The Red Herring

Chapter 22

"But why kill them? Did she even have opportunity?" Alex asked

"Irina? Yes. Vladimir? Yes. Paulina? She was with you. Markov? She was with you," Dmitry said.

Alex shook his head. "She changed her mind about dinner. She left and went out."

Dmitry punched the door to a stall. "Markov?"

"That one I'm not sure about. Oh, the fourth must be Deirdre Collins," Alex said.

"I killed her," Dmitry said.

"You don't think she got Ivan do you?"

Back downstairs, Beth and John went back into the interrogation room. "Where were you yesterday morning?" Beth asked.

"Here. All day until around eight o'clock," Ivan said. John whispered in Tommy's ear to have Mike check the security feeds. Tommy ran out.

"And last night?" Beth asked.

"My daughter had a recital. It started at eight-thirty. Afterwards, I took her out to dinner. Didn't get home until nearly midnight."

"And there were witnesses?" John asked.

"Of course."

"So what's this about a nuclear bomb?" she asked.

"We had one. If we got the call, we were to detonate it. Or the person who had it would."

"Who had it?" Beth asked.

"His name is Nicholai Markov. He said he was getting out. Then I had a meeting with another agent. Her name is Irina Azarov. She told me Markov wanted back in. I've had tabs on all of them for years. So this morning, I went to his house to confront him. When he wasn't home, I broke in and searched for the bomb. I found it and came straight here."

"They're both dead," John told him.

"What?" asked Ivan.

"Within the last forty eight hours. If you didn't kill them, who did?" Beth asked.

"I need more time. I don't have enough evidence against the ghost but I will. I just need more time."

"Get up," said John as he pulled his cell phone from his pocket. He made a few calls and then asked Beth and Ivan to join him in the lobby. A few moments later, the elevator opened.

"Alex? How can this be? They told me you were dead!" Ivan exclaimed.

Alex eyed him suspiciously. "Ivan. Good to see you. I had to pretend to be dead. Why, Ivan? Why are you killing us?"

"It's not me," he said. "But I know who is."

Upstairs, Dmitry cornered Mike in his office where he was checking the validity of Ivan's claims that he'd been in the building the day before. "Can I see those emails? I need to check on something."

"Uh, sure." Mike handed Dmitry the tablet.

Dmitry frowned as he read through an email sent to Felix Lyons from his mother. "This is bad," he told Mike.

"What's bad?" Mike asked.

"Alex said that he thinks my mother is involved. I wouldn't doubt it but it looks like he isn't innocent either. I'm seeing a pattern here. It seems that those that faked their deaths are the ones who are actually active agents."

"Your mom, Alex, and Paulina," said Mike.

"Well... but then who killed Paulina?" asked Dmitry.

"The ghost?" Mike suggested.

"Maybe but I don't think the ghost is who we think it is."

Beth and John arrived at Markov's house with Alex and Ivan. Beth went with Ivan to the storage building and John held Alex back as a precaution. Ivan held the door open for Beth as she walked inside the storage building. "Oh boy," she said as she looked down into the hole. "That it?"