HD66: Search for a cure or a killer?

by Babs Carryer

  “I’m in Russia, Brie.”

  I bump into my car and drop my phone. Struggling to pick it up, I drop my crutches. “Straler, don’t hang up,” I shout hoping that he can hear me as my purse flies open and its contents scatter. I gather what I can and bumble into my seat. I wait, catching my breath.

  Straler takes my silence as disapproving. “Brie, I couldn’t tell you. First of all, it could be dangerous. Secondly, you’re in no condition to traipse around a foreign country. But there was work to be done here. I’ve found a few things out.”

  “Like what?” I know that I sound sullen, but I can’t help it. He doesn’t need me, didn’t want me, and he’s having the adventure and excitement.

  “OK, listen. Are you somewhere where you can take notes?” I slam shut my car door and get out my dog-eared notebook. Searching for a pen I switch him to speaker phone.

  “Yes, I’m in my car. Alone. I have a notebook and pen at the ready.”

  “Great, Brie, here’s what’s going down. Boris was not just involved in the Russia equivalent of the Mafia, Brie. He was involved in all kinds of activity. As I did some digging with Interpol, I uncovered that Boris was actually an agent for the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation.”

  “He was a spy?”

  “Not exactly, but pretty close. Boris started with internal affairs handling domestic issues. He graduated to become an undercover agent in the Russian Mafia, which is actually called the Bratva, or Brotherhood – fitting don’t you think? Anyway, he had access to information and activities because of this. Apparently, his science background was part of the cover up, particularly for drugs – both legal and illegal. Of course there were other areas where he had a hand, but he focused largely on the drug trade. He seemed to be profiting on both sides. I didn’t get the full story. What I did get however, is that he was turned.”

  “You mean for us? Like he was a double agent?”

  “Exactly. Brie, you were playing with fire having him around Quixotic. Of course, none of you knew. At least that’s the assumption, right? But we know that Boris was in thick with Popov Brothers, who are of course part of the Bratva. He was really in the U.S. working ostensibly for the American side, but he still had ties to the activities in Russia. I couldn’t tell, but he might have been trying to be a triple agent. If so, it didn’t work. Once he surfaced, the Bratva knew where he was. That’s why he needed to disappear.”

  My mind is humming. “Do you think that they killed Errol?”

  “Very possibly, I don’t know. What I do know is that they killed Boris.”

  “Do you know why?”

  “WE,” he replies, emphasizing the word, “will probably never know the full story. But I can guess. Before I tell you my thoughts, what do you think?” Is he being patronizing?

  “Well, at the risk of sounding like a television show, I think that he probably just knew too much, that they didn’t trust him, and that he was a potential threat to them. They had to eliminate him.”

  “Exactly, Detective Prince.” Straler chuckles at the other end of the line.

  I giggle with relief. “Yes, sir!”

  “Let’s talk about Popov Brothers. What did you find out on your call? I am going to make a surprise visit to their office after I talk with you.”

  I relay the essence of the conversation about Pyotr, how he is dead, and how the other brothers didn’t ‘fess up to knowing anything about their brother’s criminal activities. I tell him that they didn’t like Boris and that they told us they had no contact with him. I add that they told us that Boris was afraid of Pyotr, that he thought that Pyotr might have killed Errol. But it can’t have been Pyotr, so they said, because Pyotr had died before the murder happened.

  “That’s great information. I’ll find out more when I visit them. That’s why I came here. We have to have boots on the ground to get our questions answered. I’ll let you know.” And he signs off just like that. Some guys have all the fun.

  Chapter 39

  April 10

  My leg hurts, and it takes me a long time to get to the office. As soon as I get off the elevator, I see Gigi walking towards me. She is waving, no, she is gesturing, commanding. “Come here,” she mouths at me.

  But Jim strides past her determinedly and takes my arm. In a whisper he says, “Brie, come with me. It’s important.” He ushers me down the hall. I look back at Gigi. I don’t mean to ignore her, but I have no choice. She glowers at me, her eyes piercing darts.

