Chapter 4

So, who is Aaliyah?!

That was the question officer Hazem asked to Mahmoud's wife and son. Omar tried to remember the name as he thought he has heard before then answered:

- I think she's an accountant in the department that my father heads at the bank, sir.

- Yes... Yes, I actually met her at the bank during the investigation more than once.

- Haven't you arrested the person who scammed the bank yet?

- Unfortunately no, the case just got more complicated. Shadi Attawiya is dead.

This news was completely shocking to Huda and Omar who said in confusion:

- Died?! When? And how?

Hazem illustrated the matter very clearly saying:

- The con man who took the three million dollars is not the one who died. The one who died is the person the con man impersonated. He died in a fight about 5 years ago.

- So you mean that the card he has in the bank is fake and that the name on it belongs to a real person, but he died 5 years ago?!

- Exactly, Madam Huda.

Dr. Nabil was listening to what Officer Hazem and Mahmoud's family were saying and perhaps he knew some little news about the case, so he said:

- I'm sorry to interfere, but there is definitely a connection between this con man and the person who died 5 years ago for him to exploit his name like this.

- Logic would say so, Doctor, but we're not sure of it, and our investigations are working day and night on this case. May God make it easy.

- God be with you.

- Thank you, Dr. Okay, I have to go now and... Before I go, I wanted to ask you something, Omar?!

- Go ahead, Your Honor.

- How do you know Aaliyah?!

- I met her once at my dad's bank when I was on my way to open an account there and I stopped to check on my dad before I left.

- Ah... OK, okay, excuse me.

Hazem left them and moved on his way before Huda asked the doctor being worried about her husband:

- Please reassure us more, doctor, about my husband's condition.

- Actually, he's actually woken up from the coma, but from what we're talking about now, it's clear that his memory is unstable. I expected that this Amira was his daughter or sister or even his second wife or girlfriend, but for her to turn out not to be in his life at all is strange to me, even though the brain scans didn't show any problems or damage to the brain.

- I still don't understand what you mean? Do you mean this is good or what?

- It's definitely good that nothing's on his mind, even though it seems that he hasn't fully recovered or regained his full consciousness and focus, so he was remembering part of the past like the Amira thing and part of the present like the con man who robbed the bank. Anyway, this is a good start after a 10-day coma. We will follow up on his condition over the next two days and may God make it easy.

- God willing... Thank you very much, Dr. Nabil.

********************

This case almost drove Lieutenant Hazem Shehata crazy. He is almost certain that someone from inside the bank helped that thief, but who could this other thief be? And why would he do this? He actually asked all the bank employees about the names he suspected, but they confirmed their good conduct and upright behavior. He lit his cigarette and sipped some of his coffee that had cooled down, he had forgotten it from thinking too much, but he didn't notice how cold it was, so he started blowing smoke from his cigarette into the air while still thinking about that genius thief whom he had never found in the police records. He tried to ask for help from the various police departments so that they might identify this hidden thief, but to no avail. He knew that smart thieves were not found in the criminal police records, so if he was a smart thief, he wouldn't have fallen into their hands. He asked himself again, if this thief had really left the country, it was impossible to catch or pursue him because he must have left in disguise so that no one would know his destination; or he must have traveled to one country and from there to another, and so on until his traces melted away from wherever he went. His train of thought was interrupted by a knock on his office door. It was a soldier on duty informing him that Brigadier General Osama El-Adwy requested his presence at his office. Hazem immediately adjusted his appearance and perfumed his clothes from the cigarette smoke that had filled them since morning until now. Then he left his office and headed to Brigadier General Osama's office, who was sitting at his desk with the case file in front of him that Hazem had in his possession. Brigadier General Osama was a strong, physically strong man who often played tennis. He had a strong, likable personality, and a thick white mustache. His eyes sparkled with intelligence and sharpness; but this time he was very angry. All the investigations his officers had conducted were not enough to provide them with any important information that would lead them to even the beginning of a thread to catch this extraordinary thief. With a hesitant smile, Hazem said:

- Good morning, sir.

- What's up?! What's up, Hazem?! What's up with this case?

- I sent you a file with all the details, sir.

- My son, I have the file, but there's no clue in it that could lead us to anything.

- That's the situation so far, sir, unfortunately. We searched everywhere and put up bulletins in all police stations with his picture that we gathered from witnesses' descriptions, but we still haven't found anything.

- And his address?

- The address on his ID card is the address of Shady, who died 5 years ago. When we showed the people of the area where Shady really lived his picture, no one recognized him at all.

- This guy is a professional forger, but someone in the civil registry must have helped him forge the card and give him details about Shady Attawiya, who was killed. This means that he knows this Shady or lives in his area, something like that.

- What you're saying makes a lot of sense. This could be a new point of investigation for us to investigate, sir.

- So, what did you do with Mahmoud, who had the accident?

- I tried to interrogate him more than once, but his condition didn't allow it. I'll pass by the hospital at night. Maybe he's improved and we can investigate with him, even though he won't add anything new to what the accountants we investigated previously said. But we have to wait for him to wake up so we can continue our work.

- What is his condition exactly?

- His condition is a bit strange, Your Honor. He has distorted memories. He somewhat remembers very old things, or even things that no longer exist. It's as if he was having dreams or nightmares during the coma, and when he woke up, something happened to him. His dreams clashed with his nightmares, with his memories, with the reality he lived in before the accident.

- My son, is what you're saying realistic or science fiction?!

- The doctor says that his brain is well, but it's possible that the shock he suffered during the accident is the cause of the hallucinations or the distortion that happened to him, and with time, God willing, it will go away.

- There is no power or strength except with God, but is his life in danger?!

- Dr. Nabil, who is in charge of his case, says that he is out of danger, thank God.

- Okay, I want to know all the details as they come.