Page 134 of An Inside Job

“She would know,” said Rossetti. “After all, she’s a rather prominent archaeologist.”

A waiter delivered Gabriel’s cappuccino. “Are the two of you quite finished?”

“Actually,” answered Rossetti, “we were wondering what provoked you to assault an innocent pilgrim.”

“I thought the pilgrim was about to plunge a knife into the pontiff.”

“No other trouble?”

“None at all. It was an unforgettable day.”

“So why are we going to the Angelus?”

“Because His Holiness insisted I come, and I wanted some company.”

“You’re not going to assault anyone, are you?”

“To be determined.”

Rossetti rubbed his jaw. “I’m lucky you didn’t kill me.”

Gabriel smiled. “Double or nothing?”

***

Veronica devoured a cream-filled cornetto while walking between Gabriel and Luca Rossetti through the cold shadows of the Via dei Condotti. She spoke of the Holy Father’s controversial homily in Palermo as though he were merely the spiritual leader of a billion Catholics and not someone she had once planned to marry. Rossetti appeared to have no sense she was dissembling. She had been hiding her true feelings about Luigi Donati for more than thirty years. She was rather good at it by now.

It became apparent when they reached the Via della Conciliazione that this would be no ordinary Sunday Angelus. Thousands of faithful were streaming westward toward the Vatican, and thousandsmore were queued at the magnetometers at the edge of St. Peter’s Square. Veronica pointed out the unusually large number of television crews, their cameras trained on the distant window where the rock star pope would soon appear.

“I’ve never seen anything like this at a Sunday Angelus. It’s as if they’re expecting the Second Coming.”

“He’s made the papacy relevant again,” replied Gabriel.

“The global street priest? A Church on the barricades?”

“I saw it with my own eyes yesterday in Lampedusa.”

“Lucky you.” Veronica looked at the long lines stretching from the magnetometers. “Is there any chance we can use the VIP entrance?”

Gabriel turned to Luca Rossetti and said, “We’ll meet you in the square.”

Rossetti displayed his Carabinieri badge to a Vatican gendarme, then swung a leg over the barrier and disappeared into the crowd. Gabriel and Veronica headed to St. Anne’s Gate. The halberdier waved them over the border with a crisp salute, and Gabriel slipped into the Swiss Guard barracks. The duty officer at the reception desk practically leapt to his feet.

“Good morning, Herr Allon.”

“My friend and I are planning to attend the Angelus. Do you mind if we take the shortcut through the palace?”

“Not a problem. I’ll let the sentries know you’re coming.”

Gabriel stepped outside and collected Veronica. She clung to his arm as they headed up the Via Sant’Anna, two sinners in the city of saints.

“Was it my imagination,” asked Gabriel, “or were you just flirting with that handsome young halberdier?”

“I was merely helping to relieve the terrible boredom of his job. They work those poor boys like slaves.”

“I have a feeling my friend Luca Rossetti has fallen hopelessly under your spell.”

“I know he has. But I made it clear to Luca that I was in love with someone else.” She slowed to a stop outside the entrance of the Vatican Bank. Because it was a Sunday, it was tightly shuttered. “It’s the belly of the beast, this so-called Institute for Religious Works. The root of all the scandals and corruption. Luigi needs to raze it and start over.”