Secrets in the Fairy Chimneys

By Linda Maria Frank

Amateur sleuth Annie Tillery has been warned to stay away from Nevshehir, Turkey, where she is heading to meet her boyfriend, Ty Egan, and Cedric Zeeks, Tys best friend. Intent on helping the two excavate an archeological site where they hope to link human remains to the first African ancestors, Annie does her best to shakes her foreboding feelings as her plane lands in Istanbul and she prepares to embark on her next adventure.

But when a stranger claims he is there to pick her up and then disappears once he sees Ty, Annie is immediately thrown back into worry modeespecially after Ty tells her there is unexplained tension surrounding the dig and she receives a threatening note at the hotel. Still, as the three head to Nevshehir, Annie is buoyed by the excitement surrounding ancient Turkey and the possibility of uncovering secrets. The dig is plagued by accidents and theft, however, and the three friends, assisted by the head archeologists twins, must search the ancient city of Istanbul and the caves of fantastic Cappadocia to find who is sabotaging their work.

In this young adult thriller, detective Annie Tillery must once again walk on a dangerous path in an attempt to unravel a complicated mystery and solve the secrets in the fairy chimneys.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Archway Publishing
• Release date: Feb 28, 2014
• ISBN: 9781480805583

Linda Maria Frank

Linda Maria Frank decided, after a life-long career teaching science, to mix her love of mystery with her knowledge of forensics. She refers to her books as “Nancy Drew meets CSI.” She also produces The Writer’s Dream—a local access TV show that interviews authors about their craft.

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Copyright © 2014 Linda Maria Frank.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-4808-0557-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4808-0559-0 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4808-0558-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014902979

Archway Publishing rev. date: 02/20/2014

CONTENTS

Prologue

A Cave In Nevshehir, Turkey

Chapter One

Istanbul, Turkey

Chapter Two

Be On The Lookout

Chapter Three

Bizarre Events In The Bazaar

Chapter Four

The Cistern

Chapter Five

Nevshehir And The Fairy Chimneys

Chapter Six

Catalhoyuk

Chapter Seven

Watch Your Step And Mind The Gap

Chapter Eight

Little Pitchers Have Big Ears

Chapter Nine

Double Trouble

Chapter Ten

Who’s There?

Chapter Eleven

Ty’s Side Of Things

Chapter Twelve

Bone Stories

Chapter Thirteen

A Parking Receipt In The Ancient Town

Chapter Fourteen

Caves And Labyrinths And Getting Lost

Chapter Fifteen

Who’s Following Who?

Chapter Sixteen

Balloon Ride

Chapter Seventeen

The Shipper And The Gift Box

Chapter Eighteen

Disappearing Act

Chapter Nineteen

Caves

Chapter Twenty

Closing In And Farther Away

Chapter Twenty-One

A Prescription From The Doctor

Chapter Twenty-Two

Snooping Or Sleuthing?

Chapter Twenty-Three

A Cave In Nevshehir

Chapter Twenty-Four

The Road To Istanbul

Chapter Twenty-Five

Back In The Bazaar

Chapter Twenty-Six

Loot

Chapter Twenty-Seven

The Road Warriors

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Musical Chairs For Suspects

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Treasure

Chapter Thirty

Kaboom

Chapter Thirty-One

Randall

Chapter Thirty-Two

Sasha’s Story

Chapter Thirty-Three

Cousin Brucie Comes Through

Chapter Thirty-Four

Is It Over?

Chapter Thirty-Five

Mr. Suley Takes A Copter Ride

Chapter Thirty-Six

Ouija Wisdom

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Meanwhile, Back At The Bazaar

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Is She Really Gone?

Chapter Thirty-Nine

The Roundup

Chapter Forty

Starry, Starry Sky

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The brother and sister followed their cave monster, picking their way carefully. The deep blackness of the cave was becoming gray.

PROLOGUE

A Cave in Nevshehir, Turkey

I am afraid, Ahmet. I don’t want to go any farther. The girl stamped her foot, the sound loud in the still cave.

Oh, you silly little wussy cat! I told you—it is like the story of Hansom and Greta. I left a trail of bread crumbs for us to follow out of this cave.

