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“Nothing on Godwin either?”
She shook her head.
“I asked Ares to contact the NRO and see if he can get more footage from that night.”
“It’s in,” Ares said from the other side of the room. “I’ve just forwarded it to you.”
Verity pulled it up on the screen. The detail the NRO was able to isolate was stunning; however, the driver of the SUV knew what he or she was doing. I could see nothing identifiable. In fact, every visible part of his or her body was covered.
“She’s a formidable opponent,” Schön said under her breath. “She’s had years of practice. However, she has no idea who she’s up against now. She may underestimate us, but her circle of protection has gotten significantly smaller.”
There was an eeriness to her voice that had everyone in the room go silent. Yes, our A was formidable, but so was Schön. If anyone hadn’t noticed prior to this moment, they would now.
20
SCHÖN
There were a couple of adjustments to who was assigned to which objective. Fuchs joined Poseidon and Oleander so they’d have someone familiar to St. Moritz locals with them.
Zeppelin replaced Rogue, who remained behind, along with Ares, to assist with the review of the CCTV footage as well as whatever else the NRO sent over based on our additional requests.
When Magnet and the other teams left the compound, a sense of dread came over me.
“We need another St. Moritz local reviewing this footage,” I said more to myself than anyone else after I’d spent over an hour on it. While I didn’t know everyone who lived here, with a population of just over five thousand, I knew the majority.
Tourists were another thing entirely. The quoted number of annual visitors was upwards of six hundred thousand. It was easy to tell them apart, though. Those traveling here from other parts of Switzerland or the world typically dripped in visible wealth.
I tried not to let my mind wander while I clicked through images, looking for anyone who stood out. If I let myself think about the chalet, three things would happen. First, I’d become nauseated. Second, my desire to exact revenge for the loss would become overwhelming to the point I wouldn’t be able to focus on the task at hand—which was the third thing.
There was so little I remembered of my parents. Except when I was there. Memories of little things, like what my mother would cook for breakfast, would come flooding back to me. I shook my head when my eyes filled with tears and clicked to the next image.
Something about the previous one bothered me, though, so I went back to it. The footage was from the square where one of the world’s best chocolatiers was located. They’d been in business since 1894 and were popular with locals and tourists alike. In the summer months, outdoor markets were held near the shop.
The still taken from the CCTV footage was of a day when more people were gathered than usual. Literally hundreds. Which meant it would’ve been easy for someone to blend into the crowd if so desired. I zoomed in and scrunched my eyes, trying to bring more of the faces into focus.
“Verity? Can you take a look at something for me?”
“Of course.”
I was about to bring my computer to her when she stood. “I’ll come to you. If I don’t move around enough, I get stiff.” She didn’t use her cane very often, but she was now. The stiffness explained why. She stood beside me, leaning on it as she bent forward to get a better look at the image.
“Bloody fucking hell,” she said under her breath.
Ares and Rogue stopped what they were doing and came to stand behind us.
“Who does this look like to you?” she asked both men.
“If that isn’t Charlene Vella-Borg, she has a doppelganger,” said Rogue.
“Let me see what the NRO can find on this. What is the date?” Ares asked.
“Ten July of this year,” I said. “Taken at thirteen hundred hours.”
“Nemesis mentioned Rile and Decker were reviewing the CCTV footage from the Mallorca compound. We should have them check for Charlene’s whereabouts on the same date and time,” said Verity, picking up her mobile. After resting her cane against the table, she placed a call and held the phone up to her ear. With her opposite hand, she grabbed my arm and squeezed.
“My God, Schön, do you know what this could mean if it is her?”
Chills spread throughout my body. “I do.”
