Echoes Through the Vatican: A Paranormal Mystery (The Echoes Quartet Book 2) (16 page)

She dealt with him gently, while the sergeant looked on and watched for the slightest flare of any reaction or emotion. He found nothing in Julian except an empty sadness.

“Tell me what has happened and if or how it involves you,” she said softly.

Julian looked at the ground and saw nothing at all. His mouth a hard, tight line. The space between his eyes deeply etched in thought. He answered quietly, “Inspector, there are things you do not want to know, apparently things that will get you assassinated. Leave it alone. Your world is dangerous enough, but much easier to live in than mine.”

“That may be. You said assassinate while I said murder,” the inspector said. “There is a difference between the two, no?”

“Yes there is a very great difference. Very great and no difference at all. A good man is dead,” Julian said without intonation or emotion. “Still, you are the police. If you say murder, it must be murder.”

“Don’t be like that.” The inspector’s words were hard-edged.

Julian turned to the young woman, thought hard for a moment and said, “Inspector, can you do me a favor? I have no right to ask, but you are the right person to ask.”

The inspector thought, looked to her partner who shrugged. “Ask your favor,” she said. “We will see.”

“The young man who was arrested for this crime, he is a friend and needs a lawyer quickly. You know the good ones from the bad ones. I need only the one who will get my friend out of jail. I don’t speak Italian, as you have reminded me. I need you to call whatever lawyer you think best for the job,” Julian said.

“The thing you ask is easily done. But in return…” She left the sentence suspended in air and looked guarded.

“I will give you some information and I will save your life.” Julian looked into the inspector’s eyes and she leaned away. Simultaneously, her partner leaned in.

“I can tell you,” Julian began. “The young man in custody didn’t do it. You don’t like the word assassinate and I don’t like murdered. Let’s settle. The professor was silenced to keep him from telling me something. His death was meant as a warning, an example to me, and it eliminated some vital information.”

Julian continued, “I can tell you, people are behind this who will never be caught. You have no idea how powerful they are.” Julian smirked. “I would like to tell you who they are, but I can’t. I don’t know. They are shadows. They are nightmares.

“Now I will save your life.” Julian looked from the inspector to her sergeant. “Both of your lives, actually. Please, make the call and then distance yourself as quickly as possible. Do not look into this case even informally. Do not speculate. Do not think of it again. Put it from your memories forever.”

The inspector’s brows drew together in concentration. She looked to her partner. His shrug was a little less lackluster than the last one.

“I will do this for you and promise to stay well away from the case. I must warn you though, the Italian justice system is not an easy one to navigate. It is based on Napoleonic law which, itself, is based on Roman law. It is not for the state to prove a suspect guilty, but for him to prove his innocence.

“I will tell you another thing,” the inspector said. “In Italy, money buys influence. Influence buys power. Power buys happiness. There are many happy people who want to stay that way.”

“Cost is not an issue. My friend needs to walk on this. There will be no justice for the professor. I want there to be no injustice befalling my friend. He did not do it. You may depend on that.”

“Again, wizard, you have told us absolutely nothing of value. We will make the call, but one day we will call on you for a favor,” the inspector said, “and, regardless of what we ask, you will deliver.”

Julian closed his eyes and nodded.

He accepted the inspector’s offer of a ride to the House of Joy. He made a call he dreaded. He telephoned Professor Bragonier. The man’s moan came from a tormented soul. He passed the phone to his wife, Bridget. Julian explained again the circumstances of Professor Agostini’s death. Julian added horrific details he hadn’t shared with Bridget’s husband, would never share with him.

“I am sorry, Julian. There is little else that can be said,” the woman whispered.

“Bridget?”

“Yes, Julian.” She could feel the pain in his tortured silence.

“You have the Sight. I know you can’t see what is going on now, but going forward…”

Bridget waited for him to continue, waited for the questions she knew would come.

“Going forward, beyond right now – will Ailís survive this?” Julian whispered his question.

“She will,” Bridget said and felt sure in her answer.

“Will I?” Julian asked.

“There is a cloak around you, Julian. It covers all of this business and, I’m afraid, I cannot explain it and cannot really see beyond that. Your survival will depend on the choices you make. Beyond that, I cannot say.”

“Thank you, Bridget. It’s good to know what I’m facing,” Julian said.

But she could see, not everything, but enough. She did know, not everything, but enough. She could say, but nothing that would change Julian’s choices.

Bridget Bragonier hung up the telephone and, for the first time in a very long time, wept.

