some great shoes and some really nice lingerie I just know you’re going to love.”
“That’s great babe. Listen. Sorry. I know you’re excited but something has come up. Something you’re not gonna believe. How long is Jim in London?”
“He leaves on Saturday.”
“Is there somewhere we can meet him? How about his hotel?”
“If he’s there. He’s giving a talk tonight at a gallery in Chelsea. Why? What’s all this about?”
“Look can you get hold of him and arrange to meet him. Tell him he really doesn’t want to miss this.”
“Why don’t you ring him.”
“I’ve tried and besides I’m not sure how safe it is. My phone may have been hacked.”
“Hacked!”
“From what I’ve heard today. Listen I’ll explain when I see you. Get Jim. We need to meet somewhere to talk. All of us. A quiet bar somewhere if not his hotel. Okay.”
“There’s a winebar not far from me. I’ll get Jim to meet us there.”
“I know the place. I’ll see you as soon as I can get there.”
Forty five minutes later Peter Dennis burst through the front door of the pub. Natalie and Jim Hutchinson were standing at the bar waiting for him. He kissed Natalie briefly on the lips, then shook the American’s hand.
“What are you having to drink? It’s my shout,” Hutchinson said.
“Budweiser please,” Dennis answered to the girl behind the bar.
“Make that three,” Hutchinson said placing a twenty pound note on the bar. Dennis waited until the three bottles of beer had been handed out and Hutchinson had received his change before saying.
“Let’s sit in that booth at the back. It’s a bit quieter.”
The men waited for Natalie to sit and as Hutchinson sat Dennis threw himself into his seat and puffing up his cheeks he blew his breath out.
“You won’t believe the day I’ve just had.”
“I guess by the urgency you’re about to tell us.”
Dennis looked at Natalie long and hard, not sure of where to start. Then he began.
“I now know who was behind Friday night. Who stole the spear.”
Hutchinson leaned closer.
“Who?”
Dennis looked straight into Natalie’s eyes.
“Von Werner.”
“What?” Hutchinson said.
Dennis nodded.
“It’s true.”
“But we saw Tunisian marines pull his dead body from the sea.”
“Well he clearly wasn’t dead.”
Dennis saw the concerned look from his girlfriend.
“It’s all right. He won’t be coming after us. He’s got what he wants. He’s long gone.”
“Are you sure?”
“Trust me.”
He reached out to grasp her hand.
“How do you know all this Pete?”
“That man in the brown suit,” he said to Natalie, “He’s an Austrian police inspector from Interpol. He came into the office,” he continued for Hutchinson’s benefit, “he had a photograph of Von Werner from CCTV. Von Werner was sitting in the front range rover on Friday night. His face is badly disfigured but there was no mistaking it. It’s definitely him.”
Natalie felt herself shudder.
“It’s all right. He’s gone.”
“So my best guess then,” from Hutchinson, “is that he’s heard of the mystery surrounding the spear of Longinus and that’s why he’s stolen it. He intends to use it.”
“This is where it gets interesting. The spear from London is a fake. A replica.”
“What?”
“That’s right Jim. The Austrians had the real one locked away in a vault. They use replicas just in case of an incident like this.”
“So Von Werner has a fake.”
“Not exactly. The London one was abandoned. The real one he stole a month ago. He killed to get it.”
“Then if he has the real one why did he take the one from the British museum?”
“Inspector Bauer, that’s his name, the Austrian inspector, Thomas Bauer. He thinks Von Werner has tried to heal himself with the real one but failed. You see it only works where it is said that Christ himself spilt his own blood.“
“So that means where he was crucified right! Which if memory serves me has the church of the holy sepulchre built over it. How is he going to get to the ground underneath it?”
“It doesn’t necessarily mean there. Anywhere where Christ bled. It could be where he was whipped by the Romans. We need to read up on our bibles, search the internet etcetera.”
“What do you mean we?”
“Bauer has asked for my, our help.”
“To do what?”
“To locate where Von Werner will attempt to use the spear next.”
Dennis looked across at Natalie.
“You’re not saying much.”
Natalie didn’t know what to say. She half shrugged.
“Peter I’m an archaeologist not a treasure hunter.”
“I know Nat but Bauer believes we might be the best people for the job.”
“And last time we came face to face with Von Werner he was going to