“Yes,” replied Gabriel. “I believe there is.”
***
Previous occupants of the throne of St. Peter celebrated mass each morning in the private chapel of theappartamento pontificio. HisHoliness Pope Donati, however, chose to attend mass in the chapel at the Casa Santa Marta instead. Sometimes he served as the celebrant, but usually he could be found sitting in the last row, as though he were an ordinary parishioner with a preference for white clothing. On the morning after he secretly took possession of a lost painting by Leonardo da Vinci, he was accompanied by several Roman sex workers whom the Church had set on the path to redemption. At the conclusion of the service, the women joined His Holiness for breakfast in the Casa’s dining room, much to the dismay of a visiting delegation of American priests from the traditionalist order Opus Dei.
The pope’s private secretary, Father Mark Keegan, was not at his master’s side that morning, which gave rise to speculation in certain quarters of the Curia that he did not approve. In truth, he had other matters to attend to, including the collection of certain confidential documents from the Vatican Bank. The task complete, he headed to Caffè Greco, the fabled coffeehouse on the Via dei Condotti. There, in a quiet back room, he placed the documents in the hands of one of the Holy Father’s closest friends and confidants.
Gabriel started with Cardinal Bertoli’s most recent Vatican Bank statement. “It seems I’m in the wrong line of work.”
“Yes,” said Father Keegan vaguely.
“How much do Curial cardinals make?”
The priest pointed out the most recent automatic deposit of Cardinal Bertoli’s salary. “Do the math.”
“It’s not enough to explain a balance like that.”
“His Eminence has a number of wealthy benefactors who have supported him throughout his career. He caused a bit of a scandal not long ago when he undertook a major renovation of his apartment in the Palazzo San Carlo. It’s several times larger than the Holy Father’s suite in the Casa Santa Marta and includes a large rooftopterrace with a magnificent view of Rome. The striking contrast in their living conditions has been a source of some controversy.” Father Keegan handed over another Vatican Bank statement. “The difference in the size of their accounts is even more glaring.”
“Forty-two thousand euros? After all these years?”
“He’s given away most of his money.”
“To whom?”
“Anyone who needed it more than he did.”
“Perhaps you should take away his ATM card.”
“He doesn’t have one. But it wouldn’t stop him. The Holy Father has said on numerous occasions that he wants the Church to be poor. And he insists on leading by example.”
“If Veronica and I are right, the Holy Father might soon get his wish.”
“How bad?”
“Pompeii.”
“Perhaps you could be a little more specific.”
“The numbers Cardinal Bertoli used for his quarterly statements aren’t real. And even if they were, they don’t add up.”
Father Keegan sipped his cappuccino. “Go on.”
“Bertoli has placed nearly the entirety of the Curia’s funds in the hands of a single adviser with a rather dubious reputation. And that adviser has in turn invested most of that money in financial instruments and funds managed by a Swiss bank controlled by the Camorra. According to the cardinal’s quarterly statements, those investments have almost doubled in value during his tenure. But it’s simply not the case.”
“How can you be sure?”
“I’ve seen the bank’s internal numbers. Furthermore, Cardinal Bertoli and his adviser have borrowed more than a billion dollarsfrom the same bank to make a number of risky real estate investments. The New Bond Street property was the first to go under. But I suspect it won’t be the last.”
“And your theory is that Cardinal Bertoli somehow used the painting to pay off the loan?”
“Precisely.”
“But why didn’t he simply dip into the Curia’s cash reserves?”
“Because it’s possible there are no cash reserves.”
Father Keegan’s face drained of color. “You can’t be serious.”
