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“Family?”
“He has a wife and two daughters. The older daughter is twelve and is here with us. The younger daughter, Annika, age seven, has been missing for nearly ten hours.”
“Where are the parents?” Annie asked.
“The father has so far refused to leave the embassy. The mother is talking with another translator, and she’s hysterical,” Worth said. “The sister hasn’t said a word, but from what I understand, she was there when Annika disappeared. She may be our only witness.”
“What’s her name?” Annie asked.
“Tatiana. Annie, we want you to get as much information out of the sister as possible, and quickly.”
She would have liked a little more time to prepare, to learn about the family, to learn anything, but missing person cases, especially those involving foreign dignitaries, were different beasts. She hadn’t been involved with one before, but by the tone of the room and everyone’s anxious, nervous vibe, whatever was happening here was more important than Annie’s preference.
“Can I have a piece of candy and a can of Coke?” she asked him.
He looked at her, his brow furrowed. “Uh…”
“For the girl,” Annie clarified. “She’s probably hungry. And sugar always greases the wheels a little.”
“Right,” he said. “There are vending machines down the hall.”
She stared at him without moving.
Finally, he realized what she was waiting for, pulled a couple of dollar bills out of his wallet, and handed them to her. He made sure his fingers touched her palm in the exchange. Annie ignored the unwanted contact.
“Which room?” she asked.
He pointed to a closed door.
At the vending machines, she chose a chocolate bar and a can of Coke, then returned to the room.
As soon as Annie closed the door to the interrogation room, it got quiet. The girl sat alone at the metal table, shoulders hunched and face wet with tears. She was only twelve and they stuck her in here alone? Where was the mother?
The girl regarded her suspiciously, and Annie returned the stare. She wasn’t sure how to start, but she thought she’d do better if she spoke Russian, so she slipped into it.
“Are you Tatiana?”Annie asked.
The girl hesitated and then nodded.
“How long have you been in this room?”
The girl glanced around at the big mirror, the walls, the door. There was no clock.“A long time.”
“Okay,” Annie said. She needed the girl to feel less terrified and abandoned. They really needed her help. “Okay.Let’s go somewhere different. Some place warmer, maybe?”
The girl started to stand, then sat back down.“I don’t know who you are.”
“Annie,” she said.“I am not a police officer. But I have come to talk to you. Maybe we can go somewhere so you could see your mother.”
The girl nodded and stood, wrapping her skinny arms around herself. Annie knew that she’d been kept separate from the mother to compare stories, to show power, to keep control. But a hysterical mother and a frightened little girl were not hardened criminals.
She opened the door and felt a tug on her sleeve.
“I have to go to the bathroom.”
Annie nodded.“Over here.”
She stood outside the stall while Tatiana used the toilet, then watched her wash her hands. Tatiana looked at the can of Coke and the candy bar that Annie was still holding.
