difficult to qualify. But even without knowing a motive, we can still narrow down our suspect list.”
“A list that will include anyone assigned to oversee a small portion of the cathedral,” Romero said. “Small enough that ensuring all but a few people remained unaware of his deviation from the approved plan—and that it would stay undetected.”
“An artisan,” Bramante said. “Of which there were many who worked on the cathedral, although I think we are safe in restricting our sample to those who worked on the project prior to 1510. After that, much of the work involved finishing and cosmetic touches.”
Esperanza leaned back in her chair and released a sigh. “That still gives us more than a hundred years to sift through.”
“A task that might be easier than you think,” Bramante said.
Without waiting for a reply, he rose and left the room, returning less than a minute later carrying an enormous leather-bound book. Sitting, he placed the book on his lap and opened it to the index.
“I maintain a variety of resources that help me with challenging appraisals,” he said as he scanned the index. “This monstrosity of a book is the most exhaustive I’ve ever found that lists artists dating all the way back to the seventh century, as well as biographies, notable works, and, important in this case, countries of origin.”
He opened the book somewhere in the middle and began flipping through the pages. Espy and Romero remained silent as he landed on a page and began reading it. He flipped one more page and then, with a satisfied smile, beckoned his guests to step over to his chair and take a look for themselves.
“There have been a number of artists of varying types who came from the area we now call Libya,” he said. “You have to remember that at one time northern Africa was home to a number of Greek colonies, and much of what they brought with them in terms of sculpture, painting, and construction techniques remained long after the colonies disappeared.”
As Espy looked over the Italian’s shoulder, she saw a list of perhaps thirty names, a quick scan telling her that she was not familiar with all of them. However, she suspected that by reviewing the birth and death data next to each, they could begin to narrow the list down a bit.
“Our first step is to find out which of these would have been alive during the time period we identified,” Bramante said. “Then, if we’re lucky, there will be some mention of one of them having paid Milan a visit.”
Esperanza understood that it was a big if. She also understood that if they failed to find a name on the list that could be tied to the cathedral, they would be back to square one. She felt herself sinking into a darker mood and it took her a few minutes to identify the cause. When she and Romero had decided to drive to Vigevano, she’d been hoping that Bramante would provide them with some magical piece of information that would tie things together for them. She’d forgotten the hard work necessary to make the connections.
With that in mind, she shrugged off her disappointment and joined Bramante and Romero in poring over the list.
20
The sheer size of Milan Cathedral was enough to make even someone as travel-seasoned as Espy pause in a spot from which she could view it in its entirety. In her lifetime Espy had witnessed some truly remarkable sights. This was different, however. Standing with her brother and staring up in awe at the majestic cathedral, it did something to her—made her wonder at the human spirit, the creativity and persistence it took to raise up something so grand. She suspected her brother felt the same way, though he’d spent the last half hour distracted, complaining about his empty stomach.
As if to lend credence to that thought, Romero shuffled on feet that had to be as tired as Espy’s own and said, “As much as I admire your on-again, off-again beau—and this remarkable building—I have to warn you that I have only a certain amount of reserve to expend before I abandon the entire enterprise and go hunting for the rarest piece of red meat in the area.”
There was nothing exaggerated about the statement; Espy knew her brother well enough to understand that when presented with a task, he would work for hours without complaint. Yet when his circumstances called for aimless wandering, his stomach often held sway.
“We have a good