name and address.'
'And did you?'
'Sure. I told you, I got it.' He took a notebook out of his back pocket. 'Charles Vorstov-Babin. He used Babin in London but his full name in Russia.'
Emily stiffened. 'Babin?'
Pauley glanced up. 'You've heard of him?'
'Only once.'
On that hideous day that had so traumatized her, she hadn't even been able to remember it.
Pauley looked back at his notes. 'He's an attorney who moved from London to Moscow at the end of the Cold War. There were a lot of Western industrialists who decided to come to the Soviet Union to do business and make a killing. Babin decided that he'd make a killing of his own by representing them and getting a cut of the gravy train. He's illegitimate, but his mother was Russian and he speaks the language. It came in handy when he moved back to Russia. He fit in with both the Russian government and his new clients from Great Britain and the U.S. He's very successful and not above skidding very close to the edge when it comes to honest business practices.'
'And his address?'
'Got that, too. His office is in a little town north of Moscow. Dal-baz. His home is an estate that was confiscated by the Bolsheviks after they killed the royal family. It once belonged to Grand Duke Igor.'
'How far north of Moscow?'
'About fifty miles.'
'Not very convenient for doing business,' Emily said. 'And he must have done very well if he could afford to buy that estate.'
He shrugged. 'Maybe he has a select clientele that can afford to keep him in the style to which he'd like to be accustomed.'
'How well is he doing?' Emily asked. She remembered the term Garrett had used when he'd spoken about Staunton's cash flow. 'Un¬limited funds?'
'I haven't had time to do an in-depth study, but I don't think so.'
Dardon shook his head. 'I'm sorry, I should have been able to lo¬cate Babin before this, Emily. Hell, I've been checking since before you went after Nemid. It was that damn double name that threw me off.'
'It doesn't matter. We have him now. I just don't understand why his profile doesn't agree with what Garrett was told about Staunton. Staunton doesn't have unlimited funds, and now neither does Babin?'
'We'll find out, Emily,' Garrett said quietly. He turned to Dardon. 'Now you have a full name and address. Call Ferguson and get him to tap every source he has and see if he can find out anything more. See if he has a client named Staunton.'
'You're using Ferguson again?' Emily asked.
'Hell yes, I want to see what dirt he can dig up on Babin. Fergu¬son has contacts, and we might as well use them. Let him earn his pay¬off. Tell him to get the information as fast as he can.'
'Then you won't need me any longer,' Pauley said. 'Do I get to go home?'
Garrett stared at him for a moment. 'It's tempting. But I think I'll keep you here for a little while. Something may come up.' He turned to Emily. 'Shower and get dressed. We'll go visit Babin and see if we can get a few answers ourselves.'
BABIN'S OFFICE WAS LOCATED in a brick building on a street with other professional offices. The street was clean and well main¬tained, and the town of Dalbaz appeared prosperous.
'Very nice,' Garrett said as he held the door open for Emily. 'How are you doing? Are you okay?'
'Yes. Why shouldn't I be?'
'No reason. You can never tell how anything is going to hit some¬one. We're getting closer.'
And she was feeling nervous. How had he known? Lord, he was per¬ceptive. 'Let's get even closer.' She moved to the desk, where a blond receptionist was sitting. 'We'd like to see Mr. Babin, please.'
'You have an appointment?' Her English was faintly accented, and her smile was flashing white in her pretty face.
'No. But we need to see him. My name is Emily Hudson and this
'I'm sorry, but Mr. Babin never sees anyone without an appoint¬ment. Perhaps you can-'
'Perhaps we can see him right now.' Garrett took Emily's elbow and whisked her toward the inner door. 'It will be fine. Trust me.'
'It will not be fine.' The receptionist's smile was gone as she jumped to her feet and ran after them. 'I told you that-' She stopped and said to the man who had gotten to his feet as they walked into the room. 'I'm sorry, Mr. Babin. I told them that you never saw-'
'John Garrett and this is Emily Hudson,' Garrett said. 'We need to talk to you, Babin.'
'It seems to be somewhat important, Nadia,' Babin said to the re¬ceptionist. 'Perhaps we should make an exception. It will be all right.' lr you re sure:
'I'm not sure, but I'm willing to be open.' He smiled at Emily as the receptionist left the room. He was a heavyset man in his fifties, with smoothly barbered black hair and a toothy smile as glossy and slick as his hair. 'Now what is this all about?'
She drew a deep breath, trying to smother the anger that was be¬ginning to kindle. 'Suppose you tell us. Nicholas Zelov called you two nights ago. He was frightened.' She paused. 'And he mentioned Mikhail Zelov's Book of Living.'
'I don't remember such a call. You must be mistaken. Did Mr. Zelov tell you that he'd called me?'
'No.'
'Oh, my, then you must have tapped this call by illegal means.' He shook his head reprovingly. 'And I really can't discuss it with you.'
'Discuss it,' Emily repeated. 'Illegal?' He was so smooth, so con¬fident that she suddenly lost control. 'How can you say that? My God, you couldn't be more dirty.'
'Nonsense. You're the one who committed an illegal act. I wouldn't want to be an accomplice by even talking about your misdemeanor. Be¬sides, you're mistaken; I know nothing about Zelov or this book.'
'Nor Staunton?' she asked through clenched teeth. 'Where is Staunton?'
'All of this is a complete mystery to me.' He glanced at Garrett. 'You're being very quiet, Mr. Garrett. You must have been forced to come here with this woman. I'm sure you realize that a man of my professional reputation would not be involved in anything in the least crooked.'
'The lady said it all. She didn't need my help.' Garrett stared him in the eye. 'You don't know anything. You never heard of Staunton. We're mistaken. If you did know anything, you wouldn't tell us. Have I got it right?'
Babin nodded. 'In a nutshell.' He smiled. 'Now I believe it's time you left.'
'I believe you're right,' Garrett took Emily's arm. 'We've struck out here, Emily. Let's leave before Mr. Babin has us arrested for illegal wiretapping. Gee, he has me scared.'
Babin's smile remained firmly in place. 'I'd never do that. It's clearly a case of mistaken identity, if there was such a call.' He turned to Emily. 'And I'd never cause this lady additional grief after all she's been through. Naturally, I recognize her from her photos in the newspapers. Perhaps she's a little distraught from her experience in the mountains?'
'You mean she's nuts?' Garrett asked. 'No, I don't believe so. Are you unbalanced, Emily?'
'Stop it, Garrett. I've had enough.' Emily took a step closer to Babin. 'Yes, I'm distraught.' Her voice was shaking with rage. 'And who should know better than you about my experience in those mountains. You were there. Did you hear him screaming, Babin?'
Babin didn't change expression. 'I beg your pardon?'
'No one begged Joel's pardon. No one stopped hurting him when he begged.' The words kept tumbling out. 'And then he couldn't beg any longer. Why would you-'
'Emily.' Garrett's hand tightened on her arm. 'Not now. It's not going to do any good.'
'He's got to tell me where Staunton-' She drew a deep, harsh breath. She felt as if she was going to explode. He was right. Babin wasn't going to say anything. She could see nothing in his expression but bland satisfaction. She wanted to slap him, tear out that smooth hair by the roots. She jerked away from Garrett and turned on her heel. 'I'm out of here.' She strode out of the office.
Garrett caught up with her as she reached the front door. 'Take it easy. This isn't the end. It's just the first
