Winter's Secret

by Mary Stone

  Marie’s dark eyes shifted from Bobby to Winter before landing on Aiden, who was leaning against the wall at the other end of the room. “SSA Parrish, any insights?”

  Brushing off the front of his suit jacket, Aiden straightened. “He hasn’t asked for a lawyer because he’s sure he won’t need one. He seems to be under the impression that there’s nothing that will get him to talk, and that he’s displaying his loyalty by sitting in there like a stone.”

  Marie held out her hands. “So, what, then? No one found anything new about the guy, so we’re right back to where we started.”

  Before she’d finished, Aiden was already shaking his head. “No, not necessarily.”

  Winter recognized the glint in Aiden’s pale eyes. He had a plan.

  “What are you thinking?” Winter asked.

  Though his expression didn’t change, the glint was more noticeable as he looked over to her. “Let me talk to him.”

  SAC Judd waved a hand at the glass. “Knock yourself out. Not like the rest of us will get anywhere with him any time soon.”

  With a nod, Aiden made his way to the open doorway.

  Glancing back to Sergei, Winter almost felt bad for the Russian.

  She’d been on the receiving end of Aiden’s hostility. Even though she’d known the SSA for almost fourteen years, he was still downright intimidating when he wanted to be.

  Sergei had no idea what he’d gotten himself into.

  He should have asked for a lawyer.

  26

  Sergei’s eyes snapped over to Aiden as he pushed open the windowless door. The space was plain—beige, beige, and more beige. The wooden table was just as beige as the walls, and the tiled floor was a slightly darker shade.

  Blinking repeatedly, Sergei watched Aiden approach to set a paper cup of coffee within reach of his cuffed hands. Apparently, Bobby was right—Sergei had been asleep.

  Aiden didn’t bother to offer the man a handshake. Not only was he sure the Russian would rebuff the gesture, Sergei’s handcuffs had been threaded through a ring bolted to the table.

  Rather than take a seat across from him, Aiden rested his back against the painted concrete beside the one-way glass. Without turning his attention away from Sergei, he sipped at his own drink. As the man’s gray eyes flicked around the room, Aiden knew the unnerving silence was doing its job. Sergei didn’t want to say anything, but the awkward presence of a silent visitor raised more than a few questions.

  The seconds ticked away. Aiden’s stance was as relaxed as if he were merely in line at the grocery store, but his gaze remained fixed on the man.

  This wasn’t the first time Aiden had done this. He could stand here and stare the Russian foot soldier down all damn night. Though he was in a different field office, Aiden was still on his home turf. Sergei, on the other hand, didn’t know what to expect.

  After a few nervous sips of his own coffee, Sergei finally laid both palms flat atop the table. “Okay. What the hell do you want?”

  Aiden offered him a noncommittal shrug in response. “I’ve come for the first round of suicide watch.”

  Narrowing his eyes, Sergei shifted in his seat. “What do you mean?”

  “The signs are all here, Mr. Kolesov, which is certainly understandable under the circumstances.”

  Sergei bristled. “I am no coward to do suicide as you say.” He was losing his grip on English, his accent becoming thicker.

  Aiden lifted a shoulder and took a sip of his coffee…and waited.

  A minute passed. Then five. Then ten.

  By the time Aiden had waited eleven, the Russian was sweating profusely.

  Sergei was off-kilter. Good.

  Twelve.

  Fifteen.

  Twenty-two.

  “I’ve got nothing to say to you, Fed,” Sergei barked, mopping his dripping forehead on the shoulder of his shirt. “Just save yourself the time and throw me in a holding cell.”

  Aiden barely reacted besides to murmur, “Interesting.”

  Like a fish to a hooked worm, Sergei bit. “Interesting how, Fed?”

  As he tapped an index finger against the paper cup, Aiden made a show of appearing thoughtful. “I may have it wrong. Your mother’s religion prohibits suicide, yes?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “So you prefer to be suicided instead.”

  Sergei blustered. “I do not know this suicided.”

