Page 12 of Canyon of Deceit
I smiled. “Great idea. How long does the charge last?”
“Up to thirty days. I’ve always been afraid something might happen to her, so I insisted she place them on the pad in her closet nightly.” He hesitated. “Always a game, and she gladly played along.”
“What else?”
“She wears a gold ballerina necklace linked to her shoes via Bluetooth. I told her never to take it off. Ever. She believes it gives her special powers.”
“Your wife didn’t question the shoes or the necklace?”
“I kept the trackers from her.” He glanced beyond me and back. “Daria claimed I was overprotective. No point in upsetting her.”
Rurik just said he and his wife told each other everything.Unusual family arrangement, and Daria missed the nurturing gene, unless the little girl was badly behaved. “Have you told us everything?”
“I believe so.”
“If Therese and I take on your request, we must have all the information, no matter how unimportant it may seem to you. My boss, Major Sergio Montoya, must give his permission for the mission, and he will insist on being updated. If we require backup or a life flight, he’s the one who would arrange it.”
“I understand. You have protocol to follow.”
Good.“What did you do in Russia?”
“I taught Russian and economics at Lomonosov Moscow State University. Then I was contacted by Leonard University. A smooth transition for all of us.”
“What will you do when the authorities find your wife’s body?” I sent compassion into every word.
“I’ll say she wanted a few days away to do shopping.”
“Was this a common occurrence?” I said.
“Yes, and I’d tell the police I didn’t report her missing because I had no reason. I have no idea what I’d say about Alina’s whereabouts.”
My phone alerted me to a recent incident. “One more thing. You filed a police report a month ago regarding a prowler. No arrests were made. Do you think the two crimes are connected?”
“I’d forgotten about the trespasser. My backyard entrance is locked, and I have a motion detector. The lights flipped on, and a man dressed in black and wearing a stocking mask stood in the backyard. He quickly scaled the fence and fled. Daria screamed, became violently ill.”
I folded my hands on the table, matching his posture. “Rurik, tell us what’s really going on. You’re skirting the truth.”
SIX
A negotiator’s sharpest tool in dealing with high stakes was often silence.
Rurik’s ghostly features stared back at me. “I’m terrified about telling you this, but if it helps find Alina...”
“Truth is always the key to unlock fear and doubt,” I said. “I can’t emphasize that enough. Every detail has the potential to help rescue your daughter.”
“And find out who killed my Daria.”
“True. Therese and I are listening. Take your time.”
The professor conducted a few of the inhale-exhale procedures I used to calm myself during hostage negotiations. He’d been trained or counseled by someone.
“Two nights ago, Daria and I were at a dinner hosted by Russian friends. We do this to speak our native language and feel like we’re closer to home. During the evening, I had a headache and excused myself to get fresh air. I left Daria to sip kvass and chat with friends.
“Outside I set my vodka on a poolside table and walked around the pool and landscaped garden into a wooded area. My headache lessened and I lingered there a few minutes. I’m not as social as Daria, and I needed time alone to reenergize. The low voice of a man engaged in a phone conversation caused me to step away. But my earsperked at the mention of Edik Baranov, a Russian colonel general who recently fled my country.”
Rurik’s gaze swung from me to Therese and back again. “The one-sided conversation was disconcerting.”
“I’m familiar with Baranov,” I said. “Your government claims he stole military secrets, and he’s saddled with a death warrant. About two weeks ago, the media reported he’d escaped Russia with his wife and young son. Media has spent cycles trying to figure out where he’s gone.”
