“Right.”
“That doesn’t add up either.”
“Unless you had to pull the plug too soon and anything relevant just wasn’t on there.”
“Maybe. I’ll concede that one. However, somehow Nevsky sends Gregori after me to kill me, but instead Gregori takes me hostage and says Nevsky doesn’t know I’m alive. That’s not possible, so explain that one.”
Linc narrowed his eyes. “I can’t. Unless Gregori was lying.”
“I think Gregori would have lied about anything that would further his agenda.” She paused. “But I don’t think he was lying about this.”
“Then Nevsky didn’t send Gregori to kill you.”
“Although I suppose Gregori could have been wrong, but say he wasn’t. If Nevsky didn’t send Gregori after me, who did?”
Linc sighed and looked at Daria, whose gaze bounced back and forth between them. “I have no idea,” Linc finally said.
“At first,” Allie said, “I thought Gregori was just taking me somewhere secluded so he could kill me and dump my body in a hard-to-find spot, but when I said something about that, he said he had his own agenda. What could that have been?” At their blank looks, she groaned and slumped to the couch to put her head in her hands. “The pieces won’t fit.”
Linc’s phone rang. “It’s Brady,” he said. “Let me take this, then I’ll tell you what Annie said about the footage.”
“What’s up?” Linc said by way of greeting.
“Got a couple of questions for you.”
“Shoot.”
“Okay, so, I got permission to view the evidence pulled from the bottom of the river after the explosion.”
“You didn’t say anything about doing that.”
“Because I wasn’t sure anything would come of it and I didn’t want to go digging into a wound while it’s still so raw.”
Linc closed his eyes and almost told Brady the truth. Only Henry’s insistence that they continue the charade kept his lips shut on that topic. “All right, so what’d you find?”
“Might be nothing, but I got word from another fed that it wasn’t just equipment going missing from the base, but other things too.”
“Like?”
“C-4.”
“Ohhhh.”
“Yeah.”
“RDX residue was found on some of the recovered boat pieces.”
“Which would suggest that Nevsky was behind the explosion.” C-4 was 91 percent made up of a substance called RDX—a highly explosive material found on military bases.
“Yes. It would definitely suggest that.”
“One other thing. There was a syringe that was recovered. Forensics said it hadn’t been down there long, maybe a day or two, which was how long it took them to find it after the explosion. Now, granted, it could have been tossed overboard by anyone sailing those waters, but forensics seems to think it came from the catamaran.”
Linc frowned, trying to figure out what it might have been used for. He came up empty. “What was in it?”
“Not sure yet. The lab’s still working on it. My contact there said she’d have an answer sometime later today, most likely.”
“Let me know when you know.”
“Of course. And Izzy had one more thing she wanted me to bring up with you.”
“All right.”
“Neither one of us could get past the fact that you mentioned the dead guy had been killed by someone with a signature.”
Linc grimaced. “Yeah?”
“We did some digging.”
He should have known. “And?”
“There was a family who was murdered about fifteen years ago. There was some connection to Russian organized crime, but the killer made his victims lie facedown, then he shot them in the base of the skull.”
“Uh-huh.”
“There’ve been a few other killings with the same MO. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about all that, would you?”
“Yes. The killer’s name is Gregori Radchenko. He was captured and killed earlier today.”
His brother fell silent. “How was he connected to Allie and Vladislav Nevsky?”
“What makes you think he was?”
“Because that’s who you’re chasing and that led you to Gerard Lamb, who was killed by Radchenko. It’s also well known that Lamb was one of Nevsky’s daughter’s bodyguards. So it’s not a long stretch to think there’s some connection to Allie.”
“Radchenko was her brother. He killed her family—the one Izzy discovered via her research. I knew about her family’s assassinations, so when I saw Gerard, I knew exactly who’d done it.”
“And you couldn’t say anything?” If Brady was shocked at the revelation, Linc couldn’t hear it in his voice.
“Not at the time.”
“Okay. Anything Izzy and I can do on our end?”
“Don’t think so. Right now Nevsky is still a loose cannon. Henry and I think we’re getting real close to getting the evidence we need to put him away for good.” Linc looked back at Daria. “Hey, Brady, can you do me a favor?”
“Sure.”
“Can you check with the media? Channels 10 and 19 were the ones in the choppers that day. I need every bit of footage you can get me on the raid that went down at Nevsky’s office building.” He gave him the date and time.
“All right, but don’t you have resources for this kind of thing?”
“Let’s just say I’m branching out right now, willing to work with the locals, if that’s all right.”
“It’s fine. I just want the full story when you can give it to me.”
“Of course. And one more thing.”
“This is turning into a lot of things.”
“Can you and Izzy stand by in case I need some backup?”
“Backup? From us lowly detectives? What about all the feds you have at your fingertips? Still branching out?”
“Something like that. I might need them too. Just . . . stay close to your phone.”
“Is this going to be like Nevsky’s house?”
“I don’t know, I just know I might need you guys.”
