The Curious Case of the Missing Head

by Gabriel Farago

  Teodora was convinced that fate had finally dealt her a winning card to face her past and set things right, and nothing and no-one would stand in her way to follow what she believed was her destiny. She looked at her sister’s dramatic death as part of the price that had to be paid for that card she now held in her hand, shaking with rage.

  Exhausted, Teodora closed her eyes. She was desperately trying to get a few hours of much-needed sleep before daybreak, when her mobile on the bedside table began to ring. Instantly awake, Teodora sat up and answered the phone. It was Alessandro.

  ‘Sorry about the hour,’ he said, ‘but we have a crisis.’

  Teodora got out of bed and walked out onto the terrace overlooking the silent lake bathed in moonlight. ‘What kind of crisis?’ she asked.

  ‘Once again, I have good news and bad—’

  ‘Good news first,’ interrupted Teodora impatiently. She was getting tired of Alessandro’s annoying way of approaching important subjects. Rather than dancing around them, she preferred a more direct, businesslike approach.

  ‘Stolzfus has survived the critical operation and is in recovery.’

  ‘Prognosis?’

  ‘Apparently quite good. He should live—’

  ‘But that’s great news, surely?’

  ‘It is, but what happened yesterday isn’t.’

  ‘What happened?’

  ‘It’s all still a little vague, but the Caritas was raided yesterday at sea and searched by the Italian coastguard.’

  ‘And why is that a problem?’

  ‘Because what was left of Stolzfus’s body was on board and has been taken away by the coastguard for analysis ...’

  ‘What?’ Teodora almost shouted. ‘Are you serious? How could that have possibly happened?’

  ‘I still don’t know much about this, but Professor Fabry is behind it all ...’ Alessandro sounded vague and defensive, and Teodora realised at once that things hadn’t gone quite as planned in Malta.

  ‘Needless to say, Rodrigo is furious.’

  ‘Understandable. I’m a little confused here. Where is Stolzfus now?’

  ‘Still in Malta. In a coma under Fabry’s care. Apparently, it will take quite some time for Stolzfus to come out of the coma. Only then will the full effect of the surgery be known.’

  ‘Where does that leave us now?’

  ‘That’s the reason I called. There’s a bigger problem.’

  ‘There is? Tell me.’

  ‘A senior police officer of the Squadra Mobile here in Florence was present during the raid and seemed to know a lot about Stolzfus and the abduction in London. And there was another person present as well, a man who seemed to know even more ... The Squadra Mobile has been investigating us for years. They obviously believe we are somehow involved and that is, as you can imagine, a problem for us.’

  ‘I can imagine.’

  ‘I have just spoken to Rodrigo. He blames Fabry and wants to cut across this mess and take over ...’

  ‘In what way?’

  ‘He has a proposal. A plan, and it involves you ...’

  ‘How?’

  ‘He wants to meet us here in Florence as soon as possible. He will tell us then. This is really urgent. Can you get here?’

  ‘Sure. What about Aladdin and Silvanus?’

  ‘At this stage, Rodrigo asked only for you.’

  ‘I’ll drive down first thing this morning. It shouldn’t take me more than four hours. I’ll be there around nine, depending on the traffic.’

  ‘Great; thanks,’ said Alessandro, sounding relieved. ‘See you when you get here.’

  Teodora looked pensively across the still lake she loved so much. The first light of the new day was beginning to creep hesitantly across the sky, banishing the pale moon. A strong believer in destiny and fate, Teodora felt calm and composed. She was certain that destiny had shown her the way to Fabry, and realised this would culminate in the ultimate showdown she had been dreaming about for such a long time. Her parents’ murder would be avenged, of that she was now sure, and her promise fulfilled. And only then would she finally have peace and be able to turn away from what was left of Spiridon and begin a new life. Hopefully, she thought, with Izabel.

  Teodora walked back into the bedroom and for a long moment watched Izabel sleeping peacefully in her bed. Careful not to wake her, she bent down, kissed her tenderly on the forehead and then tiptoed out of the room to get ready for her trip to Florence.

