04 The Edge of Darkness (16 page)

THIRTY-THREE

THE WEATHER FORECAST called for a bright and sunny day along the coast. It was just the kind of day that might draw Methuselah off of his estate near Myrtle Beach. Murphy guessed that he would go to the shores below Briarcliffe Acres.

He was not sure when Methuselah might go to the beach, so he left early in the morning. He decided to take State Highway—40 from Raleigh toward New Hanover and Wilmington. There he would join Highway 17 to North Myrtle Beach.

The trip was pleasant and he reflected upon the resort area he was driving to. Myrtle Beach had been named by Mrs. F. E. Burroughs, whose husband was the founder of the Burroughs & Collins Company. She called it Myrtle Beach because of the many wax myrtle
trees growing wild along the shoreline. The building boom of the 1960s had brought an influx of people to the area. Many came to play golf in one of the over 120 courses that were scattered along the coast. Murphy wondered if Methuselah played golf or not.

Probably not. It wouldn’t be exciting enough for him. He likes to see blood and guts, not a little white ball rolling into the water
.

Murphy arrived at the beach area near 9:00
A.M.
He found a place to park, grabbed his backpack, and headed toward the beach. He thought that he might try the area near the Dunes Golf and Beach Club. It was not far from Methuselah’s estate.

Very few people were on the beach.

A
little too early
, he thought.
More people will arrive when it gets a little warmer
.

The sky was crystal clear except for a few puffy clouds in the distance. A slight offshore breeze was blowing toward him. He sat down on the sand and watched the breakers. It had a very calming effect. It had been ages since he’d allowed himself time to just sit and take in the glory of God’s creation.

A passing jogger with a dog caught Murphy’s attention and brought him back to the purpose of his trip. He consulted his watch. It was almost 10:00
A.M.
He looked around the beach and noticed that a few more people had put out blankets and were sunning themselves. Murphy opened his backpack and took out a picture of Methuselah. It had been taken at a distance with a high-powered telephoto lens. Murphy thought he could make out his features well enough to identify him if he came to the beach.

He put away the photo and took out a book and began to read.
Might as well do something productive
, Murphy thought.

It wasn’t until 11:30
A.M.
that Murphy saw something to indicate that Methuselah could be coming—two large men wearing Hawaiian shirts. They were sauntering along the beach, talking and stopping
every now and then to look around. Murphy watched as one of them unhooked a two-way radio from his belt and spoke into it.

It wasn’t long before he saw five other men strolling toward the beach. Two of them were carrying lawn chairs. One of them was older, with gray hair and a limp. Murphy whipped out the photograph and compared it with the man on the beach.

It was Methuselah. There was no doubt about it.

Murphy’s heart began to race. Now what would he do? How would he be able to get close enough to talk with him? He couldn’t believe that he was about to meet the mysterious Methuselah face-to-face … and on Murphy’s terms, not his.

For a moment his attention was drawn away from Methuselah. He spotted two other men walking up and down the beach. Then Murphy had an idea.

“Excuse me, do you work for the Dunes Golf and Beach Club?” asked Murphy.

“Why, yes, I do,” said the young man with a big smile. “Would you like to order something? We take orders for drinks and meals at the club. We’ll bring them to you on the beach if you like.”

“That’s swell. How much do they pay you to do this job?”

The young man was caught a little off guard.

“Why … they … they pay us ten dollars an hour and we can keep any tips we earn. It’s not a bad deal.”

“No, on the contrary, it sounds great. How would you like to make a big tip?”

“Sure, I’m up for that.”

“How about two hundred dollars?”

“What? Are you pulling my leg?”

“No. I just want to borrow a uniform like the one you’re wearing for a couple of hours. There’s someone I would like to talk to on the beach and your uniform might make it a little easier.”

“I know what you mean,” said the young man. He spoke in hushed tones. “I meet lots of good-looking young ladies this way. For two hundred dollars I can get you a uniform. Follow me.”

Murphy could feel the adrenaline starting to pump as he walked toward Methuselah and his bodyguards. He was dressed in the Dunes Golf Club uniform and was carrying a small tray and an order pad.

All of the bodyguards became alert as he approached. Two of them got out of their chairs and started to move toward him. Methuselah was engrossed in a book and not paying any attention. It was evident that he had total confidence in his men.

“Hold it right there!” said one of the guards. He blocked Murphy while the other man came behind him and began to wand him for any metal weapons he might be carrying.

Murphy looked at the men and smiled casually like it was an everyday occurrence.

“Would you gentlemen like anything to eat or drink?”

Murphy saw the other bodyguards nodding their heads up and down. He could also tell that they would not order anything unless Methuselah ordered something. One of the guards spoke to him.

“Mr. M., there’s a man here to take our order. Would you like something?”

