Rogue Angel 51: The Pretender's Gambit

by Alex Archer

  Annja waited.

  “Onoprienko is still in the wind.” Bart’s tone turned softer and he sounded more tired. “We don’t know where he’s gone. We found a hammer at his house that the ME’s office says might be a fit for the weapon that killed Benyovszky. We’ll know more when we get the report back from forensics. One of the assistants in the ME’s office has already confirmed that Benyovszky’s blood was on the weapon. Onoprienko tried to wash it off, but you can never completely get rid of blood.”

  “Then he’s your killer. You can close the case on Benyovszky’s murder.” Annja knew she couldn’t rest until she’d tracked down the elephant or believed the piece was unrecoverable.

  Calapez and Nguyen Rao were chasing after the elephant; it had to mean something, and if they knew what it was, Annja felt confident that she could learn what was going on, as well.

  “Maybe we can close that investigation. We still have to be able to prove that hammer is the weapon that was used to kill Benyovszky and then put that hammer in Onoprienko’s hand doing that. The same way you verify that an artifact is what you say it is, that it was made in a certain place at a certain time by a certain person.”

  “Certificate of authenticity.”

  “Right. That. We still have that to do. But Joe and I are pretty confident Onoprienko’s the murderer. We just have to find him. You don’t suppose Klykov has any more ideas about where Onoprienko is, do you?”

  “You’d have to ask him. He didn’t mention anywhere else to me on the ride over, and we haven’t exactly had time to talk since everything occurred.”

  Bart grinned crookedly. “Asking him questions isn’t going to be possible. I am not one of Klykov’s favorite people right now.”

  “Is he still here?”

  “Yeah. I haven’t cut him loose yet, but I’m going to have to. His lawyer got here thirty minutes after we brought you guys in. They’re playing the quiet game, waiting to see what we have and what we’re going to do. Even charging him with shooting those men in the apartment is off the table for the moment until we get all the evidence sorted.

  “Or if we didn’t have your statement saying he and Serov shot back in self-defense.”

  “They did act in self-defense. Their own and mine.”

  “They didn’t have to be so good at shooting back.”

  “He was just defending himself. And if we hadn’t gotten there, Guro’s men might have killed Onoprienko.”

  “You know Guro’s people?”

  Annja shrugged. “I don’t really know them. I only met them tonight, and that was only for about a minute before they started trying to kill us.”

  “You got really lucky there. Although nobody’s talking, and most of those guys aren’t even alive to talk now, the way Joe and I read it is Guro’s head enforcer—”

  “Kaneev.”

  Bart frowned. “Yeah. Kaneev. We think he was there to kill Onoprienko, but he was also doing a bit of gun smuggling on the side. I guess he figured Onoprienko’s apartment was safe to do it in. So while Kaneev was getting ready to blow Onoprienko’s brains out, he was making a little extra side money selling weapons. One of the buyers gave us that.”

  Picturing the scene in her mind again, Annja shook her head. “If Kaneev was there to kill Onoprienko, Onoprienko would have been dead. They wanted something out of him.”

  “Had to be money. Guro is a loan shark.”

  “Onoprienko had something they were trying to get. Otherwise they wouldn’t have tortured him. The only thing I can think of is the elephant that Benyovszky had.”

  “Onoprienko was tortured?”

  “He’d been hit a lot. His face was busted up pretty good.”

  “Doesn’t that bother you?”

  “What?”

  “That a guy was tortured? That people got dead real fast tonight?”

  Annja considered that. She was bothered, but there was nothing she could do about it. There were things a person could fix, and things that could not be fixed. To get through life sane, a person had to figure out what went on each list. A kind sister had taught Annja that back in the New Orleans orphanage she’d grown up in. The same sister had also helped Annja start martial arts because knowing herself better would help her separate those lists.

  “Yes, it bothers me. Probably on the same level that it bothers you.”

  “I see a lot of this in my job.”

