Death of a Pharaoh by Unknown Read Free Book Online Page B

elderly lady ten yards in front and the driver got out to help
her to the door with her groceries. The engine was idling and I didn’t
hesitate. In a flash, I was behind the wheel, put the motor in gear and gunned
it before the cabbie even knew what happened. It was my first time driving
except in video games! He started to run after the taxi yelling in a language
that sounded like Russian. I kept my eye on his progress in the rearview
mirror, he sure was fast for his size, and I almost missed the driveway. I took
a hard right, bounced over the curb then smashed into the garage door doing
about forty. I heard a loud crash as the wood splintered and the sound of the
airbag exploding. Then I blacked out.

    When I came to a man in a uniform was leaning through the window
calling to me. I looked around at all the commotion. I counted two police cars,
an ambulance, the Rescue Squad from the fire station and a crowd of curious
onlookers. The paramedic warned me not to move. He wrapped a brace around my
neck then two firemen helped me out and put me on a stretcher. Just then,
another team brought someone out of the garage in a body bag. I felt sick to my
stomach. I vaguely recalled jumping into the taxi but for the life of me, I
couldn’t remember why. A little boy was sitting in the back of a police car. He
cried while a lady cop comforted him. Everyone turned as a car screeched to a
halt and a woman jumped out. She ran to the boy.
    “Samuel, Mommy’s
here!” she assured him, “Everything is going to be alright.”
    She wrapped her
son in a hug neither of them would ever forget and I assumed he was the reason
I found myself on a stretcher waiting to go to the hospital. I knew I was in a
shitload of trouble but happy that nothing happened to the kid. This time,
there were no regrets.
    They wheeled me to
the ambulance and past the taxi driver standing on the sidewalk cussing out
some cop. He looked pissed. They took me to emergency to make sure I didn’t
have a concussion. My parents arrived shortly after; they looked more worried
than angry. The doctor told them I would need to stay in observation for a few
hours. I had a nasty bump on my head and a few bruised ribs. A uniformed stood
about ten feet away with his hands crossed in front. He kept looking at me.
    My Dad told me not
to worry. A man in a suit walked in, whispered something to the cop then came
over to my parents.
    “Mr. Murphy, I’m
Detective Angelini and I’d like to talk to your son if that’s alright?”
    My father nodded
his agreement.
    “Hello Ryan, how
are you feeling?” the detective asked me, real friendly like.
    “My head’s a bit
sore.”
    “Do you remember
what happened with the taxi?”
    “I think I killed
that man.”
    “You sure did,” he
affirmed. “Question is why son?”
    “I didn’t mean to,
I just wanted to help the kid.”
    “That’s the
problem we’re having, how did you know that Samuel was there?”
    I hesitated too
long trying to find the right answer.
    “If you knew that
Mr. Slomkowski took the boy and was holding him in his home then you are an
accessory to kidnapping and you’re in big trouble.”
    My Dad’s face
turned red with anger and he interrupted the detective.
    “If this is an
interrogation then I think you should wait until our attorney arrives. We’re
expecting him any moment.” It wasn’t a request.
    “Sure, no problem!
The officer will stay though,” he told them. “Ryan has to take a ride to the
precinct as soon as the attending gives us permission. Tell your attorney that
if your son doesn’t start to spill what he knows there will be charges. The
Deputy District Attorney is working on the file as we speak,” he announced.
    He turned to my
mother, “My apologies for the interruption Ma’am,”
    When the doctor
assured my parents that I hadn’t suffered a concussion, the cop drove me in his
squad car to the station. My legal counsel, Lloyd Hamilton a founding partner
of Hamilton and Dunbar,