Exit Strategy (Nadia Stafford 1)

He blinked, then shook it off, glancing over to give me his full attention. "Hard to say. Guy started spitting questions. Who's calling? What's this about? Where'd you get that name?"

"And it definitely wasn't Baron?"

Jack shook his head.

"Is there any way to trace the number?"

"I'll put Evelyn on it."

"What? Jack being cheap? Can't put you up in a motel for the night?" Evelyn said as she stepped back to let us in.

She had her hand on the collar of a muscular German shepherd. When I hesitated, she waved me in. "They're trained. If I don't give the signal, they won't attack."

I glanced over at the other one, an even bigger shepherd peering back at me from the other side of the hall. "Any chance I might 'accidentally' give the signal?"

"Get inside." Once I was in, she released the first dog's collar. "This is Ginger. That's Scotch. Girls? Say hello."

I stretched out my hand, fingers extended. They snuffled it.

"Now off to bed," she said.

They turned and headed up the stairs, one behind the other.

I walked into the living room, then stumbled as a sudden cramp from the long drive took my calf muscles hostage. Jack caught my arm, but I waved him off, hopped over to the sofa and collapsed onto it.

"You want your coffee extra strong?" Evelyn asked. "Or through an intravenous?"

"I got it," Jack said. "Dee? You talk."

"Ah, so you've finally realized the advantages of having a partner," Evelyn said. "If nothing else, it saves you from the supreme effort of speech."

Jack kept walking. I pulled my leg up and started massaging the muscle.

"If you want something for that, just ask. I've got a damned cupboard full of crap. The days when muscle rubs and ointments replace massage oil and lubricants...Never thought I'd see it." She leaned back in her chair. "So, what happened with Baron?"

I glanced over at Jack, but he kept walking. So I told Evelyn.

"Well, that's priority one, then. Finding him." She seemed ready to go on, then glanced toward the kitchen. A pause, then she turned back to me. "I made some progress myself. Leon Kozlov, former associate of the Nikolaev family. A small family, but an old one. One of the first in America."

"You know them?"

"I know folks associated with them, which is how we're going to get the story on Mr. Kozlov."

"He got insurance?" Jack called as he retreated into the kitchen.

I told Evelyn about our theory.

"Well, not really a theory," I said as Jack returned with our coffees and sat beside me. "At this point, it's just one more avenue to explore."

"A good one. People die, someone always benefits, and usually it's money. Let me see what I can dig up. First, though, I'll find Baron. Pathetic fuck."

One could say those two words with sadness, even empathy. Evelyn did not. Jack's shoulders tightened and he pushed to his feet as if to hide the reaction.

"I told you this would happen," she said. "Didn't I?"

"Yeah." Jack headed for the computer and turned on the monitor. "Let's get looking. Find him."

Evelyn turned to me. "When Baron retired, I told Jack it wouldn't work. It never does."