  Aiden laughed, authentically amused. “I’m sure you’ve never dirtied your hands in such a way, but to be suicided means to be killed in a way that looks like you committed suicide. For example, we do as you ask and throw you in a holding cell. I’m sure your compatriots will find a way to relieve you of your life so that you’ll be unable to talk, and they’ll be creative in all the ways in which they can make it appear as if you’d killed yourself willingly. Hanging. Pencil through the eye. Overdose. A gun that was missed during the search.” Aiden shrugged and took another sip of his cold coffee.

  Sergei’s lips moved, like the words were in his mouth, but his jaw wouldn’t allow them out.

  “But don’t worry, Sergei. If you’re in a holding cell, then I’ll personally sit with you for as long as it takes to keep you safe. You see, I am very invested in keeping you safe.”

  Sergei furrowed his brows and sweat dripped into his eyes. He blinked and rubbed his face on his shoulder again. “What do you mean?”

  Aiden let the first trace of a smirk work its way to his lips. “Good things come to those who wait.”

  “You talk in riddles.”

  Aiden forced his eyes to go dead. “But this isn’t a fairy tale. Is it, Sergei?”

  Sergei’s eyes were slits. “What kind of Fed are you?”

  “What kind of gangster are you?” He followed the query with a quick sip of coffee.

  Lips pursed, Sergei merely shook his head.

  As Aiden took a step away from the wall, he gestured to Sergei with his free hand. “You smashed the back of a federal agent’s head into a rock and killed him. A federal agent. We know you weren’t the only one there, so why are you the only one here?”

  Though Sergei scoffed at the observation, Aiden didn’t miss the nervous glint behind his eyes.

  “You’re here all by yourself, not even a lawyer to keep you company.”

  Spreading his hands, Sergei leaned back in his chair. “I have nothing to tell you. Do not need a lawyer to tell me that.”

  Aiden feigned a look of disbelief. “Really? Your boss is willing to risk you being in here without someone to babysit you? You know, if you can’t afford an attorney, one will be provided for you, right? You’re an American citizen, Sergei. In here, you’re protected by the Constitution. Out there.” He waved a hand at the door. “Well, there’s no one to protect you out there, is there?”

  Shadows moved along Sergei’s unshaven cheeks as he clenched and unclenched his jaw. Aiden was close to a nerve.

  “Fifteen years you’ve been in the States, isn’t that right?” Aiden paused like he expected a response. “Fifteen years, all of it in this beautiful city. No wonder all the cops around here know who you are. You’re on their shit list. And that’s an official term, straight from one of them. But what about your people? Fifteen years, Sergei, and you’re still at the bottom of the totem pole.”

  The petulance in the man’s gray eyes deepened.

  With a cluck of his tongue, Aiden shook his head. “Fifteen years of loyalty, and where’s it gotten you? It’s gotten you here. In an interrogation room with me, all alone, about to take the fall for a murder when we both know good and well there were two other people present. But you’re willing to throw away your family.”

  Sergei’s eyes flickered again.

  “Your wife, your kids. They’re both young, aren’t they? Grade school? You’ll never be there to watch them graduate, to teach them to drive, to walk your daughter down the aisle when she gets married. They’ll either visit you in prison or at your grave. There are no other choices.”

  Sergei
swallowed, his jaw still clenched. If he wasn’t bound, Aiden would have fully expected him to leap across the table in a half-cocked effort to get him to shut up.

  And the only reason he’d greet Aiden’s observations with such hostility was if the remarks were accurate.

  Aiden held out his arms and offered the man a mirthless chuckle. “All for what, anyway? All to cover for someone who would never stoop low enough to cover for someone like you. You think they would? If it was them in here instead of you, do you think they’d stay quiet? Or do you think they’d leap at the opportunity to take some of the heat off themselves by throwing you to the wolves? Shit rolls downhill, Sergei. Which you should know since we’ve already determined that you’re at the bottom of this shit pile”

  The man shook his head. “No, they would not. Loyalty is everything. It is the reason we breathe, the reason we bleed. We bleed for our brothers. They would never give me up.”

