The Rome Prophecy

100

Valentina is under no illusion that being inside a church means she’s safe.

If her last case in Venice taught her anything, it’s that churches aren’t at all sacred when it comes to criminals and killers.

The guy in the black trench coat forces her into a pew and sits tight alongside her. ‘Kneel and pray. Don’t do anything stupid.’

Valentina does as she’s told.

She intertwines her fingers, bows her head and looks as reflective as any of the devout visitors around her.

Her mind is certainly on different things, though.

By now, it’s going to be obvious that there’s no Punto parked near the piazza and no Anna sitting patiently in it. And Tom will have discovered whether or not Louisa and her captors are in a car just around the corner.

For a second Valentina does what everyone else around her is doing: she prays. Prays that Tom is all right and that Louisa is still alive.

It’s the first time she’s been on her knees in church since her cousin died.

The phone in Trench Coat’s pocket rings.

He catches it quickly.

Valentina knows that in doing so, he’s taken his hand off the gun.

It’s her cue to stop trusting in the good Lord and do what she’s been trained to do.

She cups her hand behind Trench Coat’s head and smashes his face into the edge of the wooden pew.

All eyes are now on Valentina.

She glances at the body slumped at her feet, shuffles forward and puts her foot across his neck. If he moves she’ll feel it.

‘I’m a police officer,’ she shouts down the aisle. ‘Please leave the church, immediately.’

No one moves.

Valentina stoops, fishes in the guy’s coat pocket and recovers his gun. It’s an old Glock with a Crimson Trace laser grip.

She holds it up high. ‘I said, I am a police officer. Now get out of here before someone gets shot!’

The church empties in a deafening rush for the doors.

Valentina ignores the last of the stragglers.

There’s blood all over the back of the pew, and for the first time she’s wondering whether the guy on the floor is just unconscious, or dead.