Relic

[255] “And what parts of the Museum exactly does Cell Two consist of?” asked Pendergast.

Ippolito pushed some buttons on the console. A large central section of the Museum glowed green on the panels.

“This is Cell Two,” Ippolito said. “As you can see, it reaches from the basement to the ceiling, as do all the cells. The Hall of the Heavens is here. The computer lab and the room we’re in now, Security Command, are both inside this cell. So is the Secure Area, the central archives, and a variety of other high-security areas. There will be no exit from the Museum except through the four steel doors, which we’ll keep open on override. We’ll seal the perimeter an hour before the party, drop all the other doors, and set up guards at the access points. I’m telling you, it’ll be more secure than a bank vault.”

“And the rest of the Museum?”

“We thought about sealing all five cells, but decided against it.”

“Good,” said Pendergast, eyeing another panel. “In the event of a crisis, we wouldn’t want any emergency perso

“Nobody would dare try to use that,” Ippolito snorted. “It’s a maze.”

“But we’re not talking about an ordinary burglar. We’re talking about a killer that’s eluded every search you, I, or D’Agosta here have mounted. A killer that seems to call the subbasement home.”

“There is only one stairwell co

Pendergast examined the glowing map for some time [256] in silence. “How do you know this schematic is accurate?” he asked finally.

Ippolito looked a little flustered. “Of course it’s accurate.”

“I asked: how do you know?”

“The system was designed straight off the architectural drawings from the 1912 reconstruction.”

“No changes since then? No doors knocked open here, sealed off there?

“All changes were taken into account.”

“Did those architectural drawings cover the Old Basement and subbasement areas?”

“No, those are older areas. But, like I told you, they’ll either be sealed or guarded.”

There was a long silence while Pendergast continued to look at the panels. Finally, he sighed and turned to face the Security Director.

“Mr. Ippolito, I don’t like it.”

A throat was cleared behind them. “What doesn’t he like now?”

D’Agosta didn’t have to turn around. That abrasive Long Island accent could belong only to Special Agent Coffey.

“I’m just reviewing the security procedures with Mr. Pendergast,” said Ippolito.

“Well, Ippolito, you’re go

“Mr. Pendergast—” Ippolito began.

“Mr. Pendergast is up here from the Deep South to give us a little help here and there when we need it. I’m ru

“Yes, sir,” said Ippolito. He reviewed the procedures again while Coffey sat in an operator’s chair, twirling a set of earphones around his finger. D’Agosta wandered around the room, looking at the control panels. Pendergast listened carefully to Ippolito, looking for all the [257] world as if he hadn’t heard the speech before. When the Security Director finished, Coffey leaned back in his chair.

“Ippolito, you got four holes in this perimeter.” He paused for effect. “I want three of them plugged. I want only one way in and one way out.”

“Mr. Coffey, fire regulations require—”

Coffey waved his hand. “Let me worry about the fire regulations. You worry about the holes in your security net. The more holes we have, the more trouble we have waiting to happen.”

“That, I’m afraid, is precisely the wrong way to go,” Pendergast said. “If you close these three exits, the guests are going to be locked in. Should something happen, there would be only one way out.”

Coffey spread his hands in a gesture of frustration. “Hey, Pendergast, that’s just the point. You can’t have it both ways. Either you have a secure perimeter or you don’t. Anyway, according to Ippolito here, each security door has an emergency override. So what’s your problem?”

“That’s right,” said Ippolito, “the doors can be opened using the keypad in an emergency. All you need is the code.”

“May I ask what controls the keypad?” asked Pendergast.

“The central computer. The computer room is right next door.”

“And if the computer goes down?”

“We’ve got backup systems, with redundancies. Those panels on the far wall control the backup system. Each panel has its own alarm.”

“That’s another problem,” said Pendergast quietly.

Coffey exhaled loudly and spoke to the ceiling. “He still doesn’t like it.”

“I counted eighty-one alarm lights on that bank of controls alone,” Pendergast continued, oblivious to Coffey. “In a true emergency, with multiple system failure, [258] most of those alarms would be blinking. No team of operators could deal with that.”

“Pendergast, you’re slowing me down,” Coffey snapped. “Ippolito and I are going to work out these details, okay? We’ve got less than eight hours to show-time.”

“Has the system been tested?” Pendergast asked.

“We test it every week,” said Ippolito.

“What I mean is, has it ever been put to the test in a real situation? An attempted theft, perhaps?”

“No, and I hope it never is.”

“I regret to say it,” said Pendergast, “but this strikes me as a system designed for failure. I’m a great advocate of progress, Mr. Ippolito, but I’d strongly recommend an old-fashioned approach here. In fact, during the party, I would disable the whole system. Just turn it off. It’s too complex, and I wouldn’t trust it in an emergency. What we need is a proven approach, something we are all familiar with. Foot patrols, armed guards at every ingress and egress point. I’m sure Lieutenant D’Agosta will provide us with extra men.”

“Just say the word,” said D’Agosta.

“The word is no.” Coffey began to laugh. “Jesus, he wants to disable the system right at the moment when it’s most needed!”

“I must register my strongest objections to this plan,” said Pendergast.

“Well, you can write up your objections, then,” said Coffey, “and send them by slow boat to your New Orleans office. Sounds to me like Ippolito here’s got things pretty well under control.”

“Thank you,” Ippolito said, swelling visibly.

“This is a very unusual and dangerous situation,” Pendergast continued. “It’s not the time to rely on a complex and unproven system.”

“Pendergast,” said Coffey, “I’ve heard enough. Why don’t you just head down to your office and eat that catfish sandwich your wife put in your lunchbox?”

[259] D’Agosta was startled at the change that came over Pendergast’s face. Instinctively, Coffey took a step back. But Pendergast simply turned on his heel and walked out the door. D’Agosta moved to follow him.

“Where’re you going?” asked Coffey. “You better stick around while we work out the details.”

“I agree with Pendergast,” D’Agosta said. “This isn’t the time to start messing with video games. You’re talking about people’s lives here.”

“Listen up, D’Agosta. We’re the big boys, we’re the FBI. We’re not interested in the opinions of a traffic cop from Queens.”

D’Agosta looked at Coffey’s sweaty red face. “You’re a disgrace to law enforcement,” he said.

Coffey blinked. “Thank you, and I will note that gratuitous insult in my report to my good friend, Chief of Police Horlocker, who will no doubt take appropriate action.”