1. Salahaddin is worried.

Salahadin was sitting in his office with his jacket pulled out. It was the month of May in Cairo
and it was very hot. Salahadin got up and went to the fan. He was a young man, he was only 28
years old. He was not very tall and a little thin. His hair was black and very short.

Salahadin's office was the center of Cairo. In a large building behind the Nile Hotel. It was a
small office and Salahadin's name was not on the door. Few people knew that he was a
detective. But he was not a detective like the others. Inspector Salahadin protected all
antiquities in Egypt.

Salahadin was waiting for an archaeologist named Mr. Pearson. Pearson had been in Egypt for
six months. He had been working in a valley in southern Egypt. Pearson had been looking for
antiques. He had returned a few days to Cairo and was going to leave Egypt soon.

But Mr. Pearson had not come to Salahadin's office. All the archaeologists had to go see
Salahadin before leaving Egypt. Salahadin was worried. Pearson had not come yet.

Salahadin picked up the phone and called Pearson's hotel.

"Hotel Nilo," said a voice. "Can I help you with something"

"I can talk to the director, please." said Salahadin

Salahadin waited a few moments. Then he heard the director's voice.

"What I can help?" said the director.

"Yes," Salahadin replied. "My name is Salahadin El Nur, I am a police inspector, I want to speak
with Mr. Pearson."

"Do you know Mr. Pearson, the archaeologist?" asked the director.

"Yes," Salahadin replied.

"I'm sorry, you can not talk to Mr. Pearson," the director said.

"Oh," Salahadin said with surprise. "Why not?"

"Mr. Pearson is dead," replied the director. "We found his body in his room this morning, Mr.
Pearson was killed."

2. The lost box.

Salahadin put on his jacket and quickly left his office. It was very hot on the street. A hot, dusty
wind blew through the tall buildings. Salahadin entered a taxi. The streets were full of cars and
the taxi moved slowly. It took a long time to get to Hotel Nilo.

A policeman was at the hotel door.

"I'm sorry," said the policeman. "Nobody can enter the hotel."

Salahadin showed the policeman his identification card.

The policeman drove Salahadin to his boss. Fortunately, Salahadin knew that person. It was
Inspector Ahmed, a friend of the Salahadin school.

Ahmed took Salahadin to Pearson's room. Pearson was in bed. There was a knife in his chest.
"Why are you interested in this man?" Ahmed asked Salahadin. "Do you know him?

"His name is Pearson," Salahadin replied. "He's an archaeologist, he was working in the south,
he was going to leave Egypt soon and I wanted to see him."

"Why did they kill him?" Ahmed asked Salahadin.

"I do not know," Salahadin replied.

There were some boxes standing against the wall. Salahadin pointed them out.

"Maybe there is something of value inside these boxes," Salahadin said. "We must open
them."

Ahmed brought two policemen and they started to open the boxes.

Salahadin looked carefully around the room. There were some papers on the table next to the
bed. Salahadin picked them up. There was a map under the papers. On the map were the
words, "Valley of Zar."

This may be important, Salahadin thought. I'll pick them up and look at them later.

Salahadin folded the papers and the map and put them carefully in his wallet.

By this time, the police had the boxes open. There was nothing important in them. The boxes
were full of shovels and other things to dig.

"There is nothing important or valuable in these boxes," Salahadin said. "We must talk to all
the hotel staff, maybe one of them noticed something unusual."

The director took the staff to Ahmed and Salahadin. They asked each person many questions,
but nobody knew anything important.

Then Salahadin had an idea.

"Who brought the boxes to this room?" he asked the director.

The director took two porters.

"Did you bring these boxes to the room?" Salahadin asked the gatekeepers.

"Yes," they replied.

"How many boxes were there?" Salahadin asked.

"Six boxes," the first doorman replied. "I have three and my friend three more."

Salahadin looked at the boxes. There were six. Nobody had taken any.

"Wait a minute," said the second goalkeeper. "You're wrong, there were seven boxes, you took
three, I took three more."

"But this makes six boxes, not seven," Ahmed said, with a smile. "You do not know how to
count."

"I know how to count," replied the goalkeeper. "There were seven boxes." Mr. Pearson carried
one inside the room, it was a heavy box, but it was smaller than the others.