  “Are you willing to bet your life on it? Because that’s what’s at stake right now. It’s not just blood you’ll shed. You’ll have to give your life to these people. You’ll never see your children again unless it’s from the other side of a wall of bulletproof glass. The only way you’ll be able to talk to your wife is through a phone wired through that wall. Do you think they’d give all that up for you? And if you think your friends will take care of your wife and children, do you really believe that?” Aiden snorted. “They’ll take care of them alright. Which of your buddies will force your wife to sleep with him in exchange for a hot meal for your son and daughter? Which of your buddies likes little girls? Little boys?”

  Sergei grew pale, and Aiden took another careful sip of his coffee, allowing the man to envision the atrocities his family faced without his protection.

  “They’ll hurt them, won’t they, Sergei? Use them. If you think they won’t, then you’re naïve. And if you think they’ll stand up and take note of your brave sacrifice here tonight, then you’re in denial. You can try to rationalize it to yourself all you want, but I’ll tell you what’s going to happen. You want to hear it?”

  The venomous glare was expected. Aiden hadn’t just hit a nerve, he was tap dancing on several.

  “You probably don’t. You probably want to live in that world of denial you seem so keen on clinging to. You know what denial is for, right? It’s for someone who’s too weak to face reality. You’re scared, so you just keep hiding under that rock while you pretend everything’s all right.”

  “I am not—”

  “No, of course not. You’re not weak, right?”

  “No.” Sergei uttered the word through clenched teeth. “I am not.”

  In the long moment of silence that followed, Aiden didn’t let his eyes drift away from Sergei. “You’re not weak, but you’ll let your so-called brothers step on you and your family to keep themselves afloat. Does that sound like something a strong man would do?”

  He could almost hear Sergei’s teeth grind together in the ensuing stillness that enveloped them. “What do you want?”

  “I want to know who else was there when Agent Hansford was killed.”

  Taking in an unsteady breath, Sergei focused his eyes on his hands. “And what do I get?”

  Aiden propped his own hands on the table, just inches from the other man’s, and leaned forward. “That depends on what you give me. I can go get you a pack of Starburst from the vending machine, or I can make sure your family’s safe and you get out of prison before your kids kill themselves in a brothel.”

  With a spark of desperation evident in his tense demeanor, Sergei scooted forward in his chair. “I want something in writing.”

  Shaking his head, Aiden rose to his full height. “Not until I know what you’re giving me. Once you give me something and it checks out, then I’ll get you your contract.”

  The gesture was grudging, but Sergei nodded. “Fine. I do not know of his name. That night was the first time I saw him, but I know he is a pig. He called himself ‘Detective Smith,’ but I am not stupid enough to think that this was his real name.”

  Aiden swallowed his distaste at the idea that they were dealing with a corrupt Baltimore detective. “What did he look like?”

  “It was hard to get good look at him. It was dark. Maybe over six feet, dark hair, well-dressed. White or Hispanic, I was not able to tell. Like I said, I never saw him before.”

  “Who else?” Aiden crossed his arms and fixed the man with an intent stare.

  “No one.” For emphasis, Sergei shook his head.

  “No one?” Aiden echoed. “You know, if you lie to me, this whole thing is off the table.”

  Grating his teeth, Sergei nodded. “No one. That is what I say.”

  With another mirthless laugh, Aiden rubbed the bridge of his nose with one hand. “No one? Jesus, Sergei. How fucking stupid do you think I am? I know there was someone else there. Your boss wouldn’t have sent someone as lowly as you all by yourself to meet with someone as high value as a dirty cop. One more chance. Who else was there?”

  Seconds dragged on as Sergei sat, his jaw clenched, posture as stiff as a statue.

  Shrugging, Aiden turned to make his way to the door. “Suit yourself, Sergei. We’ll find them the old-fashioned way.” He stopped when his hand was on the knob. “I hope for your sake that it isn’t a pencil in the eye. I’ve heard that’s exceedingly painful.”

  As soon as the door opened a crack, Sergei broke his stone-like silence.

  “Aleksander Mirnov.”

