Page 34 of No Stone Unturned

That was the truth. Sort of. Only a few people knew about Slash’s top-secret connection to the Vatican’s intelligence service, thesodalitium pianum. But that wasn’t my secret to share, so I didn’t provide details.

Basia hopped off her stool and came around to put a hand on my shoulder. “Lexi, if you’re worried Slash was involved in the assassination, what does it matter? I mean, this Apeloko guy was a total scumbag. He got what he deserved.”

I wasn’t sure if I should be shocked or thankful for her words. After considering, I wished she hadn’t said anything. It wasn’t helping.

“What about the son and the priest?” I asked. “Did they get what they deserved?”

Gray and Basia fell quiet.

I pinched the bridge of my nose with my fingertips, willing myself to think rationally. I was stressing out, which wasn’t logical since I knew nothing of political assassinations and their ramifications. As a computer geek, I never expected to have to deliberate such weighty thoughts in my lifetime. While I knew and understood intellectually that Slash’s work might involve killing or hurting people, being faced with concrete examples was a different experience altogether.

“I don’t know, guys,” I finally said. “Despite that photo, I don’t think Slash was ever a priest. At least not officially. He once told me once he’d considered the priesthood, but he felt his talents would be better used elsewhere.”

“That’s no kidding.” Basia waved a hand. “I mean, how many times have you and he saved the world in the past year?”

I rolled my eyes at her attempted humor, but I still wasn’t feeling any better.

“Well, my best guess is that if Slash were working for the Vatican, he was there on an intelligence-gathering mission,” Gray speculated between sips of her wine. “Undercover as a priest, most likely.”

“Perhaps,” I said. “Is there any way to find out which other priests were there on the night of the assassination?”

“Not from facial recognition,” Gray said. “Their faces are too obscured. But I can try to pull that thread via different sources.”

“Thanks, Gray. I’d appreciate it. That would be helpful.” My expression must have worried them because Basia kept her hand on my shoulder and now Gray touched my arm as if in solidarity.

“Lexi, this happened seven years ago,” Gray said. “A long time before Slash met you. A person can change a lot in seven years.”

I inclined my head. “I know. You guys don’t have to worry about me. I’ll work this out. I don’t intend to be judgmental of a situation and circumstances I know nothing about. Slash told me he’s done things he never wants to talk about again—not surprising given his line of work. I’m gathering information solely to help him, not to judge him for what he may, or may not, have done.”

Even as I said that, I couldn’t deny Iwasworried about my reaction and understanding of the situation and Slash’s role, even if I didn’t intend to be judgmental.

“We know,” Gray said, setting down her wine. “ButsuspectingSlash can do such things andknowinghe can do such things are two different beasts. I’m saying that because it’s something I’ve had to deal with given Hands’s line of work.”

“Guys, I appreciate your concern, but I’m okay.” I sounded a lot more confident than I felt. “I’ve got this.”

Gray didn’t look convinced, and that was probably because my poker face stunk. But thankfully she dropped that subject and moved on. “Lexi, I need to ask you a couple more questions. How much do you really know about Slash? I mean, do you know when he came to the US?”

I thought back to a previous conversation. “He told me it was about six-and-a-half to seven years ago, and yes, I know that puts it shortly after this incident. I don’t know the exact date of his arrival, though.”

“I’ve confirmed his arrival in the US at that time, too,” Gray said.

I looked at her in surprise. “If you already knew, why did you ask me?”

Gray blinked and looked down into her wineglass. Basia became unusually quiet as well. I looked between them until I figured it out.

“You were checking to see if Slash lied to me.”

Gray didn’t deny it. “I’m just looking out for you, Lexi. There are a lot of unknowns about Slash. For example, did he already have a job at the NSA when he came from Italy? He couldn’t have hooked up with the NSA blindly. There had to be some kind of connection there. One does not simply join the NSA, especially as a foreigner. You, better than most, know it doesn’t work that way.”

“There was a connection,” I said. “He came recommended from someone at the Vatican, I think. Slash told me he was already working at the NSA when he was assigned as part of the team to protect the president’s infrastructure and network after Elvis and Xavier left for the private sector. Slash was apparently so good at what he was doing, he became a legend. I worked at the NSA at the time, and I honestly thought ‘Slash’ was a concept made up by the executive staff to convince everyone that the networks would remain impenetrable after the departure of the Zimmerman twins. I honestly didn’t believe Slash was a real person until he showed up in my bedroom one night.”

“Slash showed up in yourbedroom?” Gray said.

Oops, I guess I’d never told her how Slash and I met. “Yeah, but that’s a story for another time.” I waved my hand. “Anyway, I assumed Slash got the position due to his unique and extraordinary capabilities on the keyboard.”

Gray tapped her pencil against the table, thinking. “It’s possible, but something about his situation wasn’t adding up for me, so I did a little digging of my own. It wasn’t easy. Slash has a list of aliases longer than I’ve ever seen, and I work at the CIA. Anyway, I had to call in a couple of favors, but I finally got the name he’s using on his official documents at the NSA. Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s his real name, because the date it was issued and his age don’t add up. He would have been seven years old when this was issued. Something is off.”

“He was adopted,” I explained, feeling guilty and horrible that I was revealing this, even though Basia and Gray were two of my closest friends and I knew they’d keep it confidential. “He was in foster care in Italy until age seven. He vanished with his foster family—fell off the radar completely. Something happened to him during those seven years. Eventually he turned up in a hospital in Sperlonga, a city on Italy’s coast. He...has no memory of those seven years. I don’t think anyone was ever able to track down what happened to the foster family who’d taken him in. A nurse who treated him in the hospital adopted him. She gave him a new name and a family he took as his own. That would account for the discrepancy in the years.”

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