Shrouded in Silence (38 page)

Standing behind the cement column that supported the roof over the metro, Klaus Burchel had watched her leave the bathroom. Michelle Townsend had seen him on the train and was running. He had to be more cautious. She had stayed in the bathroom nearly thirty minutes, which meant the woman was definitely hiding from him. Klaus had picked up the thin-rimmed hat off the bench where Michelle left it. Waiting for her to come out, Burchel slipped it on, hoping to alter his appearance. No. She'd recognize it. Burchel dropped the hat on the floor.

When she came out of the bathroom, Burchel immediately noticed the long hair and guessed she was on her way back to the train. Staying a considerable distance behind her, he edged through the crowd. She had gone over the top walkway leading to the other side, which meant she was going back to Piazza de San Giovanni just as he had heard through his eavesdropping device. No longer did he need to stay close. Jumping on the last coach, he would get off at San Giovanni station. Things were working out just as Stein had said they would. The old man needed an update.

Burchel emerged at the far end of the platform and got on the last coach just as the doors closed. He pulled out his cell phone and began dialing. After a moment, he heard the other end answer even though Stein said nothing.

"We're returning to the Piazza de San Giovanni right now," he said.

50

W
hen Michelle arrived at the Piazza de San Giovanni station, the press of evening passengers had picked up significantly, but nobody paid attention to her. Staying close to the tunnel walls, she walked up the steps toward the turnstiles. Guido should be around there somewhere standing close to the exit. The rush of the crowd made it difficult to see Guido, but he had to be close.

Fifteen feet on the other side of the steps, Jack stood talking to Guido. Still wearing the old black overcoat, he looked considerably dirtier than when she last saw him. If nothing else, they were together again and their struggles had not kept either of them from arriving at the station.

"You're OK?" Michelle said.

Jack turned around. "I was starting to worry. Took you longer to get here than I expected." His right eye looked puffy and his face drawn.

"You're hurt!" Michelle exclaimed.

"No big deal," Jack said. "Just a few punches here and there. You don't look so great yourself."

"I was followed. Some man in a brown suit stayed on my heels clear through this stop. I recognized him as the photographer taking my picture in front of Santa Maria Church weeks back. He really frightened me, and I had one of my attacks. I'm still a tad shaky."

"Oh, no!" Jack Squeezed her hand.

"You've had a rough trip," Guido said. "I was concerned that something like this might happen."

Jack hugged her. "I'm so sorry. I didn't dream anyone would trail you once we were separated."

"How about the reporter?" Michelle asked. "How did you shake him?"

"Let's just say that he's probably still taking a nap in the alley."

"And your arm?" Michelle rubbed her hand up and down his sleeve.

"OK, but not quite as strong as I thought. I'm still dragging."

"Since Michelle's shed her topcoat, I think you can too," Guido said. "Looks a little on the worn side."

"Worn?" Jack chuckled and began dropping the overcoat. "Gives me the old refined panhandler look. It'll go in the trash right now. If nothing else, we got rid of the cops and reporters following us. You were right about that possibility, Guido."

"Our police aren't the sharpest in the world, but we can't have anyone following us to where I am going to take you. My ancestors would scream from their graves if they thought that location was about to be betrayed. My family protected this secret for centuries. That's why I had to assume someone would probably follow you and attempt to ruin everything."

"I think I shook the guy tailing me on the metro," Michelle said. "The jerk looked unusually well-dressed. You discounted the idea that he was taking my picture in front of the church." She pointed a finger in Jack's face. "Wrong. Obviously, he has a history with us. Haven't seen him since I arrived here, but I can't be too sure."

"I can't assume such," Guido said. "I want us to leave separately. Down the street is the church of San Giovanni. We will reassemble inside at the foot of the
Scala Santa,
the holy staircase. Supposedly the steps came from the house of Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem and had been ascended by Jesus just before his crucifixion. Of course, this story is only legend, but the twenty-eight marble steps draw believers who climb up on their knees to earn an indulgence. I will be there first watching to see if anyone shows who is looking for something more substantial like the two of you. We will stand there watching the stairs until I am convinced we can take the next step. Got it?"

Jack nodded. "You'll leave first, Guido, then Michelle and I follow. We walk straight into the church and head for the holy stairs."

Guido studied the station platform, observing the people passing by, going through the turnstiles, disappearing down the crowded street. After watching for a minute, he headed out through the exit.

Michelle watched Guido cross the boulevard and walk toward the large, white, stone church. In the moonlight she could see statues of the apostles lining the rooftop. Without stopping, Guido walked straight through the large doors and went inside.

"I guess I'm next," Michelle said.

"Tell me about the man following you," Jack insisted.

