The Rome Prophecy

113

Once Louisa is out of his office, Lorenzo Silvestri speaks more openly to Federico. ‘We’ve issued alerts for your captain, but so far there’s no trace of her. Are you sure she went into the church after she left you at the car?’

‘Pretty certain. I waited as she asked me to, and I watched her go through the courtyard and head to the fountain. I couldn’t see beyond there.’

‘Then you drove off?’

‘Yes. That’s what she wanted me to do. I guess she thought the rain would be a good excuse for me to be in the car and not at the fountain. She probably figured that would buy her and Tom time to get to Louisa.’

‘From all accounts it seems this Tom put on a good show,’ observes Lorenzo. ‘You said he is her partner?’

Federico feels awkward. ‘Yes, sir, they go back to when Captain Morassi was based in Venice. I think they’ve been friends for a long time.’

The major is more interested in the logistics of what happened than in their social lives. ‘Just a shame they didn’t stay together outside Santa Cecilia instead of Morassi compromising herself by going into the church alone.’

Federico feels guilty that he was stranded in the car as the decoy while all hell was breaking loose. ‘Sir, if they’re still holding her, do you think it’s likely to be in the same place they kept Louisa?’

‘That’s logical. Let’s hope they only have one underground playpen, or else we’re in trouble. Rome is a big city.’

Federico can’t help but ask the question: ‘Do you think she’s still alive?’

‘There’s a good chance. She was no doubt taken because they think she can help them get to Anna, but we have to be realistic. Once they realise they’ve been tricked, your captain becomes a real problem. A problem they will have to get rid of.’

Federico’s phone rings.

‘Take it,’ says Lorenzo.

He fishes his cell out of his pocket. ‘ Pronto.’

‘Federico, this is Tom, Tom Shaman.’

‘Tom, hang on, let me put you on speakerphone.’ He fiddles with the function and holds the phone between himself and Lorenzo. ‘This is Valentina’s partner.’ He places the phone in the middle of the major’s desk. ‘Tom, I’m in a room with Major Silvestri from the Carabinieri’s special operations unit. They were called in to take control of the operation at Santa Cecilia.’

Tom’s a little thrown that Federico is not on his own. ‘Okay.’

‘Have you heard from Valentina?’ asks Federico.

His spirits fall. ‘That’s what I was calling you about. Is she not with you?’

‘No.’

‘Tom, this is Lorenzo Silvestri. We’re searching for her. Where are you at the moment? Can you come and talk to us?’

Tom is reluctant to do that. The Carabinieri suspended Valentina, so he’s not entirely sure he can trust them. There’s also the fact that the man next to him left his knife sticking in the heart of one of Louisa’s kidnappers. ‘I’m across town; I’m not quite sure where, to be honest.’

‘That’s not a problem. We’re on Via di Ponte Salario, a little north of Villa Borghese. We’d like you to come over here as quickly as possible to help us find Valentina.’

Tom covers the mouthpiece so his answer is muffled. ‘I’m sorry, Major, I’m having trouble hearing you. I’ll call back.’

The line goes dead.

Lorenzo leans across the table and flicks the phone towards Federico. ‘Call him back straight away.’

Federico picks it up, searches the call log for the last received number and dials it.

‘Straight to voicemail,’ he says.

Lorenzo looks annoyed. ‘We have to talk to this guy, urgently.’ He shoots Federico a stern look. ‘We’ve got a dead body on the ground near the church. Could he have done that?’

‘I’m not sure. He’s a big guy and he’s handy enough, but he doesn’t strike me as the violent type.’

Lorenzo’s not so sure. ‘Paramedics pulled a knife out of the dead guy’s heart. Did you ever see Tom carry a weapon?’

Federico shakes his head. ‘I’m sure he didn’t. Listen, I really don’t think you can look at Tom for that. It’s just not his style. Valentina told me he used to be a priest.’

‘Some priest.’

Federico doesn’t see any point arguing, They’re searching for suspects and he’d be saying the same things if he was on the other side of the table. For now, though, he has a question of his own. ‘Major, are you going to inform the serious crime unit about this? I mean, isn’t this something that Major Caesario and his team have to be appraised of and involved in?’

Lorenzo gives him a relaxed smile. ‘Is that what you want, Lieutenant? ROS has the authority to run this as a contained operation; do you really want me to wake Caesario from his slumber in the officers’ club and have him slow things down? Or would you prefer to help me clean up his shit and then us take the credit with the Commandante Generale?’