AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Or make it look that way.”
“What would it matter how it looked if Kuchin ended up dead?”
“Think it through. Kuchin’s guys would still be alive. They might not take too kindly to the second banana blatantly offing the boss in front of them. It has to look like an accident. And on the other hand, what if Kuchin survived the shooting?”
“Do you think he knew you were there? And would try to stop Kuchin from killing us?”
“Highly doubtful. He might’ve gone in thinking he was indeed going to save his boss. Maybe he saw you coming out of the church one night and got onto you that way. Then he’s in the catacombs, sees me burst out of hiding, and he hits on a second plan in a matter of seconds. In the confusion of me coming on the scene he fires his gun, everyone scrambles, shots go off, Kuchin/Waller ends up dead. Then he inherits the business.”
“I guess that could be possible.”
“Now, you tracked Kuchin down. How?”
“This building is full of people who do that. Researchers, linguists, academics.”
“No, I didn’t mean following the trail that showed Evan Waller was really Fedir Kuchin. I mean how did you know he would be in Gordes and when?”
“Our people got those details and they passed them along to us for the mission. That’s how we operate. I don’t know how they came by the intelligence. An inside source perhaps?”
“Let me ask you this. Could Alan Rice be your inside guy?”
“I just told you I don’t know how we got that information. How did you know he would be in Gordes? Do you have someone on the inside?”
“No. All our intel came from satellite surveillance of phone calls, electronic credit card receipts, and other high-tech gadgetry.”
Reggie looked envious. “Must be nice.”
“They’re only nice if they work. Would Mallory know who the inside source was?”
She looked doubtful. “I suppose, but I don’t think he’ll divulge that sort of thing to you. He likes to keep things very close to the vest.”
“He may have to reveal them if he wants to continue doing what he’s doing.”
“You mean you’ll shut us down? Put us in the dock?”
“I just keep going back to my original point. If we don’t get him first, Kuchin will get all of you.”
“Then why don’t we go ask the professor?”
Shaw checked his watch. “It’s nearly one in the morning. Do you think he’ll be up?”
“The professor sleeps even less than I do. We’ll probably find him in the library.”
“Is he an insomniac?”
“No, an enlarged prostate actually.”
Shaw could only shake his head.
CHAPTER
82
AS IT turned out Mallory was not in the library. They found him
in his office. The professor was fully dressed, sitting behind his desk, his hands forming a confident steeple; yet his gaze kept twitching from Reggie to Shaw when Shaw asked the question.
“I don’t know the person’s identity,” said Mallory tersely.
