His face was so close that she could examine his cool blue eyes. They were more than the icy crystalline that she always saw. His pupils were ringed with azure that lightened by degrees to cerulean and then to cornflower.
A slim cell phone on the mantel chirped and interrupted Viktoria’s musings. Was it news about Belkin?
Cody rose and reached for the phone. He sprinted for the bathroom with his jeans in hand. Viktoria followed his cue and re-dressed in the sweats.
“Hello?” Cody said from the other room. And then, “Sure.” He returned, wearing only his jeans. “Can you give me a minute, Viktoria?”
She was being banished? An ember of indignation sprang to life deep within her chest. She breathed deeply, snuffing it out. Cody had other cases, along with the rest of his life. Certainly a moment of privacy wasn’t too much to ask.
“No problem. I need to check on Gregory anyway.”
She rose from the sofa and headed for the stairs, turning to give one fleeting look into the living room. Cody stood by the fireplace, with the phone to his ear.
“Ian?” he said. “Sorry about that. I can talk now.”
His boss. The Brit. A new chill went down Viktoria’s spine. Without knowing why, she knew this call meant nothing but trouble—for all of them.
Chapter 11
“Cody,” said Ian. He sounded breathless. “I’m glad to finally ring through.” Without preamble, Ian Wallace continued, “This Colorado weather has wreaked havoc on so many levels, more than just your landline being down.”
As Cody listened, he lifted the house phone from the receiver. No dial tone. How could he have let himself become so preoccupied that he’d failed to notice that the phone service was down? All at once he felt like an ass for spending the morning taking pleasure in Viktoria’s body when he should have been solving the Belkin and Mateev problems.
Ian continued, “As bad as the weather is in the southern part of the state, it’s worse in the central Rockies—up here, near Denver, has been hit worst of all. Most of the passes through the mountains have been closed for hours.”
“Sounds awful,” said Cody, because it was, but really—what else was there to say? And yet, there had to be a reason for Ian’s call beyond a weather report.
Ian paused; the wait stretched out endlessly. While waiting, Cody shrugged into his sweater and shoved his boxers into the pocket of his jeans.
“The point I’m trying to make,” Ian said at last, “is that no one is able to arrest Belkin at the moment.”
Cody’s insides turned as icy as the wind that whipped the snowflakes into a frenzy. “I don’t understand,” he said.
“I talked to my contact in the CBI. There’s a great deal of interest in speaking with Belkin but for the time being, Colorado is under a state of emergency.”
Cody stared at the screen before putting the phone to his ear once more. “They want to speak with Belkin?” The name tasted sour. “Belkin arranged the kidnapping of a young boy and the attempted murder of his mother. What is there to speak about? Other than to ask if he wants a plea bargain or not?”
“I understand your frustration, Cody,” said Ian. He spoke in a soft voice meant to appease.
Cody was in no mood to be placated. He had been forced to kill a man—justifiably—but now the authorities wanted to simply speak with Belkin? “With all due respect, I doubt you do.”
“Samuels,” snapped Ian, suddenly all business, “control your passions, man.”
Cody clenched the slim phone as his arm ached with desire to throw the mobile across the room. In his mind’s eye, he saw it shattering in a spray of glass and plastic as it hit the opposite wall. Then it would be as if he and Viktoria and Gregory were truly alone and safely ensconced in a snow globe. That fantasy fix to a very real problem calmed Cody a bit and he managed to mumble, “What do you need me to do now?”
“This is a complicated situation, you understand. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation did find the cabin,” said Ian. He paused. “But the entire structure was burned. It looks like faulty wiring and gas from the stove.”
In an instant, Cody knew that the shooter who had been left behind was the arsonist. A true professional, he’d wiped away every trace that they had ever been in the cabin. So much for finding any evidence that would corroborate their story.
Ian continued, “When they arrived, there was nothing beyond embers and ashes.”
“And no body? No bullets?”