  “I’m sure you do, but have you ever seen children dying of malnutrition and disease while lying in their mother’s arms only a short distance from a medical facility they’re not allowed to go to? Those trips I go on, Bart, it’s not all about digging a hole in the ground and trying to find a treasure. I see people at their lowest. And to be honest, there are a lot worse things happening in a number of countries than happen here. Tonight was bad, but no innocents were killed. You need to be thankful for that.”

  Bart just stared at her for a moment. “You know, I’ve never stopped and thought about that. What you see, I mean.”

  A knock sounded on the door.

  “Come in,” Bart said.

  The door opened and an older plainclothes detective stuck his head in. “Sorry to interrupt, Bart, but Creed’s attorney is here.”

  Bart glanced at Annja and she saw the flush of anger in his face. “You called a lawyer?”

  “No.”

  “Excuse me, detective,” a new voice interrupted. “Perhaps it would be better if I explained.”

  Chapter 19

  The plainclothes detective backed out of the doorway, and a heavy-set man entered and glanced around the room. His dark blue suit was fashionable and tailored. The round face was pale and undefined, and his dark brown hair was going thin on top but still showed rebellious curls. He carried a slimline briefcase in one hand and a stylish fedora in the other.

  “Actually, the detective got it wrong.” The man gave a small smile that was more serviceable than filled with kindness. “I’m not Miss Creed’s attorney yet, Detective McGillis.” He fixed his gaze on Annja. “But I will be, Miss Creed, if you so choose to invoke your rights to an attorney in this matter. My name is Oleg Deyneka.”

  Bart’s expression soured and Annja guessed his and the attorney’s paths had crossed before.

  “We’re finished here,” Bart said.

  Deyneka beamed. “Splendid. Mr. Klykov was becoming concerned on how long you were keeping the professor. He thought I should inquire after her situation.”

  “Professor Creed did her civic duty, so we can’t impose on her any longer.”

  “I’d hoped that would be the case,” Deyneka said. “Especially in light of the fact that you originally called her in to assist with this investigation. I understand then, that she’s free to leave now?”

  “Yes. I will want her available for further questioning if that becomes necessary.”

  Before Annja could agree to that, the attorney said, “Miss Creed, Mr. Klykov would like to make certain you are well represented in this matter—since it involves him.”

  “All right.” Annja felt she owed Klykov that. The old gangster was in more danger of being prosecuted than she was.

  “Splendid.” Deyneka smiled again. “What about Mr. Klykov and Mr. Serov? Are they free to go, as well? They’ve been here several hours answering all the questions you and your department have had for them.”

  “They didn’t answer all of them,” Bart said.

  Deyneka never batted an eye. “They answered as many as they felt they needed to. Now…are they free to go? Charge them or release them.”

  “Sure.” Bart folded his arms. “They’re free to go.”

  Deyneka turned to Annja. “Mr. Klykov has extended a dinner invitation to you. Given the shocking events this afternoon that you’ve been witness to, he feels it is the least he can do.”

  “He doesn’t have to do that,” Annja said.

  “Perhaps you’d like to tell Mr. Klykov that yourself, Professor.”

  “I will.” Annja turned bac
k to Bart. “I’ll let you know anything I find out.”

  Bart nodded. “Just be careful, Annja.”

  She left him standing there, feeling as if things were still unresolved between them, and headed off.

  Klykov and Serov stood near the exit to the bull pen and looked completely out of place in their Chasing History’s Monsters T-shirts under their jackets. Most of the detectives were watching them.

  “Annja.” Klykov smiled and nodded as Annja joined him. “I hope Oleg didn’t interrupt anything important.”

  “No. Detective McGilley and I are old friends. He was just voicing his…concerns.”

  Bart stood nearby and looked like the protective and disapproving older brother Annja had never had. The threat he offered was etched in the straight lines of his body and the curved frown.

  Klykov nodded. “I didn’t know you were on such good terms with the police.”

  “Not with the police. With Bart. When I first met him, I didn’t know he was a detective. He didn’t tell me that until later.”

