THE TEAM ARRIVED TO FIND Mother already waiting in front of the ornate black-and-gold gates of the Palais de Justice. Brooklyn had texted him the code “pancake,” and rather than a time, simply wrote, “NOW!” The first thing he noticed was that one team member was missing.
“Where’s Kat?” he asked urgently. “Did something happen?”
“She’s fine,” Paris assured him. “Everyone’s fine. She said she had to take care of something and disappeared right after Sinclair announced the ten finalists.”
“Did you make it?” Mother asked.
“Of course we did,” Sydney said confidently. “But so did Kinloch Abbey.”
“That’s fine, just make sure neither one of you finishes in the top five,” he said. “So, what’s the emergency?”
“Let’s mix in with the tourists,” suggested Paris. “We’ll explain it all.”
The Palais de Justice was located on the Île de la Cité, an island in the middle of the Seine in the heart of the city. It was popular with tourists, and the five of them blended in with the endless stream of visitors.
Paris told him about the men in the computer lab whom he recognized from the scene of the fire. This information brought Mother to a sudden halt.
“It’s been five years,” he said. “Are you certain it’s them?”
“One hundred percent,” replied Paris. “It’s not something you forget.”
“Did you get any pictures?” he asked. “I’d recognize the ones who tied me up.”
“No pictures,” Sydney said. “They confiscate our phones while we’re in the building.”
“Well, if you’re certain, then I’m certain,” Mother said. “So what do we know?”
“We know that at least three members of Umbra have infiltrated the security force at Sinclair Scientifica,” said Rio. “And not just any positions. We’re talking Stavros Sinclair’s personal bodyguards and someone high up—maybe even the head of security.”
“What if Umbra is the Purple Thumb?” asked Sydney. “And every year they attack Sinclair Scientifica to send a message.”
“And now?” asked Paris.
“Now, when they want to send the ultimate message, their own people are responsible for ‘protecting’ Stavros,” she said.
“It’s possible,” said Mother. “But I learned something I didn’t have a chance to tell you yet.”
“What?” asked Brooklyn.
“The paintings I used five years ago to lure Le Fantôme … the Monets.”
“What about them?” asked Sydney.
“I saw them yesterday in Stavros Sinclair’s private collection,” answered Mother.
“Didn’t they burn in the fire?” asked Brooklyn.
“Not necessarily,” said Paris. “Two of the men loaded boxes into one of the cars right before the fire started. Those might have held the paintings.”
“And now they belong to Stavros Sinclair,” said Sydney. “How?”
“Umbra could have sold them to him,” said Mother.
“Tru said Umbra and Sinclair were doing business together,” said Rio.
“But there’s a simpler explanation,” Mother said. “One that would also explain why Umbra is providing Sinclair’s security.”
Brooklyn looked up, amazed when she realized what he was suggesting. “Stavros Sinclair is Le Fantôme.”
“If I had to bet,” Mother replied, “I’d bet on that.”
“Which means Sinclair Scientifica is just a massive corporate cover for Umbra,” Sydney reasoned. “They’re both giant multinational operations. They can use the legitimate businesses to launder money from the criminal enterprises. And they can use illegal intimidation to eliminate competitors for the business.”
“There are a lot of maybes,” said Mother, “but the pieces fit.”
“What do we do next?” asked Brooklyn.
“I was on my way to revisit Sinclair’s private collection when I got your text,” he said. “If I hurry, I can still make my appointment. Maybe I can learn something new.”
Just then everyone’s phones vibrated, signaling the arrival of a group text from Kat. It was a selfie of her in front of an Indian restaurant with the message, If you want to hack into the mainframe, meet me here as fast as you can. AND MAKE SURE TO BRING RIO!!
“Finally, someone recognizes my value,” Rio said.
“I’ll go with you,” Mother said to them.
“No,” answered Paris. “You should go to your appointment. Getting you close to Sinclair’s collection gets you close to Sinclair, which means getting you close to Le Fantôme. We can handle the hack.”
There wasn’t time to debate, so Mother just agreed. “Fine,” he said. “You go. But text me the instant you get out safely. No matter what time it is. Send a smiley emoji if you’re successful and a frowny one if you’re not. Either way, I’ll meet you at the North Pillar of the Eiffel Tower, and we’ll decide what we’re going to do tomorrow.”