Calvesi recited another date, three months later than the first.
“The time?”
“Late afternoon. Five o’clock or so.”
In point of fact, it was closer to half past. This time Calvesi wasalone. He returned the newly restored painting to its original place on rack 27 and left.
The chief of security once again paused the recording. “Is that the painting that is now missing?”
“Misplaced,” said Calvesi again.
“Perhaps someone moved it.”
“We searched all four of the storage rooms.”
“Yes, I know. I saw that too.”
Tomassini clicked the play icon and increased the speed to its highest setting. Storage room 4 was off the beaten path. Days went by without a visitor, sometimes a week or two. Each time someone entered, they triggered the motion detectors, and the overhead lights flickered to life. And when they left again, the darkness returned. One of the visitors arrived at four fifteen on a Friday afternoon and made straight for rack 27.
Alessio Tomassini hitpause. “Signorina Radcliff?”
Calvesi nodded, then checked the date. “It was the final day of her apprenticeship. I suppose she wanted to see the painting one last time.”
Tomassini clickedplay, and Penelope Radcliff rolled the rack away from the wall. It held fourteen paintings. Eight on one side of the wire mesh. Six on the other.Madonna and Child with John the Baptist, oil on walnut panel, 78 by 56 centimeters, was gone.
“Pause it,” said Gabriel.
Tomassini clicked the mouse.
“How is it possible that we missed the theft?”
“It isn’t.”
“Play it in reverse.”
Tomassini complied with Gabriel’s request. The same visitors came and went, though this time they were walking backward.
“Pause it again,” said Gabriel. Then he asked, “What was that glitch in the playback?”
“I’m afraid I didn’t notice one.”
“Forward, Alessio. Normal speed.”
Tomassini clickedplay. The timestamp read 11:23 p.m. The glitch occurred four minutes later, a wave that moved from the top of the screen to the bottom.
“I see it now,” said Tomassini. “That was the night of the blackout.”
“What blackout?”
“The entire Vatican lost power that night.”
“What about the backup generators?”
“They failed. The night crew was completely in the dark for about fifteen minutes. When the lights came back on, they searched the entire museum from end to end. There was no sign of a break-in, and nothing was missing.”
“How many guards on a typical night shift?”
“Five.”
