“I can’t say for certain. Before he left, I had given him your encrypted address. In case he ran into an emergency.”
Seichan scowled at the frozen footage. “I would say being murdered classifies as an emergency.”
Gray shook his head. “I’m not buying that explanation. In thatmoment of desperation, the monsignor acted reflexively. The fact that he sent this file tous, an unknown group, suggests he must have distrusted sending it to Vatican City.”
“But why?” Monk asked.
“Maybe he feared that someone in the Vatican had tipped off his attackers. Or at least, in that dying moment, he didn’t know who he could trust.” Gray stared at Bailey. “Except for a former student who had given him a failsafe number.”
“A student who sent him to his death,” Bailey reminded them with a somber sigh.
Seichan straightened. “Then what do we do? If all of this is true, we can’t let Valya get hold of that treasure.”
Bailey stiffened at her words. “Valya? As in, Valya Mikhailov?”
Seichan shrugged, remembering it wasn’t only Sigma who had crossed swords with the former assassin. Bailey—in his past dealing with Sigma—had also run afoul of the woman and her cohorts.
Painter lifted a hand. “Wesuspectshe may be involved. Not only with the attack on Red Square but the bombing here.”
Painter sketchily briefed Bailey about their earlier discussion.
“Then I may be of help,” Bailey said. “I’m scheduled to head to Moscow to retrieve Alex’s body. I’m sure I can arrange for a few extra hands to accompany me. The Holy See has already informed Russia that it intends to do its own investigation. And, as prefect, I have the authority to nominate individuals to be temporarynuncios, emergency Vatican ambassadors. Such cover should help insulate those individuals from overzealous inquiries by Russian authorities.”
“In other words,” Monk said, “you want us to be spies for the Vatican.”
Bailey shrugged, a slight twinkle returning to his eye. “I’m willing to vouch for your skills.”
Gray turned to Painter. “Such a cover could help us get into Russia without raising as many red flags.”
“Let’s hope that’s true,” the director noted.
After some further discussion, details were settled between the two groups, and the call ended.
Painter faced the others. “We’ll need to move swiftly. Ambassadorshipor not, we can’t count on the protection of the Vatican lasting long. But luckily, I’ve already established some groundwork out there.”
Gray frowned. “In Russia?”
“Like I warned earlier, I’ve not been entirely forthright about every aspect of this investigation. With Valya at the top of our suspect list and Kat’s belief she was holed up in Russia, I put boots on the ground out there.”
“You sent someone?” Gray looked offended that he’d not been included. “Who?”
Seichan stared around the group, noting one conspicuous absence. In fact, she hadn’t heard anything from the man in days. He had gone quiet—which wasnotlike the guy at all.
Monk realized the same. “Where’s Kowalski?”
Painter simply folded his arms.
Gray looked even more perturbed. “You sent Kowalski?”
“As muscle and firepower.”
Seichan had to concede those two points. It perfectly described the man’s skill set.
“But there’s another who went with him,” Painter added. “Someone who has helped us in the past with a Russian matter. He still has a meaningful contact there, an oligarch who owes him his life. I thought it was time to call in that debt.”
Gray frowned. “Who are you talking about? Who did you send?”
Painter grinned. “I guess I should clarify. I not only putbootson the ground—but alsopaws.”
