The Death Mask Murders

by Gabriel Farago

  ‘Wrongly, it would appear,’ Tristan added.

  ‘Perhaps,’ said Jack. ‘But according to Lapointe, this still has a long way to go before Landru can be cleared and walk free.’

  Samartini turned to Jack. ‘And that’s where that chance discovery by you comes into play. Something that the master puppeteer lurking in the shadows and pulling all the strings here didn’t count on.’

  ‘The wrist tattoo linking the killing to Spiridon 4 and the Florence Mafia,’ said Bartolli. ‘A vital link that could open many doors if we play our cards right.’

  ‘Exactly. Apart from what Giuseppina told us, that’s the most significant breakthrough in this case so far, and that’s why Chief Prosecutor Grimaldi and the Squadra Mobile in Florence are so interested in this.’

  ‘Because it could assist in the Mafia trial against Giordano about to get underway in Calabria?’ Jack offered.

  ‘Yes, and that’s where our respective interests overlap. The Paris police desperately want to solve these murders and deal with Landru’s alleged wrongful conviction, and we in Florence want to nail Giordano and his associates and put them away once and for all. Their participation in these sensational murders could be just what we need here to make this possible,’ said Samartini.

  ‘And, of course, Landru just wants to clear his name and be set free,’ said Bartolli.

  ‘Obviously. But these horrific murders and the role the Mafia played in them could easily turn into the most high-profile segment of the entire Calabria trials,’ continued Samartini. ‘The publicity this would create would be unprecedented and turn the spotlight on the Mafia like never before, galvanise law enforcement agencies across Europe and spur them into action.’

  ‘And that strange dark-web gambling scenario referred to by Giuseppina could be the catalyst here, you think?’ asked Jack.

  ‘It certainly could, because it reaches across the whole of Europe and points to a particular site on the dark web that several agencies across the globe have been very interested in for quite some time.’

  ‘Echoes of Ars Moriendi,’ observed Tristan, as he remembered that fateful evening outside Florence two years ago. Run by the Mafia, Ars Moriendi was a bizarre, illegal gambling scenario dicing with death, which had almost cost Tristan his life.

  ‘Fascinating,’ said Bartolli. ‘All the threads seem to be coming together.’

  ‘A victory for Grimaldi and his team,’ said Jack. ‘If we pull this off.’

  ‘A victory for justice,’ said Samartini. ‘And you of all people, Jack, would know exactly what that could mean.’ Samartini pushed back her glasses and looked at Tristan. ‘Think of Lorenza,’ she said quietly. ‘It’s all connected. This tree of violence has many branches and can only be killed at the roots.’

  Jack turned to Tristan sitting next to him and put his hand on his shoulder. ‘Are you up to this, mate? Because once we get into this murky quicksand, there’s no turning back. It’s sink or swim.’

  Tristan nodded, tears glistening in his eyes.

  ‘Good. So, what’s the plan?’ asked Jack.

  ‘I had a long talk to Lapointe this morning. He came up with a brilliant idea.’ Samartini paused to let this sink in.

  ‘What kind of idea?’

  ‘A long shot, but we would have to work closely together as a team, and move very quickly because there isn’t much time.’

  ‘All right by me,’ said Jack. ‘We’ve worked together before.’

  ‘That’s one of the main reasons we are suggesting this, but I must warn you, it’s not without danger. Just how big a danger is anyone’s guess at the moment. The unknown is always dangerous, but what we do know is whoever is behind these murders is capable of anything.’

  ‘Danger is nothing new to us. Just think of Cesaria, Conti, and Istanbul. The showdown with Belmonte in the Basilica Cistern. It doesn’t come any more deadly and dangerous than that.’

  Samartini nodded. ‘Speaking of Cesaria, she’s meeting with Grimaldi right now to work out the details—’

  ‘Of that long shot you mentioned?’ Jack cut in.

  Samartini nodded.

  ‘Can you tell us more about it?’

  ‘It’s all about Omerta, Landru, and setting a trap.’

  ‘How intriguing. Can you give us details?’

