Villa Scorpio
Robert said, "Somehow Paris and Vienna intersect with Robin in the middle. We're tackling this from both ends physically but we also need to investigate chronologically. That's where you come in, Sean."
"I'm not sure how what I may know could affect Robin," said Sean. "We were in Boston around that time period."
"We have a trail but instead of it being mapped out for us, it's in pieces like a jigsaw. Some of the pieces lead to you," said Robert.
"I'm all ears," said Sean. "Lay it on me."
Anna began to explain, "I remembered something. The doctor who treated me in Skyview when I had amnesia was named Peter Krieg. He was Faison's cousin. He was also using me as a guinea pig for a drug that was meant to replace an amnesiac's personality with another one. Not a wipe or a replacement but where the original amnesia would be made permanent leaving the patient a clean slate ready for a new personality to be imprinted. The end result would be an entirely new person."
"If that HAD been possible, we would have heard about it," said Sean.
"Yeah, imagine the uses that an intelligence agency could devise for it," said Robert. "Molding an agent into exactly what's needed for a given mission again and again. That's just unnatural."
"Expediency is the mother of all invention," said Sean lightly.
"I can't help thinking of the poor sod who's losing their mind and life, like Eve."
"The greater good trumps the individual," said Sean.
"That's why I could never be a Bureau chief like you," said Robert. "I … I couldn't bring myself to believe that mantra completely especially when it creeps out of bounds a little too much for my own comfort."
"When I took my chief's oath, I took it to heart, and some people have said, to my soul," Sean admitted. "It is what it is, Robert. It's not good or evil. It just is."
"Doesn't mean I have to like it, does it?"
"You started at the Bureau a little later than most of us. You'd already graduated from the Melbourne Police Academy and was on the force. That early experience gave you a grounding, a moral one, that you've never really lost. It was an asset and a weakness in the Bureau," said Sean.
"Really?"
"It's the same thing hampering Frisco. He's a do-gooder like you," said Sean. "I always assigned you to cases where we were on the right side of the conflict because I knew you'd produce your best work. Or you'd do the odd dirty job but I always knew you held back just a bit."
"That obvious?" asked Robert.
"Body language can give anyone away. You never could disguise it as well as Anna or O'Reilly," said Sean.
"So, you gave Robert the good assignments and me the less than respectable ones? How nice of you," said Anna with dry amusement.
Sean looked at Anna. "I gave you the assignments that would bring out the best in you - the more adrenalin involved, the better you liked it. You had your qualms but you were always able to look at things a little bit more sideways than Robert. That's why you two were so good together. You complemented each others' strong and weak points. And, you two always made me look good. What more could I ask for?"
"What do you mean were a good team? We still are," protested Robert.
"Taking trips down memory lane isn't going to get us anywhere. Back to the matter at hand," said Anna impatiently looking at one man then the other. "Krieg died in Switzerland and, perhaps, he took the formula with him but I doubt it. The even more interesting part is that his death certificate was signed by a doctor Thibault Trigano," said Anna.
Robert continued, "When I questioned Renard way back when, he revealed that there was a doctor named Pascal Trigano at Beauchel who had treated Elena Cosgrove of all people."
"And, Faison's death certificate was signed by a doctor Thibault Trigano," said Anna.
"One occurrence of an uncommon name like Trigano is practically invisible. Two times is rare," said Robert. "But three times?"
"Yes, that would seem to be suspicious," said Sean.
"Two death certificates for two related men is also too much to be random," said Anna.
"Our little brain cells point towards you. You may have the missing pieces we need," said Robert. "You told us that you had cleaned up the evidence when you gave Faison his new life. How else to assure that the dead remain dead than to get rid of any witnesses or accomplices."
"I deny nothing that I did during that time period," said Sean hotly. "We couldn't all be boy scouts like you, good buddy."
"We're not here to rehash all that," said Anna placatingly. "We simply want more information about this doctor Trigano."
"There isn't much to tell. Thibault Trigano was one of our outliers. He provided medical assistance to WSB agents in the area and sometimes lent his expertise to us on specific cases. That's all," said Sean.
"And … ?" asked Robert.
"You're going to make me say it?" asked Sean standing up.
"I don't have time to play nice here. Just answer the question. It's not going beyond this room," said Robert.
"We're the last people to judge you. You KNOW that," said Anna.
Sean lapsed into a brooding silence. Anna and Robert waited him out.
