Chapter 27 Chapter Twenty-Five

The American embassy in Paris is housed in a complex on an avenue north of the Champs-Elysées.This three-acre piece of land is considered US territory, which means that people on this land are subject to the same laws and protections as those on US soil. The embassy's evening operator was reading the international edition of Time magazine when the phone rang. "U.S. Embassy," she answered the phone. "Good evening," said the caller in English with a French accent. "I need some help." The man's words were polite, but his tone was curt and official. "I was told that you have voicemail on your phone's automated system. My name is Langdon. Unfortunately, I forgot my three-digit code to access voicemail. If you could help me, I would be very grateful gratitude."

The operator stood there in bewilderment. "I'm sorry, sir. Your voicemail must have been a long time ago. That system was taken down two years ago as a security precaution, and all the codes are five-digit numbers. Who told you there was a voicemail?" " "You don't have a telephone automated system?" "No, sir. The information is taken down by our service department. May I have your name again?" The man hung up the phone. Bezu Fache paced the banks of the Seine without saying a word.He clearly saw Langdon dial a local area code, key in a three-digit password, and then answer the recorded message.If Langdon hadn't called the embassy, ​​who had he called?

Looking at his phone, Fache suddenly realized that the answer was in his hands.Langdon made the call from my cell phone. Fache opened the phone's menu, brought up the recently dialed number, and found the number Langdon had dialed. A Paris exchange, followed by the three-digit code 454. Fache redialed the number.The bell rang, and Fache waited. Finally, a woman's voice came from the other end of the phone. "Hello, Sophie Neveu." It was a recorded message, "I'm not in,..." When Fache dialed 4...5...4 again, he felt his blood boil.