I turn away from the screen and walk toward the window, staring out at the city lights. From here, everything looks almost pretty. It’s all an illusion, of course. Manhattan is one of the grimiest cities in the world.
“We know that he proposed quickly to Alina,” I say, more to myself than to them.
Nicolai doesn’t interrupt.
“Barely six months after he met her,” I continue. “He met her through her father, apparently. He would have known about his connections to me. That isn’t a coincidence.”
“No,” Petya says. “I don’t believe in coincidences.”
I turn back toward the screen.
“He knew who her father was,” I say. “Long before she did. So he could have been using her as leverage to get close to me.”
Silence settles over the group. No one says anything for a long time.
“I want him found,” I continue. “No matter what it takes. He’s our only solid lead so far. I’m tired of feeling like a prisoner in my own life.”
“We’re doing everything we can, boss,” Petya says.
“Try harder,” I reply.
I move back to the center of the room, pacing slowly now. My hands itch with the need to do something physical. To break something. To act.
“Explain to me,” I say, “how a man with no real rank, no significant assets, and no known associates manages to vanish the moment we’re looking for him.”
“Someone is helping him,” Nicolai says.
“Yes,” I agree. “Someone on the inside. Someone who knows what we’re trying to do.”
Nicolai watches me carefully through the screen. “You think the leak connects to Kostya? We’re that sure of his significance?”
“Yes,” I say shortly. “Otherwise, why have the engagement party the same night I’m in the hotel? He’s not merely a pawn, he knows something.”
He nods once.
“What about the restaurant?” I ask. “Is it legitimate, or just a front?”
“It’s clean on the surface,” Petya says. “Squeaky-clean, in fact. Almost like they’re cooking the books.”
That almost makes me smile.
“A man who cheats openly at his engagement party doesn’t usually bother hiding his financials,” I say. “Unless there’s something worth hiding.”
Nicolai’s mouth tightens slightly. I know what he’s thinking. I’ve gotten too close to this. I’m too focused on Kostya, when we aren’t even certain that he’s the big player in this. Nicolai has made his feelings about Alina more than clear over the last month.
Still, the incessant urge rises again, hot and insistent. I want to see Belov sitting across from me, stripped of confidence andexcuses. I want to hear him explain himself and watch him realize that charm has limits.
“We will find him,” Petya says.
“Yes,” I reply. “You will.”
I dismiss them with a flick of my hand, and they close out of the meeting one by one, leaving Nicolai behind. He waits until he’s sure we’re the only ones left.
“This is personal for you,” he says carefully.
I meet his gaze. “It became personal the moment he used someone under my protection.”
Nicolai studies me. “You’re certain that’s the only reason?”