"There were four people directly involved with Faison's death scenario. One was DVX, two were civilians and one was Thibault Trigano. At the time, Trigano was deemed too valuable for a final clean up. Instead, we … I assured his loyalty by procuring a research grant and funneled patients his way whenever I could," explained Sean. "I took care of the other three personally but Trigano lived. He founded what is today the Beauchel Health Institute. Rather apropos I thought. Blood money used to cure the sick."
"Oh, Sean," said Anna shaking her head.
"We do what we do and we … we try to forget what we can. After all this time, it's like an automatic defense mechanism," said Sean. "My job was to secure the safety of the Bureau and that's what I did. Can't have any loose cannons, can we?"
"You always liked things nice and neat," commented Robert.
"Yes, keeps things simple," admitted Sean. "I do have to point out something wrong with your chain of logic."
"What?" asked Anna.
"Some years later after the Faison affair but before I left the Bureau, I found out that Thibault was selling classified patient information to the DVX. Specifically information about our operatives when they stayed at Beauchel. The DVX had a clear field and I … the Bureau lost four good agents because of Trigano. I wanted his blood and I got it," confessed Sean.
"An eye for an eye," said Anna.
"With interest. I killed Thibault Trigano myself. I even sent flowers to his funeral," said Sean. "How could he have signed Krieg's death certificate?"
"Maybe a namesake son, a nephew or a cousin," said Robert. "This does explain somewhat about Pascal Trigano and Elena."
"What happened afterwards?" asked Anna.
"We took no actions against Trigano after his death. What would have been the point?"
"And no one else knew except you?" asked Robert. "About everything?"
Sean sighed. "Yes. None of it was ever documented. I just ordered a stoppage to sending operatives there. Let bygones be bygones."
"We can safely assume that Trigano's descendants continued with building up Beauchel. If the Triganos were on the DVX payroll, did the DVX take over Beauchel?" asked Anna.
"It's a possibility given the Elena angle," said Sean. "But I doubt it. Thibault was a cagey and wily fox. He didn't just skip corners, he reinvented new ones to get his way. The family would have sought to remain independent and legitimate."
"I wonder if there's a Doctor Thibault at the Foundation?" asked Anna. "Or on the board of directors of Beauchel."
"There are certain key words that keep swirling around this case and I'm getting queasy," observed Robert. "Faison, Trigano, Elena, DVX, Krieg and the Foundation. Can all of them have a connection that we're not seeing?"
Anna gasped causing the two men to look in her direction. "The Foundation could just be a larger version of Beauchel. A double front. It's logical. Build a small one and test it. When it passes, build a bigger building but keep the general concept."
"But someone would have to be consciously planning something THAT elaborate," chided Sean.
"There IS a mastermind. This just adds to his … his or her inventory," said Robert.
"You have someone in mind?" asked Sean.
"The same person that has always been on my short list - Elena Cosgrove," said Robert. "She is definitely capable of putting something like this together and executing on her vision. She's the one."
"If you insist," said Sean.
"You have someone else in mind?" asked Anna.
"Faison," replied Sean. "You may think he's neutralized but I KNOW that man. In a lot of ways, we're mirror images."
"He's rather busy being an author at large lately," said Robert.
"And if you don't suspect that that's just an act, then I got a bridge to sell you," said Sean. "My money is on Faison. Who's your guess, Anna?"
Anna thought for a moment. "I think you're both wrong. Given the timelines, this is a plan carried out not by one person but by generations."
Sean looked sharply at Anna. "You really think so?"
"It's a gut feeling. I have no real evidence to back it up with."Anna shook her head. "I don't know. The picture forming in my mind isn't a face. It's a cloud with … with little lights inside twinkling in different colors but all connected by very thin strands of thread."
"With one person controlling it. There always has to be one underlying central vision," said Robert.
"One person is needed to set and plan but not to execute. Once the … the lights are in place and connected then individual control isn't necessary. I don't even think it's possible," said Anna. "Multinational corporations aren't controlled by one individual. Local branches of the corporation have to have some autonomy. And, the actions of one division affects another somehow. There's stability but also unpredictability."
"You're saying we're up against a multinational?" asked Sean.
"I don't know. I'm seeing an interconnected cloud, that's all," said Anna. "I hope I'm wrong because it's much easier to take down one organization than dozens working in mysterious but potent concert with each other using one master plan. How do you win against that?"