  Pulling open the door, Aiden glanced over his shoulder. “Someone will be in to get your statement within the next hour.”

  So much for collaboration with the Baltimore PD.

  Instead, the detectives in Baltimore were suspects. Aiden grated his teeth as the door latched closed behind him.

  Down the rabbit hole they went.

  27

  Ever since Noah had pointed out the suspicious Mazda the night before, he hadn’t caught sight of the stalker. Though part of him was relieved, the other part preferred to know where the driver was. At least then he could prepare for an attack.

  Stifling a yawn with one hand, he reached for his pumpkin spice latte with the other. He’d eventually managed to fall asleep, but he estimated he’d gotten a grand total of four hours of shut-eye at best. He couldn’t help but wonder if he should just spend his entire workday in the coffee shop where he and Bree had met up before they went into the office.

  “Sounds like you had a long night.”

  Noah glanced to where Bree sat across the table and nodded. “Thought about asking for three shots of espresso instead of just the one.”

  She tapped her finger on her extra-large cup. “I know the feeling.”

  Before he could force his tired brain to form an intelligent question about their plans for the Eric Dalton investigation that day, his phone buzzed against the laminate tabletop. When he glanced down and spotted Winter’s contact photo on the screen, his pulse rushed in his ears. He’d sent her a message not long after he and Bree arrived at the coffee shop to bemoan his lack of sleep, but he hadn’t expected her to call him.

  Glancing to the short line of customers at the counter and then back to Bree, he picked up the phone. “It’s Winter. Might be about the case.”

  As he pushed to his feet, Bree nodded her understanding. “Okay. I’ll be here.”

  He offered her a quick smile before he started off for the front door. Swiping the answer key, he raised the phone to his ear. “Hey,” he greeted. Thanks to the sudden rush of adrenaline, he no longer sounded like he’d just woken up.

  “Good morning.” Her voice was light, maybe even upbeat. Apparently, someone had gotten more sleep than he had.

  He swallowed down the twinge of nervousness. “How’s Baltimore?”

  She blew out a short sigh. “That’s part of why I decided just to call you.”

  Noah stepped out into the cool morning air and made his way to the edge of the building, away from any curious ears. �
��Did you guys find something?”

  “Yeah, we did. A couple things, good and bad. Yesterday, the Baltimore PD brought in a Russian foot soldier named Sergei Kolesov. Kolesov had the same metal particles on his clothes that were found in Natalie’s car and house, and as best as we can tell, they’re the same particles that were found on Agent Hansford’s body.”

  Jamming a hand in his pocket, Noah suppressed a weary sigh. “That’s the good news, then, right? What’s the bad?”

  “Aiden questioned Sergei last night, and we got some more information about who else was there when Agent Hansford was killed. The audio techs are getting close to finished with cleaning up the recording, but even when it was fuzzy, it was enough to tell that there were three people there. Sergei was one of them, and then there’s another Russian named Aleksander Mirnov that the Baltimore PD is searching for right now.”

  The discovery still didn’t sound like bad news. “Who was the third person?”

  “That’s the bad news.” She paused, and he could almost picture her rubbing her temples. “We don’t know who he is, but we know he’s a detective in the Baltimore PD. Sergei claims it was dark, and he wasn’t able to give much in the way of a description.”

  “A detective?” Noah let out a string of four-letter words that would have had his mama washing his mouth out with soap. He was well aware that corrupt law enforcement officials existed, but so far during his tenure with the bureau, he hadn’t personally come across any.

  “Yeah. Aiden tried showing Sergei some pictures, but he wasn’t sure if the guy was in one of them. Baltimore is a big city, and it’ll take an age to go through all the detectives to find one that jogs Sergei’s memory, but—”

  “Eyewitness identification isn’t all that reliable, especially if the person saw the suspect in the dark,” Noah finished for her.

  “Exactly.”

  Rubbing his tired eyes with one hand, Noah leaned back against the concrete wall. “Well, I guess I’ve got some news too. I told Bree already, but someone was following me when I went to The Lift to hang out with Autumn last night.”