As soon as they arrived at Monroe's house, they decided to discuss what had happened, gathering in the living room. Alissa took off her shoes to feel more comfortable, while the men went to make coffee and get a bottle of brandy from the kitchen shelves.
As soon as the coffee was ready, Umbert went to the sofa with the tray and glasses, to sit next to his niece. Gregory sat in a large, upholstered armchair with a floral motif, typical of the 18th century. The three of them looked at each other in silence, unsure of what to say.
— I think I'll cancel my flight. Obviously, there won't be an auction.
Alissa got up to grab her purse, where she kept her cell phone. After a few moments, they heard her speak from across the room.
— I have to admit, I never imagined the gravity of your situation. — Umbert was aware of the danger they were in.
Gregory wanted to tell him that they weren't in Murcia on a whim, that this wasn't an excursion or a passing adventure, but the words stuck in his mind, and he couldn't activate his voice. He was so scared that the most sensible thing to do was find a way to stay alive.
— What will happen now? — the architect asked, faced with his guest's silence.
— I don't know, but we have to continue with our plan — he replied, then downed the brandy in one gulp.
— First, I need to find out who knows where you are. From now on, we can't trust anyone, least of all your coworkers.
At first, Gregory felt uncomfortable with the authoritarian tone of his words, something he couldn't stand in people outside his professional circle. However, he recognized that it was as important to obtain Iacobus's diary as it was to stay away from the social life he had led up until that point. Any friend, or someone in his circle, could serve as a link for the killers to reach him. It was best to remain anonymous until everything was over.
— Geovanna knew I was in Murcia — he replied before the question could be repeated. — Colmenares, the company lawyer, also knows. He was the one who called me to give me the news."
— What do you know about Alissa? — Umbert looked at his niece. The young woman was still on the phone, looking out the windows at the garden, intent on the conversation.
— Nothing — Gregory replied quickly. — Our friends must assume she's in Madrid, like the rest of the employees.
— Great! That means no one knows you're in my house.
— It depends...
That answer wasn't what Umbert expected. What's more, he didn't like the way his interlocutor had expressed himself at all.
— Explain it to me — He frowned.
— I gave your phone number to Geovanna after Alissa gave me the number, in case we had any cell phone problems. — I saw her write it on the back of one of her cards.
— Is it possible they found it?
— Maybe the police, if they searched her purse.
Monroe clicked his tongue in frustration. He looked worried. Gregory tried to smooth things over.
— I mentioned you were a childhood friend — he added, to put his mind at ease.
At that moment, Alissa returned, turning off her cell phone and putting it in her pants pocket.
— I just spoke to Veronica, the board secretary... — she addressed Greg. — They canceled the auction until further notice. The police spoke to all the employees. The strangest thing, however, is that they didn't ask about us.
— Until they find the company files, they won't know we worked for Geovanna — he reminded her. — Sooner or later, they'll demand our presence. Then it will be time for us to tell the truth.
— First, you'll have to provide evidence proving your innocence — the architect added. — No one will believe the story of a criminal sect run by Freemasons.
— That's true — Geovanna stated. — Our only objective now is to find Iacobus's diary. And to do that, we must organize ourselves so that we can descend through the sewer system and return with the manuscript.
From that moment on, they focused on the difficult task of finding a way to enter the chamber, which had been condemned by the masons and was located beneath the Véléz chapel. They made a list of the materials they would need, including ropes, carabiners, and flashlights. Geovanna suggested that one of the three remain above, keeping watch in case there was an accident or they became trapped and couldn't communicate with anyone.
He thought his uncle would be more useful on the outside, due to his advanced age, a disadvantage that could cause problems during the descent. And although the architect had initially refused out of pride, he later realized that taking the risk would not benefit them in any way. He accepted his niece's plan, growling under his breath.
Finally, after thoroughly examining the consequences of their adventure, they set the day and time to begin their search. It would be early Tuesday morning, around four in the morning, a gap of time between the more bohemian crowd returning home and the activity of those who liked to get up early.
After reaffirming their decision to participate in this madness, the trio plunged into a collective catharsis of silence, until the architect broke the spell.
— Do you want to know the origin of the name The Widow's Sons?
Umbert's question made his guests squirm in their seats. The last thing they expected to hear from the architect was such an interrogation.
— You're joking with us, aren't you?
Geovanna assumed her uncle was just trying to have fun with them.
— I think he's serious — Gregory wagered, observing Monroe's demeanor, trying to imagine why he was so reticent, if he had known all along.
— Xakim and Boaz! — The columns that flanked the entrance to Solomon's Temple. — It's the only clue you have so far — Umbert began, looking circumspect. — It's true that these names are mentioned in the Book of Kings, but you forgot to read the rest of the verses, which, in a way, is the most important: the story of Hiram of Tyre, the architect who designed and executed the temple. He was the one who forged the columns and gave them their name.