Methuselah lifted his head to look at the bodyguard. He didn’t even glance at Murphy standing about ten feet to his left.

“Yes, I’ll have an iced tea and a tuna-melt sandwich.”

Murphy was about to explode inside, his curiosity mingling with a great deal of anger. Methuselah had sicced a lion on him, almost killed him when he cut loose a cable in the Royal Gorge, and hired a host of professional killers to try to take him out. He hoped that Methuselah would not do much to him on a public beach.

He found it impossible to restrain his impatience any longer. He spoke in a firm and loud voice.

“How about some rattlesnakes for lunch?”

At these words, the other bodyguards exploded out of their chairs. The two near Murphy grabbed him, and he was down on the sand in a matter of seconds.

Methuselah was shocked, to say the least. What was one of Golf Club’s employees doing talking to him like that? It was outrageous. He would have the man fired at once.

He rose from his chair and told the bodyguards to make Murphy stand up.

“Did I hear you say ‘rattlesnakes for lunch’?” Methuselah asked with irritation.

Murphy now stood face-to-face with Methuselah. Levi was right. Caught off guard, the old man did not recognize him.

“You heard me right! Rattlesnakes for lunch. Just like you dumped on my head in the Reed Gold Mine!”

It took Methuselah a moment to process what had just been said. Then he smiled and began to laugh in his high, cackling way.

“Dr. Michael Murphy. My, my, my. Aren’t you the industrious one, finding me here. You’re more clever than I gave you credit for.”

Murphy sensed the bodyguards’ confusion over Methuselah’s reaction.

“You can let him go. I don’t think Dr. Murphy will do me any harm. You see, he believes in the Bible… that you should forgive those who trespass against you…. Turn the other cheek … and all of that stuff. Right, Dr. Murphy?”

Murphy just stood there. He had long imagined what he would say if this day ever arrived, and now he found himself at a total loss for words.

Methuselah motioned with his hand.

“Please. Please, pull up a chair and sit down. After all the trouble you’ve gone to, you deserve a rest.”

He then looked at his bodyguards.

“It’s all right. You can move back. Dr. Murphy and I are just going to have a little chat.”

Murphy sat down and looked closely at Methuselah for the first time. His weather-beaten face was lined with wrinkles. He looked like an unhappy man who had been carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

“This is a surprise, Dr. Murphy. You must have done some heavy-duty investigation to find me.”

“I have some friends.”

Methuselah looked at Murphy contemplatively.

“Ah, yes, your friend Levi Abrams, no doubt. He must have checked the airplane crash records. But how?”

“You left a fingerprint.”

“Impossible. I always wipe everything off or wear gloves.”

“Except for one time. Even the best make mistakes.”

“Pray tell me, where?”

“In the Reed Gold Mine on the back of the signboard.”

Methuselah began to cackle. “Of course. It must have been those infernal rattlesnakes. They distracted me and I forgot to wipe off the back of the board. Good job, Dr. Murphy. I always appreciate competence wherever I find it. I suspected you had the qualities I was looking for. I just needed to test you to be sure.”

“Did I disappoint you?”

“Oh, no. Far from it. You have been most entertaining, Dr. Murphy.”

“Well, I’m not sure how to address you. Is it Methuselah or is it Markus Zasso?”

Methuselah smiled again.

“Mr. M. will do.”

“It just doesn’t have the same ring. I think I’ll stick with Methuselah.”

“Of course. Now, what’s on your mind? You’ve gone to a lot of effort to find me.”

“What’s on my mind? Do you really have to ask? I can figure out how you know so much about the Bible. Your grandfather was a missionary
and your father was an active Christian. But what’s with all the games, the riddles, the attempts on my life?”

Methuselah nodded his head. “Fair enough. You have passed all the tests.”

“Tests? Tests for what?”

“The story starts back with the plane crash. As you know, my wife and children were killed in the crash. I myself barely survived. That is why I walk with a limp today. It took me months to regain my health but I could not regain my family. I went into a deep depression over my loss, and the depression turned into anger … and the anger into hatred. Hatred for the people who killed my family.”

Murphy hung on every word.

“I began to do my own investigation. I wanted to find out who was responsible for their deaths. I wanted revenge. Not just by killing them … I wanted to destroy everything they cherished before I took their lives.”

Murphy detected the flash of rage in Methuselah’s eyes as he spoke. “Do you know who they are?”

Methuselah paused for a moment and looked deep into Murphy’s eyes. “Yes, and they will pay” There was something cold and final in his words. “I know more about them and their goals for world conquest than they realize. I have someone on the inside who passes information on to me. I am going to thwart everything they are attempting to do, or die trying!”

“Okay, you hate them. But what does that have to do with me? How do I fit into the picture?”

