It didn’t bother him that Scott had been murdered. Even though it was in his power to reopen the investigation, he never would. He felt that all men who beat women should be shot and, in some instances, have their balls cut off. If Beth offed her own husband for his abuse, then he really couldn’t blame her. What was really disturbing was the cover-up. The investigation had been quashed from someone high up. Very high up, it seemed, given the abruptness of the closing. This indicated that Beth had powerful ties somewhere. That was her secret.
He brought up her crib sheet and looked for a maiden name. It had been left blank. Convenient. Normally it wouldn’t be that big of a deal, but in this instance, it threw another log on the fire of suspicion. He dug through all the arrest reports that flashed on the screen. There was no indication on any of them about her immediate family. No emergency numbers to call — nothing. It was taking on an odd appearance. Either she or someone else didn’t want people to know whom she was related to.
Through a central network especially designed for the CIA, Dan was able to access the social security files. He typed in her number and received her data. It showed Beth Rudnick and her address, but when Dan requested the maiden name from the records, it came up with nothing. The name had been wiped out. That about clinches it. He knew now that whoever was on her side wielded big influence in government, and they didn’t want anyone to know whom she belonged to. Again, he was stuck. He had to think of a place where her maiden name might not have been cleared or where there was still a record of the change.
Dan returned to her police crib sheet and scanned it for any clue. He saw that she put her middle initial as C, but that was of little help at the moment. Then he discovered his doorway. Voter registration for the state of Pennsylvania. It was an obscure area for information and reported her as unaffiliated. Dan accessed the Pennsylvania state register directly. He typed in her address, and the register came up with the name Rudnick. It asked if he wanted to see a previous registration when she lived in a different district. He accessed that, and it came up Rudnick again. Except it gave her maiden name as an alternative: Carp.
Dan froze as he tried to put the obvious conclusion together. Could Beth Rudnick be related to Levi Carp? It was an incredible coincidence, but it would account for many things. He gazed out his door and observed Sharon typing away on her terminal. He was at least convinced that she knew nothing of it. Yet he still couldn’t quite bring himself to believe it completely. Dan solved that problem by accessing some old IRS records showing Levi claiming one dependent — a daughter named Beth.
There was no expression for the way he felt. His secretary had been played for a patsy. His office security had been compromised.But for how long? What did Levi expect to gain?
Levi had covered up a murder. Why not? It’s all part of the business. Even if it was his own son-in-law. That aspect still didn’t bother him. The lengths Levi had gone to distance himself from his daughter did. He was trying to use her as a spy in his own organization. This opened the question to the possibilities of more spies. He could only surmise that Levi was trying to cover all the bases to stop anything or anyone from preventing him from reaching the director’s chair. Dan didn’t understand such ambition, but he knew it was there.
The immediate question was whether or not to tell Sharon. Probably not, he decided. He had no business destroying her life yet. If she started acting funny around Beth, it might tip Levi off to being found out. He would tell Sharon who Beth’s father was, but not today. Perhaps when the operation was over.
Marina was beginning to think that her luck must be all used up. She didn’t anticipate that so many men would be available for the crew positions, and she had gambled on them desperately needing people to run the sub. As it turned out, she had Nick to thank for her life. That bent her pride somewhat. She was even more astounded about how quick a thinker he was. He had proven that he had the knack to come up with a convincing story and the ability to play it through. He had saved both their asses, and she was beginning to think that perhaps it wouldn’t be a good idea to abandon him so readily if they ever got into a tight situation again.
Both signed the book with the remaining men and returned downstairs. Sasha wasn’t seen again for the rest of the night, and the others in the dark never revealed themselves. The whole incident unnerved her, but that’s the way it went sometimes. Her mood was lightened when she noticed the wet stain down Nick’s pants. He brushed it off quite easily. In fact, he seemed to walk with more confidence. Despite the dead man they left in the room, Nick had an air of cockiness about him again. He had beaten the odds and was proceeding to the next phase in wet pants.
They didn’t speak. The other men in front of them exited the building when they arrived in the bar on the ground floor. Nick went to a dark corner at the end. Marina wanted to leave but stopped when she saw Nick. Keeping her distance, she, too, tried to blend in.
Peter had seen them return. He was delighted to see Marina and was curious about Nick. He poured him a jigger of vodka. “My friend. Is all well?”
Nick knew it would be foolish to answer. He also knew that Peter probably wanted some information. Something he wasn’t going to give him. He poured the drink down his throat, though.
“Tell me. What secret are you and Marina getting into?”
Marina watched Peter pry Nick, and she sensed trouble. She arrived as Nick swallowed. “You know better than to ask foolish questions.”
“Marina. I worry about you.”
“It’s the reason you worry, Peter, that matters. Come, Nicholas. We must leave.”
Nick smiled and handed the jigger back.
“Will you be in soon?” Peter asked.
“Probably not for some time,” replied Marina. “Don’t worry, Peter. I’ll tell you all about it when it’s over.” She smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek, then followed Nick out.
They walked separately to the car. There was an uneasy silence between them. Marina drove the streets for another hour before she was satisfied that they weren’t being followed. She found a secluded alley and parked. “We’ll spend the night here.”
“It’s a little cramped.” Nick wasn’t objecting. He only wanted to make sure it was the right thing.
“No one has followed us. It’s safe. The seats recline, so you can stretch out.”
“You do know where we are supposed to go tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
“Oh,” muttered Nick. Marina was being somewhat distant, and he didn’t feel like sparring. He pulled his coat over his chest and closed his eyes. He heard her recline and try to get comfortable. She tossed and turned for five minutes, often jabbing him. He was glad she couldn’t sleep. He also knew it had to do with something more than the seat.
“It’s going to be extremely cold tonight,” she offered.
Nick opened one eye at Marina’s comment. “Turn on the car’s heater when you get too cold. We have plenty of fuel.”
“I believe it would be better if we slept closer together and kept each other warm. And I mean sleep.”
Nick smiled as if he cared. He was about to fall asleep, and Marina kept him from that. “Yeah. Whatever.”
She found a light blanket under the back seat. Nick offered no help. Marina placed the blanket over both of them and then snuggled into the fetal position against his back. She settled down but was still tense. Nick almost drifted off when she spoke. “Thank you, Nicholas.”
He knew what she meant and left it at that. “I’m wet.”