That night they gathered around the conference room table. Richard Lobinsky looked typically disheveled. His brown, straw-like hair was in need of a trim, sticking out at different angles. His clothes were wrinkled and his belt was an attempt to disguise the fact that his paunch prevented him from buttoning his khaki pants. He hung his head and slouched as if his wife berated him before he left the house. In contrast, Preston looked starched and impeccably groomed. He sat up straight on the edge of his seat, anxious and eager to get on with the meeting. Only Tullio looked relaxed; he leaned back in his chair, with one leg crossed over the other, constantly preening, checking his fingernails and fluffing up his hair.
When Therese and Cheryl entered the house together, they fawned over Ty, hugging him and asking how he had been. Rishi came alone, with his hands stuffed in his pockets, looking as if he preferred not to be there. Ty sat at one end of the table, flanked on both sides by Eduardo and Jenna. Even though everyone appeared to be relaxed, there was a palpable undercurrent of tension in the room. Ty supposed it was because he shut the professors out of the loop since Vincent’s death.
Preston opened the meeting with a short speech. “I am happy everybody could be here. Welcome to Ty. He has a lot to contribute and he is a welcome addition.” He paused and glared at Ashi, Jenna and Eduardo. “I see we have some newcomers to the team. Nevertheless, I’d like to say I am happy that the team is reassembled so we can pursue our common goal. We need to determine how we should proceed without…”
“Preston,” Ty interrupted, “I would like for us to work together as a team again. First, my father always considered me to be a part of the team. I am as well informed as anybody here about the common goal. No need to welcome me as if I am sitting among you for the first time…at my table,” he added. He glanced at Ashi. She had a slight smile on her face and gave a little encouraging nod to Ty.
He continued, “Next, I would like to proceed by sharing some small leads we came up with over the summer and some of our insights about their meaning. I’d like to see what your input might be about our thoughts…”
“Your thoughts,” Preston snarled. It was evident he had just barely been able to hold back his tense feelings. Now, his feelings exploded out of him. “You’re kids. What makes these kids privy to this information?” He waved his hands toward Eduardo and Jenna. “Are any more of your little friends going to be included?”
Tullio leaned forward. “Yes, people all over the world would kill for information about our latest discoveries. Why should they be included?”
“I agree,” Rishi said. “And monk girl? She can barely speak English.”
Preston gave a mirthless laugh. “I doubt she even knows what’s going on.”
An amused smile appeared on Ashi’s face and she raised her eyebrows.
“Richard?” Ty asked.
Richard looked up over his glasses and shook his head. “If we have to cooperate with kids, I guess I can do it. But, I don’t like it.”
“Okay, none of you want a bunch of kids on the team. Well, I’ve inherited my father’s drive to find answers; I’ve inherited all his information and I’m going to pursue it. But I’m going to pursue it with my own team that I’ve assembled. I’ve invited you here tonight to see if you want to be part of it. I can do it alone if I have to but I’d rather have your help. It’s your choice.”
Ty looked around the table. Richard was staring at his clasped hands. Tullio muttered, “This is crazy--pazzo.”
Preston appeared to be on the verge of a frenzy. “A joke,” he screamed. “You’re turning this into a joke. My life’s work turned into a children’s pastime.” His face turned red. “I want no part of it. I can still work with educated professionals, right?” He looked toward Tullio and Richard.
“I’m sure you have no new leads,” Richard said, questioningly, searching Ty’s face. “We have exactly the same information you have.”
“Yes, we are all on an even playing field at this point,” Tullio said.
“I think maybe we should hear what he has to say, determine if he really has any new information,” Richard stated. “We owe Vincent that much.”
Tullio hesitated for a moment. “We have all the same information up until the day of Vincent’s death. I sincerely doubt if Ty learned anything new since then.”
Ty was silent about Vincent’s assertion that he had a great lead the night before he died. He said nothing about Vincent’s missing leather notebook or communication with Grand Master. He was dismayed by the professors’ disloyalty and quick jump to exclude him from the team. He realized that even though Vincent had put the quest ahead of Ty, he was also a buffer for Ty, shielding him from the others on the team.
“Yes, no need to include you on the team.” Preston’s eyes bored into Ty’s and his voice dripped with venom. He put his hands on the table and stood up. “I think this meeting is adjourned.” He spun around and walked out of the room.
