As if sensing his thoughts, her gaze found his. She offered a small smile before walking to the cart and opening a bottle of mineral water. There, she poured two glasses, offered one to him. Their fingers brushed when he took the glass, the spark traveling up his arm.
After swallowing down a few mouthfuls, she eased onto the sofa. “What’s going on?”
Sin sat in the leather chair. Luciano sat on the sofa beside her.
“Yesterday, a man named Guy Chenkus came to see me,” Sin began. “He got involved in something illegal, didn’t know where to go, and ended up here.” Sin flashed a smile. “All roads end here.”
“I’ll remember that,” Simone said.
“I wanted you guys to hear his story, so I asked him back.” Sin checked his watch, pushed out of the chair. At his desk, his hit a button on his phone. “Erica, is Mr. Chenkus here?”
“Yes,” she replied. “I’ll bring him back.”
A moment later, Erica brought in a large man wearing a light suit, dark shirt, and striped tie. “Mr. Develin, good to see you again.”
“Mr. Chenkus, these are my associates.”
After Luciano and Simone shook Chenkus’ clammy hand, Sin gestured to the table.
“A bottle of sparkling water?” Sin asked.
“Regular water would be great, thanks,” Chenkus replied.
Sin called his assistant as they got comfortable around the table. Erica brought in a tray with a chilled spring water and a crystal glass. Chenkus cracked the lid and guzzled half the bottle.
“Go ahead, Mr. Chenkus,” Sin said. “Tell them what you told me.”
“I work at the State Department,” Chenkus said. “Been there for seventeen years. I work in the Bureau of Consular Affairs where we process passport applications. About ten months ago, my boss hands me a few applications personally. Now, he’s never done that before and I’ve worked for him for twelve years. He tells me they get priority status.”
Chenkus swigged another gulp of water.
“Anyways, I created the passports and hoped that was the end, but he tells me to bring them to this drop-off point. A parking garage in Shirlington at eleven-thirty at night. I do it, but I’m nervous as heck. I hand them to some guy and he gives me an envelope with a grand in it. I ‘bout shit myself.” He glanced at Simone. “Sorry.”
“You’re fine,” Simone replied. “Then what?”
“I’ve gotten several more requests over the months to make passports.”
“How many?” Sin asked.
“No more than twenty total. The last time I met the dude in the parking garage, he tells me he’s cutting my take in half.” Chenkus’s shoulders slumped. “I know this is illegal, but I gotkids in college. I’ve been paying down credit card debt with this money and now I’m being squeezed.”
“Why tell Sin?” Luciano asked.
“I can’t go to the police. The police would question my boss and I’ll get fired. I told the guy in the parking garage to find another patsy. I’m done. He threatened to kill me if I stopped.” Chenkus patted his glistening forehead with the napkin. “Mr. Develin fixes things and I need this fixed.”
“You did the right thing coming to me,” Sin said.
“When the dude threatened me, I decided to do a little investigating, you know, on my own. I had a few applications to process so I looked ‘em up on the FBI’s Most Wanted. They weren’t there, but I found ‘em on the No-Fly list.” Chenkus shuddered in a breath. “These are men with the Haqazzii terror cell and I’m helping them get into the country.” He shuddered in a shaky breath.
There it is.
Luciano glanced over at Simone who met his gaze.
“Can we get a copy of those applications?” Sin asked.
“Sure, but we gotta keep this on the down-low.” Chenkus’s nervous chuckle filled the room. “But I don’t need to tell you that. You’re the Fixer.”
“Who’s your boss?” Luciano asked.