“Just a charred shell of the cabin. It’s not that the fire won’t be investigated, just not now. First, it’s impossible. Over a meter and a half of snow fell last night. The only thing the highway patrol is worried about is keeping the main roads clear.”
“What about Sheriff Benjamin?” When confronted by the CBI, Ray would have confessed.
“There’s a problem with that, too. Sheriff Benjamin is dead.”
Cody gritted his teeth and quietly cursed. “What happened?”
“The official version is that he accidentally shot himself while servicing his revolver.”
“And the unofficial story?”
“Sheriff Benjamin’s injury was purposely self-inflicted. They have video from his office.”
Cody shook his head. He could just picture Ray Benjamin—drunk, morose, guilt ridden. Maybe he thought that suicide was the only way out. “Did he leave a note?”
“None that’s been found so far.”
“That means there’s no mention of his dealing with Belkin or the Mateevs.”
“No.”
Another death because of the Mateevs. Sure, Ray Benjamin had been weak, but he’d been pushed and enticed by Belkin. He grunted a reply.
“I’m not your enemy, Cody. I know that Peter Belkin is bad news, and that the Mateev family is worse. It’s simply that at this moment, there is no irrefutable evidence connecting Belkin to any of these crimes.”
“Gregory remembers Belkin from the car. The bastard even drugged the kid.”
“A child aged, what, four? Will never testify. And if he did his testimony would easily be explained away as a child’s faulty memory, especially if a sedative was administered.”
“Thank you for the update.” Cody managed to sound civil, although he wanted to yell. “If you hear more, you’ll call?”
“Just one more thing,” said Ian. “There is a problem with Mrs. Mateev.”
“Viktoria?”
“As far as the authorities in Colorado are concerned she is still wanted by the state of New York for her flight from justice.” Ian’s words became hollow and faint. “Again, this blasted storm has made it impossible for her to be picked up by the police, but I assured them that you would be responsible for her until they arrived.”
Cody’s gut tightened once more. How was he supposed to tell Viktoria that it was she who was wanted by law enforcement and not Belkin? More than that, he was to be her captor, her Judas. He couldn’t be that duplicitous. Hell, the taste of her still lingered on his lips.
From upstairs came the sounds of voices—Viktoria’s soft and soothing along with Gregory’s, high-pitched and excited. Cody could not have this conversation with them in the room.
“Anything else?” Cody barely kept the disappointment and hostility from his tone.
“You tell me,” said Ian. His voice held an icy bite that cooled some of the fury burning in Cody’s chest.
“I told you everything that happened last night.”
“No, not last night, before then. You built a case that involved the Mateev family while at the DEA. Did you keep a case file? Perhaps Viktoria Mateev can be of some use?”
“I did keep a case file,” Cody explained, “and showed Viktoria what I had. She knew nothing of Lucas Mateev’s family. Less than nothing, really.”
“Pity,”
said Ian. “I’d love to nail those bastards to the wall. Stay where you are, Cody. The CBI will be in touch.”
Cody looked out the window. Snowdrifts touched the bottom of the sill and fat flakes still fell quickly from the sky. And just like the fantasy of being in a snow globe, Viktoria, Gregory and Cody were trapped. “I’m not sure I have any choice,” he said.
“I wish I had better news for you.”
Viktoria’s and Gregory’s voices and footfalls from the stairs were unmistakable. “So do I,” he said as he ended the call.
Viktoria came into view and Cody tossed the phone on the kitchen counter.
“Everything okay?” she said. Taking a seat at the kitchen table, she tilted her chin toward the phone. Gregory climbed into his mother’s lap and leaned his head into her shoulder.
The Madonna and Child, Cody thought. It was a fitting image for Christmas Eve.
Cody took a deep breath. He was torn about what he would and would not tell Viktoria. She had a right to know that Belkin had not been taken into custody and moreover that she was a wanted woman. At the same time, neither fact needed to be addressed now. Besides, it was Christmas Eve. Did he really want to ruin the remnant of her holiday with devastating news?