  As we make our way slowly to Jim’s office, I start to tell him about Straler. He shakes his head at me and puts his finger to his lips. The hallway seems impossibly long but we end up in Jim’s corner office. Funny I never registered that Jim and Matt have the two corner offices on this side of the building. Gigi’s is much smaller and in the middle. As we enter Jim’s office, I see a man in a gray suit standing and looking out of the window. There is something familiar about him but I don’t recall that we have met. Until he opens his mouth. “And this must be our dear Miss Brianna.”

  I lean on my crutches and peer at the man. I know the voice. “Mr. Popov?” It’s Alexei from Popov Brothers. I have to put a hand to my mouth to hide the laughter that is welling up. Oh my gosh, Straler is in Russia, and the Russian is in Pittsburgh! Alexei seems to think that I am shocked, and he immediately moves towards me.

  “Brianna, please do not be alarmed. Come in and sit. I have much to discuss with you and Quixotic.” They help me ease into a chair, and they join me at the small round table in front of Jim’s desk.

  I know that I need to listen to Alexei as he talks, but I am wondering where Straler is at this moment. What time is it in Russia? When will he actually be popping in to Alexei’s office? Popping in to the Popovs? Oh, it’s too much. I try hard to hide my laugh. Alexei looks at me quizzically. Jim frowns. I stifle my laugh as Alexei continues. But my mind is with Straler in Russia. Should I tell Alexei that Straler is coming? Will Grigorii be there, and will Straler be able to talk to him? Will we get the truth from either of them? There is a buzzing in my ears, in my head. I wince. Jim looks at me with concern.

  “I’m OK. Just a bit surprised. And I’m still having some trouble, physically, I mean.”

  “We very sorry to hear of your accident,” Alexei says. “But that why I am here. I not want to say over phone. I need to say in person.”

  Jim pours coffee that has somehow magically appeared. I take a sip. Alexei puts three giant spoons of sugar into his and stirs it, studying me. “Continue, Mr. Popov.” Jim says softly.

  “Call me Alexei, please. And yes, I continue. Boris Zokshin we know for many years. We thought he no have contact with us anymore. He come to U.S. Finished, we thought. But he was not finished. Not with Pyotr. Boris, he work here with Errol. He know that we want Parkinson’s drug. Pyotr want this very much to control distribution in Russia and other areas. He no get along with Errol, but he has Boris. We invest for right reason – we want to help commercialize this drug. We want to help family who have Parkinson’s. And we want to help others. But Pyotr he have other ideas. He threaten Boris to reveal him to Bratva. That why Boris have to leave.”

  I stay silent. I don’t want him to know what I already know. At the same time, the man has clearly traveled half way around the world to tell us something important. I clear my throat and look at my hands for a minute. Alexei drinks his coffee in noisy gulps. Jim sits absolutely still looking at each of us in turn.

  “I know this.” Looking at Jim I continue, “Detective Henrik has done some digging into Boris and told me about the Bratva. That’s the Russian equivalent of the Mafia. It means Brotherhood.”

  Alexei looks at me in surprise. “Brianna, you very smart. Do you also know that Boris find that Errol discover something else? Something in his lab? Something terrible and deadly?”

  Both Jim and I are shocked. I know about DeathX, but I haven’t discussed it, even with Jim. How does Alexei know?

  “There was a new discovery?”
Jim asks.

  “Yes, something very powerful. Boris, when he find out, he decide to use this to barter – is this right word – with Bratva.”

  I look at Jim. He is perfectly still, his face a mask. The bones of his face are showing more and more. “Jim, I know a little bit about this. I can tell you what I know later.” Jim looks at me. “I didn’t tell you because, well, because the detective asked me to keep all information between us. He insisted.” I couldn’t admit that I trusted no one, not even Jim. I see that Jim’s hands are trembling. His head is twitching some as well. “Are you alright, Jim?” I ask.

  “No, Brie, I am not alright. This is all a bit much: Errol, Boris, Matt being gone, Gigi is pissed off, you seem to know more than anyone, and, oh by the way, I have Parkinson’s.” Both Alexei and I stare at Jim. “It’s been somewhat under control recently, but it flares up under stress. I’m sorry, sorry to have to tell you like this.”

