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One of them was shot trying to flee. The other one, whom Nikolai and I were hoping to milk for everything he knew, recovered consciousness while we drove to MINDFUCH and bit into a cyanide pill in the collar of his jacket. It was so quick and unexpected that the agent watching him couldn’t intervene in time. He must’ve been a pretty big fish in Kurt’s organization—light years above someone like Joseph—for him to take his life to protect Kurt.
MESS is now trying to hack into his phone. Unfortunately, unidentified fingerprints, unknown DNA and a locked phone are all we have for now.
Finally, Richard’s meeting ends, and the majordomo announces me.
I stride into the sovereign’s office and bow. “Your Royal Highness.”
“Louis!” He rushes toward me, gives me a hug, and pats me on the back. “You did great, my boy! What can I do to thank you and your wife for the new light you’ve shed on Benny’s death and the fire?”
I tell him about my predicament regarding Angie.
A hint of sympathy glimmers in his eyes. “Sometimes we must choose between a bad outcome and a worse one. I don’t see how you can keep your assistant Angele on after what happened to Camille.”
“Is there an opening in your cabinet, or the PM’s maybe? Professionally speaking, the woman is gold. Efficient, reliable, discreet.”
“Consider her hired.”
A weight is lifted off my shoulders.
“Now tell me,” Richard says, “what kind of reward would please your wife? We owe this breakthrough to her tenacity. I am greatly impressed by how she picked up Carlo’s trail of crumbs and succeeded where he’d failed.”
I nod. “Would it be possible to give her credit for it, considering that her sister’s rehabilitation is no longer on the table?”
“What do you have in mind?”
“Can we tell people the full truth about the palace fire and Prince Benjamin’s poisoning?”
His expression stiffens.
“Your Highness,” I urge him, “Camille’s best reward would be if her fellow citizens judge her for what she’s done for the country, and not for the crime her sister committed.”
“I can’t allow that, my boy.”
“Please—”
“If we release the full story,” he cuts in, “I’ll be admitting to my subjects the extent of the damage Kurt has inflicted on us. And the extent of our weakness.”
“Many already suspect we’ve been infiltrated.”
“But not at such a high level and not for so long!” He runs a hand over his face. “A decade, Louis, if we count from Benny’s first symptoms! Can you believe it? Kurt’s mole in the palace poisoned my brother. The spy or spies ordered the arson attack, killed a MESS agent and a coroner, and doctored police files… And we still have no clue who they are.”
“Being honest with your subjects is a show of strength, not weakness,” I say. “They’ll only love the royal family more for it.”
I can see he’s torn.Will he heed my advice?
“Imagine the atmosphere that will create in the palace!” he grumbles. “Everybody will become suspicious of everybody.”
“It’ll be unpleasant, I agree, but what if it helps you identify the mole?”
Richard shakes his head. “I can’t do it, Louis.”
I nearly swear.
“Listen,” he says, “You’re our emissary to France now. Keep doing what you do so well. Represent us, oversee MINDFUCH’s operations, run your studio. Involve your resourceful wife in everything. MESS will clear her for more meaningful work and supply a bodyguard.”
“Thank you.”
“That’ll keep her busy and distracted from her fixation.”
