From Pharaoh's Hand Read online

  Dedicated to my wonderful son who helped me brainstorm, who is and always will be the sunshine of my life.

  Copyright 2013 All rights reserved.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 1

  "Thou shalt not kill."

  It was well after midnight when the SUV pulled back into the back parking lot of a boarded up motel and cut its lights. The mission had been a success. Frankie had promised to pay Catfish extra if he would help with this one heist. All Catfish would have to do was watch out for the security guard making his rounds. It was even better and easier than he thought it would be. And what a haul they had made.

  “Look at all this gold, would you. Man, must be a fortune here. What do ya suppose this is, Bones?” Frankie asked Catfish as he pulled a heavy odd shaped item resembling a crocodile from the pillowcase.

  “Probably one of them idols that heathen worship. Is it heavy? I bet it’s solid gold.”

  “Yeah, man. It’s heavy. Here, hold it and see. And look here in this fancy box all trimmed in gold. Ain’t it cool, man? There’s rings. Five of ‘em. All of them solid too, I bet ya. Look here at this plate with the funny writing. Oh here’s the translation down at the bottom: ‘Death to all who enter Pharaoh’s tomb.’” His eyes widened in mock horror. “whoa, scary stuff. Good thing I ain’t superstitious. I sho ain’t. These babies going ta change my luck forever.” And he whistled a low whistle of admiration.

  “Well, now Frankie, helping you pull off this here elaborate job, it bein’ so risky an’ all, well I figure a special reward on top o’ my standard rate. Whadda ya say?”

  “What exactly did you have in mind? You know I don’t get paid on the goods ‘til they delivered to Ace.”

  “Well, what Ace don’t know won’t hurt him. How about one of them there gold rings plus my five grand.”

  “Naw, man. All you did was watch the hallway. I took all the heat.”

  “Whadda ya mean… I could have been shot to death back there!”

  “Wouldn’t be no big loss. Besides, what’s a stupid redneck like you gonna do with a gold ring? You low-class white trash moocher,” said Frankie, throwing his head back for a big belly laugh. The laughter ended, though, when the idol came crashing down against his bare head.

  “You low-down thievin’ Memphis mafia scum! Nobody calls Phineas Catfish Jones stupid. Nobody!”

  The idol came down on Frankie’s skull three times more. The second blow had already rendered him unconscious, but Catfish was so infuriated at Frankie’s attempt to cheat him out of payment that he just kept striking. Blood poured from Frankie’s head. Who was this low belly calling a redneck? Bones had risked his life, just like Frankie.

  Cat labored to breathe when he finally stopped to survey the damage to Frankie. Once again his temper had won. If he had just been patient. If he had just let Frankie have his laugh, he could have convinced him that he deserved the reward. But Frankie was gone now. There was no sign of life. Catfish held the bloody idol in his hand and wondered what in tarnation he was going to do next.

  The river. The river was his answer. It was not that far away. He could drive Frankie’s SUV to the river, put it in gear, and let it sink to the bottom of the muddy Mississippi. Frankie would never be heard from again. Catfish regretted that the golden idol would have to go too. It had his fingerprints all over it, not to mention all that blood. One couldn’t be too careful these days, what with all them fancy pants scientists and their DNA.

  “Cryin’ shame. Bet that was worth a pretty penny, ” he said aloud.

  But at least he had the rings and the fancy box.

  Catfish got out on the passenger side, checked to make sure they were safe from view, and pulled Frankie’s lifeless body over to the passenger side. What a mess. Frankie, my man, you should never try to con a country boy. He fumbled around in the Frankie’s vest pocket and found his wallet. Serves you right. Now I get my five grand plus what you got left, not to mention these here golden trinkets. He stuffed the wad of bills down in his pants pocket and started the SUV. Good thing the river wasn’t far. He would have to walk back to the truck. And walking around this part of the city this time of night gave him the creeps. No telling what danger lurked around the alleyways and tall dark buildings. There just was no telling.

