The cold wind blowing from the north swept the black clouds southwards. The highway was still dry and didn't appear to be taking Father Matthias and Ana anywhere in particular. It was only putting distance between them and the dangers lurking inside the Dutch capital. The problem was they needed to find a safe place to make sure that Carlos' body was on the mend and had started the process of becoming whole again, without losing the heat vital to the process. They also needed a place where they could spend the night.
"We can't allow ourselves the luxury of wandering around aimlessly. We have to make a decision, even though it may be risky."
"I know a little B&B on the outskirts of Utrecht. It's a little pricey, but it's roomy, modern and quiet."
"That sounds good. Now we just have to figure out how we're going to get the cadaver into a room without anybody passing by noticing."
"That's not going to be a problem."
"Ah, it's not?"
"The room has a garage with its own access for, you know, intimate encounters. I'll call ahead to rent the room and they'll give me the access code. No one will even see the color of the car."
"How is it that you know about a place like that? Wait, now that I think about it, maybe it's better that I don't know."
"I'm calling now," said Ana, as the hint of a devilish smile played across her face.
*
Half an hour later...
It was drizzling again and the leaves on the trees were swaying gently from the fine raindrops. The handful of pedestrians out that night were shielded by the protective cover of their umbrellas. A few people took advantage of the weather to slip into a nearby cafe, order a hot drink and chat with their friends. The normally placid waters of the canal stirred, creating shining, shimmering tableaux on the surface that gave off a sweet, fresh scent. The trills and warbles of the birds singing suddenly stopped. Located near a bend in the canal, the house was isolated from curious onlookers and indiscreet visitors. Certainly the fact that the residents of this little neighborhood were concerned about and determined to protect their privacy helped a great deal. The colonial-style house, encircled by a red brick wall, dominated that idyllic corner of the area. In marked contrast, a large silver mechanical door served as the entrance. While the door looked quite striking, once you went inside with your car, you went down an inclined ramp and quickly disappeared between the building and trees.
The garage was small but invisible to anyone looking in from outside. If it wasn't for the fluorescent ceiling lights, they would be completely in the dark.
"Nice place," remarked Father Matthias.
They opened the access door to the room and examined it.
"Everything in order," Ana declared.
An enormous double bed, complete with mirrored ceiling overhead, took up the entire interior. The bed was simply too big for a space of 20 square meters. A small table near the windows was undoubtedly there so furtive lovers might share breakfast, lunch or dinner while enjoying a pleasant view of the canal. There were closets to the right and a sink, refrigerator, cups, plates and a few assorted kitchen utensils on the left.
"We have a problem," Father Matthias noted.
"What?"
"We need a bigger table to work on."
"I don't think it would be a good idea to bring any furniture in here. We have to find another solution."
"Then I guess we have to move the bed closer to the windows and continue our work on the floor."
"Very well," Ana replied.
They moved everything blocking them out of the way. After a mighty struggle because the bed weighed a ton, the pair finally managed to maneuver it from its original to a spot over by the windows.
"Shall we go get the body now or do you need to rest first?" Ana asked Father Matthias, who was breathing heavily from the effort.
"Don't worry about me," he answered as he raised his hand.
They opened the trunk, again removed anything that was in the way, and got a firm grip on the corpse. Unfortunately, there was very little space to maneuver in the garage and they banged the elbows, shoulders and hands of the body against the car, the wall and door frame. They finally made it inside the room and laid the cadaver down safely to the floor.
"I'm going for the crystal globe."
"Better to leave it where it is," said Father Matthias, "in case we have to leave in a hurry."
Ana agreed and knelt facing the cadaver.
"Has it improved?"
"I hope so, because we can't permit ourselves the luxury of waiting too long. By this time, Mark will have informed the police and they will be searching for us. The manuscript doesn't indicate exactly how much time is needed for the process of becoming whole to be completed. I'm sure whoever wrote it didn't think of putting instructions in a footnote about what do when you're in a hurry."
"In that case, shall we begin to unwrap him?
"Yes, and may God's will be done."
They cut the plastic film between the arm and chest with a kitchen knife, creating a few strips they could use to pull on. Taking consummate care not to strip away the poultices, they unwrapped the plastic film, leaving the body almost naked. Only the blobs of the dry plant mixture that looked as if they had been taken from a pool of greenish mud concealed the color of the skin.
