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“Sure,” Hansen said and headed in. I followed him and stepped into what felt like a well-known stage for me. I’d been in these rooms enough times by now, always playing a role that wasn’t quite true to what I could really do.
In silent agreement, Hansen and I stepped over to the table, taking the cops’ side of it, leaving Larkin with the other side. I saw an amused smile on his face as he simply sat down there, making no fuss about it. No handcuffs for him, though.
Now that I saw him in a lighted room, and not the darkness of night, I could see the muscled body hiding under that suit. He was strong, I’d experienced that myself, but he was quicker than he looked as well. I was suddenly aware of the bruises from my second meeting with the man. They still hurt, a dull ache in my shoulder and back, and had to be starting to show by now.
Larkin didn’t seem in a hurry to say anything, which bothered me. We had an hour until Eloise would leave the school. The plan had been to be there well in advance of that. Now, of course, that might all go down the drain.
“Seems I was mistaken when I thought you were investigating her,” Larkin finally said, looking at Hansen.
“No, you weren’t,” he answered.
“What did you find out then?”
“She’s not guilty of what I suspected,” Hansen said, not looking at me. Interesting way of putting it, I thought.
Larkin smiled a smile I didn’t like. Knowing and condescending.
“And what did—” he began, but I was tired of them both now.
“I’m right here, you know. Unless you want me to leave so you can speak for me?”
Larkin only smiled wider. “You’re as pleasant as your file indicated, Ms. Evans,” he said.
“Yes, well, the last agent sent after me was also a fucking asshole. I don’t like those.”
“That agent was to persuade with words first…and I am not that agent,” Larkin said. There was no shame to trace in him. I was not surprised. He’d attacked first and was now talking. No, he was sent to take me in. Make sure they didn’t lose sight of me like last time.
“It’s been five years since we lost track of you. Not one person suspected of knowing you in Seattle said a word. Admirable in its way, I suppose…”
Hansen tensed beside me. He had not known this.
“How did you find me this time?” I had begun to think I was safe in Ashport during the last couple of years. It had been five years altogether with no agents coming for me.
Larkin shrugged. “Yorov.”
I nodded. They had found me somehow, and the FBI had gotten knowledge of this. Whether they had spies or they had intercepted some information, well, it didn’t matter to me. They had found me. The damage was done.
“So you know Yorov has taken Ms. Kirby?” Hansen asked Larkin.
The agent nodded and then gave Hansen an astonished look. “Yes. I’m surprised you do. Your colleagues don’t.” His eyes swerved back to me. “You told him. Huh…I understand that you people are notoriously hard to get information from.”
I didn’t answer him. I realized it kind of proved his point, but what was there to say?
“And you’re here under the pretense of investigating a kidnapping and you’re not doing anything?” Hansen continued.
Larkin shrugged. “This is more important,” he said, sounding like they were disagreeing on football teams.
His words made an impact, though. We had seen Andrea. Seen how terrified she was. Hansen, who’d been resting his hands on his thighs, clenched his fists at this. The skin turned white before he got himself under control and forcibly relaxed his hands.
“What’s she wanted for?” he asked Larkin, indicating me with a sideways tip of his head.
I snorted at this. “Nothing. Not a damn thing.”
Larkin nodded. “That’s true. My superior wants her under control, though. Do you know what she can do?”
Hansen nodded but said nothing.
“Well, imagine her working for the wrong side. Imagine what she could bring to the table for us.”