  Holding her breath, Bartolli leaned forward, her face flushed with anticipation and excitement. Tristan clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white.

  ‘Cesaria has a meeting scheduled with Lapointe in Paris tomorrow morning, and they will join us here after that to explain everything. It would be better if you could hear this from them,’ said Samartini quietly.

  She’s avoiding the question and letting us down gently, thought Jack. Clever girl.

  ‘Makes sense,’ he said, accepting Samartini’s decision and trying hard not to offend her by showing his disappointment. ‘And besides, it’s getting late. Everything will look different in the morning. Nightcap anyone?’

  35

  O’Hara’s alpine fortress, Obersalzberg: 31 October, morning

  O’Hara was one of those rare people who needed virtually no sleep at all. His active mind craved stimulation and action, not rest. Living in self-imposed isolation surrounded by the levers of a cyber empire he had created spanning the globe, he could not bear to be away from it for more than a few hours at a time. That didn’t allow for more than three to four hours’ sleep a night.

  Sustained by a carefully designed Eastern diet consisting of specific meals prepared by a resident Chinese chef, and a daily exercise regime overseen by his personal trainer that would have exhausted an athlete half his age, O’Hara lived a cerebral life that thrived on power and total control, and that included the power over life and death. Much of it was a high-stakes mind game where he made up the rules and set the challenges. In many ways, it was like he was playing a game of chess with himself, but the pawns were real people, and being captured or removed from the chess board could mean mayhem, destruction, or even death.

  On rare occasions, however, outsiders participated in this game, most of the time unwittingly. Such adversaries were rare and much prized by O’Hara. In Landru, he had found such an adversary, and he was going to savour every moment of this high-stakes game that had lasted for years and had just taken on a new, exciting dimension since Landru’s release from prison, which O’Hara had orchestrated.

  O’Hara stood in his control room in front of the large window overlooking the mountains. Usually, the spectacular view would clear his mind and help him concentrate, but not that morning. Ominous and threatening, the mountains were hidden behind mist and dark, low-hanging clouds, and a rare morning thunderstorm provided a lightning spectacular that sent vibrations through even the steel-reinforced concrete and double-glazed windows.

  In many ways, the turmoil outside reflected the excitement boiling within O’Hara, who could sense that the endgame he had been looking forward to was coming closer. The phone call from Petrinko had made that clear. Landru had been released on bail and was living with Dupree, a retired police officer, in a chateau just outside Paris. New players had just entered the game, and O’Hara had allocated each player a position on his imaginary chessboard. He would be the black king, as usual.

  Landru, his principal adversary, was given the role of the white king, and Jack Rogan would be one of his white knights, with Lapointe taking on the role of one of the bishops. Dupree became one of the castles and Bartolli, with her cutting-edge insights and early defence of Landru, the white queen. Landru’s chessboard was rapidly filling up with formidable opponents.

  Since finding out about Jack’s surprise involvement through his paid informants in the prison, who had kept a close eye on Landru for years, O’Hara had thoroughly researched Jack and his background on the Net. What he found filled him with excitement, because he knew that Landru would have carefully chosen Jack for a specific reason that could only be related to the Llanganates quest. He had no doubt that the how and w
hy would soon be revealed; all he had to do was watch, listen and follow.

  Recommended by the Mafia, Petrinko was turning out better than expected and would make an excellent black knight. Resourceful, ruthless, independent and reliable, he was the perfect choice because these were the attributes O’Hara was looking for in someone who would be his eyes and ears on the ground.

  O’Hara had no doubt that other players would soon be added to make this game really interesting. Until then, all Petrinko had to do was watch and report what was happening at the chateau, and identify the people close to Landru. If and when further action was required, O’Hara could call on his Mafia contacts for backup and support. They were his trusty foot soldiers, the pawns who could easily overwhelm and defeat even the most resourceful opponent if sent into battle at the right time and in the right way.

  For that reason, O’Hara had kept in close contact with Alessandro after his father’s arrest. Before that, O’Hara had only dealt with Giordano senior, who had initially made the arrangements with Spiridon 4 that had worked so successfully for years.

