By the time Elizabeth came back in, wearing jeans and a blue tank with a thin froth of lace at the edges, he’d piled a plate with bacon, eggs, toast.
“Did Detective Griffith pack everything you needed?”
“Yes. I wasn’t sure what to do with the suitcase. You said we weren’t staying here.”
“Don’t worry about it. Eat while it’s hot.”
She stared at the plate. “That’s a lot of food.” Bacon? Her nutritionist would have a heart attack.
The idea of the reaction made her smile.
“You look hungry.”
“I am.” The smile stayed in place when she looked up at him. “I’m not supposed to eat bacon.”
“Why?”
“Processed meat, sodium, animal fat. It’s not on my approved list. My mother and my nutritionist have devised a very specific meal plan.”
“Is that so? Well, it’s a shame to let it go to waste.”
“It would be.” The scent drew her to the table. “And you went to the trouble to cook it for me.” She sat, picked up a slice of bacon, took a bite. Closed her eyes. “It’s good.”
“Everything’s better with bacon.” He set a tall glass of juice and three Tylenol beside her plate. “Take those, drink that. I can see the hangover.”
Now the smile fell away. “We shouldn’t have been drinking.”
“No, you shouldn’t have. Do you always do what you should do?”
“Yes. I mean, before yesterday. And if I’d done what I should have yesterday, Julie would be alive.”
“Liz, Julie’s dead because Yakov Korotkii is a murderer, because the Volkovs are very bad people. You and Julie did something stupid. She didn’t deserve to die for it. And you’re not responsible. Take the Tylenol, drink the juice. Eat.”
She obeyed more out of the habit of obedience than desire now. But, oh, the food was so good, so comforting.
“Will you tell me what happens now? I don’t know what happens now, and it’s easier to know what I’m expected to do.”
He brought his coffee to the table, sat down with her. “A lot of what happens next depends on you.”
“Because my testimony as to what happened, what I saw, what I heard, will be necessary to convict Yakov Korotkii on the murder charges, and the other man as his accomplice. And Ilya as an accessory after the fact. Also, it could implicate Sergei Volkov, though that may be hearsay, I’m not clear on that. He would be the most desired target, as it appears he’s the head, or one of the heads, of the organization.”
John leaned back in his chair. “You seem to have a solid grasp on the situation, as it stands.”
“I’ve been monitoring some criminal justice courses, and doing a lot of reading.”
“Since yesterday?”
“No.” She nearly laughed, but it caught in her throat. “Since I started college. I’m interested.”
“But you’re studying to be a doctor.”
She looked down at her plate, carefully scooped up a bite of scrambled egg. “Yes.”
He got up, opened the fridge again, took out a Coke for himself, then a second. He cocked a brow in question.
“I’m not supposed to— Yes, please. I’d like a Coke.”
He opened both, then sat as a compact woman with blond hair in a sleek ponytail stepped in. “Liz, this is Deputy Marshal Norton. Terry, Liz.”
“How’re you doing today, Liz?”
“Better, thank you.”
“Liz was just asking about the process, though she seems to have a handle on it. Terry’s contacted the U.S. Attorney’s Office. You’ll have a representative from Child Services present while they talk to you, if your mother hasn’t arrived by that time. Your cooperation is voluntary, Liz, but—”
“I could be held as a material witness. It won’t be necessary. I have to cooperate, I have to testify. Will you tell me if the Volkovs are Russian Mafia?”
“What we believe and what we can prove—”
“I want to know what you believe,” Elizabeth interrupted. “I think I should know my situation. I may be a minor, legally, but I’m not a child. I have an IQ of two hundred and ten, and excellent comprehension skills. I know I behaved foolishly, but I’m not foolish. I understand if I witnessed murders carried out on orders of what would be the
She paused, took a sip of Coke right from the can. Amazing.
“I was impaired last night—this morning, more accurately. From drinking, being sick, then from shock. I didn’t fully assess the situation. But I have now. If the Volkovs are simply very bad men, a loosely formed gang of thugs and criminals, it’s a difficult situation. If they are organized crime, if they are Red Mafia, it’s much more. I want to know.”
She watched the two deputies exchange a look.
“Once I’m able to access a computer,” Elizabeth added, “I’ll be able to research and find the answer for myself.”
“I bet you could,” John murmured. “We believe—hell, we know—the Volkovs are organized crime. We know they’re heavily involved in weapons and human trafficking, in computer fraud—a specialty—in protection, theft, drugs. They’re a wide-reaching organization, with considerable legitimate—or legitimate enough—interests, such as nightclubs, restaurants, strip joints and real estate. Law enforcement’s been able to peck away a bit, but the hierarchy hasn’t been touched. We know Korotkii is Sergei Volkov’s mechanic—his hit man. But we’ve never been able to pin him.”
“He liked killing Alex. He felt great contempt for Alex. With Julie … killing Julie annoyed him. Nothing more, nothing less. I’m sorry, I can’t finish the food.”
“It’s okay.”
She looked down at her hands for a moment, then back up into John’s eyes. “I won’t be able to go back to Harvard. I won’t be able to go home again. If I testify, I’ll have to go into the Witness Protection Program. Isn’t that what will happen?”
“You’re getting a little ahead of yourself,” Terry told her.
“I always think ahead. I didn’t last night, and there was a terrible price. Would I be able to go to another university, under another name?”
“We could make that work,” John said. “We take good care of our witnesses, Liz. You can look that up on the computer, too.”
“I will. They don’t know who I am. I mean to say I only told Ilya my first name. He only knew Liz—and really it’s always been Elizabeth. And I … before we went to the club, I cut and dyed my hair. I don’t look like this.”
“Like the hair,” Terry said. “It’s a good look for you.”
“I look very different. Last night with makeup, and the dress, the hair, I looked very different than I did. Maybe there’s a way to give testimony without them finding out who I am. I know it’s a slim chance, but I’d like to try to believe that. For now, anyway.”
Terry shifted as her cell phone beeped. She pulled it from the case on her belt. “Norton. Yeah. Copy that.”
She replaced the phone. “They’re bringing your mom in.”
“All right.” Rising, Elizabeth took her plate to the sink. “I’ll do the dishes.”
“I’ll give you a hand,” John said.
“No. If you don’t mind, I’d like a little time alone before my mother gets here.”
“Sure.” He laid a hand on her shoulder. “It’ll be all right, Liz.”
She only nodded and kept her hands busy, out of sight. So no one could see them tremble.
By the time the plainclothes officers brought her mother to the door, she felt she had herself under control. In the sparsely furnished living room, Elizabeth got to her feet as Susan came in. One look told her the apology she’d practiced would be far from adequate.
