The Rome Prophecy

84

‘No answer.’

Valentina puts her cell phone down on the shiny mahogany table inside the private meeting room at Galleria Borghese. ‘I’ve tried Louisa’s work and private cell numbers. Nothing.’

‘Then I’ll go and see if she’s at home,’ says Tom. ‘Given Anna’s death, it’s likely she’s taken some private time.’ He’s still distracted by the likeness of Anna in the painting in the leaflet.

‘This picture’s purely coincidence,’ says Valentina, taking it off him. ‘Half of the girls in Rome look like that.’ She gives it a second glance. ‘In fact, I think Anna’s actually much prettier than whoever she is.’

‘I’ll drive you,’ volunteers Federico. ‘When we’re finished here.’

‘We could go now,’ says Valentina, dropping the leaflet on a shelf over a radiator. ‘We’re about done, aren’t we?’

‘Not quite,’ says Federico. ‘My fat scientist friend, the one who has the hots for you, has come up with some interesting biological information.’

‘Hopefully not about himself,’ says Valentina.

‘Thankfully not. The handless victim at the Bocca della Verita and Anna Fratelli were related. Sisters.’

Valentina frowns. ‘I thought your friend said they were different blood groups.’

‘Same mother, different fathers.’

‘There seem to be lots of family references going on,’ observes Tom. ‘Anna and her alter personalities frequently talked about Mother or Mater, and now we have a direct physical link to a sibling.’

Valentina looks to Federico. ‘What did Anna’s social and medical records turn up?’

‘Now there’s a story.’ Federico takes out a small black Moleskine notebook from his jacket. ‘Anna’s birth certificate, school and medical records show that she was the daughter of Armando and Ginerva Fratelli from Gerusalemme.’

‘Let me guess. Her parents are dead?’

‘No, far from it. They’re both sprightly sixty-year-olds. They did have a daughter called Anna, but she died when she was barely three days old.’

Valentina shakes her head. ‘Someone stole their dead daughter’s identity and brought up a child under a false name?’

‘Worse. The Fratellis had twin daughters. Anna’s sister, Cloelia, died at the Policlinico the same day. They both had fatal lung defects.’

Valentina is intrigued by the awful coincidence. ‘The same place our Anna died.’

Tom crosses himself. ‘Sounds like systematic paedophilia. There was a case in California where a paedophile ring scoured the death columns in local newspapers for child fatalities. They’d immediately apply for birth certificates for the dead kids because they knew that records systems seldom work properly and almost never proactively cross-check with each other.’

‘In Italy it is even worse,’ adds Valentina. ‘Try moving cities and you quickly discover what a mess the authorities are in.’

Federico doesn’t quite understand. ‘What do these kind of gangs want the children’s documentation for?’

Valentina explains. ‘They abduct babies and very young children with the idea of abusing them throughout their childhood and teenage years. They keep them imprisoned and hidden until they are completely brainwashed into accepting that they’re part of the abuser’s so-called family.’

‘It would explain Anna’s multiple personalities,’ adds Tom. ‘Louisa said that her multiple alters are most likely a response to years of abuse.’

‘Christ!’ Federico can’t help but think about his own young daughter. ‘They’re not just stealing their identities, they’re stealing their lives.’