“I must agree with Preston,” Tullio said. “I am sorry, Ty. This is a search that is better suited for professionals.” He stood up to leave. “Anybody else?”
“I’m out of here,” Rishi announced.
“I’ll be along in a moment,” Richard said, standing up. He shook Ty’s hand. “I’m sorry, Ty. I was your father’s friend and I know how much he valued your opinion but I am going to team up with the professors.” He couldn’t even look Ty in the eye as he said, “I’m sorry,” again, turned and left.
Ty heard the front door close as the group departed, leaving only Therese and Cheryl from the original team. There was a long, drawn-out silence as each of them had thoughts swirling in their heads about what had just happened.
“Well, that went well,” Ty said.
The tension was broken and everybody laughed.
“I guess we’re on our own now,” Ty said. He glanced at Cheryl and Therese.
“So what are these leads you were bragging about?” Cheryl asked.
“Does this mean you’re staying?” Ashi asked.
“How do we know you’re not going to be a spy for the professors?” Ty asked with a grin.
“Hah! Preston? You have to be kidding,” Therese said. “He’s so arrogant I wouldn’t tell him a thing. I always wondered why your father tolerated him.”
“They went way back. They were in grad school together. Maybe he wasn’t always like he is now.”
“And Tullio,” Cheryl snorted. “He is soooo in love with himself. He thinks he is the smartest and deserves to be the first to find the object of the quest. And I am sure it’s just for the fame and glamour of it, not for any other reason.”
“One time he had me over for dinner,” Therese said. “He was the chef, of course, singing opera while he cooked. His wife was sort of like the slave. He ordered her around like a servant and I felt really sorry for her.”
“So you guys are saying you really like working for the professors,” Eduardo said.
Therese wrinkled her nose. “I guess Richard’s all right.”
“He’s like the puppy that follows the other two around, waiting for some crumbs to drop,” Cheryl added.
“He’s tolerable, at least. I always feel on edge around the other two,” Therese said.
“It’s no wonder. Preston yells at you like you’re a kid who got her Sunday church clothes dirty,” Cheryl said.
“He yells at you too,” Therese added, turning to Ty. “What about those leads?”
“The night before Dad died he told me two things: first thing was that one of the professors was jealous and Dad didn’t trust him. The other was that he had a great lead.”
“He was very excited, in a great mood,” Ashi said.
“Well…?”
“He didn’t say what the lead was. Ashi and I went through his laptop. We couldn’t find any indication of what it might be. He didn’t have the lead that morning and he did go out that day, but just to visit Oliver's parents.”
At the mention of Oliver’s name, a pained look crossed Therese’s face and Ty thought, I’m not the only one who is still grieving.
“But maybe he didn’t get his lead when he went out. Maybe he got a phone call or an e-mail,” Ashi suggested.
“Yes, right,” Ty said. “Another thing, Vincent was in touch with this guy, e-mailing back and forth. He calls himself Grand Master and he seems to have some sort of source of information.”
“Grand Master? Like a freemason Grand Master?” Cheryl asked.
Ty nodded. “Or head of the Knights Templar. Both are called Grand Master.”
“What’s he telling you?” Eduardo asked.
“He seems to be leading us toward Solomon’s temple. There were two temples so far, Solomon’s and Herod’s. There are prophesies regarding the building of the third temple,” Ashi explained.
“Hmm, I have to think about this,” Therese mused. “Ty, I know this is hard to think about but who do you think killed your father?”
“Good question,” Ty nodded, “and I have to think about it. Otherwise, I could be next. We saw a man in the hotel right before…right before,” he faltered. “There was a man wearing a ring with that same symbol that we keep seeing. I think each Rex Deus has an identical ring. He was in the hotel when we were coming back.”
“The Rex Deus kept the secret for a long time. Maybe they don’t want it revealed so they resorted to murder,” Cheryl said. “And what about Grand Master? It could have been him.”
“I don’t think so,” Ashi interjected. “He truly believes Vincent faked his death and is hiding out somewhere, writing e-mails to him.”
“And you mentioned a jealous professor?” Therese asked.
“Listen, I cannot stand to be in the same room with Preston, but murder? I don’t think so,” Cheryl said.