“That was my boss. Apparently, there’s a lot of snow out there and no one is going anywhere unless it’s an emergency—even the Colorado State Patrol is stretched thin. It might not be until later today or tomorrow before anyone can get to Belkin.” He stopped there. Hadn’t he sworn to protect Viktoria? Didn’t that also mean he should try to shield her from any more unpleasant truths?
“That’s disappointing,” she said; her voice was small.
“Belkin?” asked Gregory, fear creeping into his tone. “Is he the bad man who took me from Mommy?”
“One of them,” said Cody.
“But, Belkin was the man in charge. I remember when...” Gregory bit his bottom lip.
“You remember what?” Viktoria asked. Her voice held a breathless tinge of panic. Cody could well imagine what horrible scenarios might race through the mind of a mother whose son had been kidnapped.
Gregory looked down.
Cody knelt to eye level with the kid. “It’s okay, Gregory. You can tell us. You’re safe now. I’m not going to let those bad men bother you ever again.”
Gregory drew in a deep breath and nodded. “I know that I am supposed to keep hands to myself and use my words if I get mad, but I hit that man—Belkin.” He swung out in a wild punch. “I kicked him in the arm, too. I was real mad and real scared. I didn’t know if I’d ever see my mommy again.” Tears pooled in the boy’s eyes.
“It’s okay, Captain Kiddo.” Viktoria stroked her son’s head.
“Do you think,” asked Gregory, “that Santa will put me on the naughty list for hitting the bad man?”
“I am sure you will stay on the nice list, Gregory.” Cody mussed the kid’s hair. “It’s Peter Belkin who will get coal in his stocking.”
Belkin—and his boss, Nikolai Mateev—had ruined enough lives and had to be stopped. All the same, Cody imagined that Belkin would weasel out of his legal troubles. If only there was some way to shine a light on all the ugly things Belkin hid.
He paused, the idea stopping him in his tracks.
“I know what we can do,” said Cody as he rushed to his storage room that stood next to his kitchen.
“What we can do for what?” Viktoria called after him.
“We can use the laptop,” Cody yelled back. He rummaged under the bags of Christmas gifts to access his rudimentary hiding place for Peter Belkin’s computer. “I have it,” he said as he returned holding the slim silver rectangle. “There has to be something on this,” he said.
Viktoria stood. “I might not know everything, or anything, about law enforcement—but don’t we need a warrant to look on someone’s computer? If we go to court, won’t a defense lawyer say that we planted evidence? The Mateevs are smart, and have access to lots of technology that they’ll use in court. They did it to me once before, remember.”
“Technically speaking, you’re right. Although if this case goes to court then a reasonable programmer will be able to tell what documents were created or changed and when.”
“Beyond a reasonable doubt? Isn’t that the threshold for proof under the law?”
“If Belkin wanted me to be a slave to the law, then he shouldn’t have ruined my career with the DEA,” Cody snapped.
Viktoria grabbed Cody by the sleeve and pulled him into the living area, away from Gregory and the kitchen table. “Is that what all this is about?” she hissed. “Retribution for your lost career?”
Her question was a slap in the face. Didn’t she see how he was trying to help her? Beneath the roar of thoughts in his head came a small idea—like a whisper. Who was he trying to serve? Or worse yet, would he have become involved if Viktoria wasn’t a Mateev, and therefore a way to clear his name? Cody’s jaw ached.
“I want these guys as badly as you do, but I also don’t want to create a legal loophole for Belkin to slither through,” she said.
“You’re right, but it’s evidence we need.”
Viktoria exhaled. “Give me a minute.”
Cody gave her a nod, and grabbed the laptop before returning to the living room. After sitting on the sofa, he placed the computer on the coffee table and lifted the lid.
Viktoria set out a plate of cookies and icing for Gregory, along with a warning about eating too many sweets.
