CHAPTER 130

As I drove through the empty streets, my thoughts kept circling back to Theo and his wife, Tia. She’d always struck me as cold, and distant, someone who didn’t much care for Varya.

And now, in the wake of Varya’s disappearance, I couldn’t help but wonder how much she knew. Was she complicit in whatever Theo was doing? Or was she just as much in the dark as I was?

I needed to find a way to get closer to them, to dig deeper into their lives without tipping them off. If Theo thought I was backing off, maybe he would slip up. Maybe he would make a mistake that would finally lead me to Varya.

But how long could I wait for that? How long could I stand by, hoping for a breakthrough, while Varya was out there, possibly suffering? Knowing that she was in danger sent chills down my spine. Motionless, I couldn’t bear it anymore. Something had to be done.

Though it was late, I decided to drop by the office briefly. There were files I had to check again, and acquaintances I needed to contact again