  “Well, some of the best people are police. Oleg told you about dinner?”

  “He did, but it’s been a long day—”

  “I totally understand. I wasn’t sure you’d want to continue chasing Onoprienko after everything that happened today.”

  That caught Annja’s attention immediately. “You know where he is?”

  “I know where he’s going to be.”

  Annja struggled with her desire to find the elephant piece and not wanting to disappoint Bart again. “Does he have the elephant?”

  “He does indeed. Does dinner sound more interesting now?”

  “Yes, but I don’t want to cut Bart out of the investigation again. He needs to find Onoprienko.”

  “Unless your friend has jurisdiction in Ukraine, that’s going to be a problem.”

  * * *

  “ONOPRIENKO KILLED BENYOVSZKY for the elephant to pay off his debt to Guro.” Seated at one of the back tables in a well-known Russian restaurant on 2nd Street, Klykov talked as he ate.

  “Leonid.” Serov glanced at the other man reproachfully. “I must protest.”

  “What?” Klykov’s knife and fork hovered over an order of meat dumplings called pelmeni. The folded shells contained beef and pork seasoned to what Annja felt was perfection. She’d eaten at this restaurant a lot when she was in town.

  “This hardly seems to be an appropriate topic of conversation to have with a young lady over a meal.”

  “Faugh.” Klykov continued chewing. “The only reason Annja is here with two old men is because she wishes to know what I have learned about this matter.”

  “Not completely true.” Annja sipped her wine. “It’s mostly true for tonight, but the company is good. On another night I would have come without being bribed.”

  “You see?” Klykov made shooing motions with his hand. “She is fine with this topic.”

  Serov glanced at Annja in mock despair. “I have tried hard to elevate his social graces, but I fear it is hopeless.”

  Annja laughed. Watching the two old gangsters play off of each other was fun. The average person probably wouldn’t have thought so if dealing with them, but Annja was enjoying herself. She also realized Bart wouldn’t have thought so either, and that took a little of the fun out of it.

  “At any rate, as I was saying, Onoprienko learned from Benyovszky that he was about to get a windfall and he decided to take advantage of it to save himself. Benyovszky was only celebrating his good fortune, had too much to drink and told Onoprienko of the auction that was doing so well.”

  Annja took another bite of her own dumplings served with sour cream and delighted in the flavors. She hadn’t realized how hungry she’d been, and eating at the restaurant had sounded a whole lot better than going home to fix a meal.

  “So Onoprienko goes over to Benyovszky’s apartment, bashes in his head and takes the elephant,” Klykov said.

  Serov shook his head sorrowfully. “Leonid, we’re eating.”

  Annja wiped her mouth with her napkin. “Don’t worry. I’m fine. I’ve had dinner down in burial pits while we were exhuming graves. Some of the bodies were fresh enough that they still had flesh on them. This doesn’t bother me.”

  Klykov grinned. “You see, Pitor? You worry too much. Annja is not a typical woman. You should have realized that earlier today when all the shooting was taking place.”

  “Fine. I will mind my own business.” Serov turned his attention back to his meal.

  “Where is the elephant?” Annja asked.

  “Onoprienko has it. He didn’t keep it at his apartment.”

  “You can’t keep anything in that building,” Serov said. “It’s filled with thieves.”

  “And one police officer,” Annja pointed out.

  Serov laughed. “That’s a funny story, actually. The police officer did not live there. He was only there in the building to make a buy from a drug dealer. That is why the police arrived so quickly.”

  Bart hadn’t mentioned that. “How did you find that out?”

  “The same way Leonid knows so much. While we were wasting time at the police station, time that we won’t get back, Leonid and I had people out talking to people. We only remained at the station to make certain you were released and in no trouble.”

  “Oh.”

  “Please,” Klykov said to Serov, “may I tell my story? It is, after all, my story and I am buying dinner.”

  “Of course. I was only answering Annja’s question.”

