Page 11 of Sinner's Salvation

“What is your relationship with Ms. Breznik?” Evan asked him.

“She is my employer’s aunt.”

“The FBI has an aunt?” Evan asked, lightening his tone. Camaraderie might work with the kid.

“Yvgeny Breznik,” The agent said, with only a little impatience. “I signed an employment contract with him, too.”

This was even more interesting. “Does the FBI know you’ve gotten a better offer?”

The kid shook his head. “They’re not a conflict of interest, if that’s what you’re asking?”

“No?” Evan asked. “You sure about that?”

“Lots of people in the United States have two jobs,” Anna added, a hair too fast for her participation in the conversation to be offhand. “Isn’t that right?”

“Not when you work for a law enforcement agency,” Evan answered without looking at her. He had to maintain eye contact with the kid in order to keep the pressure on, maybe trigger a slipup or show he was lying.

“The FBI is very happy to have me in the position of Yvgeny Breznik’s assistant,” Stettler said. “And Mr. Breznik is okay with it as well.”

Everyone knew the baby agent was working for both sides and none of them had objections?

“Why would Mr. Breznik be okay with it?” Evan asked, genuinely curious.

“Because he sees it as a game,” Stettler said, rolling his eyes. “He thinks it’s funny that he’s being investigated.”

“An international crime boss thinks it’s funny the FBI is investigating him?”

“That’s just it,” Stettler said, leaning forward. “I don’t think he is a crime boss.”

Yeah right. Evan sighed audibly, shook his head, and stared at the kid.

Stettler stared back for several seconds before his bravado left him again. “You don’t believe me.”

“I think you’ve been played, kid.”

“Idon’t play games, Mr. Gunn,” Anna said, her tone now hard and cold. It cooled all kinds of things in him. “Not like the people who brought us here—who are they and why are we wherever we are?”

Evan forced a half smile onto his face. “Well, ma’am, I’m just a lowly soldier. I’m given orders, not engraved invitations.” He turned back to the kid. “So, let’s get back to my earlier question. What’s your relationship with Ms. Breznik?”

He shrugged. “I only met her a couple of hours before we were forced to come here, wherever here is.”

“Ah, so for you, this is a wrong place at the wrong time thing?”

“My nephew is fond of him,” Anna said, before Stettler could answer. “That is enough for me to treat him with some curtesy.”

“Really?” Evan asked the agent. “You’ve only been working for him for a few days. How did that happen so fast?”

The agent rolled his eyes. “I told you. He thinks I’m funny.”

“You tell jokes?”

“No,” Stettler snapped. “I’mthe joke. Everyone, and I mean everyone at the hotel, all his employees, right down to the housekeeping and maintenance staff, knows I’m an FBI agent trying to find dirt on their boss. I’m being laughedat.”

It was Evan’s turn to blink. “That...is sort of funny.”

Stettler threw up his hands and sat down with a thump. “My life is over,” he moaned, at the ceiling.

“What is it you want Mr. Gunn?” Anna held up her hand to stop him from answering right away. “And please, nobullshit. I prefer direct speaking.”