The Secret Crown

‘No idea. But he seems in good spirits. I doubt it’s anything major.’

‘Bet you a buck that someone died.’

Payne smiled. ‘A whole dollar? Are you sure you can afford that?’

‘Fine! Let’s make it a hundred. That way I can use your money to pay off all the bets I lost on your swim. I think there’s some justice in that.’

‘Let’s see if I got this straight: You’re using gambling to settle your gambling debts? Sounds foolproof to me.’

Jones feigned indignation. ‘Give me a break, Jon. It’s not like I need an intervention. In fact, I’ll bet you twenty bucks I don’t have a gambling problem.’

Payne laughed as he dialled Jones’s number. ‘Just answer your phone so we can talk to Kaiser. I’m curious about his call.’

A moment later, the three of them were catching up on old times.

Kaiser said, ‘If I remember correctly, the last time we met was before your trip to Greece. It seems your journey paid off handsomely.’

‘Yeah,’ Jones said from a boat named after that adventure, ‘you could say that.’

While helping an American student stranded in Russia, Payne and Jones had found themselves tangled in a global conspiracy that involved assassins, Spartans and several dead monks. At the heart of their adventure were a lost relic from Ancient Greece and more treasure than anyone could spend in a lifetime. Although they discovered the treasure, Payne and Jones weren’t allowed to claim it as their own due to government intervention and international law. However, the countries involved gave them a finder’s fee with more digits than a sheik had wives.

Needless to say, it had made headlines around the world.

‘Looking back on it,’ Kaiser asked, ‘which was more thrilling: hunting for the treasure or getting the reward?’

‘The hunt,’ Payne blurted. ‘Definitely the hunt. No question about it.’

Jones argued from his chair. ‘Easy for you to say. You were rich already.’

Payne smiled. ‘That’s a very good point.’

‘Does that mean you disagree?’ Kaiser wondered.

‘Not really,’ Jones admitted. ‘I simply like mocking Jon.’

‘In other words, you loved the hunt, too?’

Jones nodded. ‘You could say that.’

‘Great! I’m glad to hear it.’

Payne paused in thought, wondering where this was headed. ‘Okay, Kaiser. Enough with the foreplay. What’s going on?’

‘Yeah,’ Jones said, ‘did someone die?’

‘Did someone die?’ Kaiser echoed. ‘Why would you ask that?’

‘No real reason. Just a hunch.’

‘Well,’ he said, searching for an appropriate response, ‘someone did die, but his death was fortuitous.’

‘Not for him,’ Payne observed.

‘True, but it was for us.’

Jones grinned in victory. ‘I couldn’t agree more.’

Kaiser sensed he was missing something – perhaps an inside joke – but didn’t take the time to ask. He knew a fortune might be on the line, and the clock was already ticking. ‘Out of curiosity, have either of you been to Munich?’

‘Munich?’ they asked in unison.

‘Yes. The capital of Bavaria.’

Payne shook his head. ‘Can’t say that I have.’

‘Me, neither.’

Kaiser continued. ‘It’s a wonderful city, perhaps my favourite in Germany. There’s an interesting mix of old and new, and the Weisswurst is simply delicious.’

‘The what worst?’ Jones said.

‘The Weisswurst,’ he repeated. ‘It’s white sausage. A Bavarian specialty.’

Payne and Jones tried not to laugh, which took a lot of effort. The last time they had dined with Kaiser, he had spent half the meal professing his love of sausage. The man had dozens of rivals in central Europe, yet the odds were pretty good that a heart attack would kill him before one of his adversaries. And in between bites of meat, he had admitted as much.

‘Before you start listing ingredients and cooking times, I’d like to back up a little bit. Tell us more about the guy who died,’ Payne demanded.

Kaiser answered cryptically. ‘I’d prefer not to mention any details over the phone. However, let me assure you that I wasn’t involved in his death – if that’s what you’re wondering.’

‘And yet his death benefits us. I believe that’s how you phrased it.’

‘Yes, I did. And yes, it does.’

‘Care to explain?’ Payne asked.

‘I’d love to, but not over the phone. For additional details, you need to come here.’

‘Where’s here?’ Jones wondered.

‘Munich. I thought that was pretty clear.’

Payne laughed. ‘Nothing about this conversation has been clear.’

Kaiser considered the remark, then nodded. ‘Perhaps not. But I assure you there’s a reason for my caution. The fewer people who know about this, the better.’

‘Well, you’re doing a great job. Because we’ve been chatting for five minutes, and neither of us have any idea what you’re talking about.’

Kaiser paused, searching for a different angle. ‘Jon, do you trust me? If so, come to Munich. I promise it will be worth your time.’

Payne shook his head. ‘Actually, Kaiser, it’s you who needs to trust us. If you’re not willing to give us some basics, there’s no way we’re getting involved. So far, all we know is someone died and you love Weisswurst. And that’s not a lot to go on.’

Sensing some tension, Jones re-entered the conversation. ‘Speaking of Weisswurst, leave it to Germans to invent a white sausage. What kind of racist bullshit is that?’

Kaiser laughed. Softly at first, and then much louder. After a while, it became apparent that he wasn’t laughing at Jones. He was laughing at himself. ‘You’re right, Jon. Obviously you’re right. I called you out of the blue and asked for too much trust in return. If the roles had been reversed, I would have bucked as well.’ He took a deep breath, hoping to start anew. ‘Tell me, what would you like to know?’

‘Let’s start with the basics. Why did you call us?’

‘Why? Because you’re the only guys I know who have experience in this field.’

‘Really? What field is that?’

Kaiser smiled as he answered. ‘Buried treasure.’

5

Sunday, 19 September

Munich, Germany

Payne and Jones didn’t see themselves as treasure hunters. They really didn’t. But thanks to the fortune they had discovered in Greece and a few recent adventures, the world viewed them in that way – whether they liked it or not. In truth, neither of them had a background in history, archaeology or any related field, but they made up for their deficiencies in other ways. Both men were highly trained operatives, extremely intelligent and always looking for a challenge.

To them, the promise of a new mission was the ultimate bait.

To sweeten the deal, Kaiser had chartered a luxury jet for their nine-hour flight to Germany. Due to the six- hour time difference, the Gulfstream V left a private terminal in Pittsburgh just before midnight and arrived in