Chapter 3

Looking at the sheet of paper I shake my head, I then look back at the building sort of dumb founded. Thinking to myself if anything I was expecting a morgue, maybe a Hospital but an apartment didn't cross my mind. I slowly walk up to the entrance trying to peer around the sides thinking maybe this was the wrong address, as I walk up to the door an elderly man is walking out.

"Excuse me, do you speak English?" hoping that he spoke an ounce of English.

The man holds up his hand and shakes it a little. "I speak little."

Well I guess it is true... be careful of what you wish for. "Can you please tell me if this is the right address."

the old man grabs the paper and looks at it very carefully "Ah... yes, yes this address is Ms. Austerer, she live upstairs at the end of hall."

Happy that I possibly found the right address, but confused at where it leads. Lucifer had said there would be a casket and the body would be the mark. I look at the old man "thank you, thank you." the old man gets out of the way and allows me to enter, I slowly walk up the stairs and begin the long walk down the hall.

Seeing the door dread begins to fill my heart hoping that she is just another delivery person that just has the package, wondering how I plan on negotiating the release of the body she might be holding. Probably should have asked if she was married, then thinking deeper I remembered the old man called her Ms, that is not a good sign. Reaching the door I stand there for a second trying to listen inside the room, but no noise escapes the door. I finally get the nerve to knock, taping three times I stand there fixing my jacket and wiping some crumbs off my tie. I continue to listen but do not hear anyone approaching the door, I slowly grab the handle and twist it praying that it is locked the door turns and I hear it open. My conscience tells me to turn and leave maybe meet up with Natasha at the hotel, but my obligation to the contract doesn't allow me too so I place my hand on the door and push watching it swing open.

The room is dark I walk in looking casually around, I notice that there is a stale smell in the air and begin to follow it into the bedroom. I enter the room seeing what appeared to be a person sleeping in the bed. As I slowly approach the image of an elderly woman begins to fill the shape of the person laying restfully until I notice her body hasn't moved since I came in, as I stand there for a moment and allow my eyes to adjust to the room as it becomes clear that the strange black glow emanates from her body I now know I have found the item in question. I gently grab her wrist and check for a pulse, as I feared there wasn't one. Placing her arm back on the bed I begin sifting through her drawers looking for any information on the woman.

A few hours had passed since I first entered the room, and other then learning a great deal about this woman's life I still hadn't located a casket, granted that it wasn't important since the woman was the treasure curious as to why Lucifer would say that there would be one if there wasn't, made me think of the possibility that Lucifer couldn't actually see the objects that he sought that maybe he just knew what they were. Thinking of the vase he said that it was bigger than he thought, but then he couldn't actually see it since it was in its case and in the trunk how did he know what it looked like. Best to put this thought in the back of my head, I really need to concentrate on how the Hell I'm going to get this body back to the U.S.

As I sift through more papers I find a letter about her son, who had died back in the United States while working in a factory a few years ago. tapping the paper an idea pops to mind, I start gathering all the information about the son, after insuring that I had everything referring to his death I fold it up placing it into my pocket.

Going over my alibi one more time I wanted to make sure it was concrete before making any calls, I then pick up the phone calling the Police and within minutes the whole apartment is full of police officers. I watch as they begin sifting through her life keeping an eye out for anything I might have missed.

Not paying attention a detective approaches me and begins talking to me. "And who are you?"

clearing my throat and straightening my back. "Yes I'm Jon Helfind... I'm a procurer of rare items."

looking me over. "And what is a procurer doing in an elderly old woman's house?"

Handing him my card "Well this isn't in my job description, but I work for Michael Austerer her son. He has been working in the states for some time, as far as I know they became rather distant and after he found his fortune thought this would be a good chance to reunite himself with his mother. Since my job requires me to find rare items he thought that I would be able to locate his mother." clearing my throat again I point to my bag. "In my bag you will find two plane tickets one of them being an open ended ticket." thinking to myself how thankful I was that I still had Natasha's ticket for her return flight. I then continue on "this would allow her to make any arrangements she needed if she so wished to visit him, Anyway I was able to locate her to this address and when I knocked the door opened."

"...and you simply just walked in."

"Yes, I stepped in and announced myself to only find a distinct odor that caused me to investigate it further... finding Ms. Austerer dead in her bed."

The detective walks over to my bag opening the out most pocket pulling out the two tickets. As he inspected them he looks back over to me. "Business Class, very impressive... too bad the Airline has a bad reputation."

"Indeed, even though the flight over here was rather enjoyable. I tend to not judge a book by its cover."

As the detective places the tickets back into my bag "So what will you do now, go back and tell him that his mother is dead?"

"Actually I'm sure he would rather have his mother brought back, if it is possible."

"Well if there are no complications in her death I'm sure that could be arranged..." he looks back to the bedroom "...the doctor looks like he is finishing up I will go see what I can find out."

I watch him head for the bedroom, I think to myself things are going to well, I start looking around seeing if there was something I missed. Again the detective startles me. "Did you lose something?"

"No, I was trying to take inventory of the room. Being that I help find rare valuable items I was assessing if there was anything of value here." hoping that he would buy it.

"Do you see anything? of value that is?"

"No, not really more than likely Mr. Austerer will have everything liquidated since it will not be worth having it brought back to the states."

The detective walks over the counter looking at the crucifix on the table. "Do you think he would mind if I took this home to my wife? She likes to collect religious items."

"I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem." I walk over to the counter picking it up and handing it over to him.

"Good, well the doctor said that she died of natural causes fortunately you came when you did. Had you not come it could have been a few weeks before she would have been discovered, and needless to say the smell would have been very disturbing."

"Well if you could point me to the Landlord's house, and let me know where I will need to go to pick up the body I would greatly appreciate it."

after giving me the details I head out of the apartment, and go back to the hotel. Rather exhausted from my travels I look forward to getting a long shower and heading to bed. As I reach the hotel I walk into the lobby to see Natasha sitting at a table enjoying a cup of hot tea. Realizing how much I missed the company of others I decided to try and join her.

As she sees me approach a smile comes onto her face. "Well, it looks like my job is better than yours after all."

"You have no idea. Well unfortunately it looks like my affairs will be wrapped up very soon."

with a gentle sigh "That is a little disappointing to hear. Did you not find what you were looking for?"

"Oh no, I found it..." gesturing for permission to sit. "...Now I just need to make the arrangements to get it back..." reaching into his bag "...and before I forget, here's your ticket for your flight home. I went ahead and left it as an open ended ticket, not knowing when you would be finished with your work. I wanted to make sure your flight home was as comfortable as your flight here."

"That was very generous you know you didn't have too." as she took the ticket and stuck it into her purse.

"I know, well if you don't mind I think I will be retiring for the night. It has been a long day, and I have much to do tomorrow." getting up I push my chair back in. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight Jon, and thank you again. You have been a God sent, had I not bumped into you I don't think this trip would have been as interesting as its been."

"I'm not sure if I would say God sent but thank you anyway." I begin walking to my room, anticipating the shower I at least had that before my day tomorrow.