'But you said-'
'A deal, my dear Kirov, implies a mutually beneficial transaction. This is a favor. I want you to owe me for a change.' She glanced at Hannah. 'Don't worry, I'm very good. You will see.'
'I'm sure I will,' Hannah said. 'Thank you.'
A radiant smile lit Eugenia's face. 'I think I like you. You're sincere. That's rare in this counterfeit world.' She went to the carved table in the foyer and opened a black enamel box. 'You may need a place to stay. Hotels are never safe. I own the brownstone at the end of the block and keep it available for clients. I don't want them invading my space.' She tossed Kirov a set of keys. 'If I have time after I've contacted my sources, I'll come over tonight and have a drink with you.' She grabbed a yellow legal pad and cranked up the music. 'Now out of here, both of you. Dow-Corning wants to build a sixty-five-floor office building in the heart of Moscow, and I have to think of a way to make the Russian government pay for it.'
TEN
'Interesting woman,' Hannah said, as they walked down Eugenia's front stairs. 'She's much younger than I imagined.'
'She's older than she looks, but of course, she was only seventeen or eighteen when she started with the KGB. They were training her to be a swallow.'
'Swallow?'
'An agent who specializes in obtaining information by sexual seduction. She decided that patriotism could only carry you so far and opted out.'
'I'm glad she didn't let them use her like that. She seems very nice.'
'She is. And she's a great person to have on your side. She truly has a good heart, but don't let that charming personality fool you. There are dozens of souls in the world who probably consider her the most intimidating person they've ever met.'
Hannah nodded slowly. 'I can believe that.'
'That's good. I wouldn't want you to underestimate her. If there's a threat to her or someone she cares about, she won't hesitate to eliminate that threat. I've seen her in action, and she's very proficient.'
'She said she owed you? Why?'
'Oh, I was able to get her out of a sticky situation once.' He changed the subject. 'Bradworth will know we're in New York, you know.'
'How?'
'Shortly after we crossed the Triborough Bridge, your license plate was photographed and probably matched with an alert that he logged.'
'Homeland Security at work.'
'Another camera may have already caught us in the city. In any case, when we pass close to the U.N. or another landmark, they'll get another shot.'
'Should we just leave my car in the lot?'
'No, I believe it's time to bring him into the picture again. I just didn't want him to zero in on Eugenia.' Kirov pulled out his cell phone and punched a number. 'Hello, Bradworth,' he said into the phone. 'You're not on your way to New York yet, are you?'
'New York? Why would I be there?'
'Come now,' Kirov said. 'Ms. Bryson and I are contemplating an early dinner in TriBeCa, and we would be delighted to have you join us. How are you doing on pinpointing our location?'
Bradworth cursed softly. 'We got her car crossing Eighth Avenue, near Times Square, about half an hour ago. What are you doing in New York? And why the hell did you sneak away from here?'
'We needed a change of scene. We thought it would help Hannah clear her mind.'
'You son of a bitch.'
'You had your chance with her, now it's my turn.'
'What are you doing? You have an obligation to keep us in the loop.'
'That was never a condition of our agreement. I promised you results, not cooperation.'
'Kirov-!'
'Good-bye, Bradworth. I'll be in touch soon.' He hung up and turned to Hannah. 'Now let's look over the guest quarters Eugenia offered us. I could use a shower and a meal without Bradworth or his men looking over our shoulders.'
'No TriBeCa?'
'Definitely no TriBeCa.'
Nice.' Hannah gazed around the parlor of the brownstone. High ceilings, wonderful moldings, and the muted paisley cushions on the oversized couch and chairs looked very inviting. 'How long do you think we'll be here before Eugenia comes up with the information?'
He shrugged. 'It will take as long as it takes. She can't work miracles.' He smiled. 'Though she might deny that. Eugenia doesn't lack confidence.'
'I could tell she was no shrinking violet.' She started up the stairs. 'But I'd rather deal with someone who believed in herself than a wimp. I'm going to go settle in and explore that shower you were talking about.'
'I have a few calls to make and then I'll shower and check out the kitchen.' He pulled out his phone and dropped down on the couch. 'Relax. Take a nap.'
'Not likely.' She reached the top of the stairs and opened the first door. The bedroom had the same comfortable ambiance as the furniture downstairs, and there was a door that probably led to a bathroom. She threw her duffel on the bed.
A few minutes later she was stepping beneath the warm spray of the shower. God, it felt good. Some of the tension was flowing out of her. She had been on edge since the night she had met Kirov. Even in their more peaceful moments when they were working together, she had been acutely aware of both him and the bizarreness of the situation. But then everything in the world had taken on a nightmare strangeness when Conner had died.
And she couldn't live with that strangeness for much longer. She couldn't allow herself to go forward blindly over a cliff. Events had moved so quickly that she had been more accepting than she would ordinarily have been. She had let Kirov lead her to his friends, his turf, and she knew little more about him than the night she'd met him. She'd been swept along by that dynamic forcefulness and the hope that they could quickly put an end to Pavski.
It was time to stop, slow down, ask questions.
And Kirov had better be prepared to answer them.
I heard from Eugenia.' Kirov was taking a carafe of coffee off the stand when Hannah came into the small kitchen. 'No luck yet. She's still putting out feelers.' He studied her. 'You look more rested. Though a little grim. Have you been brooding?'
'I've been thinking,' she corrected.
'I thought you'd be analyzing the situation as soon as you had time to take a breath. It's an integral part of your character.' He picked up the carafe and two cups. 'There's a tiny courtyard out back. Let's go outside and drink coffee and look at the stars.'
'I don't want to look at the stars.'
'Then let's go outside so that I can look at the stars while you interrogate me.' He was already heading for the door. 'It will relax me. You might find me more accommodating if I'm communing with nature.'
'Not likely.' She followed him out into the courtyard. 'Accommodating?'
'I can be accommodating when it suits me.' He sat down at the mosaic bistro table and gestured for her to sit across from him. 'And when it doesn't foul up my plans.'
'I don't give a damn about your plans.'
'Yes, you do, because now you're part of them.' He filled up the cups and set the carafe down on the table. 'And we have a joint objective. While you were analyzing our partnership, didn't you throw that into the mix?'