  Chapter 2

  Hiding the Evidence

  “Behold I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep...” I Corinthians 15:51

  Everything had gone as well as expected, she reckoned. She hadn’t been missed yet. No one was the wiser. Elizabeth had swapped the gym clothes in her backpack for the clothes and money she had stashed in her car. She had worked her regular four hours and then hopped the casino shuttle at the end of Wal-Mart parking lot around 7 p.m. Piece of cake. Throwing back the covers, she sat up in bed too fast and the room swam. She decided it might be best to just sit still for a few moments for it to pass, and as she did so, reflected on the long night that had just passed.

  Two silver haired ladies had passed the time on the bus ride discussing the seafood buffet at the Grand Hotel, and the eighty miles ticked off quickly as they passed by the Brownsville and Somerville exits. Billboard after billboard promoted the loosest slots in Tunica or the stage shows at the Horseshoe, the litany of casino advertisements being broken by one that was particularly colorful. “King Tut is back,” It featured a huge golden head of the ancient Pharaoh. Other than that, there had not been much to see en route to Memphis on I-40, except the occasional State Trooper or stalled vehicle by the side of the road.

  Elizabeth had told the driver she was sick and needed a rest area once they reached the outskirts of town, but just as she had mustered the courage to begin her scene, a gentleman near the front had spoken up.

  “I believe my lady friend here would like to shop a bit before we proceed to drop our nest egg down the slots. Anyone else feel like stretching their legs?”

  “Hey, that’s a good idea. I hear that new Wolfchase mall has an ice cream parlor.”

  “What do you say, Ralph, can we make a pit stop?”

  “Don’t matter to me none,” said the driver. “I get paid the same either way, buddy.

  “Well you just passed the exit,” muttered another near the front of the shuttle.

  “It’s okay. I can take Exit 15 and double back. I need to fill up too.”

  Elizabeth had ditched the party at the Shell station. It was no big deal. Finding her way around Memphis--that was going to be the big deal. She wished she had taken the time to print out directions.

  She had been shopping in Memphis many times with her parents. She had seen most of the landmarks like Graceland, Sun Records, and Beale Street, and she had gone to sporting events at the dazzling replica of the Pyramid. She had been on field trips to the Pink Palace museum and the Memphis Zoo. But her parents had always driven while
she slept in the backseat, or she was busy chatting with friends on the bus. She was fairly clueless about how to get anywhere in a city this size. It was a good thing she had purchased a map of Memphis back at the convenience store. That and a Diet Dr. Pepper.

  Her first priority had been to find a hotel for the night, but she needed a phone book. How sick and anxious she had been, as she had waited in line behind a well-dressed, clean-cut black man of about fifty sporting a huge diamond ring and new leather loafers. Behind him was a not-so-well-dressed, thin white man with a scraggly beard and holes in his faded grungy jeans. He appeared to be in his forties, though with all the facial hair, Beth wasn’t real sure. They had bought Marlboros and Miller Lite and seemed to know each other. Elizabeth remembered how she had through a Hollywood tabloid near the counter trying to hide the fact that she was eavesdropping.

  “You wanna follow me so you’ll know where you’re going?” the black man asked.

  “Yep. I’ll be right behind you. Don’t git too far ahead a me now.”

  “Now how’m I gonna lose that big old rattletrap you drive. Man, ain’t it time for some new wheels?”

  “I’m workin on it. A couple more jobs ought to get me into a Navigator.”

  “Yeah, man. Then you be stylin and profilin and all yo buddies be wondering where you get the jack to afford all that.”

  The dirty white man’s grin revealed several crooked, yellowed teeth with a large gap in the bottom. Beth remembered recoiling in disgust at the smell of stale smoke, body odor, and garlic. The man’s nicotine-stained fingers fidgeted with a ring of keys as he spoke.