"This is the box that is lost," Salahadin told Ahmed, "There is some valuable thing in the
seventh box, when we find the seventh box, we will find the murderer."

3. The taxi driver.

Ahmed and Salahadin left Pearson's room and went downstairs. They sat down and the
director brought them some coffee.

"How will we find the seventh box?" Ahmed asked.

"I need your help," Salahadin replied.

"How can I help you?" Ahmed asked.

"The murderer took the box," Salahadin said. "It's heavy and today is a hot day, the killer did
not take the box very far, maybe he took a taxi."

"Maybe he took his own car," Ahmed said.

"We do not know," Salahadin replied. "But, maybe he took a taxi."

"It's possible," Ahmed agreed. "And you want to find that taxi, but how can I help you?"

"You can send a police message at Cairo Radio," Salahadin replied.

"It's true," Ahmed agreed, "what should I say in the message?"

"When did Pearson die?" Salahadin asked.

"About ten thirty this morning," Ahmed replied.

"So here's the message," Salahadin said, "the police want to talk to the taxi driver." This taxi
driver was near the Hotel Nilo around eleven o'clock this morning, a man got into his taxi, the
man carrying a heavy box. Police want to talk to the taxi driver as soon as possible. "

"Good," Ahmed said. "I will post this message immediately."

"Many taxis have radios," Salahadin said. "Maybe a taxi driver remembers a man with a heavy
box."

"I'll go back to my office," he continued. "When something happens, let me know."

"I'll call you immediately," Ahmed replied.

It was late. Outside on the street it was still very hot. Salahadin entered a taxi. Fortunately
there were few cars and in the streets they were almost empty. Soon he arrived at his office.

Salahadin turned on the radio. He heard the message. It repeated itself after fifteen minutes.
Salahadin waited. Suddenly the phone rang. It was Ahmed.

"We're in luck," Ahmed said. "A taxi driver is here in my office." A man with a heavy box
entered his taxi near the Nile Hotel.

"What time?" Salahadin asked.

"At eleven o'clock this morning," Ahmed replied. "Do you want to talk to him?"

"Of course," Salahadin replied. "I'm going to your office immediately."

Ahmed's office was quite close. Salahadin walked towards it. The sun was setting and began to
refresh.

The taxi driver was waiting in Ahmed's office. He was fat, a happy man. He was also smart.
Salahadin picked up his notebook and asked the taxi driver some questions.

"What time did this man enter his taxi?" Salahadin asked.

"A few minutes before eleven," the taxi driver replied. "It was quite close to Hotel Nilo."

Did he have anything? "Salahadin asked.

"Yes," the taxi driver replied, "a heavy box."

"Could you describe me to the man?" Salahadin asked.

"He was tall with broad shoulders," the taxi driver replied. "His hair was blond, he spoke
Arabic, but he was not Arabic, maybe he was Swedish."

Salahadin thought for a moment. Then he asked the taxi driver another question.

"That man spoke Arabic, right?" Salahadin asked. "What kind of Arab did he speak?"

"What does it mean?" the driver asked.

"Did he speak Arabic like an Egyptian?" Salahadin asked.

"Oh, no," said the taxi driver. "He spoke like a Lebanese."

"Where did you take that man?" said Salahadin, continuing with his questions.

"I took him to the train station," the driver replied. "He wanted to get there before twelve."

"At noon, at noon," Salahadin said quietly. "What train leaves Cairo at twelve?"

"The express train to Alexandria," the taxi driver said immediately. "I know all the trains, the
express train leaves Cairo at twelve and arrives in Alexandria at half past two."

Salahadin was in luck. I was finding out important facts. He looked at his notes in his notebook.
The Pearson killer? X?

How is it?

Height and width

Blonde hair

Maybe X is Swedish?

Where he has gone?

To the Cairo train station before noon. Train leaves for Alexandria at twelve. Maybe X will go to
Alexandria.

Why Alexandria?

Alexandria - Beirut ?

Many ships go from Alexandria to Beirut. Easy to transport a heavy box on a ship. It is not easy
to carry a box in an airplane.

Remember X speaks Arabic like a Lebanese!

Maybe X will take a boat to Beirut?

4. Boat to Beirut.
It was seven in the afternoon. The train to Cairo had arrived at Alexandria at half past two.
Maybe Pearson's killer was on a ship to Beirut.