— And what does this have to do with The Widow's Sons? — Evans asked.
— There is a certain link between Hiram Abif and the Freemasons. What's more, for the latter, the architect is the paradigm of geometric knowledge — he replied. — Hiram Abif was born in Tyre. He was an obscure and mysterious man, a misanthrope who mastered the science of metals and construction, thanks to the secrets learned from his ancestors, who participated in the construction of the pyramids of the ancient kings of Egypt.
Solomon, after securing his return to Jerusalem, commissioned him to build the Temple and erect the enormous columns of the entrance hall, as well as the other decorative objects, the Bronze Sea, the candelabra, and the bases.
Hiram carried out the work with the help of the guild of builders, which he himself instructed. He had over 3,300 foremen, 30,000 skilled laborers, 70,000 porters, and 80,000 stonemasons, who quarried the stones and transported them from the mountains.
— On that occasion, Solomon received an unexpected visit from Balkis, the queen of Sheba, who, attracted by the Jewish monarch's growing fame and wisdom, came to Israel to meet him.
Solomon, as soon as he saw her, fell madly in love with the woman, not only for her extraordinary beauty, but also for her boundless knowledge. Balkis might have reciprocated, but her status as queen prevented her from being relegated to a mere concubine. Due to her position, she could only be married to someone of equal standing: a king or a prince, but Solomon was married to the pharaoh's daughter. Repudiating her meant going to war with Egypt, so the Israelite's desire was reduced to an impossible dream.
This was how things stood when Hiram met the queen of Sheba.
Love blossomed spontaneously between them, and they began seeing each other without Solomon's knowledge. Soon, Balkis became pregnant with the architect's child. Meanwhile, the Levites, terrified by foreign influence, The growing number of builders' guilds in Hiram's service, and their progressive development within the country, began to turn the king against his protégé.
Driven by jealousy, Solomon allowed the Levites to hire the services of three workers who were
dissatisfied with Hiram for not elevating them to the rank of master builders.
These individuals hatched a plan to end the architect's life. One night, while Hiram was on guard duty near the construction site, they attacked him, beating him to death. Before dying, however, Hiram managed to tear from his neck the gold chain inscribed with the true name of God, throwing it into a pit so that it would not fall into the hands of his attackers. The weapons they used to assassinate him were a compass, a square, and a hammer, elements that now constitute the symbol of the Masonic order. As for the golden triangle, it is said to be buried alongside the Temple plans, in the foundations of the subterranean vault, built on bridges so steep elevated, unaffected by the waters if there were another flood.
— And what happened to the Queen of Sheba and her son? — Geovanna asked, captivated by the story.
— They returned to their kingdom and were never heard from again, until now... until now.
— Until now? — Gregory repeated, still not understanding.
— Yes — the narrator said — until you came asking about the institution The Widow's Sons. To help you understand, Hiram's son and his descendants were called The Widow's Sons. That is the name given, in the esoteric world, to the builders of cathedrals and the members of each Masonic lodge.
— And why that name? — Gregory insisted.
— Is it true?
It's easy to understand if you read verses 13 and 14 of chapter 7 of the First Book of Kings.
Alissa and Gregory looked at each other. It hadn't even been two days since they'd consulted the Bible, specifically chapter 7 of the First Book of Kings. They didn't recall finding anything about Hiram of Tyre. And that's what they told Monroe.
— You haven't read the two verses that precede the account of the casting of the bronze columns — the architect stated, amused by their lack of attention.
— Come on! Get the Bible and I'll show you.
His words were directed at Alissa, who got up from the sofa and walked over to the shelves of books that blended into the rock walls.
— You'll find it on the shelf next to it, next to the volumes on the history of Spain — Monroe instructed his niece.
Alissa nodded and looked to the left. She found it immediately. It was a thick book with maroon covers. As soon as she had it in her hands, she returned to the sofa and began turning the pages, searching for the passage. Gregory approached, driven by curiosity.
— Come on, read it so we can all hear! — Umbert encouraged her. — I want to see your faces when you realize how close you were to the truth.
The young woman managed to find the verses her uncle was referring to. And then, berating herself for not having read the entire story, she said aloud:
— King Solomon sent for Hiram of Tyre, who was the son of a widow from the tribe of Naphtali...
Returning to Murcia again provoked a sense of continuity that altered her methodical approach to work. The same had happened when she had to return to Madrid. It was the first time she had disregarded the rule to leave the country where she was carrying out a mission as soon as possible, as soon as she had completed it — something, by the way, that was certainly reckless, but she was willing to take the risk. As a precaution, however, she decided to stay a little further away, looking for lodging in Espinardo, a town near the capital and home to the University of Murcia. Because of her age, she would have gone unnoticed among the many students.