Doppelgangster - Laura Resnick [125]
“The appetite of Evil always expands rapidly,” Max said.
“But considering how well the priest has concealed his true nature and his activities, why team up with an accomplice? Especially someone like Buonarotti, who doesn’t come across as either trustworthy or discreet,” I said. “Why would Father Gabriel take that risk? Why not just commit the murders himself, since the curse ensures that no one sees the killer anyway?”
“Hmm.” Max frowned in concentration as he thought about it. “He’s an educated young man, a parish priest, and a talented sorcerer who has invested himself deeply in the study and practice of his art. He may well have had no time and no occasion to learn the physical logistics of murder.” He stroked his beard as he continued, “Above all, though, I suspect this is a question of individual temperament. It seems likely that Father Gabriel has no stomach for violence. In his public persona, he chose to become a cleric rather than a member of Lucky’s profession. And in his secret life, he has also chosen an intellectual and spiritual path, albeit of a very different nature. So while he willfully victimizes people with his sorcery, I think it likely that physical confrontation is anathema to him.”
“You mean he’s a physical coward,” I said scathingly. “It’s fine to curse me with death, but he needs someone else to strike the fatal blow for him.”
“Precisely. Therefore he developed a strategy that would incorporate an accomplice to do the physical slayings,” Max said. “And he chose a man who takes pleasure in violence and who has something to gain if these murders lead to a war between the Gambellos and the Corvinos.”
“What a team they make,” I said grimly.
“Distressingly effective, to date.”
“But, Max, what about motive? I still don’t understand why Father Gabriel would do this.”
“That’s because we only know what he has told us about himself, which is virtually nothing. But if he was telling the truth about one key point—that he grew up around the Gambello famiglia—then Lucky may know enough about him to postulate a motive when we explain our theory to him.”
“I’ll tell Lucky we need him back here as soon as possible.” I opened my cell phone.
“Excellent. We’ll review with him what we have learned tonight about the nature of the doppelgangsters while we prepare to confront our adversary.”
“If we’re right this time, Max, how do we stop a homicidal priest and his violent accomplice?”
“We will begin by destroying his immediate means of creating more doppelgangsters.” He added, “Before we go anywhere, though, we must protect ourselves. You summon Lucky while I commence preparations in the laboratory.”
23
“Nah, Gabriel’s family wasn’t connected to the Gambellos.” Lucky looked up at Max. “How long before this stuff washes off?”
“Several days.”
Down in the laboratory, Max was painting protective symbols on Lucky’s face, back, hands, and feet with a mixture of henna, wax, oil, and some unsavory looking ground-up ingredients that I had deliberately not asked about. My face, back, hands and feet were already covered with similar symbols. Nelli and Max were both also decorated accordingly. So we had been busy while waiting for Lucky to return from LaGuardia Airport.
Lucky had managed to convince Elena Giacalona that her life was in danger, and she should leave immediately—that very evening—for Seattle, where she could stay with her sister. Although Elena hated Lucky, apparently she was sensible enough to listen when a man in his profession told her she was marked for death and should get out of town. She had allowed him to escort her to the airport, and he had stayed there until her flight was safely gone.
Upon entering the laboratory, he was somewhat shaken to see the pile of rubbish that had previously been Elena’s doppelgangster, but he adjusted better than I had expected. Probably because he had just come from seeing the real woman.
“So Gabriel was lying about growing up around Johnny Be Good