Chapter 19
Nick
IT WAS ALMOST EIGHTat night when I got the call from Renat Volkov.He was the New York office’s favorite pit bull and a man who spoke three languages, none of which were “friendly.”His voice sounded like someone whose vocal cords had spent a few rounds in a cement mixer, and he didn’t bother with hellos.He just said, “Took you long enough.”
Right.He had asked me yesterday if I wanted to grab drinks, and I never replied.
“I’m not in New York right now, but I’m probably heading back soon, so we can definitely meet up but not just for drinks.I think our cases are connected.”
The other end of the line greeted me with a tense silence before Renat finally asked, “What cases?”
“Katerina Orlova.The woman who’s kidnapping I’m investigating is connected, though she was never taken to those ‘playdates’.Her sister was.”
“Name.I need to interview her,” Renat said immediately.
“Hold your horses.There are three sisters: Ljubov, Nadezhda, and Vera Almaznayas.Ljubov is the one that got snatched up, but she’s fine now.Nadya was the one taken to playdates.She’s with me now because we were looking for the house where those playdates were happening,” I explained.“She has a hard time talking about it, but I have her written statement, and we found the house.”
Another pause.“Which one?There were two houses Orlova remembers, and I was able to track one, but she couldn’t remember enough about the other one.”
“A house with the blue door in Green Garden.”
A long breath whooshed through the line.“That’s the one I was missing.”
“Glad I could help,” I said before bringing us back to the real reason we needed to talk.“Is this the case you’re going undercover for?Because if it is, I need to know so I don’t accidentally blow your cover with my investigation.”
“It is, but it’s not like you can pretend the girl wasn’t kidnapped and you didn’t catch the perv in the act,” Renat pointed out.
“I know.That’s why we need to coordinate.”
There was a hum of agreement on the other end of the line.“If you kept your investigation only to that one kidnapping, that’d be great.”
“Already took it beyond that, but I can back off a notch,” I offered.“And obviously, I’ll share whatever information I can with you, but I want those assholes locked away for good, including the perp I got on kidnapping charges.I think he was trying to kidnap Ljuba to sell her, so I want to nail him for human trafficking too.”
Another long pause.Renat wasn’t known for long speeches, but when he did talk, he always took his time to think his words through.
“You’re certain he was connected to it beyond the playdates?”
“Back then, he was at least a buyer, but the kidnapping now only makes sense if he was trying to sell her.She’s an adult now, and he’s not interested in adults.”Every time I had to say it, my stomach churned, but that was why I had started digging deeper.
“Alright.I’ll do my best to find how he’s connected, but for now, he needs to get locked up just for the kidnapping with no mention of trafficking.You can spring more charges on him later.”
“That’s what I figured you’d say.”I looked out of the window, noticing how low the sun already was.Nadya would probably be hungry by now.“I’ll let you know when Nadya and I get back to New York, and we’ll need to meet up so I can tell you everything I’ve found so far.”
He grunted in agreement and after a quick goodbye, hung up.
I set the phone on the table and stared at it for a minute, then checked my text messages, hoping for a distraction.There was nothing from Nadya.Damn, it had been almost five hours since I’d dropped her off, and we hadn’t talked since.She’d better be okay both physically and emotionally.Either way, I should go check on her and make sure she got proper food.
I jammed my feet into the boots by the door, threw on a windbreaker, and grabbed my badge just in case I needed to knock down doors.The hotel lobby was quiet tonight, now that the game was done and over with.Technically, Nadya and I could probably find separate rooms now, but I wouldn’t push it unless she wanted it.I needed her next to me.
The more I learned about her past, the more I wanted to keep her close to protect her.These people might’ve targeted kids from other countries because it was easier to make them disappear, but there was a reason Ljuba had been targeted.
When people were viewed as property, there was a sense of ownership.When the three sisters ran away, their old captor hadn’t suddenly stopped viewing them as his property.As far as George was concerned, the girls still belonged to him.Who was to say others in that sick bunch wouldn’t feel the same way about Nadya?And even if they didn’t, Nadya was a witness.I had to protect her.
I hopped on the bike and rode it to the warehouse behind a strip mall that had been converted into a series of studios.As soon as I got there, I went straight for the only studio that still looked occupied, if the light under the door was anything to go by.
I knocked twice, then twice again for emphasis.Nothing.Finally, a clatter from inside reached me, followed by a drawn-out groan, then the door opened, and there was my girl, covered in paint and smelling of booze.
“Hey,” she said in a subdued tone.“I just finished the painting.Want to see?”
