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“No. He wouldn’t talk about it. At all. Would just say she died of ‘shortness of breath.’”
His brow furrowed. “An unusual turn of phrase.”
“Dad thought he was a poet.”
“He was in the music industry,” Conor rumbled.
Though my eyes were red from crying, his words had me rolling them. “If you say so.”
“Did he know who she was?”
“He knew she was in the CIA. I don’t think he knew about the Brothers. He wouldn’t have been able to keep it out of his music.” I arched a brow at Conor. “We have our resident noxxious expert in the house. Any mention of secret societies in his lyrics?”
“No. He did refer to the CIA and your mom though. ‘In the shadows, she hides, alphabets keeping me safe, but no one can save me from her.’ That was in ‘Fractious.’”
“Before she died?” At his nod, I mumbled, “See? He couldn’t keep anything a secret.”
“But he kept the truth of her death from you,” Anton pointed out.
“He was heartbroken. For the next year, he was either stoned or drunk. Everything changed when she died. Everything.”
“I’m sorry, child.”
I sucked in a breath. “Me too.”
“Is that why Temperance was on me when Riggs called me into Langley?” Conor asked softly.
The abruptness of the question had me blinking, but Anton merely drawled, “You’re talking about Reinier’s kidnapping?”
“Yes.”
“Operation: Eagle’s Claw is a genuine project, but I learned of a leak that led Reinier to suspect you were friendly with Star. I’ve been waiting for a long time for his tangled webs to strangle him.”
Conor frowned. “I’d like a name.”
“Priestley O’Reilly.”
When his lips pursed, Anton asked, “You know who that is?”
“The wife of a Five Pointer who was turned by the Sparrows. We were close friends once upon a time.”
“Why would she be speaking with the CIA about you?” I questioned.
“I don’t think she was speaking to Reinier in his capacity of CIA director.”
Fury flashed inside me as Conor winced then blew out a breath. “This is a mess.”
“Tangled webs often are,” Anton intoned. “However, we are coming to the end of this web. You will be relieved to know that Jorgmundgander is now defunct.
"Upon my arrival in the States, I will be interceding with the FBI to make sure Reinier, Smythe, and Foundry become statistical anomalies. And Interpol will make their moves and rid the world of the trash heap that are the Sparrows. The only thing left to do is to help their victims return home.”
The words settled so deeply inside of me that they became a part of my DNA.
I stared at him a little blankly, unable to accept the truth of what he was saying yet feeling a relief so virulent that I sagged in my seat, knowing he was right.
This was dusk for the Sparrows but the dawn of a new day for Conor and me.
What was that saying?
