Private Rome

Chapter 98

A few minutes later, I heard a door open directly behind me. I tried to look round but it was outside my field of view. Milan stepped forward and slapped me.

“Eyes front, American!”

I glared at him. He was the type who would feed off signs of pain.

There were footsteps behind me and Joseph Stadler walked into view. He wore a finely tailored suit, shirt and tie, and looked as though he had just come from a cocktail party.

“Mr. Morgan,” he said. “Who have you told about what you know?”

I didn’t respond. I focused on the knot binding my wrists and kept working it loose with the tips of my fingers.

“You and your associates here must die.”

I heard muffled objections from Luna and Antonelli.

“But first I need to know how big a problem I face. Do your colleagues also need attention? Ms. Smith, for example?”

Fury must have shone in my eyes.

“She means something to you. More than the others do,” Stadler said, moving closer. “Well, we can work with that. If you tell me what I need to know, if you give me assurances, I will give you her life.”

I knew no deal with this man would be worth the words wasted on it.

“You killed Brambilla,” I said. “When he arrived at the party, he saw you. He saw that you saw him too, and you both knew why he was there: to tell Matteo what you were doing, using the bank to launder money for criminals. For Milan Verde and Elia Antonelli and other members of your secret group Propaganda Tre. He knew you’d been killing the priests, that you’d killed Filippo Lombardi, and he wanted to do the right thing as a good man, to ease his conscience. He was going to give Matteo the whole story. So, you had to act. That’s why his death was unlike the others. It was spontaneous. You killed him to prevent him talking.”

Stadler smiled. “Well done, Mr. Morgan. I followed them, waited until I was sure no one could see, went into the room and used the pistol I always carry to stun Matteo.”

“And then you shot Father Brambilla,” I remarked. “Did you pretend to use the restroom? Join the crowd as it gathered? Or slip out of the staff entrance and come in through one of the terrace doors?”

“Staff entrance,” Stadler replied. “It really wasn’t difficult. Like this, being here with you. None of this is difficult for me. You know, after I’d listened to Father Brambilla beg for a while, I made him a similar deal to the one I am offering you: the truth for Matteo’s life. Father Brambilla told me he hadn’t shared our secret with anyone else, and he gave me that comfort so Matteo could live.”

“But when I reported to you what Matteo had been investigating, you decided to have him killed in police custody,” I suggested. “Because you realized he wasn’t just some friend Father Brambilla had chosen to confide in, and you were worried Father Brambilla had lied to you and told him everything.”

“Correct,” Stadler confirmed. “Well done, Mr. Morgan. Your deductive powers came good in the end. I was worried your reputation wasn’t justified.”

“And the other priests?” I asked. “Why kill them?”

“Your questions are at an end, Mr. Morgan,” Stadler replied. He turned to Milan Verde. “Kill him. And them.” He pointed at Luna and Antonelli. “Kill them all.”