Solomon's Throne by Jennings Wright Read Free Book Online

dynamite, and it was certain that he had been chased halfway across the world and back for it. But I think it’s possible—in fact, I think it’s probable—that the bad guys of his day also suspected that the dead man knew about a treasure. And that he had, or at least might have, passed that information on with his dying confession. And I think your old ancestor found it, Mr. Xavier. I really do.”
    Xavier looked at Gideon. “Can you find it? Can you and your wife find this thing? And my letter… I want the letter back, too.”
    Husband and wife looked at each other and Rei shrugged. “We can try, sir. That’s all I can say. The thieves have this information as well, and if they knew about the journal… well, I think they’re going to be going after it too.”
    “They seemed pretty organized and well funded.” Gideon said. “But maybe now we can pry a little information out of the man the police are holding, see if they knew what they were getting into. I’ll pass the info on to Detective Azenha…”
    “No!” Xavier interrupted. “I do not want anyone else to know what was taken, or about this crazy treasure talk. You will have to speak to the thief yourself.” He started pacing the soft carpet, some color coming back to his olive skin. “You will have whatever you need to find my family’s belongings. Whatever it takes. You talk only to me, and I will arrange it. It is… it is mais importante. Most important. I cannot fail my family. I cannot be the last.”

CHAPTER SEVEN
     
    Lisbon
     
    Present Day
     
    G ideon and Rei sat in an interrogation room alone with the captured thief. The man had experienced a drastic weight loss over the four days of his incarceration, but his concentration on his prayers hadn’t waned. Nothing, in fact, had changed, and the police had given up interviewing him. He had been arraigned by a magistrate, and a solicitor had been appointed to him, but no one was optimistic about a change of heart.
    The man sat, hands folded on the table, muttering in Latin. “Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum… Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus. Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen. Ave Maria, gratia plena…”
    “It’s the Hail Mary,” said Rei.
    “That prayer they do after confession? With the beads?”
    “Basically, yeah. Signor?” Rei tried to get the man’s attention. “Signor, we know what you were stealing. We know about the letter from Paul.”
    The man stopped praying, but didn’t look up. His hands clenched together tightly.
    “We know the letter could be very bad for the Catholic Church. That people have been looking for it for a long time. And that maybe they are looking for something else, too…” Gideon let that hang.
    The man looked up, his face showing emotion for the first time since his arrest. He started to speak, and then hung his head.
    “We have a copy of the letter. A digital photograph that was taken a few years ago. The letter can still be released to the public… or not.” Gideon casually sat back in his chair.
    “No!” The man yelled and jumped to his feet, his face a study in anguish. “No! This is not possible. It is not… it is not possible.” He sat back down, weak and distraught.
    “You did not think Mr. Xavier would take advantage of modern technology to safeguard and study the letter? Things happen, buildings catch fire, there are thieves… His family has guarded the letter for many centuries. He would not like the letter to be lost forever.” Gideon watched the man. His dark hair was dank and unwashed, and his skin was loose and sallow from his self imposed starvation. The bones of his face were prominent. His hands were shaking.
    “That’s why you took the letter? To keep the world from finding out? Or is to tell the world, to destroy the Church? The Xavier family has never released the letter; they’ve never even let scholars study in