"Call to call Alexandria." Salahadin said to Ahmed.

Salahadin picked up the phone. He asked for the police from the port of Alexandria.

"I'm Salahadin El Nur. I'm a police inspector and I want to talk to your boss."

The chief of the harbor police got on the phone. Salahad asked some questions and wrote the
answers in his notebook. Here are your notes:

A tall man with blond hair arrived at the port at six. The man was carrying a heavy box. I had a
Swedish passport. All papers were sent to Cairo. The man said that the box was full of books.
They did not open the box - the police did not open each box.

Two ships left Alexandria at 4:30 p.m.

A ship left at six-thirty for Beirut. His name is El Sudan.

Another ship left for Athens at seven. His name is El Siria.

The man said he was going to Beirut. The police did not see taking the boat to Beirut.

Salahadin hung up the phone and looked at his notes one more time. Then he spoke with
Ahmed.

"Pearson's killer has gone to Beirut," he said. "I'm sure of this."

"How can we send a message to the ship?" Ahmed said.

"We will not do this," Salahadin said. We are not totally sure. Many men have blond hair and
many men carry heavy boxes. I must find him. I have to talk to him. "

"But how can you do it?" Ahmed asked. "Now it's too late, the ship has already left."

"I can get to Beirut before him," Salahadin replied. "Today is Monday, the ship will not be in
Beirut before tomorrow afternoon, I can take a plane."

"And weekends only take two hours," Ahmed said.

"It's true," Salahadin said. "I will take a plane tomorrow morning and I will be in Beirut before
noon."

"It's a good idea," Ahmed said. "You can find a man in the port of Beirut."

"Now I have to leave, I have a lot to do," Salahadin said. "I have to book a seat on the plane
and get a ticket, I'll see you later, thanks for your help, goodbye."

5. The black cat

Salahadin arrived home very late. It was close to midnight and he was tired. But his work was
not finished yet. He took some pieces of paper from his wallet. It was the pieces of paper in
Pearson's room. Salahadin sat down and looked at Pearson's notes.

The Pharaoh Ankuten.

This pharaoh did not live long.

He died when he was still a child.

Where was Ankuten buried?

Ankuten was in Sudan when he died. The Zar Valley was next to the road to Sudan. Was
Ankuten buried in the Valley of Zar?

What was buried with Ankuten in his grave?

Was there a cat buried with Ankuten?

There were many old stories about a black cat. Ankuten loved black cats. When he died, a
black cat was placed in his grave. But this cat was very unusual. It was made of gold. His eyes
were diamonds. There was a diamond necklace around his neck.

Is this story true or not?

Why was the cat covered in a black paint?

Fear of thieves. The black paint hides gold and diamonds.

A cat painted with thick black paint did not seem valuable.

Questions to be answered:

Is Ankuten buried in the Valley of Zar?

Is there a black cat in his grave?

Is the cat made of gold?

Or is it made of wood?

Are these stories true or false?

Salahadin read the notes again. He asked some questions. Did Pearson find Ankuten's grave?
he asked himself. Did you find the black cat? And is the cat made of gold?

There were reasons for Pearson's death. Was the black cat the reason?

There are too many questions, Salahadin thought. I must find the answers. The answers are in
the lost box and probably this Beirut address. I'll be there tomorrow.

6. In Beirut.

At ten thirty the next morning, Salahadin arrived at the Beirut airport. The airport is in the
south of the city and the port in the north. A highway from the airport to the port crossed the
center of the city. Another road went by the sea side.

Salahadin entered a taxi. He told the driver to go by the sea side. The sun was shining in the
city and there was fog behind the hills. The air was fresh. Salahadin was very happy in Beirut.
Towards good, after the heat and dust of Cairo.

When he arrived at the port, he asked about the Alexandria ship. The Sudan would not arrive
in Beirut until six thirty in the afternoon. Salahadin had more than six hours of waiting. He
decided to visit a friend named Fuad.

Fuad had studied with Salahadin at the University of Cairo. Now he worked in the Lebanese
Department of Antiquities in Beirut. His office was in a large museum in the northeast of the
city. Salahadin took a taxi to the museum.

Fuad was surprised and pleased to see him.

