AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“She is.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Simone said with a smile.
Her afternoon interview with Zoe Pearson could turn out to be more interesting than expected.
Sava River Walk, Zagreb, Croatia
27 February
Tuesday, 9:30 p.m. local time
The sky was overcast and the air was chilly, with snowflakes darting about and a fine sheen of ice shimmering on the bare trees that lined the Old Town side of the Sava.
Marc and Philip shook hands with Chief Police Inspector Danijel Horvat and joined him on a stroll in their prearranged location along the river walk. The Sava itself was unfrozen, smooth and serene, glistening in the darkness, and the area they were walking on was dark and shadowed, its benches deserted. Across the Sava they could see the newer side of Zagreb, lights illuminating the apartment buildings where many, including Danijel, lived.
It was clear why he’d chosen this spot for their meeting, especially given the sensitive information about to be discussed.
“Thank you for setting this up on such short notice,” Marc began. “Not that my brother gave you much choice, I’m guessing.”
A small smile played on Danijel’s lips. He was a tall man, with Mediterranean coloring, dark brown hair, and Slavic features.
“Your brother is persuasive, yes,” he replied. “But he’s also one of the finest men I know. You resemble him. Being that he sent you here, I suspect that resemblance goes far deeper than the physical to the character beneath.”
“I like to think so.”
Danijel turned toward Philip. “And your dossier speaks for itself. As does your history with Aidan. I’ll help you both in any way I can.”
He cleared his throat. “I’m sure Aidan has filled you in on the fact that I’m head of the General Police Directorate’s Organized Crime Division, or PNUSKOK, as it’s called here in Croatia, as well as the fact that I worked on an Organized Crime Task Force with Europol. I have a wide range of contacts, both national and international—any of whom I have and will continue to reach out to with the utmost discretion, given the delicacy of your investigation.”
“You’ve already put out feelers?”
“The moment I hung up the phone with Aidan, yes. I’m waiting to hear back.”
“Just so we know, how much did Aidan tell you?” Marc asked bluntly.
Danijel looked unsurprised by the question. “He made it quite clear that my involvement is on a need-to-know basis. Therefore, I’m only privy to the international aspects of your investigation. I accept that. But if you want my help, you must accept that you’re going to have to be as forthcoming with me as possible, as well as open to my taking the lead in any face-to-face interviews and questioning with confidential informants that might arise. I’m a native. You’re foreigners. It becomes an issue of trust. In addition, while English is now taught as a second language in my country, that was not the case years ago. Few residents over the age of fifty can speak it. Even now, German, Italian, or Russian are often the second languages taught rather than English. Some regions teach no second language. So my translation skills will also be essential.”
“We understand.” Marc shoved his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket. “But in the interest of full disclosure, you should know that we brought two Croatian interpreters with us. Obviously, they won’t be at the meetings you set up, but one of the two will be listening from the car and translating into our ears while you conduct the interviews. That will minimize how detailed you need to be in your back-and-forth explanations between your informants and us and allow you to concentrate on the nuances of the arrangements.”
“I see.” Danijel processed that and then nodded. “I can live with that. What about your other interpreter—what will be her role?”
Philip cleared his throat, thinking that while Derica was handling the CI meetings, Ellie could be used for less legitimate purposes—such as translating Albanian emails or texts that the team intercepted through whatever means they deemed necessary. “I think that’s part of our process you’d prefer not to know.”
“Very well.” Danijel dropped the subject. “You just spoke of yourselves in the plural. Understand that it will be only one of you gentlemen who’ll be accompanying me to each meeting. You can switch off if you like. That’s your choice. The other can remain in the car with your interpreter. Informants either shut down or bolt when they’re approached by more than one unknown quantity. They know me. They don’t know you. So it’s one at a time.”
“Fine. When it comes to the CIs, you’re in charge,” Marc agreed, knowing he spoke for Philip, as well. Danijel had the expertise, skills, and contacts that were necessary to pull this off.
“Good. Then I’ll have the necessary conversations with my CIs and we can move forward.”
“As I’m sure Aidan told you, the young woman we’re searching for has only a few days left before she’s killed,” Philip stated flatly as he trudged along, stones crunching beneath his feet. “The clock is ticking. We must fast-track this, through any means necessary.”
“Yes, Aidan made that clear.”
“Just so you know, we drove directly from Munich, where the victim was kidnapped, to Zagreb, where our computer data indicated was the probable refueling location before the kidnappers transferred the victim to her current place of confinement. Once we arrived in your city, we located a Lukoil station off the A2 whose owner remembered the Mercedes van we identified as the escape vehicle. So we confirmed that the subjects travelled through Zagreb. Now we need to figure out where the victim is currently being held.”
“It’s doubtful the kidnappers would choose an urban location for their place of confinement,” Danijel said. “My suspicions are that we’re looking into more remote districts.”
“That’s where we need your guidance,” Philip responded. “Where would they go to remain undetected? And what specific Albanian organized crime groups would you narrow this operation down to? Is there one that’s more apt to handle kidnappings?”
