The Silk Trap. A Novel in 43 Chapters
Chapter 21: The Dead end.
Michel and Magda watched the police car as it waited outside the hospital. The ambulance had disappeared into the hospital driveway.
“I think I will go inside now. Thank you very much! I am Michel, by the way.” Michel said as he offered his hand forward to shake it with the taxi driver.
“Magda,” she replied. “I don’t think you should go in right now. The cops have seen you, and they will recognize you if you pass them right now. I suggest you wait here with me.”
“You are right, but I am worried about how I will find Lara in the hospital.” And I don’t speak any Czech, which does not help.” Michel replied, nodding in agreement but added anxiety.
Magda thought for a moment.
“I could go inside and ask about Lara while you wait here.” Magda offered.
“I don't want to cause you any trouble, Magda. You have done enough for me already.” Michel smiled and looked at Magda with gratitude.
As they were deciding their next move, the Police car started to move. It started to climb up to the hill and go towards the tower.
Magda looked at the departing car and said, “I think if what you say is right, then we need to see where these men go. They will lead us to Lara, I think.”
Michel looked at the hospital gate and then at the departing police car. He had to choose where to go. He knew Lara was inside but had not seen her physically being moved. She must be inside the hospital. He had to go there first.
Michel spoke again, this time sure of what he had to do. “I think I will go and check inside and see if she is there. I can't be seen by these police officers anyway.”
Michel decided to part with Magda here. He gave her a big smile and said, “Thank you, Magda. You have helped me so much, and I don't know how I can ever repay you for this. But let me pay you for the ride. How much is it?”
Magda looked at Michel and then looked at her taxi meter.
“It's 500 koruna which is 20 euros”. Magda said. Michel gave her 20 euros and offered to give her an extra tip. Magda refused and said, “Michel, I don’t know why I am doing this, but I want to help you. You go inside the hospital and ask for Lara and let me follow the police car and see where they have gone. And then I will come back down and see you outside the hospital. Ok? Here take my cellphone number. It's on my card.” Magda was holding her visiting card out for Michel as she spoke.
Her gesture quite moved Michel. He leaned towards her and hugged her, surprising Magda a bit. But she slowly folded her arm around him and comforted him gently, and said, “Don’t worry. We will find Lara.”
Michel had tears in his eyes as he pulled back. He smiled at Magda and put her card in his pocket.
“Do you have a photograph of Lara on your phone?” Magda asked.
“Yes, I have many,” Michel replied, remembering the last bunch of photographs he had clicked of her on the swing in the park yesterday laughing away. Oh, how he wished for Lara to be here with him.
Michel waved as Magda drove up the hill to find the police car. He turned and faced the hospital. He found a photograph of Lara that showed her smiling happy face standing next to Michel at the Prague airport. He had taken the picture just as they had arrived in Prague less than 48 hours ago. She was tiptoeing to make herself look taller, something she often did when she stood next to Michel. She used to complain often that Michel was too tall for her.
Michel had reached the reception of the hospital.
“Hello, Do you speak English?” Michel began as he looked at a young receptionist who smiled back at him and said. “Yes, I do but not very good. How can I help?
Michel felt more confident knowing that they could communicate.
“I am looking for a friend of mine who I think just arrived here this morning. Her name is Lara Sanz. This is her photograph. Have you seen her or admitted her?” Michel blurted out.
The receptionist looked at Lara’s picture and then looked at her computer screen and said, “Let me check.”
Michel instinctively knew that he was not going to find her like this. The abductors would not register her real identity into the records if they wanted to keep her hidden. What Michel could not figure out was why did they bring Lara to a hospital? He dreaded to think that Lara had fallen ill during the transportation, and they had to bring her here first to revive her before moving her elsewhere.
Michel waited, full of hope but riddled with anxiety, as the receptionist looked at her records.
She looked up from her screen and said, “Sorry, sir, we don't have anyone by that name here as a patient. Are you sure your friend is here? Is she an accident patient? We have another Accident and Emergency ward; you can go and check there. I can take you there if you want.”
Michel’s hopes skyrocketed. “Yes, she did have an accident,” he replied in an excited tone while trying to keep the story simple. She arrived here about half an hour ago.”
“Ok, Please come with me, and we can check with that ward,” the receptionist said; she got up and started walking down the hall and asked Michel to follow him.
Within a few meters, they reached a door that led to a different section of the hospital. This place was quite sparse and had many stretchers and oxygen cylinders surrounding the main reception area. A few people were waiting with bandages on their legs and slings around their arms.
But no sign of Lara. The receptionist took Michel to the man behind the counter who sat there in a white lab coat. He looked at Michel and then looked at the photograph that Michel had of Lara. He looked at his screen for a moment and then looked up and looked at Michel and said,
“No. We don't have anyone here that looks like this or with this name.”
“Are you sure they brought your friend here?” the man asked, sounding a bit concerned.
“Well, I definitely saw the ambulance enter this hospital…wait, in fact, I have a picture of the ambulance”, Michel replied as panic flooded his voice.
Michel had taken a picture of the ambulance number plate when he was following her in the taxi. He scrolled his pictures and showed them to the hospital attendant.
The man looked at the picture and then looked back at Michel and said,
“Sorry, sir, that is not one of our ambulances. “I think you are at the wrong hospital. You need to call emergency services to find out where this ambulance is registered.”