  “Jim, oh Jim. I am so sorry. No wonder you have sympathy for me and HD.”

  Alexei had turned white, and he looks with shock at the two of us. “My got, Brianna, I did not know you. Or about you, Jim. I am so sorry…”

  Jim pays no attention and looks at me with soft eyes. “Yes, Brie. I suspected for quite some time before you told us that there was something behind your curiosity about how to get someone in a clinical trial. I figured it out. But I didn’t want to tell you that I knew. First of all, I might have been wrong. Secondly, I wanted you to tell me when you were ready. I had to earn your trust, Brie. I thought I had…”

  I know that I am crying. “Jim, I do trust you. I always have.”

  Alexei drains his cup. Jim somewhat shakily pours him more. Three more spoons of sugar. He stirs and drinks. “We know that Boris try to double cross. That why Bratva kill him. Car accident. We know because before Pyotr was killed he tell us whole story. Pyotr was killed by Bratva. This before Errol is killed. Boris is killed by Bratva.”

  Jim reaches out to hold my hand on the table. I inhale deeply, wondering if life will ever be normal again. I ask the obvious, “Did Bratva kill Errol, Alexei?”

  “I not know, Brianna. But I want to tell you all this. I go back to Russia, and Grigorii and I are stopping all business. I am tired and we have lost too much. Before I go I want you to know what I know.”

  I tell Alexei and Jim that Detective Henrik is in Russia. That he either has or shortly is going to be visiting the Popov Brothers’ office. Alexei is amused at first, understanding the irony of him being here and Straler being there. He laughs from his belly and says, “Your young detective friend and you make great pair.” Jim cracks a smile although he looks worn and old.

  Then Alexei shifts his tone and tells me in a soft but menacing voice, “Get your friend out of Russia now.”

  …….

  I am exhausted. I sit in my office not knowing what to do. Straler is not answering his phone. I send a text anyway:

  “Popov is here. Says they are closing down. Says for you to leave immediately. Call.”

  I receive an email from Yahya. No news. Apparently he can’t find Patrick. Or Shala for that matter. I know that I should go to the lab, but I don’t have the energy. I call for Neal to come pick me up. I ask him to bring my prescription bottle from my apartment.

  …….

  It’s the middle of the night. I hear angry bees. My phone. No, it’s knocking. Urgent knocking on my door. Neal has gone to his apartment, and I am alone. “Who is it?” I ask, feeling naïve and scared.

  “It’s me, Straler.” I open the door and there is Straler looking disheveled. He looks like he hasn’t slept in a week. Or shaved. “Sorry, Brie. I had to come straight here. First of all to find out if you are OK. And I have a lot to tell you. I don’t even know what time it is. I’m sorry if I woke you. Can I come in?”

  He drops his bag on the floor, and helps me into the kitchen. He looks around.

  “Would you like a drink?” I ask.

  His tired face lights up in a grin.

  “You’ll have to get it, though,” I gesture to him where the new bottle of scotch is and the glasses. “Nice glasses,” he says, as he pours.

  “My grandmother’s.”

  “Where’s Neal?”

  “He’s at his place.” Straler smiles and takes a long drink. He wipes his mouth with a dirty sleeve and launches into his tale. When he got to the Popov brothers’ office the morning after he called me, the office was closed.

  “The door was unlocked, however, and I went inside. The place was trashed. Like it had been ransacked. Either by the Popov brothers leaving or by someone looking for something. Either way it was a dead end. When I left the building, I discovered that the office was being watched. Or, I was being watched. Or both. I had asked the taxi to wait for me but it had disappeared. I saw a black car in its spot. I needed to get back to my contact at the Russian police force. I started walking like I knew where I was going. The black car followed slowly, but there were men in the street as well following me. Fortunately, I ended up in a busy area of the city, a roundabout and was able to flag down a cab. I am not sure that’s common in Russia, but I was pretty in his face. I had the taxi drive me to my hotel. I asked him to wait while I ran up and got my bag. The black car was still following me, but I went straight to the police station where I had checked in when I landed. My contact was gone, but she had left me a message. It was bad, Brie.”

