was about to turn to Alex to voice her disappointment her eyes were caught by the announcement. It said briefly that Mrs. Capeletti’s artifacts were not available for viewing and that was followed by an apology given to the public by the organizers. A look at the attached photo showed her what she was missing. A beautiful and shiny vase made from pewter with a round body and long neck and two plates of different sizes and various decorations, also from pewter.
‘Pewter? ’ she asked Alex.
‘Known also as tin or zinc alloys, ’ was his reply.
‘Valuable? ’ questioned Rose further. They looked pretty but was that the only reason they were chosen for the exhibition was Rose thinking behind the short question.
‘Very rare. That pewter, from Ancient Rome, 750 BC to 470 AD is not common, ’ explained Alex looking at the photo himself.
As Rose finished reading the brief she automatically moved forward following Alex to the next exhibit. It was only later that day that something clicked inside her head as probably her subconscious mind was working on matching and filing the events of the day. They were at the mosque and admiring a tapestry on stone. It had color and texture and was thought provoking.
The atmosphere was peaceful and beautiful, inductive of reflection and soul searching however Rose’s nose could smell sweat coming from the carpet and people’s socks and she felt the need for fresh air. All women heads were covered with some type of fabric and many wore the traditional hijab; no one was wearing short sleeves or short skirts although outside of mosque the temperature was 30 degree Celsius. Before coming here Rose had to go home, have a shower and change her clothes. She also had to leave her jewels at home. She wanted to abide the mosque etiquette as women are forbidden of wearing perfume and jewels in a mosque. Alex had to wear long trousers but otherwise he was fine.
As they walked around the mosque they spent time admiring the tall, elegant minaret whose function was just to attract attention and the colorful domes, perfectly shaped. The large open courtyard was surrounded by columns and a large prayer hall. They looked at the mihrab, the highly decorated wall niche that indicates the direction of Mecca and then they spent some more time admiring the intricate patterns and colors on the vault of heaven, the interior of the dome. Rose experienced mixed emotions of reverence, respect and dread and kept that to herself but was wondering how Alex felt. The decorative elements were emotionally stimulating and inspiring however she was feeling sad. So many people in need of healing, so many people living life in someone’s shadow. What a conundrum. Life didn’t have to be so gloomy. Or was she a silly woman with an idyllic view of the world?
Rose was walking slowly around trying to satisfy her curiosity while at the same time not offending the people who were praying. At one point the image of the empty exhibit stand just popped up into her head again. It was the name mentioned on the brief that brought another image into the focus; another glossy leaflet inviting to the same conference. It can’t be possible, she told herself. It must be just a coincidence, Rose started to reassure herself but she had to check that anyway as soon she got home. They finally left the building and went to locate their shoes that they had to leave outside.
‘May you live long and in good health, ’ Rose said to Alex after leaving the building. It was a greeting written in Arabic and English on the entrance wall. He was busy putting his shoes on.
‘Very good Rose. Do you know Arabic? ’he asked falling in step with her.
‘Shukran and Besora’a, only but never had the chance to use them, ’ Rose said tilting her head to look up at him. He smiled at her and embraced her in a hug trying to get her away from a group of men that was approaching the mosque. It was getting dark and time for the last prayer of the day. After they passed and she was able to walk again on her feet he took her hand and they headed back towards the hotel in companionable silence. The streets were getting busy and noisy again. Alex suggested a boat trip and a meal on the river but Rose wanted to get back at the hotel to check her suspicion. She could not tell that to Alex yet as she was not entirely sure and wanted some evidence to back up her budding theory.
Back at the hotel Rose had to check the conference program. She hadn’t disclosed to Alex her concerns as she did not want to make a fool of herself, so in a conversational tone she asked to borrow the program to check up the next day’s presentations. He was happy that she showed that much interest in it but became really unsettled when Rose shared with him her theory about the missing artifacts. Rose’s intentions to contact the police seemed to make him particularly uncomfortable.
‘So you think that your neighbor, Mrs. Capeletti, is the owner of the artifacts that were not available for viewing today? ’ he asked with what seemed to be an incredulous tone. ‘But you don’t know that for sure, ’ he pointed out.
