Treasured Secrets (14 page)

‘You can tell us later, Alessandro.' She cut off Alessandro's impending lecture. ‘Anyway, a lion was carved into the stone beneath the effigy. Around the lion's neck was a necklace, but half of it was missing. I honestly think your pendant will fit into the other half. You have to see it.'

Archer reached for his pendant, wrapping his hand right around the finger of gold. ‘You think this fits into the crypt somehow?'

‘It's possible. It was very similar.'

Alessandro chuckled. ‘Maybe it opens a trap door or something.'

Archer rubbed his chin. ‘Don't laugh, Alessandro. I've seen it before. What do you know about this church?'

‘I can tell you everything about how it was built and restored over the years, but not a lot about other aspects of its history. We could try the library.' Alessandro cocked his head at Archer.

‘Great idea.' Rosalina agreed.

‘What time does the library close?' Archer asked.

‘Ten o'clock. Why?' Alessandro glanced at the clock over the fireplace and she followed his gaze. It was just after seven thirty.

‘You and I can go now. Rosalina might want some —'

‘Hang on a minute.' Rosalina cut in. ‘If you think you're going anywhere without me, think again.'

‘It's not that I don't want you along.' Archer shook his head. ‘It's just that I have a feeling these guys are watching us now. I'm not sure it's safe.'

‘Exactly why I should be with you two.' She folded her arms across her chest.

‘If we go now, we'll have about two hours. Lucky for you,' Alessandro said, ‘I know the library like the back of my hand.'

Archer looked at her, and she could tell he was debating whether or not this was a good idea.

‘Let's go then.' Rosalina made the decision for him and pushed back her chair. Both Archer and Alessandro stood up to help her. She hid her smile as she reached for her bag and headed towards the door. Alessandro was a pace or two ahead of her before she reached it. He opened the door, then with his hand under her elbow, he guided her back to the car.

‘Lock the door behind you,' Alessandro called to Archer over his shoulder.

As she walked to the car she tried to work out the logistics of who should sit where. She didn't need to show any favouritism to either man. There was only one solution. ‘I'm going to lay down in the back seat. Alessandro, you drive.' There, decision made.

Nobody argued and soon they were on their way. But lying down increased the throbbing in her bruised eye, so it wasn't long before she sat up again. She wriggled to the middle, and from this angle she could see Alessandro's eyes through the rear-vision mirror.

‘Do you have any idea where to start, Alessandro?' she asked.

He glanced at her in the mirror. ‘Actually, I do. I just hope the books we want weren't lost in the flood.'

Archer spun to Alessandro. ‘What?'

‘In 1966, about a third of the library was flooded by the Arno River. Most of the Magliabechi collections were damaged. And it's his collection we want to get our hands on.'

‘Who?' Archer's voice made it clear he found Alessandro a tad annoying.

‘In 1714, Antonio Magliabechi donated more than thirty thousand volumes to the city of Florence. Some of them were letters from the cardinals of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries to very influential people of that time.'

‘And why is this important?' Archer threw his hands out, emphasising his frustration.

Alessandro furrowed his brow. ‘Why are you so cantankerous?'

‘Why can't you just get to the point?' Archer cracked his neck from side to side. ‘I just don't understand what a collection of ancient letters has to do with the church.'

Alessandro winked at Rosalina. ‘You'll see. In fact, I predict in an hour or so you'll be apologising to me.'

The library was a grand building with high arches of carved stone adorning the entrance. Alessandro led the way and Rosalina and Archer followed him up the large marble steps and into the building. Archer's shoes squeaked on the marbled floor and people turned towards him as he rushed ahead. His sense of urgency had hit overdrive. Alessandro darted across the foyer and stepped into an elevator. She and Archer followed. With highly elaborate wrought-iron decorations and a manual handle, the lift looked as old as the man who operated it. Twice Alessandro had to tell the man which floor they needed, the second time several decibels louder. Rosalina watched Archer fidget with the pendant beneath his shirt as the lift moved at a snail's pace. They could've walked up the stairs faster than this.

