Page 14 of Grizzly Sleuth
“Can’t exactly walk into a police station and ask,” Idris murmured aloud. “And there’s too many hotels to check. There are too many places, period, and we don’t have time to search them all. What about following her scent like you did with me?”
“They came in cars. I don’t know about you, but even I can’t follow the trail of a specific one.”
“Meaning they could have gone anywhere.” Idris kept pacing, trying to jumpstart his brain, and had a lightbulb moment. “How did they know she’d be at the bar at that specific time? She was done with her show for the night. Why would they be lying in wait?”
Yuri’s mouth rounded. “Only one person knew she’d be back around closing. Boris.”
“Boris is the owner of the bar?”
Yuri’s head bobbed. “Yes. He must have called the KGB. But why? We made the man money.”
“The why doesn’t really matter. What does matter is Boris obviously knew how to get in touch with a local KGB agent, making him our main lead to finding Svetlana.”
“I’ll kill him,” Yuri growled.
“Not until we question him,” Idris advised.
“We? You’ll really help me?” Yuri’s expression was akin to that of a begging puppy.
Even without it, Idris’ hero complex wouldn’t let him turn away someone in need. “I’ll try, but no guarantees. We’re just two men against one of the most fearsome agencies in the world.”
“Men who are strong as bears,” Yuri added with a more hopeful smile.
“Guess the next question is, how do we find this Boris? I doubt he’s still at his bar.”
“Actually, the next question is, do you have some clothes for me to wear?” A sheepish request. “It’s cold outside, enough tomake a man permanently shrivel, and I would like to give my future wife babies.”
It wasn’t hard to outfit Yuri, given their similar size, and soon they were walking to the bar on high alert. What if the KGB remained in the area?
To Idris’ relief, they spotted no one in the vicinity of the establishment, and according to Yuri, the scents of the agents from the alley never went near either of the bar’s entrances. As for Svetlana’s, her scent disappeared in an area that still held the acrid remains of a car’s exhaust.
“So, now what? If Boris left in a car, we’re screwed,” Idris pointed out.
“If that’s the case, then we break in to see if we can find a clue to his address, but I don’t think that will be necessary.” Yuri leaned into the main entrance and inhaled several times before pointing. “We’re in luck. Boris left on foot in that direction.”
“How can you tell it was Boris?”
“Because he wears a repulsive cologne.” Yuri’s brows lifted. “Can you not smell it?”
Idris spent a moment sifting smells and shook his head. “There’s too many for me to single out one.”
“We will have to work on that. A bear’s sense of smell is one of his greatest gifts.” Yuri tapped his nose.
“I’ll be honest, I never really saw the use.” Idris matched steps with the other man. “It’s not like I have to hunt for food.”
“Must be nice. There have been times where the only reason Svetlana and I could eat was because I managed to track a fat rabbit for dinner.”
“Things were tough.” A statement that Yuri didn’t refute.
“Our parents died in a car accident when we were young. Our uncle took custody, but he was a mean bastard. We ran away in our teens and have been scraping by since.”
“Sorry to hear that.”
Yuri’s shoulders rolled. “It was unpleasant, but we survived. Made us strong!”
“You and your sister are very close.” An observation that led to a twinge of envy. Idris never had siblings.
“It’s been just the two of us our entire lives. She’s the reason I’m alive today. When I cracked my skull riding my bike, I should have died. I spent weeks in a coma. The doctors kept trying to pull the plug, but Svetlana wouldn’t let them. It’s her prayers that brought me back. Veles heard and blessed me.”
