*
Via Nazionale
KESSEL SLAPPED his thighs and laughed aloud. The last of several phone calls to the Vatican produced an address for Marco Sartini, although the woman in the staff office cautioned him that the address might be an old one. According to her records the man was about to take up a parish appointment.
"Karl, you can go round later tonight and check out this address. If the priest is there, get him to let you into his room, and kill him."
"Trust me." Karl had slept until the evening, but now seemed back on form, apparently keen to get on with the work he had been selected to do.
"Make sure there are no mistakes this time. If you kill the wrong priest, we'll alert Sartini."
"Me? Make mistakes? I'm going to get some beer."
Karl banged his way from the room in a huff. Kessel turned up the television volume and waited for the headlines. The opening shot was from a camera zooming in on the remains of a burned-out station wagon. The caption said Monte Sisto. He knew at once that the vehicle was an Audi, knew that the charred carcass behind the wheel was Otto Bayer. He went to the sink to be sick.
He sat in the chair and began to shake. The pervert was dead. Evil was on the loose. He sat there for nearly an hour, until the ring of the telephone made him jump.
An Italian man's voice said, "Signor Kessel? I expect you've heard about your friend's tragic death."
"I can't believe it. Someone killed him. Who...?"
"I understand how you feel, Signor Kessel. Believe me, I'm a sympathizer of Achtzehn Deutschland Reinigung here in Rome. You need not concern yourself. My friends and I will make sure that justice is done. Otto gave me a large package which is for you. Something he found at Monte Sisto. Something you are looking for, he said. We can meet tomorrow morning and I will hand it over."
"I want to know..."
"You ask too many questions, my friend. It is better that you do not know too much. You can leave justice to us."
"All right. Where do we meet?"
"How about the Colosseum? Ten o'clock. We'll all be safe there. Go up the stone steps to the top level. On the side facing the cross in the arena, and wait for me."
"How will I know you?"
"Do not worry, my friend, because I will know you. Have your young companion with you, but do not come before ten."
"Tell me who you are." But the man at the far end had already ended the call. He swore loudly. In Germany he could have arranged for an electronic trace to be put on the call. Unfortunately the ADR's powers did not yet extend to Italy.
The object he was looking for at Monte Sisto? There could be only one large object of interest from the derelict monastery! He clapped his hands together. In spite of Otto's appalling death, nothing would stop him going to the Colosseum to regain his family property: the bronze head of Jesus Christ.
He stripped off the bedcover Karl had lain on earlier and stretched out on the bed. He could never be too careful. But Karl had his uses in spite of his distasteful habits. The boy would be back soon. He would have to be told about Otto, and they would go out and rent a small sedan. With the relic in their hands tomorrow morning, it might be necessary to make a quick exit from Rome. Maybe go into hiding somewhere in Italy until Otto's murderer had been caught -- until Phönix could be persuaded to see sense. He checked his wallet again. The Gypsies hadn't taken his driving license.
Shout in the Dark Page 40