CHAPTER 31
ANNA FISCHER WAS JUST ABOUT to open the door of her flat in London when the man walked up behind her. Sensing someone’s presence, and always on guard after her mugging in Berlin, she whirled around, her fingers clasping the pepper spray that was attached to her key ring.
The man already had his badge out.
“Ms. Fischer? I’m Frank Wells. I’d like to talk with you about Shaw.”
She stared at his badge and then up at him.
“I do not recognize that agency,” she said.
“Most people wouldn’t. Can we go inside?”
“I don’t have strange men to my flat. You say you know Shaw. You could be lying.”
“Should’ve known. A lady with all your degrees isn’t stupid.”
“All my degrees? How do you know that?”
“I have a two-inch file on Anastasia Brigitte Sabena Fischer. Your parents, Wolfgang and Natascha, live in Wisbach, Germany, where they run a bookshop. You’re an only child. A champion swimmer. Advanced degrees from, among others, Cambridge. A stint at the UN and now employed at The Phoenix Group here in London.” He eyed the ring on her finger. “And currently engaged to Shaw.” He looked away from her astonished face and glanced at the front door. “Now can we go up to your flat? It’s important.”
They sat in her small front room overlooking the street. Frank looked around her apartment.
“Nice place.”
“Why have you come here?”
“Like I said, to talk to you about Shaw. Just like my men have done with your parents.”
“My parents! No, you’re wrong. They would’ve called…”
“We told them not to, so I’d have a chance to see you first.” He eyed her keenly. “He proposed to you in Dublin, didn’t he?”
“I can’t see why that’s any business of yours.”
Frank ignored this. “And he told you he was retiring from his job.”
Anna found herself nodding in spite of herself.
“Let me tell you the truth. Would you like that?”
Tears gathered in Anna’s eyes. She whisked them away with her hand and composed herself.
“If you have something to tell me, say it. But I will determine for myself if it’s true.”
Frank chuckled, then nodded. “Fair enough.” He leaned forward an
d cocked his head so she could see the sunken hole in his scalp. “See that little divot? That was courtesy of a round Shaw fired into my brain when I was trying to arrest him.”
Anna eyed him coldly. “Arrest him? For what?”
“That’s classified. But it wasn’t for not paying a parking ticket, I can tell you that. After I recovered and we caught up to him again, he started working for us.”
“Working for you? After he almost killed you? You said you wanted to arrest him. If he’s a criminal and you say he shot you, why isn’t he in jail?”
Frank held up a cigar. “Mind if I smoke?”
“Yes.”