  33

  Giordano villa, Florence: 29 June

  It took Teodora just under four hours to drive from Lake Como to Florence. Traffic was light that early in the morning – she had left just after five am – and that had allowed her to put the Centenario through its paces without getting booked for speeding. Feeling exhilarated and relaxed after the drive, Teodora got out of the car, walked past the security guards and the snarling dogs, and as she headed towards the imposing entrance of the Giordano villa, the door opened and Alessandro came out to meet her.

  ‘That was fast,’ he said, kissing Teodora on the cheek. ‘Raul is here already, having breakfast with my father. I wanted to catch you before we go inside.’

  ‘Oh? Why?’

  ‘Dad is very uneasy about all this.’

  ‘How come?’

  ‘I suppose you haven’t heard. It’s about the article ...’

  Teodora looked puzzled. ‘What article?’ she asked.

  ‘The article in the New York Times about Stolzfus ...’

  ‘Is there a problem?’

  ‘Come in and see for yourself. It’s a bit of a bombshell!’

  ‘Sounds intriguing. How about some breakfast first?’ said Teodora. ‘I’m starving.’

  ‘You’ve come to the right place. Follow me.’

  Rodrigo and his host were sitting at a large wooden refectory table in the kitchen, which was Giordano’s favourite place in the villa. Giordano’s mother was slicing bread and Giordano was serving coffee.

  ‘Smells good,’ said Teodora. ‘I could kill for a cup.’

  ‘Coming from you, that sounds dangerous,’ said Giordano, smiling, and handed Teodora a cup. ‘Great to see you; sit down.’

  ‘Thanks for coming so quickly,’ said Rodrigo, but I believe we have to act fast if we want to stay in this game,’ he added, looking serious.

  ‘What kind of game?’ asked Teodora, putting some thinly sliced prosciutto and provolone on a thick slice of bread that was still warm.

  Without saying a word, Rodrigo pushed a copy of the latest New York Times across the table towards Teodora. Teodora looked at the headline on the front page, and paled:

  Missing scientist turns up as headless corpse

  The headless corpse of world-renowned scientist Professor Zachariah Stolzfus was recovered by the Italian coastguard from the Caritas, a hospital ship operating out of Malta. The grisly discovery ...

  Aware that everyone was watching her, Teodora put down her half-eaten sandwich and read the rest of the sensational article, the ticking of the large clock on the kitchen wall the only sound cutting through the tension in the room. The article by Celia Crawford read like the script for a James Bond movie. It began with the alleged poisoning of Stolzfus in Westminster Abbey during the Hawking memorial service, followed by the dramatic ambulance attack resulting in the professor’s abduction and disappearance. It even referred to the Nike and Caritas meeting in the middle of a hurricane, and provided an aerial photo, which added to the drama.

  It then went into considerable detail describing the night raid on the Caritas and the recovery of the headless body by the Italian coastguard, culminating in the formal identification of the body in Florence by Stolzfus’s sister. Acting chief superintendent Cesaria Borroni of the Squadra Mobile in Florence was specifically mentioned as a reliable source, linking the abduction to the Mafia. Jack – referred to as an international celebrity author-cum-private investigator working for the rich and famous – was also mentioned as someone who had provided valuable inf
ormation and leads to the Italian authorities about a possible Mafia involvement in the matter.

  The article then touched on a broader picture, with veiled allegations of MI5 and CIA incompetence, possible conspiracies and cover-ups by the Metropolitan Police in London, culminating in the woeful failure to protect one of the world’s leading scientists while he attended the memorial service of a famous colleague in Westminster Abbey.

  The article concluded with this question:

  How is it possible that the police in Florence and a private investigator appear to know more about this shocking matter than MI5, the CIA and the Metropolitan Police combined? Who is responsible for this heinous crime, and what steps are being taken to bring the perpetrators to justice? Justice and decency deserve an answer!

  ‘Wow!’ said Teodora and put down the paper. ‘This will certainly put a chilly wind up law enforcement agencies around the world.’

