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As Marco had promised, the security system file was waiting. The download only took a few minutes, and as she cruised through the various cameras, she found every corner of the grounds was covered, and most of the house, including rooms she hadn’t yet seen. But his bedroom couldn’t be found, or the cozy lounge where they’d talked with Max, or the salacious suite they’d just shared.
Closing out the cameras, she downloaded video of the unexpected meeting with the Zeppelins.
As she watched, she cringed as she studied the brothers. Though she’d seen them from a distance when she’d managed to snap a couple of photographs, and knew they were wholly unattractive, she wasn’t prepared for the video’s sharp clarity.
Oleg was grotesque.
Beneath a shiny bald head, his florid, bulbous face sported lips reminiscent of a blowfish, and his squinty eyes sat below the thickest eyebrows she’d ever seen.
In stark comparison, Ivan’s pale skin and bony features belonged on a cadaver, and his bulging eyeballs suggested he was staring at something in frozen astonishment.
A chill rippling down her spine, she continued the recording, occasionally replaying certain moments to study Oleg’s body language and expressions. Reaching the end, her eyes were drawn to Ivan as he moved his hands below the table.
Something about the obvious, awkward move bothered her.
Rewinding the footage and turning off the sound so she wouldn’t be distracted by Oleg’s disgusting cough, she watched Ivan a second time. His goggle-eyed stare darted fleetingly across to Marco.
She caught her breath.
It appeared he was deliberately trying to catch Marco’s attention.
She played it again.
She was right.
Ivan had wanted Marco to look at him.
There had to be a reason.
Running the video again, she kept her eyes on Oleg. When he coughed, he lifted both hands to cover his mouth, then lowering them, he casually tugged his right cuff. She’d often seen men pull their shirtsleeves, but she wanted a closer look. Importing the recording into her movie software program, she created an editable file, fast forwarded to the moment, then watched in slow motion.
Oleg Zeppelin had removed his cufflink and closed his fingers around it like a slight-of-hand magician.
Her pulse ticking up, she frantically looked around the room in search of the house phone. Seeing it on a table between two chairs, she rushed across the room, picked up the receiver and dialed 011.
“Ben speaking.”
“Benny, hi, it’s Steph.”
“Hello, Steph. Do you need something?”
“Listen, I just watched the replay of Marco’s meeting with Oleg and—”
“Hey, Steph, I’m in the middle of—”
“Listen to me!” she shouted. “While Ivan was moving his arms under the table, Oleg removed one of his cufflinks. Ivan deliberately created a distraction. Benny, I think Oleg left another device.”
“Are you sure about this?”
“Positive. I exported the footage into one of my programs and slowed it down. You can come up and see for yourself.”
“I have to remain in the security room. You’ll have to come down here.”
“I promised Marco I wouldn’t leave this floor.”
“Staying here is more important than you staying there.”
“But, Benny, he’ll be furious,” Steph insisted. “Are you sure you can’t come up for just a minute?”
