‘The date?’ Ulster said, glancing back at the list.
Keller explained his discovery. ‘Each of the knobs has a meaning. One knob represents the month. One represents the day. One represents the year’s prefix. The other represents the suffix.’
Megan was confused by the terminology. ‘What do you mean by prefix and suffix?’
‘Fifteen represents the fifteen hundreds. Nineteen represents the nineteen hundreds.’
‘I get it,’ she said. ‘And twenty represents this century.’
Keller nodded. ‘As soon as I determined their meaning, I twisted the dials until the numbers on the top of the box read twelve, one, twenty, and nine representing December the first of this year — the date I was supposed to open the box.’
‘What happened next?’ Jones wondered.
‘I immediately heard a click on the inside, and the lid popped free.’
Ulster grinned. ‘A puzzle box! How marvellous!’
Megan furrowed her brow. ‘What’s a puzzle box?’
‘They are wonderful contraptions that can only be opened through a precise series of movements and manipulations,’ Ulster explained. ‘Sometimes the codes are rather simple, and other times they are unbelievably complex. I have seen some from Japan, known as himitsu-bako, that require more than two hundred movements to unlock the interior. Occasionally, it’s not even movement that is required. Some puzzle boxes require pressure on certain parts of the wood to activate other mechanisms on the inside. Thankfully, by comparison, it seems we have gotten off rather easy. Then again, I can’t remember any puzzle boxes being built as early as the sixteenth century. Perhaps this box is the first of its kind.’
‘Do you think it’s my treasure?’ she asked, and then instantly regretted it. Keller had spent most of his life protecting the box, only to give it to her. She imagined it would upset him to hear it might be worth a fortune.
Ulster shrugged. ‘That depends on the contents of the box. What did you find inside?’
Keller answered. ‘I found a letter written by Nostradamus.’
‘Oh,’ she said in understanding, ‘the letter you sent to me.’
Keller grimaced as confusion filled his face. He had no idea what she was talking about. ‘To you? I didn’t send anything to you.’
‘What do you mean?’ she demanded.
‘The letter I found was written to me.’
62
Surprised by the comment, Payne stared at Keller from across the room. The bewilderment in his eyes told Payne everything he needed to know. The guy was telling the truth.
‘What about the text message?’ Payne demanded.
Keller’s gaze shifted to Payne, who was standing near the door. ‘What text message? What are you people talking about?’
Payne moved closer. ‘You didn’t send her a letter or a text message?’
‘I didn’t send anything to anyone! How could I? I don’t even know your names!’
Jones straightened in his seat. ‘And we’re going to keep it that way.’
Keller stood from his chair. ‘That’s fine with me. In fact, I’d prefer it. Now that I’ve completed my task I want to wash my hands of this nonsense and get on with my life. For the first time in thirty-two years, I can finally move on.’
‘Wait!’ Megan blurted. ‘How can you be done? You haven’t told us anything yet! What are we supposed to do now?’
Noticing the emotion in her voice, Keller felt pangs of empathy. He was familiar with the confusion and the hopelessness she was displaying. He had suffered the same maladies over the years. ‘I’m sorry, but I don’t know what to tell you. The instructions from Nostradamus were short but explicit. The letter said four strangers would show up at my door, precisely two weeks after I opened the box. It asked me to describe the events of December the first, starting with my vault at the bank, and then I should explain how the puzzle box worked. After that, I was to give you the box and bid you adieu.’
‘Nothing else?’ Jones asked.
‘Actually, there was one more thing, but it doesn’t pertain to you. I was told to sell the letter for a tidy profit. The money would be my reward for faithful service.’
‘Have you done that already?’ Ulster asked, hoping to see the letter.
Keller shook his head. ‘Not yet. But I gave it to a friend of mine at the university. He is currently getting it appraised. Once we have confirmed its worth, I will hold an auction at Sotheby’s.’
Jones laughed at the coincidence. ‘You might want to rethink your plan. I heard Sotheby’s was a wreck.’
‘Really? I’ve heard nothing but good things.’
‘Trust me on this one. The hotel needs some major work.’
‘Anyway,’ Payne said, trying to cut things short, ‘just give us the box, and we’ll leave you alone. We’ve got a flight to London later tonight, so we need to get going.’
‘Just give me a moment,’ Keller said, hustling towards his steps. ‘I hid the box upstairs.’
Megan waited until he was gone before she spoke. ‘We’re going to London?’
Payne shook his head and whispered. ‘Nah, I’m just throwing him off the scent in case someone comes looking for us. Better safe than sorry.’
‘Then what are we going to do?’
He shrugged. ‘I don’t know. We’ll figure it out on the road.’
Zürich, the largest city in Switzerland, was less than a three-hour drive from Lausanne and had everything that Payne and Jones were looking for: a major airport, dozens of hotels, and a diverse populace to hide among. Ulster recommended the Baur au Lac Hotel, located in its own scenic park on the shore of Lake Zürich. Not only was it near the Paradeplatz, the city’s bustling financial district, but it was adjacent to the Bahnhofstrasse, one of the most expensive shopping districts in the world. The exclusivity of the area guaranteed round the clock security and special attention from the city’s police force, which made it safer for them.
Using false identification and cash, Payne booked the River Suite at the hotel. With a living room, kitchen, and multiple bathrooms, it allowed the foursome to spend the night comfortably together. While Ulster ordered room service for the group, Payne hopped in the shower, desperate to wash off the bloody water that had dried on him in Geneva. Afterwards, he felt like a new man: wide awake and ready to plot their next step.
Wearing a plush hotel robe and shorts, he strolled into the living room where Jones, Megan, and Ulster had gathered round a mahogany coffee table. Sitting in its centre was the puzzle box. Measuring just under a foot in height, width, and depth, the exquisitely carved box had been crafted out of light-brown linden wood. Its lid, decorated with astrological patterns that helped to conceal the corner knobs, was currently locked in place.
‘Did you open it yet?’ Payne asked.
Megan shook her head. ‘We were just about to.’
‘You didn’t have to wait for me.’
‘Don’t worry, we didn’t,’ Jones assured him. ‘Keller stored this thing in so much bubble wrap it took us an hour to break through. In addition, a certain historian who shall remain nameless refused to use a blade of any kind for fear of damaging the box.’
Ulster defended his caution. ‘If this artefact was actually built by Nostradamus, I can’t begin to fathom how valuable it might be. In the world of antiquities, there are very few names that create a bigger buzz than his. It seems everyone wants a glimpse of the future.’
Payne plopped down in a nearby chair. Now that he was clean, his stomach was growling for attention. ‘Do you think the box is Megan’s fortune?’