17 ...

"I've found this guy Newkirk. Hey, wasn't that the name of the cook on that old TV show, Hogan's Heroes? Not a name you run across very often. Newkirk, David G., Canadian citizen; currently a resident of Toronto where he's lived since 1972; no priors; a few parking tickets and one for speeding on ... let's see ... ha! ... on his 40th birthday. Found a link to a web site; he's an artist, a painter, abstract stuff; long career teaching art, art history and related odds and ends. That would explain why he's in the Sistine. They all go to see the ceiling, don't they. This is a photo from his web site."

Marchese wiped his fingers on a paper napkin, then reached over to turn his partner's monitor in his direction.

"Anything else about him that might explain these bizarre circumstances?"

"Here. Look at this, Guido. This is a link to a blog the guy wrote last year. There." He read, "Fictional present-tense conversations among famous artists, from many time periods, as if they were all living, and assembled together in present day Venice."

"Let's have a better look at that," said Marchese. "You remember that Venice was mentioned in that memo from headquarters. You're sure about the others we saw at the Sistine?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, it's completely crazy; it's impossible! Of course it's impossible. But so far, I don't have a better explanation. The camera definitely recorded Michelangelo, Raphael, Bernini and Picasso chatting away in the Sistine Chapel today." Bandone stressed that last incongruous word. "Picasso's in the data bases naturally. But the others? All we have to go on are portraits and self-portraits from hundreds of years ago."

"OK, OK. We know where they were up until a few minutes ago. Call it in – I want them brought here. Start with the Swiss Guard; Gallo is reasonable most of the time, although if I were you, I would mention only the one guy by name ... Newkirk. If they find the rest of them, let them struggle with their own confusion." Marchese had decided that it was time to get some answers. "Tell them to start in the Sistine, and then to look in St. Peter's if necessary – Bernini has some big pieces there. Maybe we'll get lucky. If they've left the Vatican, we'll have to give it to the Carabinieri."  

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