  Apart from Spiridon 4, there had also been another, more complex dimension to their unusual relationship: gambling. O’Hara had developed a unique gambling site with unusual reality games on the dark web, and Riccardo Giordano had provided well-heeled gamblers who were looking for the ultimate thrill: bizarre wagers involving death, mutilation and murder. With that, a successful partnership was formed that had made them millions.

  The unfortunate disintegration of Spiridon 4 caused by the unexpected deaths of Teodora and her twin sister, and the arrest and conviction of Silvanus and his brother, Aladdin, had brought that relationship to an abrupt end. This had been further complicated by Giordano’s sudden arrest and imminent trial in Calabria.

  Because of this, a certain amount of improvisation would be required to bring this game to a successful conclusion, and O’Hara could barely wait for the action to begin. These were the challenges he lived for and thrived on, because the stakes and risks were about as high as they could get.

  The prize was a priceless, legendary Inca treasure lost for centuries, which was just waiting somewhere in the Caribbean to be discovered. O’Hara had painstakingly collected most of the missing pieces of this puzzle to make it all possible, except for one crucial missing link that would help him make history. With that in mind, O’Hara was determined to make sure that nothing would stand in his way and stop him from reaching what he believed to be his destiny.

  O’Hara reached for the Regan amulet he now wore around his neck, and smiled. It was a constant reminder of the quest that had consumed him for such a long time and was about to reach its destination. He ran his fingertips slowly along the tiny, heart-shaped map engraved into the whale’s tooth fragment, certain that very soon he would find the missing link that had eluded him for so long. Once again, Landru would do his bidding and show him the way. As a resourceful master manipulator, O’Hara was looking forward to crossing swords with Jack, in whom he saw a new, worthy adversary who would help him reach his objective.

  For a while, O’Hara watched the lightning bolts race across the dark morning sky like tongues of angry dragons fighting to conquer the heavens. Then he turned away, reached for his mobile and called Petrinko.

  36

  Gatekeeper’s Cottage, Kuragin chateau: 31 October

  Cesaria and Lapointe arrived at the chateau in the afternoon for the briefing everyone had been waiting for. Jack, Tristan, Bartolli and Samartini were waiting for them in the conservatory with sandwiches, coffee, and a chocolate gateau to die for that cook had prepared earlier. Because Cesaria had to catch an evening flight back to Florence, they got straight down to business.

  Over the next two hours, Cesaria and Lapointe set out an ingenious but risky plan that left Jack and Bartolli speechless, and even Samartini, who played a major part in it, was somewhat taken aback. As the stakes were high and time was running out, acting quickly was of the essence.

  At the conclusion of the briefing, Lapointe put down his pipe and looked around the room, expecting questions.

  ‘Let me get this straight,’ said Jack, looking at Cesaria. ‘It is clear from what you’ve just told us that your entire strategy depends on the full cooperation of one man: Landru. Yet, you specifically asked that he not be present and stay with Dupree in the cottage. Why?’

  ‘Let me answer this,’ said Lapointe. ‘This can only work if all of us here in this room, and that includes you, Tristan, work as a team. I wanted to hear your views first and get your agreement to what we are planning to do, before approaching Landru and Dupree.’

  ‘But Landru is the one most at risk here. He’s the bait, as you called him the other day,’ said Samartini.

  ‘That’s correct,’ replied Cesaria. ‘And this can only work with his full cooperation and a clear understanding of what’s at stake here.’

  ‘But he hasn’t heard any of this. He hasn’t even been part of this conversation,’ said Jack, shaking his head.

  ‘We did this quite deliberately,’ Lapointe cut in, and lit his pipe. ‘How do you think he would react to all this, hearing it from the officer who was instrumental in putting him behind bars – namely me – or hearing it from Cesaria, a law enforcement officer from another country with obviously a different agenda? Eh? Not very well, I’d say.’

  ‘I can see that,’ said Jack. ‘But surely he has to be told, sooner or later.’

  ‘Absolutely,’ said Lapointe. He hesitated and looked at Jack. ‘But he has to hear it from someone he trusts; someone who can explain it to him in a way that makes sense and clearly sets out what’s at stake here, for him and for us.’

