The Boy Who Stole from the Dead

CHAPTER 24

JOHNNY WAITED FOR Nadia on the bench near the carousel in Central Park. His stomach turned with giddy anticipation as it always did when he was about to see her. This morning the sensation was even more intense. He’d arranged for a surprise visitor. He was due to arrive in fifteen minutes. If the visitor upset Nadia, Johnny would bear the blame. No matter, he told himself. Her safety mattered to him the most, and this visitor could help ensure it.

Nadia appeared on the hilltop first. Her eyes looked a bit worn but her expression was calm, her stride purposeful. When she got to the carousel, they hugged. He held her gently, like a lawyer and friend, and sat down. It was the exact same spot where they’d sat a year ago. Nadia had left for Kyiv the same day. She returned home with Bobby a month later. Johnny survived a mob interrogation on her behalf.

“Same bench,” Nadia said.

“You noticed.”

“I didn’t know you were the superstitious type.”

“Well…”

“Or sentimental.”

“You don’t know me at all.”

“Really. For example.”

“I have a surprise for you today.”

“I don’t like surprises.”

“You’re going to love this one. It’s going to make your trip to Ukraine ten times more enjoyable. Did you try to see Bobby today?”

“Yes.”

“And?”

“He refused.”

Johnny shook his head. “Don’t worry. I’m going to break through to him.”

“But you haven’t broken through yet. What makes you think he’s going to start talking all of a sudden?”

“We have a lot in common. We both came from nothing. I’m establishing a rapport. Telling him stories about growing up on the docks. And then there’s the trump card.”

“What trump card?”

“Iryna. He’s worried about her. When his worry turns to fear, he’ll tell me everything that happened that night.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“He’s in love with her.”

“No. I see that. How do you know his worry is going to turn into fear?”

“It’s impossible to be in love and not be scared for the one you love.”

Nadia opened a large envelope and removed a photograph. “This is a picture of Valentine’s father. I don’t have any reason to believe Bobby ever met him in Ukraine but I’d be curious about his reaction if you showed him the photo.”

Johnny nodded. “He looks like a serious man.” In the picture, Valentine’s father wore a fancy gold ring with the number three carved from onyx. “Funny.”

“What?”

“I’ve seen that ring before.” Johnny opened his briefcase. “I got a large envelope from the district attorney this morning. Discovery. Not sure it’s everything but it’s a start. Take a look at this.”

He pulled out a stack of pictures of the victim at the crime scene. In the top photo, the gash in Valentine’s neck was so wide he was almost decapitated. Johnny leafed through the pictures until he found the one he was looking for. It was a close-up of Valentine’s right hand. It was curled into a half-fist. A band of gold and onyx shone around his ring finger.

“It’s the same ring,” Nadia said.

“Either they both had one—”

“Or the father gave it to the son on his deathbed.”

“I wonder what the number three stands for.”

Nadia shrugged. “There was Natasha, the father, and the son. Not to be confused with the Holy Trinity.”

“Who’s Natasha?”

“Valentine’s second wife.”

“Was she wearing a ring?”

“Yeah, but it was a bit different. It had a diamond. The size of a golf ball. So what’s this surprise?”

“I thought you hate surprises.”

“I do. But it’s a long flight and there aren’t going to be any fun and games when I get there. Unless my billionaire oligarch client insists on taking me to dinner.”

“Oh, yeah? What’s he like? Does he expect people to bow before him?”

“No. Actually, he does the bowing. He’s different. He seems nice, even caring. I like him. He has a presence about him. And twenty-five billion dollars doesn’t hurt.”

“Glad to hear it.” Johnny hid his disappointment. “Your surprise just got here.”

Nadia frowned.

Johnny nodded at the man standing over her shoulder. “You’re going to have company on your trip.”

“I am?”

Nadia’s brother, Marko, gave her a bear hug from behind.

“Yes, you are, Nancy Drew,” Marko said. “No way am I letting you go back there alone.”