Tooth and Claw (The Harry Russo Diaries Book 2) by Lisa Emme Page B

but
Bryce managed it.
    “Okay, okay. Astound us, oh Font of Information.” I bowed
with a little flourish of my hand to the computer, which was a wasted gesture
now that I think of it because Bryce couldn’t see us, not unless he had a
webcam set up somewhere. Actually, I wouldn’t put it past him; he’d become a
real voyeur since shedding the old mortal coil.
    “ All right then. Prepare to be astounded .” The
monitor suddenly displayed a black and white reproduction of a portrait of a
man. It looked like it could have been something from the 1700’s. The man in
the portrait reminded me of George Washington.
    “ The Count Saint-Germaine was a philosopher and occultist
believed to have been born in the late 1600s. Later, when he was in his late
80’s and still looked like he was in his 30’s, he claimed to be over five
hundred years old. He is believed to have been known by many of the most
famous figures of European history: Voltaire, Casanova, Madame de Pompadour,
Catherine the Great and King Louis XV, Anton Mesmer; they are all said to have
been linked to the Count. ”
    Bryce’s male Siri voice droned on while several other
pictures flashed on the screen.
    “ It was believed at the time that Saint-Germaine had discovered
the ‘elixir of life’ and he capitalized on that belief by seeking benefactors
in order to set up a laboratory to reproduce the elixir. He was eventually
bank-rolled by a German royal named Prince Charles of Hesse-Kassel who was
known for his interest in mysticism and was a member of several secret
societies. ”
    “So the perfect patsy for his con,” Tess mused.
    “ More than likely ,” Bryce replied. “ Hesse-Kassel
set Saint-Germaine up with a laboratory somewhere in the Schleswig region of
Germany. Saint-Germaine managed to bilk the Prince out of a good portion of
the family inheritance before disappearing in a mysterious explosion that
destroyed his laboratory. He was never seen again , or at least not
until 1970 when some guy named Richard Chanfray appeared on French television
claiming to be Saint-Germaine. ”
    “But what does that have to do with my mystery man? Is he
this Chanfray guy? Are you suggesting that he’s Saint-Germaine?” I asked.
    “ Chanfray disappeared in 1983. Apparently he committed
suicide but the body was never found ,” replied Bryce.
    Another series of pictures flashed on the screen, including
a picture of the ring I had seen the mystery man wearing.
    “Hey, that’s the ring!” I said excitedly.
    “ It is worn by members of the Society of Montferrat.
Supposedly, they are a secret fraternity of men who believe Saint-Germaine’s
claims and have dedicated themselves to re-discovering his elixir.”
    “But Saint-Germaine was more than likely a fraud.” Tess
shook her head. “Where did you find all this?”
    “ Mostly on the regular old web, but I found some
legitimate chatter about the Society on the Deepnet,” Bryce replied,
referring to the Dark Net or hidden criminal side of the internet. “These
guys are for real,” Bryce continued. “They have chapters all around the
world. But wait, I haven’t got to the best part yet. ” Another picture, a
much more modern portrait this time, appeared on the screen.
    “Hey, that’s him. That’s the man I saw at the funeral.”
    “ This is Douglas Bellemare, President and CEO of
Bellemare Industries. He’s also Grand Master of the Society of Montferrat and he claims to be a descendant
of Count Saint-Germaine .”
    “Wow, good job Bryce. This is incredible.” He had given me
a lot to think about. Like what a secret society had to do with missing
werewolves and whether there was a connection to the death of two young,
apparently healthy, men.

    ***

    The next day I called Nash to give him the information that
Bryce had uncovered. He seemed interested enough in the stuff about Count
Saint-Germaine, but the name of the mystery man was old news to him.
    “I found out the man’s name last