“No idea,” Katherine says. “And apparently, nobody else does either.”
“What do you mean?”
She leans back, crossing her arms. “No matches on facial recognition. Not in our system, Interpol, or Italy’s internal records. We’re working with our liaison in Florence, but for now, we’re dealing with a ghost.”
“Think he could be the guy from the museum?” Ruby asks.
I stare at the screen. The possibility clicks. “Could be. If it’s the same guy, then he’s targeting Ramirez. Or at least his deal.”
“And that makes him a variable,” Katherine adds. “One we need to be prepared for before the cocktail party tomorrow night.”
Right. Back to the plan.
“Seth will be going in as a high-level crypto investor with a few aggressive global partnerships. The Bureau’s been building out his cover for the last few days—contracts, offshore accounts, a fake website that makes him look likeForbesforgot to name him their ‘Next Tech Billionaire.’”
Ruby lifts an eyebrow. “And Seth’s ready to mingle with sharks now?”
“He’s ready,” I say. “And he’s already practicing how to sip champagne without choking.”
The joke lands flat. Because the truth is, I’m worried. The last thing I want to do is put another innocent person in the crosshairs of Ramirez. But we don’t have any other options.
“Seth may not have operative experience,” I admit. “But he’s great with the numbers. He understands the language of deals. If Ramirez starts pushing, I think he’ll be able to hold his own. And if not, I’ll be there.”
Katherine nods slowly. “And Mercer too.”
“Right.” Julian Mercer is our fail-safe, but he’s also a loaded gun. If he gets involved, things can escalate quickly, so I’m hoping we don’t have to use him. “Ramirez wants to feel like he’s in control. The cocktail party gives him that. He gets to ‘interview’ new prospects, test the waters, and send a message to Edmond without lifting a finger. Seth only needs to keep him occupied enough for us to clone the YubiKey.”
“Without getting killed,” Ruby adds as if necessary. She flips through a file on her tablet. “Anything new on Edmond?”
“Still quiet.” I glance toward the whiteboard at the front of the room. Edmond’s name is up there in all caps. “He’s either planning his exit or trying to go around Ramirez.”
Ruby pauses. “Why does Ramirez think Cybil will turn on her boss?”
“Maybe he thinks she’s easy bait,” I say. “A pretty face he can use to get to Edmond. But if that’s the plan...” I shake my head, jaw tightening. “Then he clearly doesn’t know the girl I know.”
There’s a beat of silence. Ruby and Katherine look at me.
I clear my throat. “Or used to know.”
“She’s got several thousands of reasons why she might be an easy target,” Katherine says.
When I got back from Italy and faced the debriefing with Attorney General Fritz, Katherine made me go through Cybil’s dossier. And the debt Cybil is in is staggering. In my job, I’ve learned crime has a price and people in need of money are usually willing to cross lines they wouldn’t have otherwise. But Cybil?
It’s the question that keeps me up at night. And it doesn’t change the fact that she’s still dodging questions like she’s got something to hide. But if Ramirez thinks he can use her to get to Edmond, I need to get to her first.
“So far it doesn’t appear like Ramirez has made any attempts to get to her,” Ruby says. “Outside of you.”
I glance at her. “You’re tracking her?”
“Light surveillance. Public-facing feeds only,” Ruby says, tapping her screen and then handing her tablet to me. “Working for someone like Earl Edmond, she really ought to vary her routine. Way too predictable.”
I study the screen. Ruby’s right. Cybil’s schedule for the last week is mapped out in clean, clinical detail. Surveillance time stamps. Locations. My eyes land on an address she visits every afternoon, right around this time.
“We’re also watching to make sure Sammy Pawson isn’t circling,” Katherine adds.
My jaw tightens. The guy was a menacing shadow in Italy, and if Cybil’s schedule is this predictable, she’s an easy target.
“If Ramirez is watching her,” Katherine says, “we need to get ahead of this. You need to find out if she’s either an asset we protect or a liability we neutralize.”