“You got it.” All traces of teasing and mockery were gone from his voice. “I’ll let you know what the lab finds on the syringe.”
“Thanks.” He hung up and turned to find Allie and Daria watching him.
“What did Annie say about the footage?”
“She never got the request for it. It wasn’t her that worked on it.”
Allie blinked. “Then was it another tech?”
“It’s possible. Annie’s going to check.”
“But Henry said he was sending it to her.”
Linc shrugged. “He could have changed his mind.”
“Right,” Allie said. “Could have, I guess.”
“Now, Daria,” Linc said, focusing his gaze on her, “it’s your turn.”
“What?”
“Where’s that evidence you have on your father? We need it, like, yesterday.”
22
Allie waited until Daria slipped into the bedroom before turning back to Linc. “She hid it in one of her paintings? Of course.”
“Clever. Hidden in plain sight.”
“I should have known.”
“I shudder that she doesn’t have a backup copy on the cloud or somewhere, though,” Linc said.
“It’s actually pretty smart. It’s a bargaining chip. And it may explain why she’s still alive. She wouldn’t give it up when Nevsky had her at his office, so he didn’t kill her.”
“She never said that,” Linc said slowly. “Maybe we’re making assumptions.”
Allie gave a slow nod. “True.” She went to the door and knocked. Daria opened it and blinked at her with a yawn. “Sorry, hon, but we need to know if your father knows you have that security footage on that flash drive.”
She shrugged. “Obviously, I never told him.”
“Who’d you tell?”
“You and Linc and Gerard.”
“
Gerard, huh?”
She frowned. “But he wouldn’t tell my dad.”
Allie wasn’t so sure about that, but would go with it for now.
“Why’d you tell Gerard?”
“In case something happened to me.”
Allie closed her eyes for a moment. Something was there. So close, she just had to reach out and grab it, but it was like she was paralyzed. What was it her brain was trying to tell her? “Then why was your father sending one of his assassins after you?”
“I don’t know. Unless”—she shrugged—“he knows I have the evidence.”
“So, it’s possible.”
“Yes. It’s a long shot, but I mean, I downloaded it from his server, so if he suspected someone had hacked into it, it would have led him—or someone he hired with the skills to find it—back to my laptop.”
Made sense. “Why did he have you shackled in the office that day?”
“I don’t know. He never got around to explaining it. He simply had Gerard bring me to the office, then sent Gerard on an errand. Later, my father came in and yelled at me for a bit. His usual stuff about how stupid I am and how I’m nothing but trouble.” She frowned. “Although he did add the word ‘traitor’ to his diatribe, but other than that, he didn’t try to hurt me. And he never mentioned the flash drive or security footage.” She paused. “He did ask about you, though.”
“Me? What’d he want to know?”
“What I thought about you. Were we close. That kind of thing.”
“What did you tell him?”
“That he’d messed up the best thing to come into our lives in a long time.”
Which was why Nevsky had used Daria to lure her to the office building. He knew Allie would come if she was somehow still alive. But had he known Linc was going to be there too? And that seemed kind of self-defeating to use his own building.
“Did you text me on your laptop or your phone?”
“My phone.” A small smile curved her lips. “I have a cloned phone. My dad took the phone he bought me, but he doesn’t know about the other one.”
“And yet, he left you with your laptop.”
She gave Allie a tight smile. “Why not? I didn’t have access to the internet and he told me to entertain myself. I played solitaire when they were watching. When they weren’t, I used my cloned phone as a hot spot and was able to tap into the security cameras and see what was going on. I couldn’t hear anything though.”
“So you knew we were coming.”
“I saw you outside near where I was and was able to block the camera so it didn’t show on the other monitors.”
“How?” Allie held up a hand. “Never mind, I wouldn’t understand it anyway. You and Annie must get together.”
“Who?”
“I’ll explain later.” Allie pursed her lips. “Why do you think he called you a traitor if he didn’t know about the flash drive?”
“Probably because I defended you. He knew I lied about the reason you were in the office.”
But would that be enough for Nevsky to kill his own child? Probably. “Thanks, Daria. For now, you can head back to bed. One of us will be up and keeping watch.”
“My father will just send someone else, won’t he?”
“Probably. But we’ve got your back.”
“Thanks.”
“And once we get that other security footage from Brady, Linc’s brother, we’ll get you to look at it and point out the person who you’ve seen with your father.”
“Okay.”
Daria returned to her bed and Allie found Linc on the sofa. She sank down beside him.
“You okay?”
“No. My back is killing me.”
He touched her cheek. “You’re flushed. I think you have a low-grade fever.”
“Figures. I’ve felt kind of icky all day.”
“I’ve got some ibuprofen.” He disappeared into his room and returned with four of the little orange pills. “Hospital dose according to Ruthie. It will help with all the other aches and pains you no doubt have.”
“Thanks.” She downed them without hesitation and closed her eyes. Aches and pains. Yes, she had those.
“You need to process, don’t you?” Linc asked quietly.
“I will. At some point.” Her phone pinged and she sighed. “It’s Henry.”
