Day Of Confession

Loosening his seat belt, Roscani plucked the last cigarette from its tattered pack, put the empty pack back in his jacket pocket, then stuck the cigarette in his mouth and looked out. Here and there the sun glinted off something on the ground, a lake or a building, as all of Italy seemed to bask under a cloudless sky. It was an ancient land. Beautiful and serene, yet trampled endlessly by scandal and intrigue that operated on every level. Was any land or history free of it? He doubted it. But he was Italian, and the country beneath him his. And he was a policeman, charged with enforcing its laws and seeing justice done.

He saw Gia

Yes, the crimes had been committed on Italian soil, where he had the power to do something about them. But inside the Vatican walls he had no authority at all. And once his fugitives were behind them, there would be nothing he could do but turn his evidence over to Gruppo Cardinale's prosecutor, Marcello Taglia. Once he did, justice would no longer be his. Instead, it would belong to the politicians. And, in the long run, that would be the end of it. He remembered well Taglia's words about their investigation into the assassination of the cardinal vicar, warning of 'the delicate nature of the whole thing and the diplomatic implications that could rise between Italy and the Vatican'.

In other words, if it so chose, the Vatican could get away with murder.

121

Harry's first impulse had been to go back to where he'd left the Mercedes, break the window and retrieve the keys, and get Da

'He's dead. They mutilated him,' he told Da

'Harry,' Da

'How the hell do you know?'

'-I just do…'

Less than thirty minutes later, Harry came into the building. Carefully checking the entryway, he looked at the elevator, then took the front stairs, feeling they were safer than the little elevator box where he could be trapped.

Da

'I want you to take a look, Harry.'

Harry glanced at Elena, then went to the window.

'What am I looking at?'

'To the left, follow the wall,' Da

The tower was perhaps a quarter of a mile away, and Harry could see the top of it clearly – a high, circular tower, turreted on top, made of the same ancient brick as the wall inside which it stood.

'We're the only ones left to do it,' Da

Harry turned slowly.

'You and me and Sister Elena.'

'Do – what?'

'Get Cardinal Marsciano out…' Whatever emotion Da

Harry shook his head. 'Uh-uh, not Elena…'

'I want to, Harry.' Elena was looking directly at him. There was no doubt at all she meant it.

'Of course you do. Why wouldn't you?' Harry looked from Elena to Da

'There's no one else, Harry…' Elena said softly.

Abruptly Harry looked to Da

'You have to believe me, Harry…'

'It's not you. It's Father Bardoni. I don't have that much trust.'

Da

'This apartment building belongs to the owner of one of the largest pharmaceutical manufacturers in Italy. All he had to know was that Cardinal Marsciano requested a private place for a few days and it was done with no questions…'

'What's that got to do with Father Bardoni?'

'Harry, the cardinal is one of the most beloved men in Italy… Look who helped him, and at what risk to themselves. I…' – Da

The image of Father Bardoni in the bathtub was too strong: a man being tortured yet saying nothing. Shaken and moved, Harry ran a hand through his hair and had to look away. When he did, his eyes found Elena's. They were tender and loving and told him she understood what Da

'Harry-'

The sharpness of Da

'There is something else… If I didn't believe it before, Father Bardoni's murder confirmed it… Do you know what is going on in China?'

'A tragedy, a lot of people dead. I don't know. I haven't exactly had a lot of time to watch the TV. What the hell are you getting at?'

'In Bellagio, Harry. When we were waiting in the truck for Sister Elena to come for us. You got a call on a cell phone… It woke me… I heard you say two names, Adria

'What about it?' Harry still didn't understand.

'Adria

Harry was both surprised and puzzled. 'They were the people who helped me get to you. How the hell do you know them?'

'It doesn't make any difference. What's important is that you get in touch with them both as fast as you can.' Abruptly Da

'Stop what?' Harry didn't understand.

'They're poisoning the lakes, Harry… One has already been done… There are two more to go…'

'What are you talking about? Who's poisoning the lakes? From what little I know, it was an act of nature.'

'It's not,' Da

'That was in the confession, wasn't it?…' Harry felt the hairs stand up on the back of his neck.

'It was a part of the confession…'

Elena crossed herself. 'Mother Mary…' she said under her breath.

'A little while ago WNN ran a recap story on Hefei,' Da