That’s Hansel and Gretel, you great fool, his sister shot back, momentarily distracted from her panic. Can I really trust this brother? What does he know about cave exploration? Really!

Her eyes took in the expanse of the chamber, water dripping from some dark place their flashlights could not reach. The stone was irregular and gray. The flashlight revealed only a small, cone-shaped area, leaving the rest of the cave in menacing shadows and a deep-black, terrifying void. Yelda’s voice broke as she tugged on Ahmet’s sleeve. Let’s get out of here, she implored once more.

Please, Ahmet said. Just a few more feet, Yelda. I’m running out of bread crumbs.

What! she said through quivering lips, her voice shrill. You said this would be an adventure. You did not say anything about death traps. She yanked at his arm.

Stubbornly, Ahmet pushed his sister on. I’m only kidding about the bread crumbs. I used string, he admitted. Come. Let’s see what’s at the end of this cave. He grabbed her hand, and Yelda followed reluctantly.

Ahmet stumbled on a loose stone, pitching forward and dragging his sister with him. He didn’t let go of her hand in case she would give into her fear and bolt for the cave’s entrance.

What if your string doesn’t help us? Yelda said, her voice quivering with fear.

Ahmet ignored her pleas and pulled her along. Carefully picking their way, the two bumped against a boulder.

Did this big rock move a little? Yelda demanded.

Ahmet clutched his flashlight like a life preserver as he tested for footholds. He pulled his sister along, moving around the boulder. As he did so, the boulder teetered precariously. He couldn’t see how thin the ledge they were standing on was. As they both moved around the huge rock, it began to slide away from them. Suddenly, the thin ledge they were standing on cracked and Yelda and Ahmet began to slide down, along with the boulder and the broken ledge.

The sound in the cave was deafening. The fall took only a few seconds, but the result was a cloud of dust that left the explorers dazed and choking.

Yelda was too stunned to cry. Ahmet was still holding on to his twin sister’s hand and the flashlight.

Stand up, Yelda! demanded her brother as he did so himself. Can you walk? I seem to be okay.

Ahmet, if we ever get out of here, hissed Yelda through gritted teeth, "I will kill you. Why, I say, why do I ever listen to you?"

This is no time for us to argue. We are in big trouble. We must find our way out of here.

Ever so smart, you are, Yelda sneered. In all of Turkey, there is not a stupider boy!

Stop that! This is no time for your sarcastic poking at me, sister. Ahmet sounded far more confident than he should have. We need to think like the amateur archaeologists we are.

"Hah! You said it! Amateur!" Yelda choked back a sob.

Get up, Ahmet demanded. His terror was rising. He had to muster all his machismo to push down the panic. They had fallen through the floor of an unexplored cave, and no one back at the camp knew where they were.

Yelda got up, feeling the seat of her pants. I am either bleeding or there is water here, she said. Did you lose the flashlight?

No, he replied, realizing how tightly he was gripping it. And it still works.

He played the beam around the new cave. It revealed a high-ceilinged cavern. A perfectly smooth black expanse lay in front of them.

Is that water? It could be a lake, Yelda observed.

There was no telling how deep the water might be. This chamber was very different from the cave above. As Ahmet played the flashlight across the water, the wall on the far side of the cave sparkled as if encrusted with the glitter Yelda liked to glue onto everything she owned.

Tears glistening on her cheeks, Yelda just stared.

Let’s see if we can find another way out of here, Ahmet said as visions of their skeletonized remains decorating some deep chamber of this cave system spurred him on. Leaving the cave the way they came in was no longer an option, even with his carefully laid string.

Maybe if we shout, Yelda offered. But she quickly added, Maybe we need to save our voices. She fell silent again.

Ah! I have an idea. I will turn off the flashlight. We will close our eyes for a minute or two. When we open them, we will be able to see if there is light coming from anywhere. There might be an exit nearby.

Ahmet clicked off the switch. A velvety curtain of darkness brushed against them. Their ears seemed to pulsate, ready to pick up a sound, any sound.

Drip. Plunk. Another thirty seconds went by. Drip. Plunk.

I am opening my eyes now, Ahmet announced.

I will not open mine, Yelda replied. If we don’t see anything, I will go crazy.