  ‘It will do much more than that,’ said Rodrigo. ‘It will put enormous pressure on MI5 and especially the CIA, to mobilise and solve this case quickly. This article is a great embarrassment, and Americans in particular cannot tolerate loss of face or criticism. Take it from me, all stops will now be pulled out and huge resources invested in this.’

  ‘I agree,’ said Giordano. ‘And the Squadra Mobile here in Florence, and Chief Prosecutor Grimaldi in particular, will use this case to make life very difficult for us. And that is a major concern.’

  ‘How did all this blow up so quickly, and why right here in Florence?’ asked Teodora. ‘How did the Squadra Mobile get its hands on all this information?’

  ‘Good question,’ interjected Alessandro. ‘We believe it’s all because of one man.’

  ‘One man? Which man?’ asked Teodora.

  ‘Jack Rogan, the celebrity author.’

  ‘Are you serious?’

  ‘Absolutely,’ Giordano weighed in. ‘We have come across him before. He was involved in the Gambio matter a couple of years ago right here in Florence. In fact, he was present in the church, standing right next to Chief Prosecutor Grimaldi and myself when Gambio was shot. He was in the thick of it all right, helping the police.’

  ‘What’s his interest in all this?’ asked Teodora.

  ‘He’s a bit of an enigma,’ said Rodrigo. ‘Incredibly well connected. He’s a former journalist turned writer who follows up big stories and then writes books about them. He’s done this very successfully for quite some time and has been involved in some high-profile cases over the years. Notoriety seems to follow him everywhere. He loves controversy and the limelight. He has even collaborated with the New York Times on several occasions, and was instrumental in breaking a number of sensational stories. Just like this one.’

  Teodora didn’t mention that she had met Jack by chance just a few days ago in Venice. She thought it was better to keep this to herself for the moment. ‘So you think he’s supplying information to the police here in Florence?’

  ‘We know he is,’ said Giordano.

  ‘How do you know?’ asked Teodora.

  ‘I make it my business to know. We have our sources. Reliable ones. In the Squadra Mobile and in the prosecutor’s office. That’s how we stay a step ahead of those who want to harm us and destroy our business. That’s how we survive.’

  ‘And that is precisely what we have to do right now,’ said Rodrigo. ‘We must stay a step ahead of the game if we want to conclude this delicate project successfully. And I believe we can do just that, but we have to act quickly.’

  ‘And how do you propose to do that?’ asked Teodora.

  ‘Through information. It always comes down to information,’ said Rodrigo. ‘And most important of all, we have to buy time.’

  ‘Why? I don’t follow,’ said Teodora.

  ‘You will in a moment,’ said Giordano, turning to Rodrigo. ‘Tell her!’

  Rodrigo picked up the paper and held it up. ‘I believe everything in here has come from one man: Jack Rogan. He appears to be in the middle of this and the source of intelligence flowing to the police here in Florence, and to the New York Times in the US. He even turned up in Malta with a rock star who claimed to be interested in making a large donation to the Caritas Charity a few days ago, and met with Fabry. We now know that was all a pretence. What Rogan was really doing was gathering information. We need to know what he knows, where it’s all coming from, and why he’s so interested in all this. But most important of all, we must stop the flow of information.’

  ‘How?’ asked Teodora.

  ‘That’s where you come in,’ replied Rodrigo. ‘As you can imagine, Fabry is very embarrassed about the Stolzfus body fiasco. He wasn’t supposed to keep what was left of it, but to destroy it and make it disappear – not preserve it for an exhibit. For whatever reason he didn’t do that, and we have just seen the consequences of his mistake.’

  Rodrigo took a sip of coffee and looked directly at Teodora. ‘Fabry is desperately trying to make up for the disaster. He has done a remarkable job with the head transplant. No question about it. I believe there isn’t another surgeon alive who could have done that. We have come such a long way in this, and it would be a great tragedy to see it all fall apart at this late stage.’

  ‘So, what’s on your mind?’ asked Teodora.

  ‘We have to take Rogan out of the game.’

  ‘How? You want us to kill him?’