***

“If it isn’t Mr. John Clarke. You indicated there was some urgency, my young friend.” The heavyset older man with the simple suit and the clerical collar seemed pleased to see his protégé.

He was seated in an underground passage in the lower reaches of Castel Sant'Angelo. The passageway was safe, secure and a secret known to few who had not been murdered to keep the secret.

“You are looking particularly smug today, Consul,” Clarke said using the Group’s ancient title for its leader.

“The Passetto di Borgo is the secret passageway connecting St. Peter’s to Castel Sant’Angelo. Not a secret any more, of course,” the Consul said.

“Today, tourists walk in the same pathway as many popes. Oddly, no one ever noticed this parallel passageway we built. The things our little group has accomplished have been remarkable, no?”

John Clarke thought a moment. “I take it you selected the place we eliminated our first pope for a reason.”

“I did, actually. Generations of us followed generations of them right to you and me, right here in the present day. We murdered John X here in fact. Yes, the castle has the residence and refuge of popes, a prison, barracks and an execution chamber.

“Still, we mustn’t neglect our butchering the next two popes, Leo VI and Stephen VIII. The woman who killed them all did so in order to install her son on the Throne of Peter.” The Consul continued with his history lesson. An historical place, don’t you think?

“She was a very busy lady and advanced our cause substantially. We owe much to her. When it was time, she was killed by her apprentice as I will be killed by you.” The Consul smiled with a kindness that never reached his eyes. “You know all of this, so what brings us together today?”

“I have a concern, two actually,” Clarke said. His British accent was elegant, his language precise. “We have employed every available asset to locate the doctor. Our search has been fruitless. As you have said, without her, Blessing will not comply with our wishes. Can you assist?”

“I agree, he will not,” the Consul said. “As for finding the woman, in all likelihood I could do it. Doing so, however, would require lowering the shadows that protect our business. There are many who, right now, are probing the shield I maintain. Any weakening would leave us exposed,” the Consul said.

“I understand. Could we not threaten Blessing in another way? His mentor in Dublin comes to mind,” Clarke said. His bright gray eyes sought out the steel gray eyes of his superior, his mentor.

“Let me tell you something,” the Consul said. “Send an army of kidnappers or assassins against that woman and your army would be no more. She tangled with us decades ago. She escaped, but two of her companions did not.

“Those three obliterated a score of our people in the process. She did not get away unscathed, but the experience left her vicious. Over the years she has become unreasonably powerful. She can detect anything you send against her or hers at a great distance and would not hesitate to eliminate the slightest threat.

“To make it more difficult, she has the sight. She would know well in advance, my friend. She is a very large reason I cannot lower our guard.” The older man sat and ruminated before saying, “You mentioned a second concern, John.”

“Luciano,” Clarke began. “He has become troublesome in one way, dangerous in another. I feel this is getting worse by the moment. He lacks discipline and so is prone to wild outbursts and unpredictable behavior.

“We left him to recruit Blessing. The cardinal’s arrogance put paid to that. He then went on to forewarn Blessing about our intentions, viz this current pope. As a result, the young man was prepared for us.”

Clarke went on. “As you know, the cardinal is talented. His ability to protect his thoughts is formidable to be sure. Still, there is something he is doing beyond that and beyond his thefts from the bank. I don’t know what it is, but I know it will not benefit us. My belief is he is setting himself up to supplant you. That, to my mind, makes him dangerous.” Clarke sat back, took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

The passage way was closed in, the atmosphere thick and laid like a blanket on thoughts, feelings and conversation.

After five minutes, the Consul said, “His Eminence is clever to be sure, John. He knows I could easily pierce any defense he can put up. He also knows I cannot and will not do that without exposing us all. His largest obstacle now is that he does not know who I am.

“For all his cleverness though, he has left himself badly exposed. He allowed Soski to live. We made use of that by making sure he gave Blessing the book.

“Blessing,” the Consul said. His eyebrows knitted together in thought. “He lacks the cardinal’s experience and viciousness. However, having absorbed the book’s teachings, Blessing is far more powerful than either he or Luciano knows.” Again the passage filled with ominous thoughts.

“
What of the cardinal?
” Clarke thought.

“
We will continue with the plan only slightly modified; we will accelerate the timeline,
” the older man said.

A moment passed, then another. “
And the pope?
” Clarke thought.

The Consul responded,
“This would be an ideal time and with Blessing’s help, he could be the catalyst for a new inquisition. A perfect distraction actually that would serve our cause. Still, if not this pope, perhaps the next one.

