Sign of the Cross

sealing off the women’s bathroom. Jones wanted to lean in for a closer look, but his view was blocked by an imposing man in a fancy suit who appeared to be interrogating a detective, not the other way around. That struck him as odd, so he made note of the guy, figuring he might come into play later.

Little did he know that their paths would cross again with a much more violent outcome.

36

While sipping coffee, Payne thumbed through police documents until Frankie brought Jones into the back room of the library. Payne could tell that Jones was confused because his ears had a red tint to them, and that only happened when he was scared or confused. ‘D.J., glad you could make it. We’ve got so much to discuss.’

Jones glanced at Frankie, then back at Payne, trying to figure out the connection. Eventually, he decided it would be easier to ask. ‘Jon, do you mind if I have a word with you in private?’

Payne turned toward Frankie. ‘Be a champ and get D.J. a cup of coffee, would you?’

Jones waited until Frankie left the room before saying anything. ‘What the hell is going on? I told you to look around, not hire an intern.’

‘Calm down. Frankie’s been hooking us up. He’s already done more than you can imagine.’

Jones rolled his eyes. ‘Like what?’

‘First of all, Frankie isn’t an intern. He’s the media liaison for this school, which means he’s privy to police documents before they go to the press.’ Payne held up a stack as a visual aid. ‘Secondly, he has legal access to every building on campus, which is bound to be useful. And third, he makes a great cup of coffee. You gotta try this stuff.’

The anger softened in Jones’s eyes, as did the color of his ears. ‘What does he know about us? I hope I didn’t ruin anything by calling you Jon.’

‘Not at all. I’ve been honest with the guy from the start. I told him our real names, that we’re working for the CIA, and we’re looking for Boyd. I also told him that we wanted to keep a low profile, so he hooked us up with this back office.’

‘And he’s OK with that? What’s in it for him?’

‘A chance to live a dream. I guess you aren’t the only one who longs to be a super spy.’

Jones shrugged off the insult. ‘What else did your playmate tell you?’

‘It seems Boyd and the female were here for several hours doing some kind of research before a guard spotted them. When he tried to detain her, she knocked his ass out and ran to warn Boyd. Then, somehow, they got to the roof and escaped from an entire SWAT team.’

‘From the roof? Was another helicopter involved?’

Frankie heard the comment as he reentered. ‘What do you mean another?’

Payne did his best to explain. ‘The police were close to nailing Boyd in Orvieto before he shot down their chopper.’

‘He shoots down a helicopter? With what? Big gun?’

Payne shrugged. ‘We tried to investigate the crash site, but the wreckage had been removed.’

‘Is that normal?’

He shook his head. ‘Not where we’re from.’

Jones added, ‘Our colleague took some pictures of the scene, but we haven’t had a chance to develop them yet. We’re kind of hoping they can clear up the mystery of the wreckage.’

Frankie raised his eyebrows. ‘Do you still have film?’

‘Maybe,’ Jones answered. ‘Why?’

‘Because I have school photo lab. I can do pictures for you now, if you like.’

Pleased by the development, Payne looked at Frankie and said, ‘Yes, we like.’

‘Good! Just give me film, and I do my job quick!’

Reluctantly, Jones handed the film to Frankie and watched him leave. The instant he was gone, Jones said, ‘I hope you’re right about this guy. We just gave a big piece of evidence to a stranger. We don’t even — ’

‘Relax! I got a good feeling about Frankie. He’s going to be a big help to us.’

As if on cue, Frankie walked back into the room, holding a photocopy in his hand. ‘Special delivery, Signor Payne. I think you want to see this.’ He accented his statement by kissing his fingertips in a classic Italian gesture. ‘The guard was right. This woman is bellissima! ’

‘Really?’ Jones grabbed the picture before Payne had a chance to see it. ‘Wow! You weren’t kidding. This woman is beautiful. Where’d you get this?’

‘The polizia find image on security camera, and I get from them. I hope you is pleased.’

‘Very pleased,’ Payne said. ‘Exceptionally pleased.’

Frankie grinned at the praise. ‘Good! Is there anything else before I go make film?’

Payne shook his head, then waited for Jones to respond. Unfortunately, he was somewhere in la-la land, soaking up every nuance of the woman’s face. The intensity of his gaze told Payne his interest was something less than professional.

So Payne said, ‘D.J.? What do you think? Do we need anything else?’

Smiling, he looked at Payne. ‘Just time. Give me some time, and this woman is mine.’

37

The abandoned warehouse was crawling with spiders, yet Maria Pelati didn’t mind, since it gave her a safe place to rest. Dr Boyd felt the same way, even though it took him a lot longer to warm to the concept. To him, the thought of sleeping like a hobo seemed preposterous until he stretched his tired frame atop the concrete floor. Within seconds his body whispered its approval.

‘Professore,’ she said, adjusting the rag under her head. ‘May I ask you a personal question? I was wondering if you’ve ever been married.’

‘I should’ve guessed; the age-old query that has plagued me for years. No, my dear, I’ve never been married. Between teaching and traveling, I never found the right person… And what of you? Why is there no man in your life?’

‘In some ways I guess I’m following your lead. I’ve been working too long and too hard to screw things up now, especially with my doctorate close at hand. But I’ll promise you this: Once I obtain my degree, my life is going to change drastically.’

‘Just like that?’

‘Yes, just like that,’ she assured him. ‘I’ve always wanted a family. So there’ll come a point in the near future when my personal life becomes my number-one priority. And when it does, look out. No guy on the planet will be safe.’

‘A beautiful girl like yourself shouldn’t have difficulty finding a suitor. Or hundreds of them, for that matter.’

Maria blushed at the compliment.

‘And what does your family think about all of this? I’ve heard you grumble about your father on more than one occasion. Does he really look down on your choices as much as you claim?’

The color in her cheeks grew even brighter. ‘I don’t think he looks down on my choices as much as he looks down on me. My father has an old-world mentality, one in which women are considered the weaker, dumber sex. He truly believes that we were put on earth to serve men.’

‘Old-world, indeed! And how does your mother feel about his barbaric views?’

She paused before answering. ‘I wish I knew, sir… My mother passed away before I ever had the chance to ask her.’

‘Oh, Maria, I had no idea. I’m so sorry for bringing it up.’

‘That’s all right. I think it actually does me some good to get this stuff off of my chest.’

Boyd offered her a smile, then laid back to listen.

‘When I was growing up, my mother and I were best of friends. We played together, went to the park together, read books together. My father didn’t allow her to do any work — we had a staff of servants to take care of the house — so she had plenty of time to spend with me. And let me tell you, she was the greatest mother in the