upper hand. And more, she would know it.
“I was one of the economic orphans. I guess my parents figured that the state wouldn’t let children die.”
He knew that she was trying to play on his sympathy, but if she had been through what she was implying … He couldn’t fathom it. “I sense there’s a
but
at the end of that sentence?”
“They were wrong. Children were freezing to death in the winter. There was only a dripping pipe for bathing. Never enough to eat. The conditions were horrendous. And when the orphans turn sixteen, they are put out on the street.”
“Where they are prey for all types of predators.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Exactly. I was sixteen, looking for any kind of job that didn’t involve selling myself. Then along came a nicely dressed man who offered me a way out. All I had to do was come to the States and work. I would make more money than I could ever hope to make in my own country. I could get out from under the poverty that was suffocating my fellow countrymen.”
He knew what she was going to say next. He’d heard this before. “Let me guess. When you got here, he said that the passage was more expensive than he planned and you would have to work for him to pay your debt.”
“You are close enough. I’ve been working for this man ever since. At least he didn’t expect me to work on my back, which was the case with so many of the others. I started out doing small jobs, but little by little, I was trusted with more.”
“What is this man’s name?”
She didn’t hesitate. “You knew him as Anthony Cantori.”
From outside, they heard a cry. Viktoria’s head whipped up. “She is here?”
“Who?”
“Jane. The baby, my
malyshka,
my little one.” Tearssprang to her eyes. “I didn’t expect that you would have her here.”
“She is special to you.” It was a statement, not a question. He could see it on her face.
“I gave my life for her. They are going to kill me when they find me.” This statement was true, too. He would stake his life on it.
“Who is going to kill you? Cantori?”
“And the man he works for. I know this because they have tried already.”
Time for him to turn the tables, ask the questions. “They tried to kill Janie, too. That’s why we’re here. Tell me who is after her.”
“They tried to kill my
malyshka?”
Her hands were over her mouth, tears spilling over.
He didn’t bother answering her. “I want to know who her mother is and I want to know about the rest of the children on that SD card. How did he get them here?”
Viktoria blinked and the emotion she’d revealed disappeared, despite the tracks of tears on her face. She looked at him slyly out of the corner of her eye. “You’re so far from an answer, you don’t even know the right questions to ask.”
He stood and leaned over the table, palms flat on the surface. “Then you better start talking—or I’ll have the baby moved to another location and you’ll never see her again.”
“You wouldn’t do that.”
“Try me.”
Two hours later, Kelsey heard the door to the small sitting room open and looked up from the floor where she played with Janie. Ethan stood in the door, exhausted. “I can’t get any more out of her this afternoon. We need to put her in a room. I can try again later for more details. She still knows more than she’s telling.”
“I’ll take care of it.” Tyler slid past him into the hall.
“She wants to see the baby. I promised if she cooperated that she could,” he said to Kelsey.
“I heard you. I didn’t think you’d go through with it.”
“Janie may be the only bargaining chip we have. I don’t think she’ll hurt her. No one could fake the kind of emotion she showed when she was talking about the baby.” His exhaustion showed on his face, but she didn’t care.
“That woman left Janie alone in the middle of the ocean, Ethan.” She didn’t want any part of putting the baby in the room with the woman who quite
“I was one of the economic orphans. I guess my parents figured that the state wouldn’t let children die.”
He knew that she was trying to play on his sympathy, but if she had been through what she was implying … He couldn’t fathom it. “I sense there’s a
but
at the end of that sentence?”
“They were wrong. Children were freezing to death in the winter. There was only a dripping pipe for bathing. Never enough to eat. The conditions were horrendous. And when the orphans turn sixteen, they are put out on the street.”
“Where they are prey for all types of predators.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Exactly. I was sixteen, looking for any kind of job that didn’t involve selling myself. Then along came a nicely dressed man who offered me a way out. All I had to do was come to the States and work. I would make more money than I could ever hope to make in my own country. I could get out from under the poverty that was suffocating my fellow countrymen.”
He knew what she was going to say next. He’d heard this before. “Let me guess. When you got here, he said that the passage was more expensive than he planned and you would have to work for him to pay your debt.”
“You are close enough. I’ve been working for this man ever since. At least he didn’t expect me to work on my back, which was the case with so many of the others. I started out doing small jobs, but little by little, I was trusted with more.”
“What is this man’s name?”
She didn’t hesitate. “You knew him as Anthony Cantori.”
From outside, they heard a cry. Viktoria’s head whipped up. “She is here?”
“Who?”
“Jane. The baby, my
malyshka,
my little one.” Tearssprang to her eyes. “I didn’t expect that you would have her here.”
“She is special to you.” It was a statement, not a question. He could see it on her face.
“I gave my life for her. They are going to kill me when they find me.” This statement was true, too. He would stake his life on it.
“Who is going to kill you? Cantori?”
“And the man he works for. I know this because they have tried already.”
Time for him to turn the tables, ask the questions. “They tried to kill Janie, too. That’s why we’re here. Tell me who is after her.”
“They tried to kill my
malyshka?”
Her hands were over her mouth, tears spilling over.
He didn’t bother answering her. “I want to know who her mother is and I want to know about the rest of the children on that SD card. How did he get them here?”
Viktoria blinked and the emotion she’d revealed disappeared, despite the tracks of tears on her face. She looked at him slyly out of the corner of her eye. “You’re so far from an answer, you don’t even know the right questions to ask.”
He stood and leaned over the table, palms flat on the surface. “Then you better start talking—or I’ll have the baby moved to another location and you’ll never see her again.”
“You wouldn’t do that.”
“Try me.”
Two hours later, Kelsey heard the door to the small sitting room open and looked up from the floor where she played with Janie. Ethan stood in the door, exhausted. “I can’t get any more out of her this afternoon. We need to put her in a room. I can try again later for more details. She still knows more than she’s telling.”
“I’ll take care of it.” Tyler slid past him into the hall.
“She wants to see the baby. I promised if she cooperated that she could,” he said to Kelsey.
“I heard you. I didn’t think you’d go through with it.”
“Janie may be the only bargaining chip we have. I don’t think she’ll hurt her. No one could fake the kind of emotion she showed when she was talking about the baby.” His exhaustion showed on his face, but she didn’t care.
“That woman left Janie alone in the middle of the ocean, Ethan.” She didn’t want any part of putting the baby in the room with the woman who quite
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