  “As Pitor said, I asked a few people who know people to go out and ask about people. It was not so much to do. After the shooting in Onoprienko’s apartment, everyone was talking. My people only had to listen and report back to me. What I learned is that Onoprienko stole the elephant in order to pay off his debts to Guro. Onoprienko told Guro about the elephant. Guro didn’t trust Onoprienko, so he sent Kaneev and his men to get the elephant and to kill Onoprienko. Guro wanted the elephant to settle the debt, if it was worth that much, and he also wanted Onoprienko dead as a statement to his other clients.”

  “Bart said there was a group of people there buying weapons from Kaneev.”

  Klykov grinned. “Guro wasn’t aware of that. If Kaneev had lived—”

  “And he might have if Leonid did not shoot so straight,” Serov put in.

  Klykov performed a small mock bow. “Had Kaneev lived, Guro would probably have killed him for his betrayal. As it is, Guro now owes me a favor for exposing his enforcer as a weak link.”

  “A weak link?”

  “Sure, sure. Think about it. If Kaneev had gotten caught doing business on the side, and he would have, then he could have spilled everything to the police and claimed Guro was behind it all. It was genius, actually. Kaneev had his own insurance policy in place in the event of his apprehension. The police would have wanted a larger fish than Kaneev, and he is the kind of person who would sell out his employer. Make a deal and be gone, all the while his illicit profits would be waiting for him.”

  “Guro didn’t know that?”

  “Not until today. And now he has Kaneev’s stashed money, which Guro is also thankful for. He owes me a big favor.”

  Annja realized that she was getting sidetracked. “Okay, so we’re certain that Onoprienko has the elephant.”

  “He does.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Because Onoprienko doesn’t have a buyer here.” Klykov smiled. “But he does have one in Odessa.”

  “Who is it?”

  “That I am not certain of. Yet. But I have people asking questions. Once questions start getting asked, once a thing is almost known, soon the answers come.”

  “Is Onoprienko still in New York?”

  “No. He flew to Canada with a man who regularly travels between New York and Saint John, New Brunswick. That man does some smuggling business and taking Onoprienko was easily arranged because they have worked together before.”

  Annja stopped eating as her
appetite all but disappeared. “So the elephant is already gone.”

  “I did not say that.” Klykov sliced into a dumpling. “You have passport, da?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then we will go to Odessa and continue tracking Onoprienko. My travel agent has booked us seats on a flight out of LaGuardia at seven o’clock in the morning. Can you be ready by this time?”

  “I can be.” Annja looked at Klykov. “Why are you doing this?”

  He smiled at her. “Because it has been a long time since I have been on an adventure with a beautiful woman. And do not worry that this is some kind of romantic overture. This is done because I respect you. If I had ever had a daughter, I would have wanted her to grow up like you. Fierce and independent.”

  Appetite returned, Annja dug into her meal with renewed gusto. There was nothing like a fresh clue to revitalize flagging enthusiasm. The hunt was still on.

  Chapter 20

  “You’re in Odessa?” Bart sounded half-asleep. “But you were there in Brighton all day yesterday.”

  Annja walked through LaGuardia at 4:30 a.m., not feeling exactly at the top of her game either. After finishing dinner with Klykov and Serov, she had returned to her loft, packed, and made everything as ready for being away for a few days as she could.

  “Not Little Odessa. Odessa as in Odessa in Ukraine.” Annja paused and looked around the terminal for Klykov and didn’t see him. Her e-ticket had been waiting for her online and she only had to swipe a credit card to claim it. Since the booking had been at the last minute, she had been treated to extra scrutiny that had left her feeling just short of violated.

  “You’re leaving New York?” Bart sounded more awake now.

  “To get to Ukraine, you must leave New York, so yes, I’m leaving New York.”

  “Why?”

  “Because that’s where Onoprienko is headed.”

  “Wait. Slow down. How do you know this?”

  “I don’t know it, but that’s what I’ve been told.”

  “By Klykov.” Bart made that sound more like an accusation than a statement of fact.

  “Yes. By Klykov.”

  “You could have told me this last night.”