Private Moscow (Private 15)

“You think he’s left a trail?” she asked.

I nodded.

“I’d better get started. My machine is in the trunk,” Mo-bot said. “What time do you close?” she asked the librarian.

“Five.”

“Can I use your Wi-Fi?” Mo-bot asked.

“As long as you’re not doing anything illegal,” the librarian replied.

Mo-bot smiled, but didn’t reply. “Give me the keys,” she said to me.

I handed them over, and she went outside. My phone rang and when I pulled it out of my pocket, I saw Justine’s name flash on the screen.

“Go ahead,” I said when I answered.

“Albany Police found the wreckage of a chopper upstate. The tail number matches the aircraft you saw leaving Manhattan Heliport. Looks like a high-impact crash. Three dead, no survivors.”

“They identify any of the victims?” I asked.

“Not yet. The remains have been badly burned. It’s going to take some time.”

I thought for a moment.

“Jack, are you there?” Justine asked.

“Yeah,” I replied. “Just trying to figure out the odds of a bird crashing with an assassin on board.”

“I’m not buying it either. Too neat. Someone is trying to cover their tracks,” Justine said. “Albany PD are blaming it on the bad weather, pending a full NTSB investigation.”

“See if you can pull any surveillance from the heliport,” I said. “The shooter was disguised, but the pilot and his accomplice might not have been. If we can get a picture, we might be able to ID them.”

“Will do,” Justine replied. “You find anything?”

“Yeah,” I said. “Karl Parker borrowed a book from a library. He gave us a time and date to pinpoint his location. I think he wants us to use the local camera network to follow him.”

“Clever,” Justine said. “Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”

“Will do,” I assured her. “And Justine …” I hesitated. “Thanks for coming out here. Thanks for doing this.”

“It was Sci’s idea,” she said.

I stayed quiet.

“OK, it was my idea,” she confessed. “I knew how much Karl meant to you back in the day. If it was one of my old friends, you’d do the same for me.”

“I appreciate it,” I told her. “Stay in touch.”

As I hung up, Mo-bot entered the library with her laptop case. She kicked the snow off her boots and made for one of the vacant tables.

“Over here OK?” she asked the librarian, who nodded.

“It’s bitter outside,” Mo-bot said as I joined her. “Give me a moment to warm up.”

She took off her gloves and blew on her hands. Once her circulation had returned, she got out her laptop, sat in front of her machine and went to work.

CHAPTER 22