Les Nautoniers/Grand Masters

 

Jean de Gisors

1188‑1220

Marie de Saint‑Clair

1220‑1266

Guillaume de Gisors

1266‑1307

Edouard de Bar

1307‑1336

Jeanne de Bar

1336‑1351

Jean de Saint‑Clair

1351‑1366

Blance D'Evreux

1366‑1398

Nicolas Flamel

1398‑1418

Rene D'Anjou

1418‑1480

Iolande de Bar

1480‑1483

Sandro Botticelli

1483‑1510

Leonardo da Vinci

1510‑1519

Connetable de Bourbon

1519‑1527

Ferdinand de Gonzaque

1527‑1575

Louis de Nevers

1575‑1595

Robert Fludd

1595‑1637

J. Valentin Andrea

1637‑1654

Robert Boyle

1654‑1691

Isaac Newton

1691‑1727

Charles Radclyffe

1727‑1746

Charles de Lorraine

1746‑1780

Maximilian de Lorraine

1780‑1801

Charles Nodier

1801‑1844

Victor Hugo

1844‑1885

Claude Debussy

1885‑1918

Jean Cocteau

1918‑1963

 

Prieure de Sion? Collet wondered.

“Lieutenant?” Another agent stuck his head in. “The switchboard has an urgent call for Captain Fache, but they can’t reach him. Will you take it?”

Collet returned to the kitchen and took the call.

It was Andre Vernet.

The banker’s refined accent did little to mask the tension in his voice. “I thought Captain Fache said he would call me, but I have not yet heard from him.”

“The captain is quite busy,” Collet replied. “May I help you?”

“I was assured I would be kept abreast of your progress tonight.”

For a moment, Collet thought he recognized the timbre of the man’s voice, but he couldn’t quite place it. “Monsieur Vernet, I am currently in charge of the Paris investigation. My name is Lieutenant Collet.”

There was a long pause on the line. “Lieutenant, I have another call coming in. Please excuse me. I will call you later.” He hung up.

For several seconds, Collet held the receiver. Then it dawned on him. I knew I recognized that voice! The revelation made him gasp.

The armored car driver.

With the fake Rolex.

Collet now understood why the banker had hung up so quickly. Vernet had remembered the name Lieutenant Collet—the officer he blatantly lied to earlier tonight.

Collet pondered the implications of this bizarre development. Vernet is involved. Instinctively, he knew he should call Fache. Emotionally, he knew this lucky break was going to be his moment to shine.

He immediately called Interpol and requested every shred of information they could find on the Depository Bank of Zurich and its president, Andre Vernet.