"We'll have dinner together," Fuad said. "I'll call my wife immediately."

Ten minutes later they were in Fuad's car. Fuad lived in a small town in the mountains above
Beirut. The road was very bad. He twisted and headed towards the mountain.

"This road is dangerous," Salahadin said.

"It's true," Fuad said. "And it's more dangerous above, people are killed there often."

But it was also very beautiful. It was spring and the trees and flowers were fresh and green.
Some people were already selling fruit by the side of the road. They had big baskets of
strawberries.

The car soon arrived at Fuad's house. Fuad's wife, Leila, was waiting for them.

"Hello, Salahadin," said Leila, "Nice to see you again, we talk a lot about you, but first, we have
to eat."

After lunch they sat in the gallery and drank coffee. They talked about Cairo and their friends
there. From the gallery, they looked down towards the tall buildings of Beirut. Behind the
buildings was the harbor and the sea.

"Now," Fuad said, "why are you in Beirut?"

Salahadin spoke with Fuad about Pearson's death. He talked to him, too, about the man with
the blond hair.

"I want to be in port at six," Salahadin said. I will find El Sudan. He arrives at half past six. "

I can take you there in my car, "Fuad said.

They sat in the gallery and talked together. Time passed quickly and soon they left for the port.

"Bring Salahadin here, then," Leila told Fuad. "Our house is more comfortable than a hotel, he
must spend the night here."

Salahadin thanked Leila and got up.

It begins to be cold, "he said.

"Yes," Fuad replied. "You're wearing summer clothes, this is not Cairo, it's cold here in the
mountains, sometimes it's cold in the summer, he left you a coat, you'll need it later."

It's five o'clock, Salahadin and Fuad left the house. They said goodbye to Leila and drove to
Beirut.

7. The road to Baalbek.

At six, Salahadin and Faud arrived at the port of Beirut. They sat in the car and arrived at the
arrival of El Sudan.

Other cars in the port.

"You see that black car there?" Fuad asked.

"The one with two men in front?"

"Yes," Fuad said, "and there is a fat man sitting in the back seat, I know him, he's interested in
antiques, he often comes to the museum."

The Sudan soon appeared at the entrance to the port. He reached the dock just before six
o'clock and the media and passengers went down the ladder.
"Here it is," said Salahadin, "the man on the ladder, he's tall, he has blond hair and shoulders,
that's the man."

"But, I know him," Fuad said. "He's Swedish and his name is Borkman, he's interested in
antiques, too, I often see him in the museum."

"Where is the box?" Salahadin asked. "He does not carry any boxes."

"Wait and see," said Fuad. "Maybe a carrier has been given."

"Look," said Salahadin. "The black car is moving."

The black car moves a little and stays behind the shed. Fuad and Salahadin sat and waited.
Borkman got off the boat and got into a taxi. But he did not carry the heavy box. The taxi
began to move.

"Let's follow it," said Fuad.

"Wait a moment," Salahadin said. "Look at the black car."

Salahadin was right. The black car started slowly and followed Borkman's taxi.

"Now we can go," Salahadin said. We will follow the black car. There is something strange
about him. "

The three cars are outside the port. The taxi went fast through the streets of Beirut. Then he
began to climb the steep mountain road. The black car followed the taxi. Fuad followed the
black car.
Is not this the road that goes to your town? Salahadin asked.

"Yes," Fuad replied. "This road goes to the mountains, it goes to a small town called Ba'albek."

"That name sounds to me," Salahadin said. There are some famous ruins there. "

"And there is a band of smugglers, too," Fuad said. "Antiques are smuggled out of Beirut."

The three cars were driving on the steep road. They passed through the town of Fuad. Fuad
conduit in silence. The road began to narrow and has steepened and Fuad did not drive so
close to the black car.

"The road is more dangerous here," said Fuad. "There was an accident a few weeks ago, four
people died."

For a few moments nothing happened. Then the black car started going fast. He moved
through the middle of the road and was trying to overtake Borkman's taxi. The two cars were
now, face to face. They were almost touching.

There was a sharp curve in front of them.

They will never turn around in that curve, "shouted Fuad.

But it was too late. There was a loud and loud crash. Fuad brake and conduit through the
curve. The black car and the taxi were missing. In front of them, the road was empty.
Everything was in silence.