At the second floor the doors opened, and Alessandro handed his satchel over to a guard, who checked its contents before handing it back. Rosalina did the same with her handbag. Then they walked through enormous double doors and Rosalina blinked at the thousands of books lining the walls of the three-storey room. As she followed Alessandro up a set of spiral stairs, she had a dreadful feeling they were wasting their time. But right now, they had no other ideas.

Archer leaned into her ear. ‘I feel like I'm putting my faith in the hands of a tarot card reader.' He rolled his eyes at Alessandro.

She squinted at him and whispered, ‘Maybe it's a chance worth taking.'

They scooted along the second landing to yet another set of stairs. Alessandro was panting when they reached the top, but he didn't stop there. He went to the second last column of shelves and began scouring the bookends, as if he knew exactly what he needed.

‘What're you looking for?' she asked.

‘I've seen a book here on the construction of churches during medieval times.'

‘What's it called?' Archer asked.

‘If I knew that, I'd look it up.'

‘Well, how are we goin —'

‘Here it is!' Alessandro turned to Archer with a triumphant grin. The book was blood-red leather, bound with gold trimmings and, from the way Alessandro was carrying it, it looked like it weighed at least five kilos. He lugged it to a nearby table and a soft
crack
sounded when he opened it. Rosalina nestled in beside him as he skimmed over the first couple of pages. Archer leaned over her shoulder but he must have realised the book was written in Italian, because he grumbled and eased back, shaking his head. Archer was soon pacing behind them.

‘Hey, listen to this,' Alessandro said. ‘The crypt was built by Baccio Pontelli in the thirteenth century to house the tomb of Robert the Wise. He incorporated a large passageway to accommodate the thousands of pilgrims that were expected to visit the church to view his tomb.' Alessandro looked up with satisfaction.

‘So?'

‘So I was correct about the long passageway.'

‘That's great. Well done.' The mockery in Archer's voice was unmistakable. ‘But it doesn't help.'

Unperturbed, Alessandro kept reading. ‘The tomb was later moved to Santa Chiara Convent in Naples in an unprecedented move by Pope Clement VI. Apparently our little church could no longer accommodate the swelling crowds.'

He turned to the next page and Rosalina frowned at the jagged edges along the spine. A page had been torn out. Sitting up straight, she tried to read the Italian inscription on the opposite page. A name stood out. ‘Hey Alessandro, look.'

‘Oh no, someone's torn out a page.'

‘Yes, and it's referring to that Pontelli fellow you just mentioned.'

Alessandro twisted the book sideways. ‘This can't be a coincidence.' He pulled his wallet from his pocket, tugged out a ten euro note and used it to mark the page. Then he snapped the book shut, clamped it under his arm, clutched Rosalina's hand and strode towards the stairs. ‘Bring my satchel.' He called over his shoulder to Archer, who was left standing behind them. Rosalina was swept up in Alessandro's excitement and tried not to look in Archer's direction.

Archer sported clenched teeth by the time he'd caught up to them. ‘Where're you going?'

‘The microfiche room. Hopefully, this will be one of the books they've filmed, and the missing page was there when they did it.'

As they dashed past an enormous clock over the arched doorway Rosalina noted it was already past nine o'clock. Her heart raced as she considered the significance of the missing page.
Could Archer finally get some answers?

They passed through several rooms so fast people glanced in their direction. At the end of one enormous book-lined room, they climbed a set of marble stairs and entered a narrow hallway through an arched doorway. A burly woman, with breasts that threatened to escape from her tight uniform, greeted them. Rosalina prayed the woman didn't make any sudden movements.

Alessandro was much taller than the guard and as he spoke to her in Italian, Rosalina could tell he was trying his hardest not to look down the woman's cleavage. From the angle he had, it would have been practically impossible. Moments later, the guard pressed a button and a thick glass gate opened. Alessandro allowed Rosalina to walk into the microfiche room first. Then, stopping at the first computer he reached, Alessandro dropped the heavy book onto the table and with the click of the mouse the monitor sprang to life.

Rosalina could feel rather than see Archer fidgeting behind her. Thankfully he bit his tongue, no doubt holding back burning questions. Archer wasn't usually one to keep quiet and Rosalina was impressed with his restraint.

