“Thank you. Luca was a special man.” His lip trembled slightly as he gathered his words. “I expect I’m going to be in for a long period of grief, although I must say it still seems surreal. I keep thinking I’m going to wake up, and Luca will still be here.”
Zane nodded his understanding. “I’ve only been here a short time, and I’m already hearing great things about him.”
“He was a giant in his field, a brilliant man with an encyclopedic memory.” The priest opened the laptop and powered it up. “But it’s not his mind I’ll remember most. It’s the man himself. You’ll never meet a finer person. He always put the needs of others before his own.”
“Father Cortesi’s work ethic was second to none,” Stegmann added. “I would often find him in his office late at night, poring over some document or flipping through a book that was six inches thick.” He laughed at the memory.
“And he always did so without complaint,” Father Fiori said.
Stegmann nodded at the laptop. “So you have some information for us?”
“I have a little. I’ve just come back from the underground archives. I was trying to piece together what happened after Luca and the courier entered the vault.” He looked at Zane. “We affix sensors to each storage container. Two were triggered in succession. The first was related to the Augustine papyri.”
“The package that just came in?” Zane asked.
Father Fiori nodded.
“And the other sensor?” Stegmann asked.
“A relic in another section of the vault.”
“Let me give you a number.” Zane pulled out his phone and scrolled until he found the photograph from Pauling’s laptop. He slid the phone across the table. “Is that it?”
Father Fiori donned a pair of reading glasses and examined the screen. After staring at the image for a moment, he looked back at his laptop. “Yes, that’s it. The item number and the image both match our database.” He looked up at Zane. “You knew what they were looking for?”
Zane nodded.
Stegmann looked at Father Fiori. “What can you tell us about it?”
“I’ve never seen it before. But I can tell you it was housed in Section Seven, which holds some of the most valuable relics in all the Secret Archives. In order to be housed there, a document or artifact must meet two very specific qualifications.”
“What are they?” Zane asked.
“One, it must relate directly to events in the Bible — a personal item owned by one of the disciples or a New Testament manuscript, something like that. And two, it must currently be under review.”
Zane’s eyes narrowed. “So someone on your staff would have been actively studying this relic.”
“Not necessarily. Even though Section Seven houses one of our smallest collections, it still contains hundreds of objects. And with our small staff, we can only go through so many at any given time. I’ll look though.”
As Father Fiori searched for more information, Zane’s thoughts turned to the map. There was little doubt it was connected to the relic in some way. But how? If someone were working on the relic, perhaps they would know.
“Here we are,” Father Fiori said. “It seems Luca was working on it. Strangely, there aren’t any notes.”
“Another dead end.” Zane immediately regretted his choice of words.
Father Fiori pulled off his reading glasses and stared into space. After a moment, he turned toward Stegmann. “I apologize. How could I forget? I need to tell you a quick story. About two weeks ago, a small personnel issue developed among the staff. Luca and I wanted to discuss the matter privately, so we decided to take lunch at his favorite cafe near the Piazza Cavour.”
Stegmann looked at Zane. “This is a very common practice. Some say the Vatican walls have ears.”
Zane smiled. The same could be said of Delphi.
Father Fiori continued. “While we were waiting for our meal, Luca told me about his new project. I remember it related to a relic from Section Seven. He was convinced it was a hoax but said it had come to them from a reputable source who thought otherwise. What got my attention was what he said next. He said if he was wrong and the relic was real, it could be one of the greatest finds in archaeological history.”
Stegmann straightened. “Did he say what it was?”
“No. Just as he was about to give me a little more detail, our food arrived, so he told me if there were any interesting developments, he’d let me know. We also knew we had to discuss the personnel matter.”
“If he never named the item he was working on, technically, you can’t say it’s the one that was stolen tonight,” Zane pointed out.
“That’s correct. But I find it interesting Luca told me the story two weeks ago, then we discover a relic from the same section has been stolen.”
“How did the Vatican obtain the relic?” Zane asked.
Father Fiori slipped on his glasses and turned his attention back to the screen. Almost immediately, his mouth turned down in a frown. “That’s odd. There is no source listed. That information is always recorded. Always.”
Zane looked at Stegmann. “Your network may have been compromised. This group — whoever they are — must have removed some of the information.”
“I’m guessing that’s because the seller might have been able to identify them.”
“Assuming the seller is still alive,” Zane added.
Stegmann turned to Father Fiori. “Can you think of anything else that might be helpful? Perhaps someone on the staff that Father Cortesi might have consulted with?”
“I don’t know of anyone here, but I do of someone he consults with outside of the Vatican.” His eyes widened. “In fact, Luca would often contact him regarding some of our more bizarre pieces.”
Zane’s interest was piqued. “An archaeologist?”
“He’s a collector, but don’t let the title fool you. While some might not care for him, he’s one of the most respected authorities on Near East artifacts. In fact, he probably knows more than most of the archaeologists out there.” He looked at Zane. “I’d be shocked if Luca hadn’t mentioned this relic to him.”
Stegmann took out a small notepad and pen. “And what is his name?”
“Lawson… Roger Lawson. He’s an Australian living in Israel.”
Roger Lawson. Zane had never heard the name before.
“He’s an extremely rich man who inherited all of his wealth,” the father continued. “He’d always had a love for antiquities, and the inheritance allowed him to indulge in his favorite hobby. Luca once told me Lawson can purchase objects some museums can’t afford.
“I said earlier he’s a brilliant man. And he is. But you should also know he has his detractors. Some believe he deals in fakes and frauds. In my opinion, most of that is jealousy.”
“You said he lives in Israel,” Stegmann said. “Where exactly?”
“Just outside Jerusalem.”
“And how can we get in touch with him?”
“He typically doesn’t take calls unless he knows you.”
“Will he take yours?”
Father Fiori thought for a moment. “Probably.”
“Call him,” Stegmann ordered.
“Now? It’s late, and I doubt—”
“Several people have died tonight, Father. He may have more information on the relic. Who knows? He may even know who might want it. So yes, call him.”
Father Fiori nodded then reached into his cassock and withdrew his phone. After placing the call, he pressed the phone to his ear. “It says his number is no longer in service.” He ended the call.
Stegmann frowned. “That’s strange.”
“Roger Lawson has a lot of enemies. Some have even threatened to kill him over deals gone bad. I’m guessing his number changes on a regular basis.”