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“Something wrong?” Julian asked, wishing he were twenty years younger, thirty pounds lighter and hadn’t lost so much hair.

She looked up in surprise. “No. These are good, but they don’t really make a powerful statement. I wish I could get a couple of photos of you with the Vatican in the background or, even better, in your office. I mean, I presume you’re really busy, but do you think it would be possible for us to meet, maybe during your lunch hour, so I could snap a few more photos? I would promise to take no more than ten minutes of your time. I’d be happy to bring you lunch.”

“Well, that would be kind of you. When would you like to come?”

“Would tomorrow work? My deadline is fast approaching and I need time to transcribe the interview and determine word count.”

“We’ll make it work. Write your name on a piece of paper for me and I’ll make sure you are cleared by security to enter around noon. Would that be satisfactory for you?”

“Yes. That would be perfect.”

He rattled off the address where she should enter and she recorded it on her phone. She then wrote her name in a notebook and tore off a piece of the paper, handing it to him. “Thank you so much. This has really been great.”

“My pleasure,” he said, because it really had been.

He returned to his seat on the bench and watched her go, thinking about her silver and wood crucifix and wondering if it were a sign his life was about to change.

Chapter Fifty-Three

Lexi

“We’re a go,” I said when I returned to the hotel room. I pulled the blonde wig off my head and tossed it on the bed. “He didn’t recognize me, thankfully. We’ll meet at noon tomorrow so I can take photos of him in his office and around the Vatican.”

“You make a good agent,cara,” Slash said from the bed where he sat with his back against the headboard, typing on the computer balanced on his lap.

“If we hadn’t practiced ad nauseam what I should say and do, it would have been a disaster.”

“You only needed a little training.”

I put the books down on the desk and carefully peeled off the gloves. “He was surprised by the gloves, but he swallowed the whole psoriasis thing. You know, it’s kind of sad, but I don’t think Father Koenhein is a bad guy. He’s likable, just misguided.”

Slash threw me an exasperated glance. “Do I need to review Operative Rules 101 with you? Donotbecome attached to the target.”

“I’m not attached. Just sympathetic. The Vatican is his dream job, something he worked hard at for his whole life, but he ends up a clerk to a guy like Cardinal Lazo.”

“We all have our crosses to bear.”

“I suppose. So, how’s the break-in going?”

“Most of the initial work is being done automatically at this point. I’ll need to collect the data first, and see what’s in there. I’m almost done with your student ID, however.”

“Excellent.” I took off my shoes, grabbed my laptop and sat down next to him on the bed. “How can I help?”

“I could use some specific penetration testing. I want to find some vulnerabilities to exploit. You up for it?”

“I’m always up for hacking.” I stretched out my legs. “I’ll take the keyboard over medals any day.”

A crooked grin crossed his face. “Damn, you reallyarethe girl of my dreams.”

Chapter Fifty-Four

Lexi

I slipped the student identification Slash handed me into my purse, along with the thumb drive, and slipped the strap over my shoulder. I felt the best I had in days. I’d had a long bath, a solid ten hours of sleep, and my body was finally adjusting to the time change. No residual headaches from the concussion, and while the burns on my hands still hurt, they were improving with regular cleaning and application of ointment.

Slash carefully put the gloves on my hand. He tugged a little too hard on one side, and I winced.

“Sorry,” he said.