Free The Adam Enigma by Mark; Ronald C.; Reeder Meyer

wool pants. The name “Loki” nagged at something in his memory but he couldn’t place it.
    â€œSome say they can feel it in their bones,” Loki added. “Right now, you’re poking at the edges, trying to see if there are any hornets in the nest. You have to go inside the nest, boy.”
    â€œWhere can I do that here?”
    â€œNot here. The place for that is Peru. That’s where you’ll find the meaning of what you experienced many years ago in Iowa.” Ramsey started in surprise. How could the old man know about his experience during his college days at Grinnell? Before he could ask him about it the old man stood up and Ramsey realized he was as tall as himself. Loki looked back at the sky. The clouds were gathering again. “Time to go . . . and time for you to return to the States and journey south to Peru. There is a shamanistic practitioner in Santa Fe . . . José Luis . . . who can get you there. You should look him up and tell them the old trickster sent you. He’ll understand.”
    Loki crossed the square. He felt the young man’s eyes on his back watching him. He could sense the rising certainty in the man’s desire to make the journey. He laughed gleefully to himself, danced a jig and spun around. The young man was gathering up his equipment, his eyes darting in Loki’s direction. It is time for you to cross over , Loki giggled in his mind.
    Ramsey had watched Loki cross the plaza. The old man seemed to get bigger and darker with each step, like the gathering thundercloud. Ramsey grabbed his equipment and set off after him. Rain suddenly rushed down like Noah’s flood. Instead of following the old man, he hightailed it to the nearest pub. Inside by a roaring fire, he ordered a black and tan. He waited an hour for the rain to stop. When he went outside, he saw no trace of the old man. It was then that Loki’s boldest deed as a member of the Norse pantheon clicked in his memory. He was the Norse god who brought the gift of fire to mankind.
    Ramsey hadn’t thought about that day in a long time. He heard another deep rumble of thunder and looked out the café window. Gray clouds now enveloped the sky above Grinnell. Yet another rumble seemed to go on forever and when it ended, the clouds opened up and a cold slushy rain fell. He looked at his bike leaning against the rack outside the café. On the sidewalks, people scurried to get undercover. He ordered another cup of coffee and waited. The power of synchroncity , he thought. Events are bringing me back to my starting point twenty years ago . Only this time I’m more prepared . He sipped coffee and came to a decision. It was time to call Malcolm Grossinger, the man he had overheard in the airport.
    Surprisingly, when Ramsey explained his rather unusual story about needing to speak with Malcolm to the woman who answered the phone, he was immediately connected. It was almost as if Malcolm had been waiting for the call. After Ramsey mentioned that he had overheard him in the airport conversing on the phone about Adam Gwillt, to Ramsey’s surprise once again, Grossinger said he remembered the conversation he was having in the airport with his wife about Adam’s belongings. He was not only happy to meet with Ramsey but seemed eager to talk about his longtime best friend Adam Gwillt. They arranged to meet outside of one of his condo complexes the next day.

March 27, 2016
Des Moines, Iowa
    D es Moines, the capital of Iowa, was one of those Midwestern towns that had gone through radical ups and downs over its life. Many would say its primary business is the presidential primary, as it is the first stop of every presidential campaign. Founded in 1851 as “Fort Des Moines,” it had undergone a revival the 21 st century. Part of that revival was the transformation of the old Simpson Chair factory into the Malcolm Grossinger Lofts—sixty-one loft apartments located in the heart