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everything Father Vin had told her was true. And for whatever reason, the moment she had said it, she knew it was the right thing to do. She turned around and headed for the door. “Come on, Vin. We have a plane to catch.”
    Anna was silent for the first few minutes after leaving her father’s office. What had she just done? This was crazy. How could she just pick up and leave her life behind? She could ask the driver to pull over and let her out. She could call one of her friends to come and get her. She would go home and sleep. For the next two days. Then she could call her parents and tell them that everything was okay. She hadn’t run off after all.
    But that wasn’t going to happen. No, she had made her decision. And that decision meant she needed to go home immediately.
    “Nick,” she finally said, breaking the silence. “I need you to take us to Elliston Place.”
    Father Vin frowned. “We need to get to the airport.”
    “I understand that, but that’s where I live. And if I’m going to leave my life behind, there are a few things that I need, as well as a couple things I just want to take with me. Don’t worry,” she said, seeing the concerned look on Father Vin’s face. “I can be in and out in thirty minutes.”
    Another hesitation. Then he shrugged. “Thirty minutes. Then we’re headed to Venezuela.”
    Venezuela. Just going to hop on a plane for South America. Anna slumped down in the seat and wrapped her arms around herself. She’d done it now. Everything would change. From this moment on, she would be hopping on planes for who knew where. Running—possibly, at times, for her life.

CHAPTER 8
The Vatican
    H ello?” Cardinal Wickham looked at his bedside clock as he answered the phone: 3:30 a.m. There was only one person he could think of who would call him at this hour.
    “Is this the Capriatti residence?” The voice was pleasant and quick.
    “I’m sorry, you have the wrong number,” the cardinal answered. He hung up the phone and got out of bed. He turned on his light and fumbled around until his eyes adjusted.
    Earlier, after their conversation at the pub, the cardinal had given his associate, Jonathan, a new instruction. “From now on, if you have to contact me at home, use this code.” He didn’t think, however, that Jonathan would have reason to use it so quickly.
    He dressed and quietly slipped from his chamber. He made his way into a dark alley. Hidden from the view of the main street was a pay phone. He stepped inside, pulled the door shut behind him, and punched in the number. He waited for the other end to pick up then spoke into the phone. “This better be worth getting me up in the middle of the night.
    “Good morning to you, too, Louis. What’s the matter? Bit of a hangover?” Jonathan didn’t wait for a reply. “The old man is dead.”
    “What do you mean he’s dead?”
    “No need to shout, Louis. My guy called me a few minutes ago.”
    Cardinal Wickham slammed his fist against the glass booth. “This is unacceptable! You’d better have something better for me than ‘He’s dead’!”
    “My guy was paying off a janitor to keep him posted on the old man’s condition. He called me a little while ago and told me the janitor called him and said the old man had checked out.”
    “This just happened?”
    “Earlier today. He didn’t call me until just now.”
    “What kind of crew are you running over there, Jonathan? Do they think they can just sit around and check in whenever they feel like it? This is precisely why I wanted you there! And yet you’re still here. Explain to me again why I’m paying you?”
    “Calm down, Louis. He couldn’t call before. He’s been busy. It seems Riley had a visitor today. A girl. A young girl, about twenty or so. After checking it out, my guy tells me it’s his granddaughter. Immediately after Riley died, she and that priest that’s always with him left outta there and headed to the airport. It took my guy awhile to