Page 49 of Bonded in Death

“What’s the difference?”

“AISE is foreign intelligence, and you mentioned the victim traveled through Europe. AISI is domestic.”

“I don’t think I want to know how you know that right off the top of your head.”

“I can also tell you that the two agencies helped form the Underground. With MI6, the CIA, DGSI—France—and others. It was more formally known as the International Intelligence Agency.”

“The IIA disbanded in the ’30s or early ’40s.”

Roarke smiled. “Did it?”

“Huh. Okay, maybe, maybe not. Maybe parts of it are still in operation in places like this, with people like Rossi still working as agents, operatives. Either way, Rossi wasn’t just a cybersecurity drone.”

She turned away, paced.

“He was born in Rome, worked in Rome, started his family there. In November of 2025, a group of humanitarian aid workers were bringing in supplies—food, water, medical supplies. A unit of paramilitary ambushed them, killed every one of them, stole the supplies.”

“I’ve read about that, yes. It was a turning point. Support and sympathy for the revolutionaries dried up. It’s known as—”

“Massacre of Hope. Hope was the name of the humanitarian organization. I read it just a bit ago. The Underground helped track down most of the killers. It took months to track them and bring them to trial. And most of those were executed for war crimes.”

She turned back. “This could come from that. Rossi worked for the Underground. He might have helped hunt them down. And this is payment for that.”

“The dots connect. It’s a straight line.”

“I’m going to follow it. In Paris, another massacre—civilians, slaughtered during a peace march right after the first of the year—2026. In London, the bombing of Dominion’s secret HQ in May. All contributed to the end of the wars, and fit the time period I’m looking at.

“We can shut down here. I can follow it on regular equipment.”

“And the HQ in Rome?”

“I’ll push on that if I need to. I had questions, now I’ve found these major incidents. I can talk to Feeney, Whitney. I still want to talk to Summerset. Ivanna could be a better source.”

“I left him a memo.”

Summerset found the memo when he came in the house. As habit, he used the house comp.

“Are the children at home?”

He never asked for their location, as that violated their privacy.

Affirmative.

Before Summerset stepped back, Roarke’s voice came through.

Welcome home. I hope you enjoyed your day. The lieutenant would like to speak with you when you get in, as a case she has may be tied to the Urbans in Europe. I suspect she’ll work near to midnight if you get in by then.

Eyebrows arched, a frown deepening, Summerset looked toward the stairs. The Urbans was an area of deep pain, and strange glory. And nothing he wished to discuss. Particularly since he’d planned to brew some tea and end his day off with a book he was currently enjoying.

But there was duty, and he had to admit, curiosity with it. So he walked to the stairs, and up. Since he couldn’t imagine he had anything he could—or would—tell her that would apply to a murder in 2061, he expected the conversation would be brief.

As the majority of their conversations were.

When he stepped into her office, he saw the empty command center—and no cat, who would be wherever they were. Thinking Roarke had talked her into sleep—or something more intimate—earlier than expected, he started to step out again.

Tomorrow would do.

Then he saw the board.

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