Missing in Egypt by Rita Lee Chapman Read Free Book Online

there were few tears left – Mrs Ahmose had obviously already done a lot of crying over the past few weeks.   “The police have found nothing” Mrs Ahmose continued after a couple of minutes.   “There have been no reports of any unidentified bodies, they have contacted the ticket office at the Valley of the Queens and they had seen nothing suspicious.   I don’t even know if my husband made it there.   Why would they want to meet him there?   It doesn’t make any sense to me. We are quite well off but we are not super rich.   If they wanted money, why didn’t they tell Masud to take the money with him?   My husband takes care of all our financial matters, but after we had heard nothing from the police I spoke to the Bank and he has not withdrawn any large sum of money.   In fact he has not withdrawn any money since he left – the Bank has undertaken to contact me immediately if the accounts are activated.”
     
    Omar interrupted us at this point.   “It is time we went to look for them ourselves” he told his mother.   “We cannot just sit around like this, day after day, wondering what has happened to them.   We have waited long enough – it is time for Pili and me to go and search for them.”
    Mrs Ahmose became very upset at this point.   “Isn’t it enough that my husband and only daughter are missing?   You want me to be left alone to run the shop and worry about what is happening to you as well as to them? You want me to end up childless?” she remonstrated.  
    I interrupted her “I will keep looking for them“ I assured the boys.   “The police are looking and the Australian Embassy is trying to find Ramy and Kareem.   You really are better off looking after the shop and your mother.   You need to be here in case there is any contact from your father or sister.”
    This seemed to appease them but it was clear they were anxious to do something practical to find Yasmeen and Mr Ahmose.   “Tomorrow is Sunday” I said to them.   “Why don’t you drive me out to the Valley of the Queens where your father was to meet with them and we will see if there are any clues there to their disappearance”.  
    This suggestion seemed to be satisfactory to everyone.   I had intended to return to Luxor that night so I hadn’t booked any accommodation.   I asked Mrs Ahmose if there was a small hotel nearby where I might stay, but she insisted that I sleep in Yasmeen’s old room.   “It will be nice to have some female company” she said as I helped her change the sheets. “Yasmeen is a good daughter, she comes as regularly as she can with her job and often stays overnight.”
     
    Over dinner I also learned a bit about Mr Ahmose and Yasmeen.   It seemed both were quite worldly wise and not the types to be easily duped.   Mrs Ahmose was very proud of her daughter, who she said was clever and hard-working.   “She loves the antiques” she told me “I know she would love to work in the shop but her father thinks it is a man’s world.   Perhaps one day she will open her own shop.”   This of course brought more tears as she contemplated the possibility that Yasmeen would not be returning home.   We spent the rest of the evening going over possible scenarios for their disappearance.   Mr Ahmose was highly regarded in the community and well-known in the antique business.   I asked Mrs Ahmose if she thought her husband might have come across a rare antique so valuable that someone would kidnap Yasmeen and hold her for ransom.   “If he had such a valuable piece, I am sure he would have mentioned it to me” she replied.   Obviously they were a devoted couple, although clearly Mr Ahmose made all the decisions in the family and his wife tended to the home, as was their traditional custom.
    The next morning we were all up early and after a very filling breakfast Omar, Pili and I set off for the Valley of the Queens .   Mrs Ahmose stood at the door waiving to us and dabbing her eyes