It was wonderful to watch Alessandro work. His fingers glided over the keyboard as if he were a musician at a grand piano. He was quite elegant, treating the letters with delicate respect.

It was a full two minutes before Alessandro uttered any words. ‘Here we go.' His voice brimmed with excitement. ‘What page are we looking for?'

Archer opened the book and flicked to the page with the euro marker. ‘Page 762.'

After a couple of mouse clicks, the screen filled with a copy of the missing page. Along with several paragraphs of typed print, there was a drawing of a tomb with a knight's body atop it. ‘Perfect. We can see what it looks like inside the crypt.'

Seconds later Alessandro tapped the screen. ‘That's not the tomb.'

Archer frowned. ‘I'm no Italian scholar, but I'm sure this says Robert the Wise.'

‘But it's impossible.' Alessandro leaned closer to the screen.

‘What? Why?'

‘I've been to the tomb of Robert the Wise at Santa Chiara Church in Naples and it doesn't have the —' Alessandro turned to face him. ‘Have you got a credit card?'

‘What? What doesn't it have?'

‘
Per favore
, Archer, put your credit card in here. We need a copy.'

Rosalina bit on her bottom lip as she watched Archer. She could tell Alessandro's reluctance to reveal what he was thinking was infuriating him. Thankfully, Archer did what he was told and swiped his credit card along the monitor. Alessandro pressed a series of buttons then winked at Rosalina as he squeezed past her and ran to the printer to remove the copy. He grabbed it from the tray and drew it closer. ‘The room is different too, so it must be the original crypt. However…'

She watched Archer hold his breath, as she too anticipated a revelation. Finally Archer asked, ‘What?'

‘Back to the shelves.' Alessandro grabbed her hand and raced off. ‘Bring my satchel.'

Archer grumbled behind them as they fled away
. He's going to kill Alessandro
. She smiled at the buxom woman as she and Alessandro dashed past. They returned to the upper floor amongst the bookshelves and Alessandro instantly began scanning the bookends with his finger.

Archer returned and tossed the pack onto the floor. ‘However what?' he demanded.

Rosalina noticed the guard below look up at them. She waved over the balcony at him. ‘Archer, keep it down or they'll throw us out.'

‘Well, he's deliberately keeping me in suspense.'

‘
Un momento
.' Alessandro continued scanning rows and rows of bookends. ‘Let me show you a picture of Robert the Wise's tomb and you will understand.'

Rosalina stood back, watching the two men. Alessandro was the picture of concentration: fierce gaze, pursed lips, eyes scanning with dedicated focus. Archer was high on the prospect of revelation, fidgeting from foot to foot and watching Alessandro's every move like a teacher overseeing a science experiment. Anticipation hung in the air and Rosalina felt like she was about to watch an act of magic unfold.

Alessandro glanced at Archer. ‘Bring me that ladder.'

Archer strode to the ladder sitting idle a couple of rows down. He rolled it along the rails and Alessandro jumped on before it stopped. He climbed to the next level of shelving and plucked a book from the shelf. With it hooked under his arm, he climbed back down.

‘Where's the photocopy?'

Archer handed it to him.

Alessandro slid the new book onto the table and as Rosalina sidled up beside him, he flicked through the pages until he found what he was looking for. ‘See…what's different about the two tombs?' Alessandro's eyes glimmered with excitement as he laid the photocopy next to the picture in the book.

Archer leaned in to study the pictures, comparing the book picture with the printout. ‘Okay…he's wearing the full regalia of his knighthood. The spurs on his ankles are usually only reserved for knights, so that fits,' Archer mumbled, almost talking himself through the picture. ‘His sword, belt and the sheath are fitting for that era.' Finally he shook his head and looked up. ‘I don't see anything unusual. They're both the same.'

The look on Alessandro's face showed his surprise. Rosalina had to admit she was impressed, too.

‘What?' Archer shrugged.

‘I had no idea you were an expert.' Alessandro nodded in approval.

‘Far from an expert. I grew up in and around museums. I guess I learnt a bit.'