  “Don’t you worry ‘bout that. I’ll keep Old Faithful for ‘round town and drive the Navigator when I make my trips into the city. Gonna finally get me a decent roof over my head too.”

  “I hear ya Bones. I hear ya.”

  Track buddies? Maybe. Southland Greyhound park was just west of Memphis across the river bridge. She had known that much. She guessed the dirty white man had won a couple of thousand and was dreaming to hit it big on his next gambling excursion. He probably has a wife and six children at home, she remembered thinking to herself as the two men headed out the door. She had stood there for a moment and watched as the man called Bones went to the back of his rusted out, two-toned, black and red GMC, placed the beer inside, then hoisted what appeared to be a 100 lb. bag of feed onto his shoulder. The black man opened the back door of his SUV, and the bag was thrown inside. The two shook hands, looked around, and then looked directly toward her. She looked both ways and pretended she was looking for a cab or someone to pick her up, and then took the phone book back to the booth and slid onto the cracked red seat to plot her course.

  Maybe the guy has horses, she had shrugged, but there had been more important concerns to attend to for the night.

  She had searched for the abortion clinic in the Yellow Pages. There might be even more than one. She wanted a clinic that would ask no questions and that would take cash, although she had no idea what it might cost. She hoped she had enough. By this time tomorrow she would be headed home. Being alone in the big city made her nervous, but she had her cell phone and money. Surely she could make it one night.

  As she stepped out onto the oily parking lot, her stomach had churned at the smell of the gas fumes emitted by a running car nearby. I’m just seventeen. She kept pushing the tales of botched abortions from her mind. She convinced herself that this was twenty-first century. It would all be fine. Within twenty-four hours all her worries would be over.

  She had paid cash for a room at the Wingate with a double bed and a view of the Interstate. The clerk had asked no questions other than for a credit card for incidentals. Elizabeth hesitated, and then pulled out the MasterCard and passed it to the clerk without a word. The clerk had simply noted the expiration date on the card and other details and handed it back to her. That was all there was to it. If there were no charges on the card, it wouldn’t matter anyhow.

  “Thank you. We hope you enjoy your stay in Memphis.”

  It had been easier than she ever thought it would be. Once inside room 314, Elizabeth had pulled back the burgundy coverlet on the bed and checked for clean sheets. That was the first thing her mother always did when they went on vacation. Satisfied, she had sat on the edge of the bed, turned the television on, and wondered how things were at home. That had been around 9 p.m. If everything went as planned, her parents would have no reason to check on her. She had never given them reason to doubt her before, and Crystal wouldn’t dare squeal on her. She had too much dirt on Crystal for that to happen.

  Maybe she should have called Crystal. She was supposed to be with her boyfriend Chris, at least that’s what she told Crystal. He had suggested her staying overnight before, in fact, but she had always turned him down. It was too risky, but now it seemed like the perfect alibi.

  “You’re actually going to spend the night?” Crystal had asked incredulously. “Won’t his parents know? How are you going to pull that off?”

  “I’ll sneak in through the basement. We’ll crash down there, wake up and leave before his parents get up. Maybe leave them a note that he’s picking me up and spending the day with me...shopping, lunch, bowling alley, that sort of thing. They will never know.”

  “I hope you’re right. If you chicken out, just call me. You can crash here.”

  “It’s our secret. Pinky swear.”

  Elizabeth frowned as she remembered the fib--lying to her best friend since kindergarten, how low could she get? But Crystal might tell her parents. She was in this alone. It would be her secret forever. She thought back to last fall and how all her troubles began. If she could just go back to that night and say no, everything would be okay. Why hadn’t she just said no?

  That was the night the North Side Indians had won their first and last game of the season 41 to 38. She closed her eyes, and she could see the elated team as it ran from the field and celebrated their win over the Lexington Tigers. The band danced from side to side as they blasted out their victory song. Coach Fry, drenched with ice water, was laughing from the sidelines. Players slapped each other’s behinds and hugged. A sea of blue and gold uniforms cheered and bobbed with adrenaline. Elizabeth jumped into her new boyfriend’s arms and kissed him. It felt good to win at least their Homecoming game.