With his interest divided between the laptop’s home screen and the kitchen, Cody powered up the computer.
The computer’s screen was a stock image of a hardwood forest at the peak of autumnal color. Along the bottom ran the most used applications. Photos. Documents. Presentations. Text Messages. Calendar. Email. Internet Search Engine. Games. Along with several others that Cody didn’t recognize.
Viktoria stood behind Cody and leaned over the back of the sofa. Her hair was loose and a tendril fell over her shoulder. Cody longed to touch the silky strands. Instead he turned his gaze back to the laptop. He wanted to shield Viktoria from the truth, but he also knew that for her to understand his desperation, she needed to know all the facts.
“The Colorado Bureau of Investigation went to the cabin,” he said. “There was a fire that consumed the cabin. With all the snow, they didn’t have a chance to search the site.”
She sucked in a breath, looking quickly over at Gregory to make sure he was intent upon his icing and not paying attention to the discussion. Cody hoped she was okay, too, because his news was about to get worse.
“And Sheriff Benjamin committed suicide, although it’s being called an accident.”
“Dear God, no.”
Cody turned in his seat. He looked into Viktoria’s deep brown eyes and hated himself for what he was about to say next. “An attempted kidnapping is a serious crime, but neither of us saw Belkin at your cabin. Moreover, the cabin’s gone. Because no evidence can be collected right now—Belkin isn’t exactly wanted for anything.”
Viktoria recoiled, as if slapped.
“There’s more.” Cody reached for her hand. It was ice-cold and he wrapped it in his own. Just stick to the facts. His lifelong adage felt as hollow as he feared it would at that moment. “Listen, there’s a lot to be sorted out. But, New York State’s Child Protective Services continues to be involved.”
“After all of this and I’m still the one who’s wanted?”
Viktoria’s voice had risen and she immediately looked over her shoulder at her son. Gregory, kneeling on a kitchen chair, paid her no mind and continued to spread icing on his cookies.
“All of this,” Viktoria whispered and rolled her hand around as if indicating Cody’s entire home. “Bringing Gregory to Colorado. Shooting our way out of my cabin. Breaking into the
realtor’s office just to find my son. All of this could be for nothing?”
Cody tightened his grip on her hand and quelled an unreasonable fear that she might slip away.
“It is not for nothing. We’re together. A team.”
“You say that...” she began.
He gestured to the laptop. “I refuse to give up, although it makes me nervous that there was no password. A smart guy like Belkin wouldn’t leave damning information on a computer that anyone could get into. We didn’t search his house. There could very easily be another device we missed.”
Viktoria rounded to the other side of the sofa and sat next to Cody. She pulled the laptop toward them. “Let’s see what Belkin has on his hard drive.”
Using the built-in mouse, Cody opened each application. They found nothing of importance in the documents, emails or pictures Belkin had stored. He had several presentations saved, but none would have been considered criminal—unless being boring was a crime. The only thing that Cody found interesting was that Belkin had several game icons, none of which were well played, except one.
“I don’t know,” said Cody, moving the computer so that Viktoria could get a better look. “The most interesting thing might be his level on Angry Birds. He’s up to two hundred and two. Sounds impressive.”
Viktoria leaned back and laced her fingers behind her head. “If this computer is all we have by which to judge him, Peter Belkin looks pretty ordinary. And we know, he’s anything but.”
Cody opened the documents again. “There has to be something here. He was working on this computer when we came to rescue Gregory. It was so special that he had to be alone to have it out. Unless he doesn’t want his hired thugs to know what an Angry Birds fanatic he is. Really, who has the time to get to that level of a game?”
Viktoria scooted next to Cody. “Open up Angry Birds again.”
He double-clicked the application. A big red bird with bushy black eyebrows filled the screen. He flew through the air, Superman-style, with one arm tucked into his chest and the other extended in front of him. In the background were other varieties of cartoon birds, green pigs and castles made of gray stone blocks.
Her Rocky Mountain Hero Page 13