Page 66 of Stuart Woods' Golden Hour

“Thank you, Vesna. This is better than I’d even hoped.”

“You asked for my help, so I am helping. But I do need you to do one thing for me.”

“What’s that?”

“Go to sleep so I can go to sleep.”

“Good night, Vesna.”

“Good night, Teddy.”

Before going to bed, he sent copies of the photos to Lance and Rick, with a message about the man in the van being connected to that evening’s activities.

He then used his back door into the CIA’s computer system to upload the images of the four men from the van into the facial recognition program. Lance and Rick would likely do the same, but he didn’t want to wait for them to give him the results.

With that done, he finally lay down. Within seconds, he was out like a light.

23

It was just a littleafter four a.m. when Jillian used the encryption key Lawrence had given her to check the message inbox. At the top was a message from one of the contacts who claimed Teddy Fay might still be alive.

Have heard that Fay is potentially involved in upcoming World Thriller Film Festival in Berlin, under an assumed identity. No word on type of involvement or what name he is using.

Now here was something with which she could work.

Before she could open her secure browser, a voice in the back of her mind spoke up, asking why Braun would be interested in a man who was supposed to be dead but now was living a different life.

Before she could follow that thought any further, her phone rang.

“Hello?” she answered.

“Ms. Courtois,” Braun’s assistant said. “Mr. Braun would like to know if there’s been any progress concerning finding Teddy Fay.”

“Mr. Braun’s here?” She had thought that other than the night security staff, she was the only one at the office.

“He is. And your answer?”

“Uh, well, there is one new development, but—”

“Good. Please come up.”

“Right now?” she asked, but Braun’s assistant had already hung up.

She popped a couple of mints in her mouth, ran a hand through her hair, and hurried to the elevator.

Braun’s assistant motioned for her to go straight into Braun’s office when she arrived.

She opened the door and stepped inside.

Braun was at his desk, his phone to his ear. When he noticed her, he waved her over.

“It’s beginning to be a pattern,” Braun said into the phone. “I need you to get us back on track.” He glanced at Jillian, who was now standing in front of his desk. “I need to go. Keep me posted.”

He hung up.

“I can come back if this is a bad time,” Jillian said.

Ignoring her offer, he said, “What’s this new development?”

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