Page 23 of King

I agree with her sentiment, but the truth is anything but funny.

“Again, thanks for this," I say and stand up.“I guess I should let you go back to work."

Carla stands and glances around again nervously.We're alone on this section of the walkway, and nobody looks suspicious that I can see at the gas station a few dozen feet away.

"Yes, I should get back to work," she says.She turns to me and looks in my eyes; her expression is very serious, her dark eyes intense.“Please, please, whatever you do, don't mention my name to anyone if you're looking into any of these matters or anything I've given you.And please don't ever message me again.If you want to get in touch with me, I belong to a Reddit group called Family Tree Sleuths.My name is Vesta82.If you need any help, contact me through that group.Now I gotta go.”

"Thanks again," I say as she walks away.She turns and looks back at me.And walks backward for a few steps."I hope you find out what you need to know, and I hope it doesn't break your heart."

Then she walks across the crosswalk to the other side of the highway under the bridge and disappears from my sight.

I walk back to where I was dropped off by the Uber and call another one.My mind is whirling at the news.Not only did Carla confirm that my parents’ death was not an accident, but she also confirmed the name of the FBI official who closed the investigation and that he had family ties to the Italian mafia.Most importantly, I may have siblings somewhere in America that my mother was trying to find before she died.

As I wait for my Uber to arrive, I wonder what Harrison will think about my meeting.I'm not sure he'll be happy that I met with a stranger without letting him know about it, because even I know, given my background and what's going on in our lives, that is dangerous.

Still, I don't like the idea of having to pass everything I do through Harrison.Not only is that impossible, but I am my own woman, and I must make my own decisions in consultation with him, of course, when it affects him.But this is all on me.My siblings that I don't know about.Who are they?Who is their father?

And what happened to my mother that she had two children out of wedlock and gave them both up for adoption?While I'm waiting, I open the file and look at the details.I check the dates that my mother indicated that the children were born, and gasp when I realize that she was only fourteen years old at the time of the first baby’s birth.She was fifteen when the second baby was born.

Two babies in two years!Who the hell impregnated her?Was it a fifteen-year-old boy that she was in love with?Or was it something more sinister?

That's what I have to find out.

Given her background, I have a very bad feeling about this.

ChapterEleven

Harrison

I brief Fogerty about my meeting with Stepan, and he’s happy with how the meeting went and how our relationship is improving.I try to make clear that I’ll only cooperate and dig deeper into Natalia's family if I have assurances that Stepan will be spared any prison time.

Fogarty doesn’t like that idea.

“He's a son of a bitch," Fogerty says, anger clear in his voice.“He's in the fucking Russian mafia.You expect me to give him a hall pass?"

I shrug.“If the information he gives us helps shut down the illegal arms trade, I think you should give him a pass.In fact, it’s necessary for my continued cooperation."

Fogerty shakes his head angrily.“I have enough on you to put you away.Don't forget that."

I hold up my hand.“But you don't have enough to put away the really big kingpins and shut down the arms trade at least temporarily.If you don't have me, you don't have that.My quid pro quo is that Stepan is free from any jail time.Make him pay a fine.Community service.Whatever.But no jail time.”

Fogarty's eyes narrow.“You son of a bitch.McDonald said you were one.Who do you think you are?Your family is dirty.Natalia's family is dirty.You're lucky you're not in jail right now, both of you."

“Go ahead and put me in jail, but you won't get any more cooperation from Natalia or me, and there goes your big case against Andropov, Siderov and Ivanov.It’s your choice.”I cross my arms, determined to get a promise from him.“Those are my terms,” I say again.“Accept them or not.You won't get anything more out of me unless I have it written down in a legal document.”

Fogerty looks away and shuffles papers on his desk.“Go get out of my sight.I have to talk to some people before I can give you that promise."

I get up and leave his office, closing his door behind me.Outside, his admin person looks at me with her eyes wide.

“He didn't sound too happy with you," Sheila says, her voice low."I heard the loud voices from out here.What's up?"

"Just the usual BS.You know how it is."I give her a fake smile and go to my own office on another floor, determined to hold my ground no matter what the FBI decides.We're talking family.

Family is everything, like Stepan says.

I arrive home earlyfrom work, deciding to spend the afternoon in my office at the apartment instead of at the warehouse, so my anger can diffuse.I know Natalia stayed home today, and so I thought it would be nice for the two of us to spend some time together.When I get home, however, I find the apartment is empty.There's a note by the front door indicating that Natalia has gone out for a while but will be home later.

I go into my office and sit down at my laptop.What the hell will I do if Fogerty denies my demand?I can't imagine he will.There are too many big fish swimming in our local pond for him to want to go after me.I'm bait, no doubt about it.But you can't catch big fish without bait, and so I'm necessary, and my demand must be satisfied.