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“Adriano,” Dario said sternly.
Adriano immediately shut up.
Dario looked at me. “You were saying?”
“When they hired me,” I said, “they told me I would be eliminating rogue arms dealers, terrorists… and organized crime figures.”
“Great,” Niccolo grumbled.
“So you think that’s what she’s doing?” Dario asked.
“No disrespect intended, but I find it hard to believe MI6 would care about you.”
“Why not? I’m an organized crime figure.”
“Yes, but you’re not a big enough fish.”
Dario chuckled. “I don’t know whether to be offended or relieved.”
“Why do you say that?” Adriano asked in irritation. “Why aren’t we be big enough?”
“When I got arrested in Lake Como, I was on my way to kill an arms merchant. He was going to auction off a bunch of plutonium to Iran for nuclear bombs. I don’t think you guys are quite at that level yet.”
“…oh,” Adriano said, his ego clearly deflated.
“There’s another reason it’s doubtful your ex was working for MI6,” Niccolo said.
“What’s that?”
“Ten minutes after we get word from Massimo that he’s been attacked in Venice, there’s an attempt on Dario’s life. Who benefits from both events?” Niccolo asked rhetorically, then answered: “Fausto.”
He was right. It was obvious.
“Could Fausto and MI6 be working together?” Dario asked.
“No. Well, I suppose it’s theoretically possible – but it’s highly unlikely.”
“Why?”
“MI6 would never risk working with a gangster, especially not on an assassination attempt. It would be too big a liability if it was discovered, and the gangster could blackmail them by threatening to go public. I just don’t see it.”
“Which leaves two possibilities,” Niccolo said. “If it really was your ex-girlfriend who tried to shoot Dario, then she’s either left MI6… or she’s moonlighting as an assassin-for-hire.”
He was right. Nothing else made sense –
But both options seemed incredibly unlike Rachel.
Or maybe I just didn’t want to admit that if she had left MI6, then all the times I’d kept Alistair’s secrets were utterly pointless… and I’d sacrificed our relationship for nothing.
“Just how bad was your final parting, Lars?” Dario asked.
“Bad, but – why are you asking?”
“Was it bad enough that she would intentionally take a job where she might have to kill you?”
I stood there, stunned.
I hadn’t even considered the possibility.
