or not.
Orlando’s phone began to ring. She looked at the display, then at Quinn. “It’s Scott Bethel.” Bethel was the person in Moscow she’d asked to follow up on the Stepka lead. She hit Accept. “Hold on, Scott. I’m putting you on speaker.”
She set the phone down next to her computer and touched the screen.
“Okay,” she said. “What have you learned?”
“I found this Stepka guy in an apartment full of highend computer gear,” Bethel said. “Didn’t want to talk at first. But he’s the soft type.”
“Did you hurt him?” Quinn asked.
“Didn’t have to,” Bethel said. “I don’t think he goes out much.” Bethel’s specialty was getting in and out of places unseen. Though he wasn’t large like Julien, he was solid, and could be intimidating if he wanted to.
“Where is he now?”
“Sitting in front of me.”
“What?”
“I’m in his apartment. We just had a nice little talk. But I thought you might want to hear directly from him what he had to say.”
“I’d love to.”
“Let me put him on speaker.” There was a bit of static, then Bethel said in a voice more distant than before, “All right, Stepka. Why don’t you tell my friend what you just told me?”
Silence.
“Stepka. My name is Quinn. Jonathan Quinn. I believe you were doing a little research on me. I’d like to know why.”
More silence.
“So you’re not going to talk to my friend?” Bethel asked. “Maybe this will change your mind.”
There was a loud crash and the sound of something breaking into several pieces.
“No, don’t!” a voice yelled. English with a Russian accent. Stepka.
“What was that?” Quinn asked.
“This kid’s got more computer equipment jammed in here than most IT departments I’ve seen. Well, a little less than he had a moment ago.” Bethel paused. “How about we try this monitor now?”
“No! No, I will talk.”
“Then talk.”
“Mr. Quinn. I … I was only checking on you because … because you have been getting in our way.”
“In your way of what?” Quinn asked.
“Our search for the Ghost.”
“The Ghost?”
“His real name is Palavin. Former KGB. A butcher.”
That jibed with both what Orlando had uncovered and what the Russian woman had claimed. “Why are you looking for him?”
“We want to … talk with him.”
“Talk with him? Really? I get the feeling you want to do more than that.”
Stepka said nothing.
“All right,” Quinn said. “Tell me about the woman.”
“What woman?”
“The woman who is here searching for him.”
“Petra,” Stepka said. “She is the team leader.”
“How many in her team?”
“Now? Just two. She and a man named Mikhail.”
“Why is she interested in me?”
“You have information that will help us find Palavin.”
“I have no such information.”
“Of course you have,” Stepka said. “You’ve been working for him. We need what you know. Petra will find you. She will—”
“Take him off speaker, Scott,” Quinn said. He shared a look with Orlando.
There was a faint click, then Bethel said, “Okay, it’s just me.”
“Put him on ice for right now. Someplace no one can find him for a few days. I’ll let you know when you can