  “We did it!” he puffed breathlessly. Chris Daily had just run fifty yards to make the winning touchdown.

  “No, you did it, Chris. You did it.”

  “Let’s go celebrate.”

  She had been with Chris since the beginning of the school year, and it still made her smile that all her girlfriends envied her. Elizabeth had mustered the courage to ask him to the Fall Festival dance. And of course he had said yes, because Elizabeth Morgan Merriweather--with her winning smile, golden hair, and model figure--had no trouble crooking her finger and getting what she wanted. “We are the perfect couple,” she had said to Crystal. And Crystal had agreed, because that’s what best friends do.

  The Band Boosters had organized the Homecoming Party in the gymnasium, but everyone knew that party was for the nerds and geeks. The real party was at the Country Club, and only Jackson’s most elite were invited to attend. The very affluent families of Madison County sent their children to private schools like University School on the west side of town. But there were snobs in the public system as well. Each system had its own hierarchy.

  Chris and Elizabeth had made their required appearance in the gymnasium and were heading over to the main event in his souped-up, red-lacquered, convertible Mustang on this mild late autumn evening in November. Elizabeth thought she looked very grown up in her black leather mini and knee-high boots, and despite the warmth of the season, the two were sitting so close that Elizabeth could steer if she had wanted.

  “How about we make a grand entrance in just a little while? Feel like a drive in the country?” he had said. Beth had shrugged and agreed to whatever Chris wanted. She was eager to please and lived for his smile.


  Chris made a right at the light. He made a left onto Oil Well Drive and took it all the way out to Highway 412 west. Within ten more minutes, they had left the lights of Jackson, Tennessee behind and were headed out toward a rural community that the locals called Windy City. They made a right onto Windy City Road and followed it a few more miles until they came to a gravel road on the right. The road sign read “Bascomb Road” and was crooked from a botched attempt at theft. The stop sign beneath it was spray-painted with an expletive. Chris followed the gravel road about a quarter of a mile and cut the engine and lights. From here there were no city lights to dim the autumn stars above. Here there were no chaperones or curious eyes. Her cheeks were flush with excitement.

  “How did you know about this road?” Elizabeth asked.

  “We ride our four-wheelers out here in the summer time. We’re not far from the house. It’s just over there through the trees. In daytime, you can see the roof of my house.”

  “I’m surprised you haven’t brought me here before.”

  “I haven’t brought anyone here. I was waiting for the perfect girl and the perfect time.”

  Elizabeth’s breath had caught, and her heart had begun thumping hard in her chest. Even though she was one of the most popular girls in school, she still struggled with low self-esteem. She lived to please people, to make them adore her--craving the attention that both admiring friends and doting relatives gave. Elizabeth was the one who always volunteered to tutor after class, the one who headed up the fundraisers for charity and spent countless hours grading papers for her favorite teacher, even though it bothered her to be branded a teacher’s pet. “No” was not in her vocabulary. He thinks I’m special...the perfect girl.

  She remembered his hand moving to caress her face. With one finger he had traced her forehead, her brow, her cheekbone, and then moved to her ear. She could almost feel his touch again tonight. She had closed her eyes and let his touch send shivers through her. She remembered his cologne and the way his hair fell over one eye, and that grin. That dimpled grin he had as he trailed his finger down her neck. Her eyes were closed, but she knew he was going to kiss her. All her shyness had left her, as they experimented with kissing. So this was what all the fuss was about. Kissing, kissing, laughing, kissing. His left hand was traveling up her leg toward the hem of her leather skirt. She giggled and tried to push his hand away. He loves me. He really does love me. He brought me here to this special place. It will be our special place from now on.