  Jack held up his hands. ‘Oh no,’ he said, realising where this was heading.

  ‘You are the only one who can do this,’ continued Lapointe. ‘He trusts you. No, I believe he needs you, Jack. Let’s not forget how all of this started. He asked to meet you, remember? What does this tell you? There had to be a good reason for that.’

  ‘Let’s be clear about this,’ said Jack. ‘You want me to talk to Landru, explain all this to him and persuade him to come on board, risks and all, because he trusts me?’

  ‘That’s about it,’ said Lapointe. ‘The sooner the better. Time’s running out.’

  All eyes in the room were on Jack.

  ‘Don’t look at me like that, guys. You are putting the responsibility of this entire case on my shoulders. We all know this is a dangerous business. We are dealing with ruthless people here with a lot to lose, for Christ’s sake. The risks are huge, especially with what Grimaldi intends to do about Giordano and the Mafia in Florence, and the humiliating way he wants to do it. There is real danger here; not just for Landru, but for everyone involved in this.’

  ‘You are right, Jack,’ said Cesaria. ‘Obviously, it’s your call. We all understand that. If you walk away from this we understand that too. But once we start this, we must see it through as a team. You can see that, surely.’

  Jack nodded, but he didn’t like being put on the spot, especially by people he admired and respected. However, at the same time he could clearly see the logic of it all. The pressure was on.

  Realising the matter hung in the balance and a little gentle persuasion may be needed to get Jack over the line, Bartolli stood up, walked over to Jack and sat down next to him.

  ‘Why don’t you go down to Katerina’s cellar, select the best Scotch you can find, and then walk over to the cottage and have a chat with Landru? See how you go.’ Bartolli looked at Jack. ‘And don’t forget Lorenza,’ she added quietly. ‘Give us your answer once you’ve spoken to Landru. What do you think?’

  Jack smiled at Bartolli. She had found his weak spot and put her finger right on it: Lorenza. ‘There’s a Macallan twenty-five-year-old sherry oak single malt in the cellar I’ve had my eye on for quite some time,’ he said after a while. ‘Perhaps this could be the moment?’

  Bartolli reached for Jack’s hand and squeezed it in sil
ent reply.

  Bartolli stood in front of the music room window and watched Jack walk across the courtyard towards the Gatekeeper’s Cottage. ‘There he goes,’ she said to Tristan standing next to her, ‘with his precious bottle of whisky under his arm. Quite a guy!’

  ‘He’s more than that,’ said Tristan quietly. ‘I knew he would do it … for Lorenza.’

  ‘You make quite a team, you two.’

  ‘I suppose we do,’ said Tristan. ‘I wonder where this will take us,’ he added pensively. ‘We are poking a wounded lion here, and we both know what happens when you do that, don’t we?’

  ‘You are talking about the Florence Mafia here?’

  ‘Yes. We’ve seen firsthand what they are capable of, especially the Giordanos. They are particularly dangerous when their backs are against the wall, and bearing in mind what Grimaldi has in mind here, this will get ugly very soon. I just hope we are ready for this.’

  ‘So do I,’ said Bartolli quietly, and slowly walked back to her chair next to the piano.

  Jack had waited until after dinner to go and talk to Landru. Lapointe, Samartini and Cesaria had left earlier, so that Samartini and Cesaria could catch their flight to Florence. Jack had promised to give them his answer in the morning, after he had discussed the matter with Landru.

  When Jack walked in, Dupree and Landru were sitting in front of the fireplace in the small, cosy lounge next to the kitchen, talking. Landru looked up, the throbbing veins on his forehead the only sign of the turmoil that had been brewing inside him since Lapointe and Cesaria had arrived at the chateau earlier that day.

  ‘The messenger comes bearing gifts,’ said Dupree.

  Jack put the bottle on the mantelpiece and went into the kitchen to fetch some glasses.

  Dupree pointed to the label as soon as Jack returned and began to open the bottle. ‘Rolling out the good stuff, I see. That important, eh?’ he said.