"It appears that he has improved," thought Father Matthias.
The body of Carlos no longer looked deformed. The limbs were in their proper position and his back was no longer twisted backwards.
"Everything is in place," he mumbled to himself.
He tapped the joints with his fingers and took the risk of gently moving them. He examined the neck, which had recovered some firmness, and pressed down on the abdomen.
"Bring me some water in a bucket with soap and a towel. Once he's cleaned up, we'll move on to the second phase."
Ana opened the closets and looked through the drawers.
"I don't see any bucket, will a bowl work for you?
"That works," said Father Matthias.
At this stage, they needed to clean off the poultice carefully so as not to leave the red areas uncovered. They still required a little more time before they became whole again or perhaps a different treatment would have to be applied. Luckily, they only had to leave a little on the right shoulder and both knees, the parts of his body that unquestionably had borne the brunt of the impact in the accident.
Night fell and the rain never let up. Ana was watching Carlos' face, so young and pale, humming and whispering a tune that her grandmother had taught her when she was 12 years old. The bruises resembled melanomas that appear in the softest, most delicate skin, showing the ravages of death that make no distinction based on age, race, or social status.
"Since the red blotches are not getting smaller, we'll have to hurt him," Father Matthias declared.
"Let's wait a little longer," Ana suggested. "If we have to go to that extreme, it won't matter if we give him a little more time."
"You're right. We'll wait."
*
Shielded from prying eyes, a young man with blond hair and eyebrows, and a ruddy complexion stopped in front of the house. He bent down to tie his shoelaces, then straightened up and continued walking towards the main highway. He moved away from the light of a bright street lamp and took a seat on a bench under a tree.
With absolutely nothing to do but kill time, he glanced at his watch, crossed his arms over his chest, picked his nose and contemplated his navel.
"Damn rain," he complained.
Despite the impatience and resentment he felt, he didn't dare abandon his position.
The vibration of his cellphone brought him to his feet.
"Are you at the house?" asked the man with the dark glasses.
"Yeah, I've been here over an hour."
"Have you gone in to see if the car we're looking for is there?"
"No."
"Well, why not?" asked the man, the tone of his voice betraying his anger.
"They told me I should just wait outside and not do anything at all."
"All right, all right. I have to call other people to see if they've found the priest. Go into the garage and do whatever you have to do. If you see the car we're looking for, call me."
"I'll call you back in less than half an hour," the younger man promised.
The search and capture operation organized by the man in the dark glasses boasted nearly unlimited resources. Between the young true believers and hired professionals, they wouldn't take long in finding Father Matthias. The strategy was simple enough: search all the hotels, motels, hostels, guest houses, B&Bs and campgrounds within the designated area. No one within a 200-kilometer radius of Amsterdam would sleep in privacy on this night. The receptionists who refused to share the information at first were either bribed or threatened. The residents who believed they might have seen something, they intimidated. The owners of corner grocery stores and other stores, they harassed. In the most remote places, like the B&B in Utrecht, they broke into garages and rooms, sometimes stealthily and sometimes by force.
The youth slipped stealthily down the ramp and connected a device to the access keypad at the entrance.
"Piece of cake," he thought.
The four-digit password changed with every new guest but it presented no serious obstacle for him. In the blink of an eye, a green light advised him the door was now open. He crawled the four meters to the inside door and tried to force the lock with a knife and some pliers.
"No luck, better if I just stick to confirming that the car is inside," he said under his breath.
He moved along to the garage door, took out a pocket drill and wrapped the sleeve of his jacket around it before slowly drilling a hole in the lower right side of the door. Right at the height of his head.
"Can't see a thing," he grunted.
He turned on a pilot light lantern and aimed the light at the license plate.
"Bingo!" he thought excitedly.
Trying to control his excitement, he crept away from the house.
"It's me," he said into his phone as he walked away.
"If you're calling, it must be because you found the car."
"Yeah, it's here."
"Good boy!" said the man with the dark glasses, quite pleased with the news. "Now get away from there because it won't be long before the mouse catcher arrives."