“Only one thing: It brought me and the rest of the Volunteers out of retirement. That was your point, of course. To eliminate us. The Volunteers.”

It was Kalmbach who asked, “But why, Harry?”

“Close to a billion dollars in stolen art and sculpture and manuscripts—stolen by the Nazis from throughout Europe and stashed in a dozen churches and schools in Kosovo, Serbia and Albania. Just like at St. Sophia. We knew that Chambers did a brief tour in the Balkans but got out fast. He must’ve met Rugova and learned about the loot. Then he bankrolled the operation and hired Faust to oversee it.

“A few years passed and they wanted to cash in by selling the pieces to private collectors. But Rugova preempted them—and he got careless. He didn’t cover his tracks and word got around about the treasures. It was only a matter of time until the Volunteers started to put the pieces together. So Chambers and Faust had to eliminate Rugova—and us too. But to keep suspicion off them they had to make it seem like part of a real terrorist attack. They brought Vukasin and his thugs over here.

“Well, after I realized his motive, I just looked for what would be the perfect way to kill all of us. And it was obvious: an attack at the recital hall.”

Now Middleton turned to Chambers. “I wasn’t surprised to find out that you were the one at Homeland Security who suggested the concert, Dick.”

“This is all bullshit. And you haven’t heard the last of it.”

“Wrong on number one. Right on two: I’ll be a witness in your trial, so I’ll be hearing a lot more of it. And so will you.”

Kalmbach and two other agents escorted Chambers and Faust’s two thugs away for booking.

Middleton and inspector Jozef Padlo found themselves standing alone on the chilly street corner. A light drizzle had started falling

“Jozef, thank you for doing this.”

“I would not have done otherwise. So . . . It is finished.”

“Not quite. There are a few questions to answer. There’s one intriguing aspect I’m curious about: Eleana Soberski. She had a connection to Vukasin. But I think there was more to her. I think she had her own agenda.”

He recalled what she said just before she was shot: “We are aware of your relationship with Faust.”

“Ah,” Padlo said, “so there’s someone else interested in the loot. Or perhaps who has some of his own and would like to expand his market share.”

“I think so.”

“One of Rugova’s men?”

Middleton shrugged. “Doubt it. They were punks. I’m thinking higher up. Someone highly placed, like Dick Chambers, but in Rome or Warsaw or Moscow.”

“And you are going to find out who?”

“The case is my blood. You know the expression?”

“I do now.”

“I’ll keep at it until I’m satisfied.”