Page 112 of Unexpected Redemption

I jump in. “Someone who knows what’s happening in the trafficking ring. Someone working from the inside to takeLenkov down. Or someone who has influence inside while working from the outside.”

Mia bounces in her seat, excitement coloring her features. “Yuri or someone in thefamilyYev was talking about. The one he said Katia wasn’t doing enough to help.” She glances toward the ceiling, rambling on. “That would includeSavin, Katia, Yev, and Yuri. Could there be anyone else?”

“Tasha,” I offer half-heartedly.

“Savin’s girlfriend who was in the house with Lettie?” Klein asks.

“It’s possible,” Mia answers.

“One of you get Shep on the phone.” I stand abruptly and hurry to the easel beside the whiteboard. “Send him to see Yuri. We have new questions for that SOB.”

I study the cast of characters listed on the crisp white paper. We added two new ones this morning.

Sofia Ivanovich—Yev’s mother. Klein discovered she worked as a maid for the Lenkovs for over a decade. We didn’t know this sooner because she’s been away from them for fifteen years. She’s not even in the country, having returned to Russia five years ago.

Alexei Bugrov—the owner of the house where Yev was hiding out. We know nothing about him. The deli he allegedly owns is an empty building. No birth certificate. Fake social security number. No social media presence. Not a single online hit that we can trace back to him, except for a phony website for his restaurant.

He’s a ghost.

Behind me, Klein says, “Shep, we need you to go see Yuri again.”

“Put him on speaker,” I say as I turn around and face the phone.

Klein complies, and Shep’s profanity-laced response fills the lair.

“Listen, Shep,” I start, trying to unruffle his feathers.“We’re still on the Icarus shit. Yuri’s clearly Daedalus. More and more, it looks like he might be Yev’s father. I want you to ask him directly.”

“Copy. Anything else?”

“Ask him why the hell he doesn’t turn over the fucking information to us or the cops since he wants Lenkov stopped. And we know he does, thanks to his fascinating Greek story. If he’d just give us the intel he has on Lenkov, we’ll protect him. Get him another deal.”

Shep interjects, “Why would he take a deal now when he wasn’t forthcoming last time? I don’t see why asking him more directly is going to change his tune.”

Mia jumps in. “I hear you, bud. But try anyhow.”

“Oh, I’ll go see him, ghost. I’m only trying to lower your expectations. I doubt we’ll get much more out of him.”

I brace myself with my arms on the desk, one hand on each side of the phone. “Here’s why it’s different this time, Shep. If Yevishis son, Yuri will want payback for his murder. Tell him we know Viktor ordered the hit because we have an email confirming it. Now listen up; this part is important. When you talk about the email proof, watch and listen carefully to his reaction. There’s a chance he sent us the email. If you suspect he did, bring his ass in here. I don’t care how you do it. I’ll make him talk once he’s here.”

Shep’s sigh crackles the phone line. “Fine. I’ll call you when it’s done.”

“One more thing,” I tell him.

“Yeah?”

“Ask him who the fuck Alexei Bugrov is and why the hell he gave Yev a car to drive to the store and a house to hideout in.”

“You didn’t find out who he is yet?” he asks, the disbelief evident in his tone.

“Nope. He’s no one. Barely anything on paper about his whole existence.”

“Damn,” he replies, volume low.

I feel the same way. I’ve created fake identities before. It’s frustrating as hell to see one from the other side of the coin.

Wait a second.

“Shep, one last thing. Depending on how he answers that last question...” I look around the room, my eyes finding Mia and Klein. “Ask him if heisAlexei Bugrov.”

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