Private Moscow (Private 15)

I nodded. “OK. I’m sorry. I just had to be sure you know what you’re getting into.”

She wiped her eyes. “I appreciate it.”

“Karl seemed to have something on his mind. Something he wanted to tell me. You have any idea what it might have been?”

Victoria shook her head. “He’s been … I mean, he had been really distracted these past few weeks, caught up in his own head. But that wasn’t new. Whenever he had a busy time at work, he’d go into what Kevin and I called ‘the Zone’. Karl would be around, but his mind would be elsewhere, crunching through whatever problems he was facing.”

“He ever talk about any of those problems?” I asked.

“No. Not recently, at least. And I’m smart enough to give him the space he needs—” She caught herself again. “I’m sorry, needed, the space he needed. I just can’t get used to …” She tailed off.

“It’s OK,” I told her. “Nothing prepares you for a shock like this.”

“Not even war?” she asked, wiping away fresh tears.

“Not even war,” I replied honestly. The experience of having watched friends and comrades die in combat didn’t make the death of a loved one any easier.

I gave her a moment before I asked my next question.

“I’m going to apologize for this one before I even ask it,” I said, and a dark smile immediately crossed Victoria’s face.

“I think I know where we’re going,” she responded.

“I’m sorry, but we’ve got to rule out the mundane, and you said you didn’t want to be protected,” I reminded her. “Did you ever catch Karl out?”

“No, I never caught him out. Not so much as a wandering eye. And frankly, with his schedule I’d have been impressed if he’d found the time to cheat on me.”

I nodded, stood and walked to the door, opening it to find Letitia and Rafael chatting nearby. Jessie was leaning against her assistant’s desk, scrolling through her phone.

“Sorry for kicking you out of your own office,” I said.

“No problem, boss,” Jessie replied.

“You can come back in,” I told the three of them. “Thanks.”

They joined Victoria and me in the seating area.

“Mrs. Parker has engaged Private to identify her husband’s murderer,” I said. “Jessie, I’d like you to handle day-to-day contact with Mrs. Parker.”

“I’ll be your point of contact,” Letitia interrupted.

“No problem,” I went on. “I’ll be leading the investigation personally.”

Jessie frowned instantly and Rafael wasn’t long behind her.

“Problem?” I asked.

“Your personal connection to the case—” Jessie began.

“Karl trusted Jack Morgan,” Victoria cut her off, “and so do I.”

Jessie nodded, but she and Rafael exchanged a skeptical glance.

“Jessie, can you issue an engagement letter setting out our terms?” I asked.

“Sure.”

“Whatever you need, you’ve got it. You can do things the police can’t, Mr. Morgan. You get results when others fail, and Karl deserves the best,” Victoria said, choking back a sob. “Our family’s resources are at your disposal. I want my husband’s killer brought to justice. Whatever the cost.”