the old priest’s room. “Father Joseph, take these capsules. They will help you get comfortable.”

  Taking the capsules with a glass of water, Father Joseph recited 2 Samuel 22:3: “My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior—from violent people you save me.” He handed Liam the empty glass, settled comfortably in the bed, and, propped up with pillows, just before closing his eyes, he took one last look around his room and sighed softly.

  Liam remained with the priest until he passed. He surprised himself when he felt a little sorrow as he removed all evidence that he had been in the room. Before exiting, he looked back at the dead priest and softy muttered, “May you lie in peace for eternity.”

  Liam gently closed Father Joseph’s door and made his way back to the priest’s office. Tedesco was already in the basement when he returned to the office. “Monsignor?” Liam yelled through the open door as he made his way down the steps. Layers of dust filled the air as Tedesco removed the brittle paper and cloth coverings on various paintings and crystal glassware. “Monsignor, we may need to wear face masks. How can you breathe in there?” Liam asked.

  Tedesco turned around and pointed to the scarf covering his mouth and nose. “Already ahead of you! Pull your shirt up over your nose until the dust settles. While you were with Father Joseph, the van was delivered. I have loaded a few paintings, but as you can see, we haven’t begun to scratch the surface of this vault.” Tedesco leaned closer to Liam and softly asked, “How is Father Joseph? I assume all is taken care of.”

  Liam nodded. “All is well, Monsignor. There were no issues, and there will be no issues.”

  “Good to hear,” Tedesco replied. “Now let’s get the vault loaded.”

  Tedesco and Liam took the better part of the afternoon emptying the vault. Once the vans were loaded, they made their way to the airport where they would meet with their American friends, the pilots Dr. Brad Rivers and Eric Wilkerson.

  THIRTY-FIVE

  SHERIFF MCNEIL DIDN’T WASTE ANY TIME LEAVING THE MORGUE. In fact, he left so fast Ryan was left wondering what he had missed. He turned back to the crime scene photos, and this time he took a closer look. While he was scrolling through the pics, he heard the side door to the morgue open and the soft footsteps of his part-time clerk. Before he could call out to her, she announced her arrival to whomever was in the morgue.

  “Hey, everybody, I am here. Don’t no one get up for me!” Miss Van yelled. His clerk was an older black woman with a loud, booming voice that carried a southern accent. She had a heart of gold and took care of the staff as if they were her children.

  Ryan yelled back to her, “Miss Van, was a file from last night’s fire delivered?” He waited for a response, and when he didn’t get one, he got up and walked to the front. “I have b
een so busy with the guy, I haven’t had a chance to check.”

  Miss Van was just getting settled at her desk.

  “Is there anything for me on your desk?” Ryan gently asked her again as he approached her desk.

  “I haven’t even put down my coffee, and you go barking at me,” she laughed as she scolded him. “Let me get settled and I’ll check. You just wait over there!”

  Miss Van put her sweater over the chair, placed her coffee next to the phone, and then sat down at her desk. She reached over to the stack of envelopes and quickly ruffled though them. She easily found a large yellow envelope with “Attention Coroner” stamped across the middle. “I think this is probably what you’re looking for, Doc,” she said as she handed the envelope to him.

  Taking the large manila envelope, he said, “Thank you, Miss Van.” He turned and hurriedly made his way back to his office. Before leaving the front of the morgue, he hollered back to her, “Thank you again! You know I appreciate you, and enjoy that coffee!”

  Ryan placed the large manila envelope perfectly in the middle of his desk. Next to “Attention Coroner” was a yellow sticky note. Written on the note was the time and date the envelope had been delivered. He had told his staff countless times that using sticky notes was not a proper way to communicate, but whatever, he had the file. He quickly opened it, spilling the contents in a neat pile on his desk. He carefully went through each photo, not looking for anything in particular but looking for something. This fire, this body were bothering him. The way the pilot died bothered him. He didn’t need to wait on the identification of the body. This guy was tortured, and it was obvious that whoever did it had intended to kill Dr. Rivers and wanted him to suffer. He had no doubt the body was Dr. Rivers. And that bothered him too. He knew the history of the prior accidents involving Dr. Rivers and his family. It was simply a matter of time before someone took out the doctor.