Jenna ventured an opinion. “The jackpot here is huge. Whoever unlocks the secret is going to go down in the history books. They’ll be rich and famous. I would not count anybody out. You never know what people would do to get their hands on this.”
Ty looked at her with a serious expression. “You’re right Jenna. And, we can’t assume the only suspect among the professors is Preston. It could be any of them.”
The group turned the ideas over and over, discussing possibilities until it was late. When they finally adjourned for the night they each put one hand on top of each others’ hands, yelling, “Yay, team,” and laughing. Ty ushered them out, thanking each one for sticking with him, then went into the kitchen.
Ty sat at the kitchen counter, resting his chin on his hand, staring at nothing.
“Are you unhappy because the professors are not working with us?” Ashi asked, sitting next to him.
Ty’s reverie was interrupted and he looked at her. “What if they’re right? We’re a bunch of kids, not professionals. Are we fooling ourselves, thinking maybe we can pull this off by ourselves?”
“Oh, Ty.” Ashi smiled and shook her head. “You have no faith in yourself or in the team?”
“It’s just that they have a prestigious university backing them up. What do we have?”
“You have resources.”
“Yeah, a big pile of money. You’re right. That can allow us to do a lot of research and travel when we have to. That goes a long way towards giving us credibility.”
“That’s not what I meant. Strength, ability, no limits,” she said with conviction. “Remember who you are. You’re not a helpless kid. You are spirit, ageless and eternal, and you have absolutely no limits.”
“Yeah, thanks Ashi,” Ty said, with his eyes locked on hers. “I have my doubts and then you help me get past them. It’s good to have you around.”
Ashi smiled but Ty watched her face turn to an expression of wide-eyed horror as she looked over his shoulder. Ty whipped around and saw a man peering through the French door at them. He felt his heart pound as he moved in front of Ashi.
The face disappeared and a few moments later another face looked in at them, registering in Ty's mind as one of the security men posted in front. Ty opened the door.
“Sorry to scare you Mr. Scalisi. Someone tripped the back fence alarm. We're checking the perimeter.”
Ty nodded.
“Nothing to worry about, I’m sure. We’re just going to keep a close eye on the place tonight.”
“Okay, thanks,” Ty said through the crack of the door before he clicked it shut. He turned, leaned against the door and said, “How did someone get past security? And, on the same night as our first meeting. I don’t like it.”
Ashi shook her head, at a loss for an explanation.
“That face- it reminded me of the men in Bhutan...”
****
The next morning Ty went downstairs and found Ashi sitting at the kitchen counter, poring over Vincent’s papers.
“You slept so long,” she commented.
Ty glanced at the clock and rubbed his head. “Last day of freedom,” he said.
Ashi’s face brightened. “School tomorrow!”
“Yep, we have to get you enrolled.” Ty yawned. “I’ll be ready soon. I’ve got to get the papers Sam prepared, saying he’s my guardian, plus your student visa. And, I think we should have another meeting tonight and figure out what we should investigate next.”
“A dinner meeting?”
“Okay. First I’m going to check with the security guys and see if everything was quiet last night.”
Outside, the security men pointed out footprints in the flower bed closest to the door where Ashi saw the face. Ty feared that the attackers from Bhutan had resurfaced. He kept his worries to himself though and didn’t tell Ashi.
A couple of hours later they emerged from the high school.
“Wow, you lucked out,” Ty said.
“What does that mean?”
“It means you are lucky you don’t have to take English as a second language. You did really well on your English test.”
“I studied so hard.”
“And, they put you in all the same classes as me.”
“That is very nice.”
I don’t know if Jenna will think it’s so nice we’re in every single class together. She’s not in honors so she and I won’t be in one single class with each other.
He thought about how Mrs. Henchel, the principal, was reluctant to place Ashi in honors classes but he convinced her, stressing how smart she was, and that her new surroundings were so completely new to her that he could help her navigate better if they were together. He also felt a sense of relief that Henchel hadn’t pressed the issue of his living with Ashi without an adult. Instead, she took a motherly role with Ty, embarrassing him with her over-effusive sympathy.
****
That evening, Cheryl and Therese sat at the kitchen counter. Eduardo stirred spaghetti, boiling in a pot of water, while Ashi chopped garlic and onions for the sauce. Ty held up a camera, recording everything. He had just informed Eduardo and Jenna about the attempted break-in.
