Echoes of a Violin

Chapter 8: Rivers

Peter stepped off the elevator on John Hobhouse's floor at the National Crime Squad's headquarters in Pimlico. Law enforcement offices generally had the same feel, and this one wasn't very different from the bullpen at White Collar. Only here Peter didn't have his team. Instead of being able to organize the investigation, he was a guest and needed to rely on others. It was an unsatisfactory situation.

He felt fully recovered from the drug he'd been given. A lump on the back of his neck and a slight headache were the only lingering effects. El was in worse shape. She'd lived on adrenaline till they reached their hotel room. Then anxiety coupled with an overnight flight caught up with her. Peter suspected she hadn't slept at all on board the plane. After an early lunch, she reluctantly agreed to take a nap. El also knew her husband. She realized he wouldn't relax with Neal working at NCS with John. Peter's place was there with them.

Neal was in John's office when Peter arrived. From Neal's shrug and told-you-so glance at John, Peter could tell his arrival wasn't a surprise.

Neal pulled over a chair for him. "You're just in time for the news flash."

"We've been reviewing surveillance footage," John explained. "So far we've discovered no errant Merlins, but we did find someone else—Marta Kolar. She was recorded on a surveillance camera near the Doctor Who soundstage at eight-fifteen in the morning when you were meeting with Chapman." He passed Peter a still from the feed. She looked about the same as when they'd recorded her last fall in New York. Her blunt-cut auburn hair gave her the look of a teen street urchin, but he'd grown to appreciate how deceptive that was.

Peter looked at Neal. "What's your take?"

"It's too pat," he replied, shaking his head. "I don't buy it. First, the painting that so closely resembles mine, now her presence at Scima? A deliberate misdirection by Azathoth is the way I see it."

"That's my reaction as well," Peter agreed. "Marta's a decoy, but she must be on Azathoth's payroll."

"We're all in agreement," John added. "I didn't fail to miss that you both continue to use the term Azathoth. Neal, I assume you haven't changed your opinion that Azathoth is Rolf disguised as Chapman?"

"That's correct, but given the friends in high places that Chapman has, I'll stick with Azathoth."

"That's the safest policy for both New York and London," John agreed. "Needless to say, we've issued an all-ports warning for her arrest. The evidence isn't sufficient to justify placing Chapman under surveillance, but that doesn't mean we're sitting on our hands. We'd built up a substantial file on him when Scima's email was hacked. Today I initiated an inquiry by my agents into when Rolf could have assumed his identity. Chapman has no wife or children. His parents are deceased. If Rolf could have pulled it off, Chapman's background makes him an ideal choice."

"I appreciate your assistance to Neal yesterday," Peter said. "It's my understanding that confidential evidence from an unknown source is being currently analyzed."

John smiled at his circumspection. "Once the analysis is complete, it will be held in a secure location until something is found for comparison purposes. I also intend to make another appeal to the Swiss to release information about Albert Wilmarth's bank account. I can use a playing card that was discovered in Chapman's office to tie the Arkham Horror game to a criminal investigation. I'm hopeful that this time we'll obtain a favorable response."

"And if Wilmarth turns out to be Chapman?" Neal asked.

"You want to know if that will be enough to arrest him?" John answered the question with a shake of his head. "My preference is to wait until we know if we'll have any corroboration from the DNA evidence. If we tip our hand too early, Chapman could flee in advance of an arrest and we'd be left with nothing. In the meantime, both of you should continue with your holiday plans. Neal, you're due to leave for Paris today. Peter, you should be with your wife, enjoying the spectacular sights of London. I'll let both of you know if anything breaks." He turned to Peter. "You'll continue to have the protection of Her Majesty's agents as long as you're in England."