This special edition of The Calvi Parallax contains previously unpublished chapters and as a bonus includes The Continuance Epilogues that follow two of the book’s main characters Alex Bale and Gianfranco Molinari.
The Calvi Parallax.
In June 1982 with the Argentine forces defeated in the Falklands, disgraced Italian banker Roberto Calvi is found hanging from scaffolding under Blackfriars Bridge London his pockets with wads of cash. Known widely as Gods Banker due to his close ties with The Vatican he had been on the run for three days as his bank collapsed with millions of dollars missing.
Thirty years later the deaths of two British men in Rome, Father Nick Bale and journalist Tom Davies, once again spark interest into the machinations of Calvi and The Vatican. Investigator Gianfranco Molinari finds himself immersed in a murky world of corrupt geo-political power-brokers, politicians, bankers and clergy where his closet ally is a playboy gangster. The arrival of Alex Bale, the grief stricken priest’s brother intent on revenge, only complicates Molinari`s investigation. Threatened by the sinister Orsini from Italy’s AISE Molinari juggles the investigation with his own chaotic life. Alex Bale becomes an uncontrollable force as he races around Europe intent on tracing the hired assassin Arlo Negri via the shadowy underworld facilitator known as The Belgian. Hungover and dishevelled Molinari is summoned to the Ministry of Justice where to the dismay of his boss, Brigadier-General Reiti, he is handed an emergency investigative warrant and access to seemingly limitless resources. Distracted by the amorous Justice Minister, Antonia Ginosa, Molinari uncovers a power struggle taking place within the Vatican between the moderates supporting the new pontiff led by his friend Archbishop A`mer Barjat and a right-wing fundamentalist group calling themselves La Sapiniere. The race to the truth is littered with lies, deceit, duplicity and death. To find the truth Molinari must first understand the parallax.
Will the truth lead to the money or will the money lead to the truth?
Continuance: Alex Bale
On his return to London after the events in Rome Alex Bale finds himself the subject of ever increasing surveillance from MI5. The landscape of Alex’s relationship with Helen changed forever the moment she told him of her pregnancy. The two of them are happy and content; Alex with work, and the now heavily pregnant Helen overseeing the construction work at their new family home in Holland Park. The euphoria and excitement that accompanied Alex’s understanding of Nick’s code outside the Etihad Stadium has calmed and replaced by apprehension and caution in anything linked to the events in Rome. Over the past few weeks Alex’s company UniSec has become the focus of unwanted attention from a persistent investor. The Cirrus hedge fund has made several approaches through the respected London law firm Clayton Bloodworth, headed by the suave Dorian Clark. Intrigued at the ever-increasing offers Alex Bale and Matt Taylor head to Zurich to meet with the head of Cirrus.
Continuance: Arlo Negri
After leaving the chaos he has created in Rome Arlo Negri receives a message from his corrupt business partner and lawyer, Miles Chandler. Two thugs looking for Arlo Negri by name have wrecked Chandler’s office and viciously beaten him and his staff. Arlo Negri must hunt down Carsten Koepke, a viscous white supremacist who controls the doors in Boston’s vibrant bars and clubs.
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