“The archaeological artifacts I’ve told you about. They help to prove the truth of the Bible. These people would like to see the Bible destroyed and believers in Almighty God eliminated. I am simply using you to help prove them wrong.”

“Then why all the games and threats to my life? Why not simply help me to find these artifacts?”

“Two reasons, Dr. Murphy. One, you need to be battle-ready for
these people. You have no idea how wicked and powerful they are. You need to be able to physically take care of yourself.”

“And the second reason?”

Methuselah began to cackle again in his irritating manner.

“Call it boredom. You have added some much-needed excitement to my dreary days.”

Methuselah’s warped logic indicated to Murphy that the old man had all but lost his grip on reality. He’d become so focused on revenge that it was slowly destroying him. His vendetta completely consumed his thoughts, and nothing else mattered.

“You could have killed me several times!”

“That would have been regrettable, Dr. Murphy. It would, however, have shown me that you weren’t the man for the job.”

“A job I never exactly applied for!”

“You’re wrong, Dr. Murphy. You did apply. With every riddle of mine that you solved and every trap that you wriggled your way out of. You could have refused. You could have turned back at any time. But instead, you persisted. I merely created the gauntlet,” he grinned. “It was you who decided to run it.”

“So now what?” asked Murphy. “Who are these people you’re out to get? And just how do I fit in all of this?”

Methuselah looked at his watch.

“Well, it’s time for me to get out of the sun. I have passed my normal time limit. Thank you for your visit, Dr. Murphy. It was a most refreshing break in my ordinarily routine schedule. You never fail to entertain.”

“Wait a minute!”

Methuselah started to rise. With the merest of glances, his bodyguards came running.

“Will two of you please escort Dr. Murphy back to his vehicle?”

They nodded and two of the larger men stepped forward.

“Oh, I suppose you’d better return that uniform first. It really doesn’t suit you.”

Murphy had completely forgotten about the uniform. Small wonder.

“Perhaps someday we can continue our conversation. I have pressing business in Italy. I hope that you will have a pleasant drive back to Raleigh.”

With that, Methuselah turned and left with four bodyguards in tow. Murphy couldn’t believe what had just happened. It wasn’t anything like he had expected. He looked at the two silent bodyguards. They followed him back to the Golf Club.

He desperately wanted to know more about these people Methuselah hated so. He had found out only enough to pique his curiosity. It was so typical of Methuselah to just walk away. It always had to be on his terms. He had to be in control.

No doubt about it. Murphy was ticked off.

THIRTY-FOUR

MURPHY WAS SITTING at his desk when Shari came into the office with a preoccupied look on her face. He glanced at his watch. It was 8:30
A.M.
She usually arrived before he did.

“Rough night?”

“What?”

“I asked if you had a rough night.”

“I don’t know if I’d call it rough but it certainly was different.”

Shari put on her lab coat slowly. She didn’t seem to be in her typical humorous mood. Murphy eased up on the jokes.

“What happened?”

“Well, for the past two days I’ve been a little paranoid. I’ve felt like
someone’s been watching me and following me. It’s hard to describe. I haven’t actually caught anyone doing it but I have this eerie feeling.”

“Do you think it might be Paul Wallach? Since he’s back in town, has he turned into a stalker?”

Shari wrinkled her nose and frowned.

“I don’t think so. He has his faults but I don’t think he would follow me around. He’d have nothing to gain by it. But that’s not all.”

“What do you mean?”

“Last night I was home alone in my apartment. I watched some TV and got ready for bed. I was not quite asleep when the phone rang. It was Paula Conklin from the church. She was crying. She told me that her father had just died from a heart attack. He was only fifty-seven. Her parents live in Portland and she couldn’t get a flight out until eleven o’clock this morning. I told her that I’d be right over. I know what it’s like to lose your father. I thought I might be able to comfort her.”

Murphy was ready for Shari to say that she was followed to Paula’s but she didn’t.

“We talked until about two
A.M.
and I ended up spending the night at her place. I got up early and came back to my apartment to get ready for work. As I opened my door, there was an extremely strong odor of gas. I had to hold my breath as I ran to open some windows. I went back outside for a bit while it aired out, and then went into the kitchen. Two of the burners on the gas stove were on but there was no flame.”

“Did you accidentally leave them on?”

“I don’t think so. I did have a cup of tea before bed but I think I turned the gas off. And besides, I only used one burner to heat the water.”

“I don’t like the sound of all this. Maybe you should call the police.”

“I had the same thought. But what could I tell them? ‘I have no
real evidence, but I feel like someone’s following me and turning my gas on when I’m not there’?”

Murphy nodded. She was right. Without more to go on, the cops couldn’t do anything.

“Anyway, that’s why I’m late. It was just a very strange incident.” “It was a good thing you went to Paula’s. Her tears saved your life.” Shari looked at Murphy thoughtfully. She hadn’t considered that.

