CHAPTER 56

CHAPTER 56

ANTOINE JUMPED ONTO the phone as the beep echoed over and over again, cutting through the oppressive silence that had gripped the small group present in the refined suite of the Roman hotel.

— Who's calling, Antoine, is it the Senator or Father Green? — Victoria asked, distressed, imagining the worst, that is, that again the discovered password had not allowed access to the vault of the Custody Bank of the New York Stock Exchange.

The security guard's face showed perplexity as he heard what was being said to him by someone in a location not too far away.

— Yes, it is. I'll pass it on to her... Would you wait just a moment, please!

— It's for you — said Antoine, turning to the woman — but it's not the Senator or the Father, the call is from the Vatican!

— From the Vatican? — Nicole worried — What could someone from the Vatican want with us?

Antoine pushed Victoria's chair into the corner where the telephone was.

— Hello, I'm Victoria, how can I help you? — Said the woman, visibly curious.

"Victoria, good afternoon! — said the voice on the telephone — I am Lisandro Martin, assistant to the Secretary General of the Vatican. Cardinal Joseph Messina commissioned me to invite you to meet him in an audience here at the Vatican. His Eminence has informed me that matters of mutual interest will be dealt with..."

— Who's inviting me to an audience at the Vatican? — Asked, incredulous, the woman.

"The Secretary General of the Vatican, ma'am..." — repeated the voice on the telephone.

— The Secretary General? But why would the second most important man in the Vatican be interested in meeting me?

"I am not in a position to answer that question, madam..." — continued Lisandro Martin — "but the Cardinal asked me to inform him that his father had a secret audience with Pope John XXIII, and that now His Eminence urgently needs to meet the lady!"

— There's only one problem...

"I know you are mourning the death of your father, and the Secretary General understands, but it is a matter of State..."

— Okay, tell him I'll be available!

"If you can today, the Secretary will be grateful!"

— I will only be available online!

"You don't understand, the Secretary General is interested in your presence here in the Vatican"

— Okay, as soon as I get to Rome, I'll let you know.

"No need, there is a plane waiting for you at JFK, it will leave in an hour..."

VICTORIA PUT THE PHONE back on the hands and slowly turned to the small group on the other side of the computer screen, whose eyes were riveted on her.

— Why would your father have a secret interview with the Pope? — Nicole asked.

— That's what we'll soon find out, Nicole — replied the woman — for now, I'm going to Rome, we'll see each other soon.