Jenna’s face contorted in a mixture of anger and fear. “I don’t like this one bit. How did he get past your security men? I have a hard time getting past them and they know me.”
“The burglar didn’t get past them, remember? And, there was no way he was getting into the house.”
“Hmmph. I still don’t like it. I don’t know if this quest is really worth it.” Jenna folded her arms and looked intently at Ty. “I don’t know why you’re continuing with it unless…” Jenna turned her gaze on Ashi.
Ty ignored her insinuation, laughing. “You look like you could take on a burglar. Maybe you should be on the security team.”
“I am serious, Ty,” she said vehemently.
“Okay, but don’t you think that person would have tried to break in even if we weren’t on a quest?”
“It’s true,” Ashi agreed. “Whoever has chased the team across the world, thinks Vincent had something.”
“And has killed to get it,” Jenna added.
“What do you think it was?” Cheryl asked.
Ty shrugged and shook his head. “We first noticed we were being followed in Israel and then I was attacked there. Maybe it has to do with the letter from the knight.”
Ashi nodded.
“There was a letter from a knight saying he was going to Bhutan for treasure—very cryptic. The two archaeologists who went to Bhutan were murdered. Well Garrett was murdered and Mansfield was probably murdered. One of the archaeologists stayed at the same monastery as Ashi. That would be Garrett.” Therese recounted.
All eyes turned to Ashi. Her knife stopped chopping in mid air.
“Why do you all look at me?”
“Because it all points to you,” Eduardo blurted.
Ty smiled. Eduardo had been watching Ashi intently since he arrived and this was the first thing he said.
“Maybe you have something or know something and don’t even realize it’s relevant,” Cheryl said.
Ashi shook her head and smiled. “I did not know anything about this treasure hunt until I met you and now that I know all about it…I don’t know how I could be connected to it.” Her head bent forward as she returned to her cutting.
“Guys, she doesn’t know anything,” Ty said. “It has to be something else.”
“The knight…his trail,” Ashi suggested, waving her knife in the air.
“His trail leads to a dead end,” Therese said. “Are you sure you know how to make tomato sauce, Ashi? I could help you.”
“No need to help. I have made this a few times before tonight.”
Jenna, getting caught up in the conversation, relaxed and sat at the counter with the others. “Maybe we could find out more about the knight. Maybe his trail is not a dead end.”
Ty regarded her with curiosity. “Jenna’s right. We don’t know everything about Phillipe de Charney.”
Cheryl turned to Therese. “Let’s see what we can dig up tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
“What about the professors?” Eduardo asked. “Will they be suspicious if you’re researching our stuff instead of what they told you to do?”
“Oh, we’re pretty much left on our own,” Therese said. “and we aren’t going to advertise to them what we’re doing.”
Ty let the conversation swirl around him without participating. He looked at Jenna and thought about how he felt. It was one of the very few times he looked at her and felt nothing…no thoughts of how great or wonderful or pretty she was. He couldn't understand what his lack of feelings was about. Jenna caught him looking at her and smiled. He smiled back but it was just a reflex without any emotion behind it.
Ashi suggested, “I think Jenna had a good idea. We should do a little more investigating about the knight, Phillipe. Maybe he had more information than was in the letter.”
Ty shook his head. “I agree. He talked about the treasure so he has to be connected somehow. But we tried every search engine and read everything we could about him. He’s a dead end.”
“Maybe what we want to know is not on the internet.”
Ty sat up straight from his slumped position at the kitchen counter. “France! We could go to France and investigate at his ancestral home. Great idea!”
“I was thinking we could contact him in the same way we contacted your mother,” Ashi said, grinning, “although I’ve never been to France and it would be nice to see it.”
“How could that work? Phillipe de Charney lived hundreds of years ago.”
“Minds are connected, right?”
Ty nodded.
“Just because you change your state, from living on earth to living in heaven, minds can still be connected, yes?”
“Yes, but…”
“So you think if Phillipe lived in the same time period as we do that we can contact him easier?”
Ty laughed, seeing where her train of thought was headed. “He’s still living, right?”
“Yes, he is living. He’s living in the afterlife.”
“Okay, let’s try to make contact…tomorrow?”