Ahmet muttered, Nothing. Maybe I need to close my eyes longer.

Yelda whimpered. Another thirty seconds.

I have gone crazy, Yelda hissed. Do you see that?

See what? Ahmet hissed back. Why are you whispering?

"There is something. Shhhhh. It might be some horrible cave creature. I don’t want it to find us."

They watched as the merest glimmer of light shimmered and then dimmed on the surface of the lake. On the other side was a ledge with floor-to-ceiling limestone formations. They could not see beyond it.

Ahmet pointed. The light is coming from there. He stood, heading toward the lake.

Ahmet, no! Yelda breathed deeply. You can’t just cross this lake. What if it is very deep? And what if the light is coming from some fierce cave creature and it hears you splashing?

He nodded. Good thinking. We can keep to the edge and go around the lake.

Keep the light off. It will give us away, Yelda whispered. My eyes are used to the darkness now. Your trick worked.

The shimmer on the lake was getting brighter. They carefully tested each footstep before moving forward, making their way to the stone wall on the other side.

Yelda crouched down so they could both peer around the wall. The dim flickering of the approaching light made the dull shapes in the cave glint, creating a fantastic landscape.

The source of the shimmering light continued to flicker. The closer it came, the more frightening the shadows became. Yelda and Ahmet held their breath.

Can you see what it is? Yelda mouthed in Ahmet’s ear. She sensed her brother draw in a breath to speak, and in her rising panic, she put her hand over his mouth.

Wha mmm uhmmm.

Do not call out, she implored.

Ahmet exhaled, and they crouched down to hide. The light was followed by a shadow that appeared in the glowing reflection on the lake. They waited for their monster to appear.

As the light grew brighter, the features of the cave became more distinct. The walls were lined with recesses. They looked almost man-made. There were objects in the niches. Colors began to emerge. Light glinted off objects that looked golden. Sparks winked from other surfaces.

This place is some sort of treasure trove, Yelda whispered. Her attention was drawn away from the monster for an instant. Ahmet did not answer. His attention was riveted on the approaching light as a figure began to emerge. It was humanoid but had an enormous lump on its back. It grunted as it approached. Yelda and Ahmet shrank back. This figure didn’t look like it was going to be their savior.

The monster made it to the middle of the chamber, where it shed the gigantic lump. It was not actually a monster but a human wearing a dark hoodie and trousers. The hump was a large sack, which the figure quickly and methodically began to empty, stashing objects in the wall niches. The twins could see large golden urns and other objects that glinted in the figure’s electric lantern. When the task was done, it folded the sack and quickly went back the way it had come.

We must follow, whispered Ahmet.

Yelda needed no urging. Why don’t we call out to the creature? Yelda seemed to have forgotten her recent fears.

Why is someone hiding golden and jeweled objects in a cave? Did you see some of the stuff in those shelves in the walls?

Yes, golden vases, big clay jugs with some sort of writing, and statues of animals. I saw a crown too, and our monster held up a huge gold necklace that sparkled with jewels. What’s going on here, Ahmet?

I don’t know, but let’s get out of here first. Then we can see who this is and what they are up to. What if we have come upon thieves hiding their loot? We can’t let them see us.

Yelda nodded. That makes sense. Hurry, let’s not lose them.

The brother and sister followed their cave monster, careful to make as little noise as possible. The deep blackness they had experienced in the cave was becoming gray.

We must be close to the entrance, whispered Yelda.

Ahmet tripped and lost his grip on the flashlight. It clattered to the floor. The light ahead stopped bobbing. Instincts took over, and Yelda and Ahmet flattened themselves behind a rock. They could see a glimmer of daylight ahead. But the figure had decided to investigate the clattering sound. It turned and was coming toward them, lantern searching every nook and cranny.

CHAPTER ONE

Istanbul, Turkey

One Week Earlier

The plane banked slightly, causing my cell phone to slide across the seat tray. I realized we were about to land. Before the command to turn off all electronic devices, I clicked on the saved text message I’d received just before my plane took off for Turkey.

Anne Tillery,

Keep away from Nevshehir. There is much in the way of death there, and not just the ancients whose bones you seek.

