to see if he could get under my skin?
Better had tried.
He released a sigh that rumbled with impatience, but his face remained placid as a calm lake. “You’re the only one with the level of expertise required who is not associated with a government operation or agency. This is Vatican business and must be kept silent. I’m sure you’re aware of the pressure this pope is under to reform the financial dealings of diocese and organizations linked to the Vatican and its banking system.”
“I see the news.”
“I thought you were Catholic.”
He got the past tense correct, as in back before life had shredded her belief. She shrugged. “Is that a requirement?”
“No. As I was saying, the pope is under pressure to make changes, but has also been under attack from those who don’t want change. If we allow the media to get word that a rare artifact has been taken out of the Vatican, all of this pope’s hard work will be lost in a thunder of outcry over the artifact.”
“So the pope knows all about this theft?”
“I didn’t say that.”
Squeezing orange juice from a rock would be easier than getting a straight answer out of this guy. She’d heard about all the conflict going on between bishops, archbishops, monsignors, you name it. They were all priests, but they were also human. On occasion, one of those humans allowed the sin of lust for money to override his belief. To this pope’s credit, he was shaking up the place.
She still wasn’t making the connection. “You don’t believe the FBI would handle this quickly and keep it quiet?”
“Does that work for you?”
Valene thought back over what she’d said, trying to determine if this was a trick question. No idea. “Does what work for me?”
“Talking a potential client out of your services.”
Not particularly, but she’d survived a long time in this world by forcing her rambunctious side to take a back seat when caution should prevail. “I want to be sure this will work for both of us before I commit to anything. Why should I take a job that would tie me up and not pan out when I could be on one that would be lucrative?”
Oh, wait, she had the answer. Because this is the only job I’ve been offered of this size in longer than I can remember.
“As you mentioned earlier, I am well aware of your reputation or I would not be here. I’m also aware of your financial situation, which is difficult, bordering on dire.”
To be told that by a client stunned her. “My personal business is just that. Personal. I don’t know what Charlie shared with you–” For which she was going to rip Charlie a new one when they spoke later. “–but I’m not taking any contract unless I’m a hundred percent convinced it’s legal and doable.”
Smith tilted his head a bit with a look of mild admiration, which had no influence on her state of mind.
He continued, “I understand your caution. At one time, I would have collaborated with the FBI on this, but while performing investigations for His Holiness, my staff uncovered disturbing information on a rogue group of fanatics also looking for this scroll. From what we were able to discern, these people have infiltrated law enforcement in different countries and possibly even the Vatican. I can’t go around asking everyone’s personal beliefs or accusing law enforcement of having personnel with ulterior motives for their positions, especially when I’m a visitor in another country.”
“Tell me about this scroll.”
Smith pulled back physically, a tiny movement that televised he was deciding something, then he leaned forward just enough to show he was back in the conversation again. “This scroll contains visions Galileo claimed to have received and wrote in his own hand while under house arrest at the Vatican.”
“Are you serious? I’ve never heard of that and I would have. Where has it been all these centuries?”
“In the Vatican. Each pope has inherited the responsibility of protecting
Better had tried.
He released a sigh that rumbled with impatience, but his face remained placid as a calm lake. “You’re the only one with the level of expertise required who is not associated with a government operation or agency. This is Vatican business and must be kept silent. I’m sure you’re aware of the pressure this pope is under to reform the financial dealings of diocese and organizations linked to the Vatican and its banking system.”
“I see the news.”
“I thought you were Catholic.”
He got the past tense correct, as in back before life had shredded her belief. She shrugged. “Is that a requirement?”
“No. As I was saying, the pope is under pressure to make changes, but has also been under attack from those who don’t want change. If we allow the media to get word that a rare artifact has been taken out of the Vatican, all of this pope’s hard work will be lost in a thunder of outcry over the artifact.”
“So the pope knows all about this theft?”
“I didn’t say that.”
Squeezing orange juice from a rock would be easier than getting a straight answer out of this guy. She’d heard about all the conflict going on between bishops, archbishops, monsignors, you name it. They were all priests, but they were also human. On occasion, one of those humans allowed the sin of lust for money to override his belief. To this pope’s credit, he was shaking up the place.
She still wasn’t making the connection. “You don’t believe the FBI would handle this quickly and keep it quiet?”
“Does that work for you?”
Valene thought back over what she’d said, trying to determine if this was a trick question. No idea. “Does what work for me?”
“Talking a potential client out of your services.”
Not particularly, but she’d survived a long time in this world by forcing her rambunctious side to take a back seat when caution should prevail. “I want to be sure this will work for both of us before I commit to anything. Why should I take a job that would tie me up and not pan out when I could be on one that would be lucrative?”
Oh, wait, she had the answer. Because this is the only job I’ve been offered of this size in longer than I can remember.
“As you mentioned earlier, I am well aware of your reputation or I would not be here. I’m also aware of your financial situation, which is difficult, bordering on dire.”
To be told that by a client stunned her. “My personal business is just that. Personal. I don’t know what Charlie shared with you–” For which she was going to rip Charlie a new one when they spoke later. “–but I’m not taking any contract unless I’m a hundred percent convinced it’s legal and doable.”
Smith tilted his head a bit with a look of mild admiration, which had no influence on her state of mind.
He continued, “I understand your caution. At one time, I would have collaborated with the FBI on this, but while performing investigations for His Holiness, my staff uncovered disturbing information on a rogue group of fanatics also looking for this scroll. From what we were able to discern, these people have infiltrated law enforcement in different countries and possibly even the Vatican. I can’t go around asking everyone’s personal beliefs or accusing law enforcement of having personnel with ulterior motives for their positions, especially when I’m a visitor in another country.”
“Tell me about this scroll.”
Smith pulled back physically, a tiny movement that televised he was deciding something, then he leaned forward just enough to show he was back in the conversation again. “This scroll contains visions Galileo claimed to have received and wrote in his own hand while under house arrest at the Vatican.”
“Are you serious? I’ve never heard of that and I would have. Where has it been all these centuries?”
“In the Vatican. Each pope has inherited the responsibility of protecting
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