Chapter 8: Haley

Haley got Zasha dressed and her hair tidied up before daring to wake Ivana. The old woman didn't mutter curses at Haley, which bode well for their day. Between Haley and Ivana they managed to gather all of Zasha's things and get out the door five minutes late, which was actually on schedule. Haley had long since realized that she wasn't going to change the lateness, but she could change what time she told the others they had to be places.

The drive to the center where Zasha had both her piano lesson and art class was fairly quick with only the normal traffic. Konstantin was methodical about his choice of homes and the proximity to his various offices. Everything was done with purpose.

Haley did her normal routine of parking and walking them in when they were joined by the other bodyguard. After a quick rundown of the schedule, she left the trio and headed back to the condo.

The quiet ride home was rather nice. It gave her space to think. Which might not be a good thing, given that her thoughts went right to that electrifying moment when she'd looked at Konstantin that morning.

Haley blew out a breath and sank down in the seat.

Back at the condo, she settled at the kitchen table with a cup of tea and began playing all three of the new cameras at once.

Konstantin had taken to updating her every morning, which meant the latest theft had taken place sometime after yesterday's breakfast up until that morning. It wasn't a big window of time, all things considered.

She watched a more dressed down Konstantin settle in at his desk.

Haley leaned forward and frowned.

How had someone gotten into his office, with him in the condo all day, and taken pictures? Who had come into the condo yesterday?

Haley paused the cameras and opened the digital logs.

The chef had arrived around eleven thirty with groceries. She'd had help from a building employee bringing everything up. The cake had been delivered shortly thereafter. The laundry had been returned. Then nothing until pizza that evening.

How? And who?

Haley got up and went to the flour canister that held the petty cash fund. She checked the total and found another couple of dollars missing. Nothing worth noting in the big picture. Still, it was odd. The normal procedure was to make a note on the pad of paper in the canister, but there wasn't anything.

She returned to the computer and sipped her tea while watching Konstantin at his desk in double time.

When she'd first signed on for this job, she'd made the assumption that Konstantin was lazy and self-important. It had taken her all of a week to realize none of that was true. Sure, he might look like sin in a suit, but the man took his responsibilities seriously.

It had taken Haley a few months to piece together Konstantin's story. Zain hadn't exactly led with the whole Russian oligarch's son bit when he pitched the job to her. She'd discovered that tidbit out on her own. What always impressed her was Konstantin's work ethic. The man had fled his family and country, come to a country where he could barely speak the language, and managed to make something of himself. Granted, a good deal of his support came from businesses he'd taken from his father, but Haley saw that as the old man's mistake. Why put an entire company, much less five, in his son's name?

Maybe it was some rich people thing she didn't understand. But it did mean that Konstantin was able to protect and provide for his daughter.

Then there were the regular consultations Konstantin did for the US government. Haley didn't know the particulars, but she assumed he had some sort of arrangement.

She clicked a button and sped up the video, watching most of the day pass by in a blur of movement.

The only people who came and went from his side was Zasha and herself.

It had to be a joke. That made sense.

Haley couldn't recall if Zasha had gone into the office last night, so when the evening hours rolled around she slowed the video.

Zasha didn't go into the office once.

Haley sat back and watched the three of them on the sofa.

The visual was a punch to the gut.

They looked like a family, but they weren't.

Haley finished watching their evening and the long stint of Konstantin sitting in the dark in his office. What was he thinking in there by himself?

Still no thief.

"Huh." She checked the time then finished her tea.

The digital clock on the video feeds ticked on.

At around four in the morning, an hour before Konstantin began his day, something happened.

The adjoining door opened. Haley saw it in the camera that was hidden among the books under the TV.

"What the fuck?" she muttered and leaned closer. She tapped the keys and let the video play in real time.

Ivana stood there, her white nightgown practically glowing in the darkness. She glanced around, but didn't move.

Listening for movement?

Ivana padded across the living room and into the office.

Haley's gaze slid easily to the camera she'd hidden above the curtains in the office. It gave her a wide view of the room, but most importantly the collection of old photographs.

Ivana went to the display and began peering at them. How she could tell them apart without light was beyond Haley, but the old woman never once turned on a lamp. After a moment she picked a picture, turned and hurried out with her prize.

"What? Why?" Haley killed the video feed.

According to Konstantin, Ivana had raised both him and his mother. Why would she need to sneak pictures? Konstantin would probably have let her make copies. Unless there was something special about the originals?

Haley reached for her phone, but she didn't pick it up.

The right thing to do would be to call Konstantin and tell him. Given his current mood thanks to her, Haley wasn't sure how he'd react.

He'd trusted her with handling this and using her judgement.

Maybe Haley should talk to Ivana first?

She was looking out for the old woman yet again.

Haley sighed and gathered her things for the drive back to the lessons. Maybe she could pull Ivana aside during the art class for a chat?

By the time she'd reached the center, she still had no idea how to handle this. Ivana was like family to Konstantin. There was no need to steal pictures, unless there was a layer Haley wasn't seeing to all this.

She parked and went inside only to stop short.

The big, burly bodyguard she'd left to watch Haley and Ivana sat on a bench looking at his phone.

"Jeff, what's going on?" she asked slowly.

Jeff glanced up and heaved a sigh. "The nanny said I was making the kid uncomfortable."

Warning bells went off in Haley's head so loud she couldn't think.

Stealing pictures.

Sending a bodyguard away.

None of this made sense.

Haley sprinted down the hall, her sneakers squeaking as she turned.

"She said..." Jeff called out, but Haley ignored him.

Something was wrong. She could feel it.

Haley took the stairs two at a time. The sound of a piano playing called to her.

She yanked the door to Zasha's classroom open and stared at the startled teacher sitting behind the piano. Alone.

"Where is she?" Haley demanded.

"I thought... But..." The man gaped at her.

"Zasha," Haley snarled.

The thin man held up long, artistic fingers. "Ivana called, said she wasn't feeling well."

Shit.

Haley hadn't seen the bigger picture. She still didn't, and now Zasha was gone.