Shari looked at her watch. It was 8:10.
Wow! I guess I do get involved in my work. I’ve skipped dinner and didn’t even realize it
.

She took off her lab coat, gathered a few items, and put them in her backpack. She turned off the lights and locked the door. All of the other lights in the building were off, making her feel a little apprehensive. She didn’t like being alone at night.

Shari, get a grip. Life isn’t going to be much fun if you get scared at every little thing
.

The only sounds she heard were her footsteps as she walked down the hall and pushed open the door to the outside. She waited until it closed and rattled it to be sure it was locked.

She looked around the campus. It was empty and growing dark. Only a few lights were on in the other buildings. She walked around to the side of the lab and unlocked her ten-speed bike. She was grateful that the walkway lights stayed on all night. It would be a scary trip across campus without them.

She felt a little more comfortable when she got to the road, where the streetlights were on and cars were passing. She began peddling the ten minutes to her apartment.

She reached the grocery store and thought,
Oh, I need to get some eggs and milk. I’ll have breakfast for dinner
.

After locking up her bike, she went into the supermarket, feeling rather hungry.

This is not a good time to go shopping. Everything looks so good. Especially the sweets
.

As she walked the aisles, she began to have the feeling that she was being watched. She turned around but no one was there.

Shari, stop thinking like that. You’ve seen too many scary movies
.

She picked up her milk and eggs and slowly walked by the cookies, eyeing each package.

Mo. I’ll get some microwave popcorn instead
.

The clerk was smiling as she approached.

“Did you find everything all right?”

“Yes, thank you. By the way, could you please double the plastic bag? I’m on my bike.”

“You bet.”

When biking at night, Shari had a habit of riding on the sidewalk. She didn’t like the idea of cars not seeing her and possibly hitting her from behind. When she came to intersections she would follow where the curb dropped down for handicap accessibility, ride across the street, and back up onto the sidewalk. She was not far from her apartment when it happened. She was just approaching an intersection and the light was green. She wanted to get across before it turned red, so she started to peddle faster. As she came to the corner of a building, a calico cat darted out in front of her.

She squeezed the front handbrake as hard as she could, trying not to hit the cat. The sudden deceleration threw her forward before she reached the curb.

She tumbled to the ground, her head narrowly missing a vehicle that ran the red light at about forty miles per hour. She sat there shaking. If she hadn’t slammed on the brakes because of the cat, she would have been hit.

Then came the tears. When she fell, she had scraped some skin off
both hands, bruised her right shoulder, and hit the back of her head on the pavement. No one was around to help her.

She crawled away from the street, rocking back and forth until she regained her composure. She looked at her bloody hands coated with sand and gravel. She could see the cat over by the building meowing as if nothing had happened. Her carton of milk was spilled all over the sidewalk and the dozen eggs were destroyed. The cat went over and started to lick the milk. Her bike lay half in the street and half on the sidewalk.

As she stood, she realized that she had sprained her ankle. She didn’t feel like riding. She picked up the popcorn, put it into her backpack, righted her bike, and used it like a crutch to hobble home.

The next morning, Paul Wallach was walking across the campus when he saw Shari limping toward the lab with her backpack on and both hands wrapped in bandages.

“What happened to you?” he asked.

Shari looked at him and tried to smile through the pain she felt all over.

“I almost ran into a cat last night on my bike. It darted out in front of me.”

“Looks like you got the worst of it.”

“You could say that. At least the cat still has eight lives left.”

Paul helped her over to a bench and they sat down. Shari explained how the accident happened.

“It sounds like the cat may have saved your life.”

“It certainly did. Another split second and the car would have hit me. That’s two times my life has been spared in two days.”

“Two times?”

She told him about the incident with the gas burners and he looked very concerned.

“I think that you’ve had enough excitement. You should go home and get some rest.”

“It’s probably a good idea but I have some test papers Dr. Murphy needs today. I had to bring them to him.”

“Here, let me take them for you. You sit right here and I’ll be right back.”

“I doubt that Dr. Murphy is in yet. Just put them on his chair behind the desk.”

Within a few minutes, Paul returned.

“I’ve got an idea. You drive back home and rest for the day. Don’t plan on doing any cooking. I’ll get a pizza and bring it for dinner. I’ll also pick up a movie and we can watch it after dinner. You can’t beat good food and some entertainment. Will you let me do that for you?”

“It sounds very good, Paul. I don’t feel like cooking or going out.” Plus, she was starting to feel like she didn’t want to be alone in the evenings.

“Shari, you go on home and I’ll go back and leave a note for Dr. Murphy explaining why you won’t be in to work. What time would you like to have dinner?”

“How about six-thirty?”

“I’ll be there.”

“Thank you, Paul.”