“
One pope is much like another?
” Clarke thought and smiled.

“Exactly.”

***

The Gregorian University was quiet. Early evening had deposited an inky darkness and the air was heavy and still. A dim light shined from the second floor corner office of Fr. Marek Soski. The room was still, but the atmosphere was filled with thoughts.

“Do you think Manning knows more than he is saying?”
Julian thought.
“What are you getting from him?”

“My experience with Vatican politics tell me he does know more, but my readings of him show him as confused as we are. We have not had a great deal of contact over the years, but my feeling is there is much more wrong about the cardinal today than when I met him. Perhaps the embezzlements have changed him. It would be understandable. The fact is, I don’t know,”
the priest speculated.

Julian laced his fingers on top of his head, leaned back and looked at the coved ceiling. Fr. Soski steepled his fingers, set them against his lips, and thought to Julian, “
What do you think we should do next, my friend?”

“Marek, I would like to answer, but I have a problem,” Julian acknowledged. “I don’t care. I don’t care what happens to Manning. I don’t care what happens to the Vatican or its bank. I don’t care about Luciano or Sokolov. I don’t care about the Group or their agenda. I want Ailís back and I want to get her back home to Ireland.”
Julian’s mental tone was somber, but carried conviction bordering on anger.

“
And you, Julian? You have left yourself out of all of this
.”

“
Again, I don’t care. Her safety is all that is important. She is innocent in all of this. Whatever price must be paid will be paid,
” Julian responded with his thoughts as he sought out the pale eyes of his friend.

“If I said I didn’t understand, or that you should not be so hasty or selfish, I would be lying and you would know it instantly. I am not a good liar for one thing and it isn’t the truth for another,”
Soski said.

“Marek.”
Julian stopped and considered for a moment.
“There are others of us in Italy, perhaps some even in Rome. Isn’t there some way we could…?”

“A paranormal army? Is that what you are suggesting, Julian? Really?”

“I’m up for whatever it takes. I’ve got to find her and I feel I’m running out of time. If anything happens to her, the sacking of Rome will look like a picnic.”

“I understand your frustration, but the answer to your question is, no. There are others of course, but they are not here and we are. Right now, our priorities are not their priorities. It is you and me, my friend. We are all there is and we are enough.”
The priest’s smile was small and sad, and offered a glimpse of a darkening future.

***

“Eminence,” Fr. Soski said. “What we can say is there is no one currently in the bank who is providing assistance to anyone outside. We have found quite a number of people who are stealing office supplies, but no more.”

Julian added, “Administration is assembling a list of names of those on vacation and leave, or who have recently resigned, been dismissed or reassigned. We will work our way through it.” Julian’s heart wasn’t in it and the cardinal and Soski could feel it.

The cardinal looked older, more beaten than stressed, more anxious than frustrated. “I thank you for your efforts, gentlemen.”

Soski tilted his head as though he was listening to something or for something. Julian sat back in his chair, closed his eyes and let his chin rest on his chest. When he raised his head, his eyes were heavy lidded. Deep furrows formed at the corners of his eyes and across his forehead.

Something was wrong, off somehow. It shimmered into existence then was gone, but it had been there. Something powerful and dark and Julian knew it.

Manning sighed deeply and said, “I am off to a briefing. Please keep me advised of your progress.” The interview was over.

In the hallway, Soski looked at Julian and shook his head. Julian acknowledged and they both proceeded down the marble stairs and into the polluted Roman air.

“
You felt it, of course
,” Fr. Soski thought and Julian replied with his own thought.

“
Oh yes. Now if I only knew what it was. A dark power of some sort. It came into existence quickly, then was gone. It didn’t last long enough to track it to a source. However, residual energy was thick in the air.”

“
This is moving beyond me, Julian
,” the priest thought. “
I need to talk with some people. In fact I have much to discuss with them.
”

***

Julian awoke to a melancholy day in Rome with a tantalizing hint at bright sunshine later. He showered, shaved and sat at his desk before dressing. He ran his thumb down the scar on his cheek. He looked drab and tired. The mirror mocked him, scolded him. He had accomplished very little beyond discovering far more questions than answers. He had not done enough even though he was doing all he could.

Julian’s mouth turned into a hard, tight line. “It changes today,” he said to himself.

He reached out for the Jesuit Book. His hand hovered over it and he could feel the power contained inside. Julian let his hand rest on the book and again he said, “It changes today. Good or bad, it changes today.”