Megan watched as Dimitri forced himself to take a deep breath.

“Hope, you still there?” Joe’s tone was coaxing.

“Y-yes.”

“Honey, you have to cut Dimitri some slack. Katrina Raast is his sister.”

There was a gasp. “I’m so sorry, I’m so, so sorry.” The woman was rushing towards hysteria.

Joe clenched the back of his neck, keeping an eye on Dimitri.

“It’s not your fault, Hope. None of this is your fault,” Joe soothed.

Dimitri’s fingernails bit into the polished surface of the table.

“If I hadn’t been drunk that night.” Hope’s words tumbled out in a rush, as though she was speaking to herself and had forgotten she was on the phone. “I shouldn’t have drunk anything. If I’d been sober I would have known something was wrong. I would have been able to do something to help. Oh no, oh no, those women.” The last words were a wail.

“You couldn’t have done anything.” Joe’s voice was strong. Firm. “Dimitri knows that. He isn’t blaming you. You did what you could to make it through your time there. Things weren’t easy for you either. If you’d spoken out or interfered, Rudi would have killed you. Hell, he nearly did anyway.”

“No, no. No you’re wrong. I shouldn’t have been drunk. I should have paid attention. I should have…”

“You should have nothing.” Dimitri cut through her rant. His words were squeezed through clenched teeth as though he fought to get them out. “Joe is right. There was nothing you could have done. You were in the same position as all the other women. Your life was in Rudi’s hands. I don’t blame you, Hope. I blame the bastard who took my sister. I don’t blame you.”

Megan placed a hand on Dimitri’s back, offering comfort, but he tensed then stepped out of her reach.

“See?” Joe ran a hand through his overgrown hair, making it stand on end. “No one blames you. Don’t even think about feeling guilty. This is all on Abramovich. All of it.”

There was a single, agonising sob from the other end of the line. Joe cast a panicked glance at Callum. Callum’s lips were in a tight thin line. He nodded once at Joe before stepping towards the table.

“This is Callum McKay,” he said in a calm, confident voice that instantly made Megan relax. She hoped it had the same effect on the woman at the other end of the line. “Joe told you I’m in charge around here, didn’t he?”

There was silence, interspersed by tiny muffled sobs.

“Hope.” It was a snapped command. “Listen to me now.”

“Yes.” Her voice trembled, but she seemed to calm.

“Good. Now here’s the thing. You couldn’t have done anything to save those women a year ago, but the information you’re giving us now will help us to find them and stop other women from being harmed. Do you hear me? Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“Yes.” It was hesitant, but it wasn’t hysterical.

“Then believe me when I say that what you can tell us is invaluable. Focus on that. Not on the past. We can’t do anything to change the past, but we can change the future—with your help. And we need your help, Hope. Are you willing to give that to us right now?”

“Yes, yes, I want to help. What can I do?” She sniffed, but the panic had fled her voice.

Joe visibly relaxed. He nodded at Callum then took over the conversation again. Callum stepped back to his spot at the whiteboard.

“That’s good, honey,” Joe said. “Real good. We need you to tell us everything you remember about the night you saw the women. Especially anything you remember relating to Katrina. Can you do that for us?”

“I was so drunk, Joe. I’m not sure what help I’ll be.”

“Anything at all is good. No matter how insignificant it may seem. Just try to relax and focus on that night. Can you remember which man chose Katrina?”

Dimitri shut his eyes. His hands turned to fists on the table. His knuckles were white. Megan’s hand twitched to touch him again. The silence in the room was thick, making it difficult to breathe.

“She had on a yellow dress.” Hope sounded hesitant, as though she was feeling her way through the memory. “I remember thinking that I recognised the dress—I’d seen it on a runway in Paris. She stood closer to the door than the other women and seemed to sway on her feet. At least, I think she was the one swaying. It could have been me.” She took a deep breath. “I remember Rudi being mad at me for being so drunk. He took my champagne glass out of my hand and ordered me to my room. I headed for the door nearest the women. As I made my way across the room, a man approached Katrina and took her arm. He said something to her. I was too far away to hear what it was, but she didn’t react. He handed her off to his bodyguards and they took her from the room. The man watched her until she disappeared. I remember she staggered and I thought she was as drunk as I felt.”

“Can you name the man?” Joe said. “Had you seen him before then?”

Tags: Janet Elizabeth Henderson Benson Security Suspense
Source: readsnovelonline.net