Shadow exchanged an uneasy glance with Gabe and his brothers. It was midmorning, and they had risen late after a night spent exploring Venice and finding the palazzo. They had just finished breakfast and were actually debating whether to phone Romola when she had arrived, unannounced.

Despite her apology, she didn’t look sorry at all. Romola was a striking woman with long, dark hair and flashing, intense eyes that were almost black. She had a light tan, and wore an elegant black trouser suit, tailored to fit her good figure. She was the epitome of an Italian businesswoman. Her smile was broad as she took them all in, no doubt noting all the details about them, too.

Gabe folded his arms across his chest. “It’s just unexpected, that’s all, and we take our privacy—especially in business matters—very seriously. But I guess that’s why you just turned up. If you had asked to visit, I would probably have told you not to.”

To her credit, she just laughed. “You’ve found me out! What’s the expression?” she asked in her heavily accented English. “Sorry, but not sorry! And you’ll be glad I did. Can I sit? Get a coffee? I’d love to go through what I’ve found, but I had an early start.”

“Let me,” Ash said, gesturing for her to sit and giving Gabe a look of resignation. “Nice apartment, by the way. I gather we have you to partially thank for that?”

“Yes, this place is one of our assets. Venice is packed with history and intrigue, so it’s not surprising how often we have to come here to sort acquisitions of one type or another. Harlan,” she said, placing her paperwork on the coffee table, “is very complimentary about you. We were happy to help a colleague.” She sat on the sofa, at ease amongst strangers.

Shadow decided she didn’t like Romola. It didn’t mean they couldn’t trust her, but she had dismissed Shadow with a tight glance, focussing all her attention on the men. A deliberate attempt to undermine another woman as she flashed her beaming smile around. Shadow had come across women like her before. She never liked them. They saw other women as a threat. To what, she wasn’t sure. Their feminine power? Their ability to control the room? Their wish to have all men’s attention? They were especially dismissive of other very attractive woman. Less attractive women could be humoured, but Shadow was good looking with a killer figure, and that would rile Romola more than anything. That was fine. Shadow liked being a threat, and was more than happy to play on such insecurities. She would remind her of her presence when it was needed. For now, she would stand back and watch.

“Have you been travelling all night?” Gabe asked as he sat opposite her. “You are based in Rome, I believe.”

“Yes, but there’s a fast train to Venice. A few hours’ travel only, and very convenient. I caught the early train.” She tossed her hair, leaning forward and beaming. “Is it your first time in Venice?”

“First time in Italy.”

“And yours?” She turned to Niel, who had taken a seat, too.

“I came years ago. It has changed since I was last here.”

“Same for me,” Ash said, entering the room with a tray of cups and a pot of coffee. “I hardly recognise the place.”

Shadow suppressed a smile. Like several thousand years ago. He had told her that Rome had just been a tiny village on a hill then.

“Well, I’m happy to take you all on a tour.”

“Unfortunately,” Gabe said, “we’re not here for pleasure. We need to know more about the Lambertis. Then, we need to meet them.”

Suddenly, Romola was all business. She lifted half a dozen sheets of paper and passed them to Gabe. “An outline of the Lambertis who have owned the palazzo over the years. I can confirm that Harlan was correct. The reference in the book that he found refers to the same family who own it now. I have focussed on only those who have lived there. The family is large and spread across the area. They were very powerful at one point. Now, less so.” She wiggled her hand. “But still rich. They had connections to the Borgias once. Houses in Rome, the Amalfi coast, and Umbria. The palazzo here, though, was always considered the seat of the family.” She accepted a cup of coffee from Ash, inhaling appreciatively. “Arabic?”

“Yes. It’s how we prefer our coffee.”

“Excellent. No complaints from me.”

It was the one regular thing the Nephilim liked when they travelled, and they always packed a bag of ground coffee in their luggage. A quirk.