‘Woman’s intuition, ’ Rose replied stubbornly.
‘And you don’t know if they were stolen, ’ he continued his train of thought.
‘I thought you were going to point that she died from a heart attack, ’ Rose said. His answer was surprising.
‘We were listening to the same channel when they mentioned it. I was worried that your mood might be affected, ’ he added.
‘Are they wanted on the black market? ’ Rose asked. He smiled broadly but there were no wrinkles around his eyes. He definitely was not happy.
His answer was brief: ‘Millions’.
Rose was in disbelief. ‘Shouldn’t we be doing something? ’ Rose said.
‘Play roulette? We’ve been here for two full days now and I haven’t had the chance to look around at this big casino, ’ Alex said. Rose looked at him with strong disapproval and he tried man’s logic on her. ‘Rose, if your theory is correct, and I’m not suggesting otherwise, talking to the Police can wait till we get back to Brisvegas, ’ he said. ‘Who knows when we have the chance to visit this place again, ’ he added.
‘I’m not convinced yet, ’ Rose said. ‘Work harder. ’
Alex was quiet for a minute and went pale a bit then he left the room. When he returned he just said; ‘I rang and gave them your theory. And before you get all worked up look at this’. As he said that he took out what appeared to be his wallet and opened it. It was there, large and shiny and unmistakable although she had seen it only in movies; the badge. Completely gold in color, with ‘U’ and ‘S’ letters in the middle and ‘Department of Justice’ words at the bottom. They looked at each other without a word and Rose nodded. He put it back into his pocket.
‘You are pushy, you know? ’ Alex said with a small smile and tight lips, and Rose wondered if he would ever forgive her for making him disclose that.
‘Yeah, that’s why I’m still single, ’ Rose joked.
‘We have that in common, ’ he replied and she did not know which one was he referring to. ‘I think I need a drink, ’ he then said rising from his chair.
‘Can I come with you? ’ Rose jumped up immediately.
‘What about last night girl? ’ He said starting to smile again.
‘I’ll file that as useful experience, ’ Rose said. They returned around midnight after having some good fun and spending a chunk of money. Alex’s mood improved rapidly after they left the room and Rose was not sure to what extent she contributed to that. For sure, she thought, the alcohol, the music and the food must have helped.
Is it Frazzled or Dazzled?
There she was, in the middle of the night and more confused than before. Something was definitely missing from the picture. Rose thought that she should have felt happy to have such a powerful man by her side and grateful for his recent support in dealing with the Police on her behalf but she could feel a nagging feeling at the back of her head. What was it? Too curious for her own good, some would say. What a jacked up situation. She knew that she could hardly sleep in such circumstances so she decided to dig for more information. Internet, books or plain talking? she asked herself. As they returned back to their rooms in apparently g
ood spirits Rose could still see unspoken worries in Alex’s eyes so she requested a brief talk before going to bed.
‘My bed or yours? ’ Alex tried to joke.
‘Can you manage? ’ Rose replied taking up his game.
‘Definitely for a night, ’ he said confidently. ‘Not sure about more than that that’s why I’m not asking you to marry me, ’ he said a bit coarsely and by now his eyes were totally fixed on her. Rose assumed that her dopamine and oxytocin were now invading her blood system and ramming at her receptors; they were to blame and make responsible for her suddenly strong desire to take Alex to bed. She suspected something similar was happening to him. Alas, tomorrow they could blame the caudate nucleus, huh? Rose sighted with frustration.
‘Decisions, decisions, ’ Rose said aloud as Alex was watching her.
‘Yeah. Pheromones or caudate nucleus? ’ he asked in a deep, strong, soft voice smiling at her as if reading her thoughts. ‘We don’t need an excuse to get to bed, ’ he said softly and confidently continuing to stare at her. She noticed that he was standing in the middle of the room and was not moving. His demeanor was imposing and demanding but his eyes were soft and imploring understanding. Rose looked at him with a quizzical eye and his request was short: ‘Should I have a hot shower or a cold one?