  “What did it say?”

  “Basically it said that it was no longer safe for me to be in Russia. That the Bratva knew about my coming. She said that Pyotr Popov had been killed and that they were covering their tracks. She urged me to leave immediately with a police escort and that she would follow up on her end.”

  “So that’s it? You left?”

  “Like I had a choice? Yes, I left. But, before I got on the plane, here’s what I found out. We know that the Bratva killed Pyotr. And it had to do with Errol. Pyotr and Popov were unsuccessful at getting Errol’s discoveries into their hands. They wanted access. But they couldn’t go directly to Errol because someone got to him first.”

  “What about DeathX? Did they know?”

  “Yes, they wanted it.”

  “Meaning what exactly?”

  “That someone else killed Errol.”

  “Not them? How do we know?”

  “Because they were as surprised as we were that he was dead. They didn’t want him dead. They wanted him alive.”

  Chapter 40

  April 11

  I reach my desk and collapse into my chair. It took me two hours to get here. That’s a mile an hour. I am sweating, and I know that I look disheveled. I look forward to getting my walking cast on in two days. It will make life so much easier. There’s a sharp rap on my door and then it immediately opens. It’s Gigi. She looks pale; I’m not the only one stressed these days. She once again has no makeup, and her outfit is simple and severe. All black and a lovely silver necklace. High heels again, though.

  She closes the door. “Brie, you wanted to talk?” She looks uncomfortable standing there. I’m usually the one standing in front of her. I hate myself for what I am about to do. But Jim convinced me that it was the only way.

  “Gigi, thanks for coming. You know that I admire you, that I owe you, that…”

  “Cut to the chase, Brie,” Gigi snaps. “I don’t need bullshit or excuses.”

  “OK.” I inhale deeply looking straight into her razor eyes. “As you know we have to regroup, resize. We have to cut costs, Gigi. Really down to rock bottom. Which means…”

  “I get it. I’m out, right? Anything else?”

  “No, that’s really all. Just that it’s effective immediately.”

  She opens the door behind her and grimaces. I feel sorry for her, but I remember that I have other business. “Before you go,” I raise my voice and look levelly at her.

  “What?” she spits.

  “Did you kill Errol?” I look at her, prepared to assess her reaction.

  �
�Did I what?” she nearly shouts. She slams the door shut and takes two long strides on her pointy stilettos. “How dare you ask me that,” she hisses.

  “Gigi, we know that someone did, and, quite frankly, you had as much reason as anybody. Why, with Errol out of the way you might have been able to turn the board against Matt and take over yourself. That’s what you wanted, wasn’t it? Is that why you did it?”

  “Why you little bitch. You have no idea. Yes, I wanted to be CEO of this company. Of course I did. It’s what I was born to do, and I thought I could make it happen here. But I wanted to do it with and for Errol. We were the vanguard of Centre University. We made it from a small school, practically a community college, into a huge research engine – together – from the first grant to the first student suicide. He was a physician, and I was a microbiology professor. He was the idea behind Centre; I was cooking up corporate deals while he spun out new technology. We grew it from agriculture and veterinary studies to the powerhouse it is now. It is our child. And now he’s gone. I’ve only ever wanted this – and with him gone I can’t have it anyway.”

  She looks at my shocked face.

  “I had no idea,” I respond.

  “That’s right, you had no idea. Why do you think I work so hard? Why I’m so good at my job? You’re a woman. You should understand. We’re in a man’s world. And, we’re not wanted. He never made me feel outsourced, or beautiful. You don’t have to butter up your best friend.”

  “I’m sorry…” I feel like a fool. It wasn’t personal. Gigi was trying to toughen me up – the only way she knew how.

  She leans towards me, her perfectly painted nails looking like daggers on my desk. “But, in answer to your question, no I did not fucking kill Errol. Why would I do that? I needed him. You think I could run this company without him? He was the genius. There was – is – no one else. Surely you know that. I needed Errol and he knew that.”