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“Wasn’t he supposed to be assigned there for the entire summer?”

“He was. His departure was unexpected, as I recall. He left the priesthood shortly thereafter, much to my disappointment, as I thought he had great promise, and of course, loads of charisma.”

“Any idea why he left?”

“I’m afraid the holy life is not for everyone. Leaving the priesthood is not that an unusual occurrence for acolytes, especially one who stood out as much as he did.”

Slash knew that truth firsthand. “Do you know where Manuel was from? What city or region? Did he have an accent? Did he ever talk about his family?”

“I’m afraid we didn’t talk much socially, and he rather kept to himself. But he was Italian. I don’t know anything else about him other than he was assigned from Rome. He could have been from anywhere in Italy.”

Slash stood, offering a hand. “Thank you very much for your time, Father. I greatly appreciate you speaking with us.”

“It was my pleasure. I do not receive a lot of visitors and I quite enjoy it. I am glad God has brought you to my doorstep if for nothing else than closure. May I say one thing more?”

“Of course.”

“You were in my life for three days, but your presence stayed with me for my entire life. I’ll never forget those days of caring for you. It was one of those experiences that last a lifetime.”

How odd that his birth and subsequent drop-off at the church had touched the lives of several priests destined to never have children of their own. It was a small thing, but knowing his life had served them in that way was unexpectedly gratifying.

Slash felt a lump in his throat. “Thank you for telling me that, Father.”

As they headed for the door, Lexi stopped to look at the pictures of the two candidate saints on the wall.

“They are soon to become saints, we hope,” Father Opizzi told her.

“That’s what I hear,” she said. “You’ve lit the candles beneath their photos. Does that mean you’re praying for them?”

“It does. But I’m not just praying for their souls, I’m asking them to guide me by their example so I may become a better person.”

“That’s quite admirable, especially given your lifetime of service.”

He laughed. “Even retired priests need all the help they can get.”

She laughed, too, and Slash wondered if she realized how beautiful she looked with a smile on her face. “Thank you for your kindness and hospitality, Father,” she said. “By the way, your English is excellent.”

“I’m humbled by your evaluation. I do enjoy watching mysteries and the news on the BBC. It’s been fun practicing my English with you. I do not often have the opportunity to do so. Now, go with God, my children, and please come back and visit anytime. It would be my pleasure to see you both again.”

“We might do that,” Slash said and meant it. “We very well might.”

Chapter Thirty-Three

Father Julian Koenhein

The cardinal was going to be extremely angry with the statement on the piece of paper he held in one hand, and Julian didn’t have a clue how to break it to him in a way that would prevent that fury. Usually he was good at smoothing ruffled feathers and keeping Cardinal Lazo calm by working behind the scenes to keep things moving efficiently and quietly.

But events of late had been bringing him out of his comfort zone on a regular basis and that was unsettling.

Julian hesitated with his hand poised to knock, wishing he could think of a way to deliver the news and vanish, at least until the cardinal’s anger had passed. Unfortunately, no amount of thinking and no magic solution presented itself to him, so he knocked on the door.

He heard the cardinal’s voice tell him to enter. It sounded irritated, as Julian had expected. Summoning an inner courage and calm, Julian walked into the cardinal’s office.

“I told you I didn’t want to be disturbed,” the cardinal snapped without looking up from his writing. “I’m busy.”

“I beg your pardon, Your Eminence, but we have received an email from... Slash.”

The cardinal lifted his head. “Do we finally know where he is?”