"Frankly, he scared me, but I didn't want to tell Guido. The man appeared to be unusually well-dressed with a stylish flair. I knew that I'd seen those clothes somewhere before. He certainly didn't look like a terrorist type, but he had a scar on his cheek like from a fight or a struggle. Of course, how would I know what one of these killers looks like? He stayed in the coach behind me and watched through the glass panes. No question that he had his eye on me."

"I don't like it. I wonder if we should go ahead."

"Guido's over there waiting for us. We can't stop now, Jack. Anyway, I am sure that I lost him in the scuffle. What bothers me is that he saw through my masculine disguise and kept coming. If the guy wasn't a pervert of some sort, then the alterative is far from encouraging."

"Yeah, I've got that message. Well, I guess we'd better go."

Jack walked through the station exit toward the church's towers standing above the surrounding buildings. He knew the last restoration had come when Innocent X had stripped away the ancient character of the building, leaving a relatively tasteless plain facade that concealed the romance of the ancient history surrounding the church. Jack hoped that the next step in their journey inside would prove equally mundane.

"I had better split until we get over there," Michelle said. "I'll see you inside, dear. OK?"

Jack took a deep breath. "I guess so. I'll be coming right behind you."

Michelle took one last look around the area to check if the man in the brown suit was back there somewhere, but she didn't see him. Without looking back, she walked up the street just as Guido had done. At the corner, Michelle waited for the stoplight to change and then crossed. In a matter of minutes, she stood before the massive figure of Christ surrounded by nine angels. The statue looked ancient and must have gone way back nearly to the beginning of the building.

"Lord, help us," she muttered to herself and walked forward.

Standing behind a towering pilaster, the man in a brown wool suit, wearing a purple shirt with a bluish tie stepped out and fell in behind her. Michelle Townsend walked determinedly toward the
Scala Santa,
which tourists always gathered around. Once he was sure that was where she was going, he dropped back and watched her carefully so as to avoid calling attention to himself. Moving behind another large pilaster, he observed Guido Valentino gazing over the crowd in front of the steps. Fortunately, Valentino still looked in the opposite direction. Jack Townsend would probably be showing up shortly, and he had to get back to where the boss waited for him before Townsend showed.

Slipping across the church, he entered a gift shop selling San Giovanni bookmarks, statuettes, rosaries, prayer books, and a host of items. Peering through the windows, he could see Valentino and Michelle standing at the foot of the steps waiting.

The man with a decidedly German face stepped beside him. "Excellent work, Klaus." Stein murmured. "We are well positioned for the attack."

51

J
ack walked casually as if inspecting the peaceful basilica by studying a tourist guidebook. Stopping next to Michelle, he glanced indifferently at the twenty-eight stone steps.

"Looks like regular old Italian marble to me," he said cynically.

"Only a Protestant could be so disrespectful," Guido replied. "You have to be an Italian to understand these sacred objects."

"But since we're Protestants, we don't fall in behind the party line quite so obediently as you local boys do," Michelle said.

Guido grinned. "As if I didn't already know." He whispered to Jack and Michelle. "I don't see anyone watching us, but I am a rank amateur in this hunt-and-chase game. Hopefully we're still clear. I think we can start walking back toward the entry to the church again. Just stroll leisurely and look around, but don't get too far behind me."

"Don't worry," Michelle said. "We've got our radar tuned up to the maximum capacity tonight."

Guido sauntered away from the
Scala Santa.
Once he reached the distant wall of the sanctuary, he looked at the frescos by Nebbia and d'Arpino. Farther on, he paused beneath the work of Torriti for a moment. When he reached the massive front doors, Guido stopped for a final scrutiny of the crowd milling around the church and then strolled out.

Jack and Michelle maintained a slow pace marching toward the front door. Stepping outside into the darkness, they could no longer find Guido.

"Where'd he go?" Michelle stammered. "He was here a moment ago."

"Behind you," Guido said out of the blackness. "Don't turn around. Walk to your left toward the small building near the end of the cathedral. Stop there."

"OK," Jack said.

"Wait at the entrance," Guido said.

The night air felt unusually brisk, but Jack kept their speed at an easy gait. When they reached the smaller building, Jack stopped.

Within a few moments, Guido emerged out of the shadows. "Go in," he whispered. "Look around like tourists until you know no one else is inside. I'll watch out here to make sure we are not followed."

"What is this place?" Michelle ask.

"The ancients built baptisteries apart from the actual church building. The baptistery for San Giovanni has stood on this spot for nearly two thousand years. You will find it most interesting."

Inside the heavy door, the interior revealed a large circular room with a substantial baptismal font in the center. The tranquil surface of the water stood motionless. The black stone had a chipped appearance and worn edges suggesting antiquity. Made to emulate candles, the electric lights around the walls cast long, dismal shadows across the room. Nothing disturbed the silence.