“What’s he want now?”
“To come up.”
“Why?”
She shrugged. “He said he had information on Nevsky he needed to share ASAP.”
“He couldn’t call?”
“You can ask him when he gets up here.” Another text from him. “Make sure Daria’s out of listening distance.” She frowned and looked up. “I’ll check to make sure she’s sleeping.”
Allie slipped into the room to see the teen snuggled under the covers, her breathing deep and even. She’d been out like a light. No doubt exhausted from all of her running. And terror. That could wipe a person out.
Back in the living area, she texted Henry that the coast was clear.
He texted back.
Coming up. I had a meeting with a CI so I’m in disguise. Don’t freak out when you see me.
She opened the door before he could knock and he stepped inside the room. He wore a long wig with a ball cap on top, scruffy clothes under a black trench coat, and sunglasses.
“You wear that well, Henry,” Linc said.
Henry smirked and removed his glasses. “Scared everyone in the lobby. The cops may be knocking on the door, so I’m going to make this quick. Rumor has it that Nevsky is coming out of hiding tomorrow to meet with some buyers of the military equipment he still has stashed somewhere. We want to catch him in the act.”
“Are you planning a raid?” Linc asked.
“No. SWAT’s going after him with a tranquilizer dart. They’re mapping out the strategy as we speak.”
“What?”
“We want him alive. I don’t trust him not to kill himself in order to avoid capture.”
“Good point,” Allie said. “I want to be in on it.”
“I don’t think so. We don’t need him catching sight of you just yet. He thinks you’re dead. He feels safe and is coming out of hiding. Let us get him once and for all, then you can rejoin the land of the living.”
Allie frowned and started to argue, but Henry’s phone rang and he blew out a disgusted sigh. “I’ve got to take this.” He glanced down at himself. “And I really don’t want to do this in the hall.” He nodded to the room where Daria slept. “You mind?”
“Use the other one,” Linc said. He swept a hand to his room. “Help yourself.”
“Thanks, I’ll just be a minute.” It was actually five minutes later before he returned. Allie had just finished opening two bottles of Coke. She handed one to Henry and he downed half in one guzzle. “Sorry, but I’ve been waiting on that phone call for the past two hours. Another CI had some information on another case.”
“It’s no problem,” Linc said.
Allie passed him a sandwich. Someone had stocked the refrigerator well. “Henry, do you remember that nurse, Catherine Hayworth, from the place you took me after the explosion?”
“Of course. Nice lady.” He took a bite and swallowed. “I’ve talked to her several times over the years. Why?”
“She’s missing.”
He stilled, and his gaze locked on hers. “What?”
“I saw it on the news earlier. Can you do something? Have a couple of agents investigate her disappearance?”
“The local cops are working the case, I’m sure.”
“They are. I think the FBI has also been called in, but maybe you could pull some strings to make sure things are being handled in the best possible way. Not that it won’t be.” She sighed. “I’m not expressing this well. She was just really kind to me, and I want to make sure everything possible is being done to find her.”
“Ah, I see. Yeah, sure, I’ll do what I can.”
“Thanks.”
H
e finished off the sandwich, handed Allie the empty bottle, then stepped outside and shut the door behind him. “Well, that went . . . okay?” she said.
Linc shook his head. “I’m grabbing a shower while things are calm. You good for about fifteen minutes?”
“I’m good.” Allie rubbed her eyes and plugged her phone in. Then yawned and turned off the lights before she remembered she hadn’t mentioned the location of the flash drive to Henry. She glanced at her phone. She’d let it charge and text him later, bring him up to speed on her plan to go after the drive tomorrow. As soon as she filled Linc in on his part of the plan. Images from her childhood started blipping across her mind. Then the events of the day invaded.
Finally, a tear slipped out, then another. And another. Until she curled into a ball on the sofa and let the sobs take over.
And that’s how Linc found her. When he stepped out of his room, at first he thought she’d fallen asleep, but her shoulders shook even though she made no sound. On silent feet, he went to her and knelt beside her. “Aw, Allie, I’m sorry.”
The shaking stopped. For the next five minutes, there was an occasional sniffle. Then she sat up and sighed. “I was supposed to be done with that before you got out of the shower.”
He stood, knees popping, and hobbled to the chair facing her. “I’m not meant to crouch that long.”
She gave a weak laugh. “You’re getting old, St. John.”
“Yeah, I know. You okay?”
“Better, but I hate crying.”
“I do too.”
“You cry?”
“More than I’m comfortable confessing to.”
“I’m okay with that.”
“I don’t sound like a wimp?”
“No, not to me. Not knowing what you see on a regular basis.”
He nodded. “I think that’s one of the reasons I like you so much.”
His phone pinged the same time hers did. She frowned. “It’s Henry.”
“Good grief. What now?” His notification was for an email, not a text from Henry.
She read the text aloud.
Just got word. Nevsky’s moving. So you still want in? If so, meet me downstairs in ten.
Vow of Justice Page 20