  ‘No, it’s more complicated than that. He’s worth much more to us alive than dead.’

  ‘Please explain,’ said Teodora.

  ‘Fabry is prepared to waive his fee for the transplant – about one million US – which you agreed to pay. In return, we want you to abduct Rogan and deliver him to Fabry in Malta for interrogation. I understand he’s an expert in interrogating people.’

  ‘He sure is that,’ said Alessandro. ‘He’s helped us out several times before. His methods are a little, let’s say unusual, but his results are outstanding, and as you can imagine, he’s very keen to get his hands on Rogan.’

  ‘Where’s Rogan now?’

  ‘That’s the best part: right here in Florence.’

  ‘I’ll have to talk to the others.’

  ‘Understood.’

  ‘When do you want it done?’

  ‘As soon as possible, but no later than tomorrow. Rogan could leave here any time ...’

  ‘And how are we supposed to get him to Malta?’

  ‘All taken care of,’ said Alessandro, glad to be able to contribute. ‘The Nike is on her way to Livorno as we speak. We’ll take Rogan to Malta on the Nike. It’s about six-hundred and sixty nautical miles. Should take us no more than a day and a half at most. Giacomo is standing by.’

  Teodora nodded, trying to stay calm. She was finding it difficult to control her excitement. Not only had destiny shown her the way to Fabry, it was now delivering him to her as well. All she had to do was convince Aladdin and Silvanus to take on the assignment, and the rest would fall into place all by itself. Once in Malta, she would be able to deal with Fabry on her terms.

  ‘And what about Stolzfus and the rest of our agreement?’ she asked. ‘We have to hand him over to you in Morocco, alive and with his mind intact. That’s the deal as I understand it.’

  ‘It is, but that’s why we need time,’ replied Rodrigo. ‘According to Fabry, Stolzfus isn’t ready to be moved just yet. He cannot even be moved out of his surgery at this stage without risking, well, death. Once he’s well enough to travel, you deliver him to us in Morocco as agreed, and my client will then take it from there. But to be able do that safely, we obviously need time and the authorities off our backs. We can’t afford a raid on Fabry’s surgery. Not right now. But no-one suspects that Stolzfus could possibly be alive after his body has been found. Not even the resourceful, intrepid Mr Rogan. That’s our best protection for the time being.’

  ‘Isn’t Fabry going to be investigated, especially now after the Caritas raid?’ asked Teodora.

  ‘That’s very likely, but he has a lot o
f powerful friends in Malta who can protect him and cause delays, at least until we can move Stolzfus.’

  ‘I understand,’ said Teodora. ‘And if we do all this and deliver Stolzfus to you in Morocco, our contract is at an end and we get paid in full?’

  Rodrigo looked at Giordano sitting at the other end of the table.

  Giordano nodded.

  ‘Half now, the other half when Stolzfus comes out of his coma and begins to talk to us,’ said Rodrigo.

  ‘In that case, I have to make a couple of calls,’ said Teodora and stood up, the thought of Fabry finally being within her grasp making her tremble with excitement. The moment she had been dreaming about for such a long time was coming closer.

  34

  Florence: 30 June

  Normally Teodora would have walked away from an assignment that allowed so little time for planning and preparation, but the situation she found herself in wouldn’t allow that. Caution had become a victim of necessity. At least Alessandro had been able to provide some of the much-needed information and logistical support on the ground required to put a rough outline of a workable plan together, but Teodora knew that most of the essential steps would have to be improvised and crucial decisions made on the run, which was always fraught with danger.

  At the same time, she also knew that she had three vital elements working in her favour: she had met Jack before and knew what he looked like; she had obtained his phone number from Izabel the night before; and, most important of all, she had the element of surprise on her side, with a team of highly trained professionals to back it up.

  After the meeting at the Giordano villa the day before, Teodora had immediately contacted Aladdin and Silvanus and explained the situation. As expected, they agreed to do the job and arrived in Florence by train during the night. They checked into a small hotel near the railway station and waited for the morning before linking up with Teodora.