The Fallen Angel

resume his wicked ways.”
    “But now you were looking over his shoulder,” Chiara said.
    “Exactly.”
    “What would happen when a tombarolo brought him a vase or a statue that he’d found?”
    “Sometimes we quietly took it off the market and put it away for safekeeping. But usually we allowed Falcone to sell it up the line. That way we could track it as it moved through the bloodstream of the illicit trade. And we wanted everyone in the business to think that Roberto Falcone was a man to be reckoned with.”
    “Especially the man at the top of this new smuggling network.”
    “You’ve obviously done this a time or two yourself,” the general said.
    Gabriel ignored the remark. “How high were you able to get him into the network?” he asked.
    “Only the first rung of the ladder,” Ferrari said, frowning. “This new network learned from the mistakes of its predecessor. The men at the top don’t talk to people like Roberto Falcone.”
    “So why was Claudia Andreatti talking to him?”
    “Clearly, she must have found something during her review of the Vatican’s collection that led her to Falcone’s door. Something dangerous enough to get her killed. The fact that Falcone was killed too suggests it had something to do with the network. Frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised if a few more bodies turn up in short order.”
    “Do you realize what you’re suggesting?”
    Ferrari trained his sightless eye on Gabriel and leaned across the table. “It’s not a suggestion,” he said. “I’m saying that Dr. Andreatti discovered a connection between the network and the Vatican. And that means your friend Monsignor Donati has a much bigger problem on his hands than a dead curator. It also means that you and I are pursuing the same target.”
    “Which is why you’re willing to pretend that my wife and I were never in Cerveteri today,” Gabriel said. “Because if I can find out who killed Claudia, it will save you the trouble of having to crack the network.”
    “It is a rather elegant solution to our dilemma,” Ferrari said.
    “Why don’t you just hand me over to the security service and pursue the case yourself?”
    “Because now that Falcone is dead, the only door into this new network has been slammed in my face. The chances of putting another informant in place are slim. By now, they’re well aware of my tools and techniques. They also know my personnel, which makes it difficult for me to send them undercover. I need someone who can help me destroy this network from the inside, someone who can think like a criminal.” The general paused. “Someone like you, Allon.”
    “Is that supposed to be a compliment?”
    “Just a statement of fact.”
    “You overestimate my abilities.”
    The general gave a knowing smile. “Early in my career, when I was working in the counterterrorism division, I was assigned to a case here in Rome. It seemed a Palestinian translator was shot to death in the lobby of his apartment building. It turned out he was no ordinary translator. As for the man who killed him, we were never able to find a single witness who could recall seeing him. It was as if he were a ghost.” The general paused. “And now he sits before me, in a restaurant in the heart of Rome.”
    “I would have never figured you for a blackmailer, General.”
    “I wouldn’t dream of trying to blackmail you, Allon. I was simply saying that our paths crossed once before. Now it seems fate has reunited us.”
    “I don’t believe in fate.”
    “Neither do I,” Ferrari replied. “But I do believe that if there’s anyone who can crack this network, it’s you. Besides,” he added, “the fact that you are already positioned inside the Vatican gives you a distinct advantage.”
    Gabriel was silent for a moment. “What happens if I succeed?” he asked finally.
    “I will take your information and build a case that will stand up in the Italian courts.”
    “And what if that case destroys my friends?”
    “I am well aware of your close relationship with this pope and with Monsignor Donati,” the general said evenly. “But if the Vatican has engaged in misdeeds, it will have to atone. Besides, I’ve always found that confession can be good for the soul.”
    “If it’s done in private.”
    “That might not be possible. But the best way for you to look after the interests of your friends is to accept my offer. Otherwise, there’s no telling what dirt might turn up.”
    “That sounds a great