“Arcane Transport.”
“Donnie? It’s Kara.”
“Hey.”
“A call just came in for you, from Elena Legenko.”
Interesting. Or should I be worried? Maybe worried was the more appropriate state.
“Did she say what she wanted?”
“No. Just asked that you call her back.”
I debated for a moment. What was better? Call her back now, or make her wait? Part of me wanted to put it off as long as possible, maybe even the next day. But as usual, my curiosity got the better of me.
“You have her number handy?”
I spent two minutes waiting for her assistant, only to have to wait another three minutes waiting for Elena herself to take the phone.
“Mr. Elder?”
“Mrs. Legenko.”
“I will get to the point. I would like to meet you in person. Today, if possible.”
Hm. My worry meter was moving rapidly to red.
“Can I ask why?”
“I would prefer to discuss it in person. Would you be available to meet me in my office at seven o’clock this evening?”
Her office. No way was I going to meet her in her office. I had no doubt that if she wanted to, I could be killed on the premises, sliced, diced, and put out with the organic waste green bins without a soul finding out. I needed neutral ground. Somewhere I could get to easily.
“How about we meet at Queen and Bay, instead?”
“Downtown?”
“Yeah. By the fountain.”
“You do not want to meet in my office?”
“No.”
“You do not need to be afraid, Mr. Elder.”
“Neither do you. But I prefer City Hall.”
“City Hall it is. I will see you this evening at seven o’clock.”
The line went dead, and once again I was left wondering what the hell I had gotten myself into.
As I completed my rounds downtown, I was on my cell. First with Clay, to let him know of the planned meeting. He made it clear that, doctor’s instructions or not, he was going to be there. So my next call was to Sol Irving, who once again came through, agreeing to pick up Clay from his home and accompany him downtown.
Next to Kara, to let her know I would not be returning to the office that evening, though I hoped to be able to return the following day. Fortunately Jamar and Harold were on, and she was able to divvy up the rest of the dailies.
I had just hung up on Kara when my mother called. Despite caller ID, I answered the phone. Clay had told Harper, who had called my mother. She in turn had called Ted. I could expect him at six o’clock, at Union Station.
I wasn’t thrilled with that, the memory of Ted in the hospital still fresh in my mind. But she insisted he be there, to observe at a distance at least. Last call was to Ted, who was mystified by the whole damned thing but would do as he was told.
I met Ted at Union just after six, as he disembarked the 5:30 from Port Credit. He had a camera bag under his arm.
“Good idea.”
“Wasn’t sure, but I figured you might want a video, just in case.”
“Can’t hurt. You have your Epi-Pen?” They had prescribed an Epi-Pen for Ted’s anaphylaxis, just in case. If his breathing became labored, he could self-inject epinephrine, at least give himself a fighting chance. The doctors thought it was for a vicious peanut allergy, but what the hell. They would have wondered if they ever saw Ted vacuum a bag of beernuts, though.
“Yup. And I’m loaded with antihistamines. So. What’s the plan?”
The plan was pretty simple. Ted would capture the meeting from a bench on the West side of the fountains, by the Courthouse. Clay and Sol would be seated alongside the fountain itself. I would wait for Elena in the middle of the courtyard. Out in the open, with lots of people around. I was hoping that would discourage her from trying to blast me into dust molecules.
I left Clay and Sol by the fountain and took up a position in the courtyard at five minutes before seven. Not thirty seconds later, a stretch limousine pulled up on Queen Street, on the other side of the fountain from where I was standing. The driver worked his way around to the curbside passenger door, and opened it.
First out was a man I had never seen in my life.
Asian. Dark hair parted on one side and cut short. Strong cheekbones. Plain white short-sleeve shirt. Aside from the color of his skin, he looked like a 1950s American business man. He stood for a moment, puffing on a cigarette, the blue smoke curling about him.
After a quick glance about, he offered a hand to the next passenger, who turned out to be Elena Legenko herself.
This time she was dressed more conservatively. Likely realized my choice of meeting spot was out in the open, an easy place for someone to recognize her if she strolled out in stilettos and a thigh-slit dress.
The driver shut the door behind Elena and returned to his post at the wheel.
Elena and her companion, meanwhile, were looking about the fountain area, searching for me. I held a hand up to catch their attention, but made no effort to move. I wanted them out in the open, not five feet from a car door they could disappear me into.
Their stroll around the fountain to my side was leisurely, and I took a moment to glance around. Ted was set up. Clay and Sol had fortuitously settled opposite the side that Elena and her companion were now rounding. The limo remained parked. I saw no one else paying us much attention. A few tourists with cameras, trying to get a shot of the fountain. Couple school kids. Business-folk crossing this way and that.
“Mr. Elder. We meet again.”
“It’s getting to be a bit of a habit.”
“Yes, it seems so. I trust you have been reading the newspapers?”
“I see your hubby is going to be spending some time behind bars. A real shame.”
“You are either very stupid, or very sure of yourself, Mr. Elder.”
“Well brave I ain’t. So, is there a purpose to all this, or are you just here to hit on me?”
“Oh, there is a purpose.” She turned and raised her hand in the air, snapping her fingers as though calling a cab. Behind her I could see the limo door open again.
“More friends?”
“A mutual acquaintance, let us say.”
So it was. The driver opened the passenger door, and with some effort assisted Niki Kuzmenko out of the vehicle.
From where I stood, a good thirty yards away, I could tell that it was Niki. I could also tell that he wasn’t faring so well.
He was hunched over, one arm in a makeshift sling. From the way he was walking, I figured he had done some serious damage to his left knee. The cut on his forehead was still stitched shut, but it was a black and purple mess, and there were several other bruises on his face that I was fairly certain I had not caused.
The driver helped Niki limp down the same path Elena and her companion had followed. But instead of approaching us, he led Niki to the fountain and sat him down on the edge. He then returned to his vehicle, leaving Niki seated and swaying slightly, watery eyes focused on the three of us.
“You recall Mr. Kuzmenko, I trust.”
I ignored her, trying to figure out what the hell was going on.
“You mentioned my husband when we spoke on the phone, Mr. Elder. As much as he has proven to be a very stupid man, he is loyal. Nikolay, however, has proven to be both stupid and disloyal.”
“At first I was angry at you, Mr. Elder. Very angry. I believe it is safe to assume that your actions led to Nikolay’s arrest, and ensured that Maxim would spend time in your jails. I am also being denied access to the Greylawn property, which upsets me greatly. Yes, Mr. Elder, you have proven to be a terrible nuisance.”
I smirked at that. Couldn’t help it. She was sucking up to me.
“But then I realized that if it were not for Maxim and Nikolay, I would not have had to suffer your insolence. Their decision to steal from you was ill-advised, at best. A decision made without my knowledge or approval, by the way.”
“How about the decision to kill the witnesses. Was that a big problem for you?”