Take heed,

Sister

Just after takeoff from JFK, I texted my boyfriend, Ty Egan, to see if he could explain it, but he hadn’t replied yet. Strange idea for a joke, or was Ty teasing me about my status as the family’s amateur crime stopper? The text was probably sent from one of those throwaway phones. When I texted back, it came back as undeliverable. It was unlikely that Ty would’ve sent a text from a throwaway phone, but he might be using one in Turkey. I hoped to get some answers as soon as we were on the ground. Was it a credible threat?

The e-mail Ty sent a week ago, now on my lap, was full of information about the archaeological site we’d be excavating as part of his university project. How cool is this? I wondered for the umpteenth time. I loved Ty, and working at an archaeological dig in Turkey with him was going to be an awesome experience. The text message was what troubled me. I expected adventure but not danger.

I’d also been corresponding by e-mail with Ty’s best friend and the originator of the project at the dig. His name was Cedric Zeeks, a postdoctoral researcher at Vermont University. Thanks to him and his current project in anthropology, we were part of this amazing project. He was trying to prove that human remains at one of the earliest known archaeological sites in Turkey contained DNA that would link them to the first humans that evolved in Africa. Cedric revealed a wicked sense of humor in his e-mails, and I just simply could not rule out that the text was a joke cooked up by Cedric and Ty. But still—

Passengers squeezed through the aisles as they returned to their seats, and the snap, snap of seatbelts could be heard throughout the cabin. Carefully, I tucked Ty’s letter in my shirt pocket, switched off my cell, and looked out the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of my destination.

I wasn’t going to tell my dad or Aunt Jill, my guardian, about the text message, because they probably would want me to come home. I reasoned that I would be safe among university personnel at the dig. I had faith that Ty and I could figure things out. I also liked Cedric. We would make a great team.

The cloud cover below tore apart and broke into cottony snatches. Since leaving JFK in New York, the Turkish Airlines plane had flown through sunset, dusk, inky night, dawn, and now full daylight.

The intercom crackled. After a series of announcements in a variety of languages, the cabin attendant’s voice informed us of our approach to Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport. I could feel my pulse in my throat. The anticipation and excitement of going to Istanbul overrode my worries. Istanbul! Just the sound of it!

The engines whined as the plane banked and slowed, sliding to a lower altitude. My stomach lurched, and I popped some gum in my mouth.

Ty. I would see him in about a half an hour. My mind went back to our last visit, the good-bye kisses and promises. I haven’t seen him since Christmas. It’s been a long time. I hope he’s the same, strong and tall, my safe haven. I imagined his arms around me, the best feeling in the world.

I shook myself loose from the nagging threat in that text message. It’s going to be okay. More than okay. It’s going to be the best time yet.

I peered out the window again, trying to locate the landmarks shown in my guidebook. The two great mosques, Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, would be perched on a hill above the Golden Horn, separating Europe from Asia. This was the city where East meets West. It was the marine gateway to Russia at the Bosporus, where the Mediterranean meets the Black Sea. And not far away lay the Arabian Peninsula and the Middle East. I imagined the ancient Silk Road with caravans of camels carrying spices and exotic fruits.

The city was laid out before me like a medieval tapestry of vibrant, colored roofs. On the azure waters, tiny waves winked in the sunshine like sequins on a gorgeous shawl. Ships dotted the Mediterranean and the Sea of Marmara, looking like toys from this altitude. My favorite English teacher had taught us about mystery plots by showing us the film version of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express. Ever since, Istanbul had been a dream destination of mine, but I never expected to arrive as anything other than a tourist.

Tomorrow I will be walking with Ty in those narrow alleys and streets inside a walled city. We would have two days in Istanbul before we set out for the archaeological site, located in Turkey’s interior. I hoped we would have enough time to take in the bazaars, mosques, and museums. After all those hours in the air, it was hard to

Reviews for Secrets in the Fairy Chimneys

[amandakerr · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Secrets in the Fairy Chimneys - Great ReadSecrets in the Fairy Chimneys is a great read for young adults and middle grades. Adventure, mystery, and intrigue, Annie Tillery is on the case. Part mystery, part adventure readers will have the opportunity to travel to different parts of the world with Annie while she embarks on her next adventure/mystery.Highly Recommended!!