“Anyway,” Romola continued, while Gabe and Ash scanned the list, “they have had less success over recent decades, and over the years a series of family deaths. I know because, as I said to Harlan, we have had dealings with them in the past. We all have our own clients, and the Lambertis aren’t mine. Their contact within our branch retired years ago, and because we hadn’t received work from them for years, they were never assigned to a new collector. Past purchases include religious statues and relics, mainly Christian but not all, old volumes of occult knowledge, nothing overly significant.”

“And by that,” Niel said, smiling, “you mean vastly expensive.”

“Well, if you put it like that, yes. But over the years, it mounted up. Until twenty years ago. That’s the last time they contacted us for anything.”

“Any idea why?” Gabe asked.

“The son inherited the estate after his father died. The father, Enzo, was ancient. In his nineties. The eldest son, Tommaso, took over, and well, it seems he wasn’t the collector his father was. He is now in his late eighties himself.”

“You have been thorough,” Ash noted.

“It’s my job. Besides, we keep extensive records on our clients. The London office does, too. Anyway, I have decided to try to recruit them again. It will be a good excuse to visit them and get you inside.” She smiled again, pleased with her ruse.

Gabe leaned back, the list ignored now that Ash had it. “I don’t think so. We work alone. I’ll pay you for your effort, of course.”

Romola just smiled. “I know these types of families. You won’t get in without having some kind of connection. I’m it. Although I’m sure they speak English, speaking Italian will also be helpful. Being one of them.”

Gabe rattled off something in fluent Italian, and Romola gasped. There was a rapid exchange, during which Niel and Ash joined in, before Gabe switched to English again, for Shadow’s benefit, of course. “So, you see,” he said smugly, “communication will not be a problem.”

“Well, aren’t you dark horses.” She turned for the first time in a while to look at Shadow. “And you?”

“Oh, I have my own hidden abilities.”

Romola assessed her silently and then turned back to Gabe. “Nevertheless, you still won’t get in without me. If you try and fail…well, you might not get a second chance.”

“Neither might you if we go alone and upset them. I think your altruism is a ruse.” Gabe leaned forward, elbows leaning on his knees, eyes locked with hers. To her credit, she didn’t withdraw. Gabe wasn’t being overtly threatening. He just was without even trying. “You need us, too. We only want information on one jewel. A ring. How will you help us?”

“I will ask about it, upfront. Say that we have been approached by a buyer who has heard of this ring and wants it. I will offer to broker a good price for it. One of you will be my assistant.”

“Not the buyer?” Ash asked.

“No! We broker. We never introduce the buyer to the seller. How would we get our cut?”

Niel shrugged. “Sounds like a plan to me, Gabe. I presume we can ask questions, Romola?”

“Of course, although we should discuss what, first. We can ask to see it, too.”

“He won’t show it to you,” Shadow said. “Not a chance. If they value it so much as they have in years past, he won’t even admit to having it.”

“We shall see, won’t we?” Romola replied, gaze fixed on Gabe. Silence fell and she said, “I know what you’re thinking. You’re wondering if you could break in and find it. These palazzos guard many secrets, theirs probably more than most. We should at least try it my way first.”

Gabe sidestepped the question. “What have you found out about Amato and his country house?”

“Ah, that! Well, that’s where it gets interesting. It took a lot of digging, too.” She reached for another set of papers. “It actually belonged to another member of the Lamberti family. One of Tommaso’s nieces.”

Gabe exchanged a jubilant glance with Shadow and his brothers. Another connection.

Ash set the list down and reached for the other set of papers. “Why did Amato end up with it?”

“I can’t tell you why, of course, but I can say that the house belonged to her father, Tommaso’s younger brother, for years. It passed to her the same year she got married. A wedding gift, I presume. That would have been forty or fifty years ago. But twenty years ago, just around when Enzo died, it ended up in Amato’s name.” Romola spread her hands wide. “I have no idea why!”

“Well, it can’t be a coincidence that it was the same time that Enzo died,” Niel said. “But why give away a house? A really great house!”

“Not just any house, though,” Ash reminded him without elaborating.

A house with a temple to Belial in its grounds.

Gabe pressed her for more information. “For the last twenty years the family fortunes have been diminishing, according to you, Romola. Any idea why?”