Page 81 of Bonded in Death

“Tell me things I won’t find in background runs, in files. Tell me what he likes, what he doesn’t. What he drinks, what he eats.”

Ivanna nodded. “Yes, yes, I see. Useful things. Let me think. Let me think back. Understand, we had to be careful about being seen together outside HQ. Summerset and I had a history, so we could meet. And then Alice, of course. I might have lunch or attend an event with Marjorie or Iris due to social circles, but…

“Harry is likely a better source for this, but I can tell you he had a sweet tooth, and a particular fondness for Fry’s Peppermint Cream bars.Candy. Three sugars in his tea. His fitness routine was rigid, perhaps to compensate for that sweet tooth. He liked the finer things, fashionable things. Even his casual clothes were higher-end brands.”

She paused a moment. “Prison would have been very hard on him I’m happy to say. He considered himself a ladies’ man, and could be very charming, very smooth. This, an advantage when the source or asset was female. He was good at what he did. We all were.”

“Any attachments?” Peabody asked. “Hobbies, outside interests?”

“He had no family, never spoke of friends. Golf. I recall he commented that the wars had infringed on his golf game. After the explosion, after we understood what he’d done, we searched his flat. He had golf clubs, and the furnishings were top drawer. He’d clearly already removed a great deal in preparation, including his electronics, records, communications.”

“You were never able to find those?”

“No. We did track a storage facility outside of London where he had art—art he shouldn’t have had—wardrobe, as well as jewelry, a valuable coin collection, another of stamps, and more we learned he’d taken from either people he’d terminated or from homes that had been damaged and were unoccupied.”

Ivanna lifted her delicate hands. “We were a unit, and before that night I would have said we knew each other, and well. In Shark’s case, I would’ve been wrong. I was wrong.”

“So was the rest of your team, your superiors in the Underground and at MI6.”

“Yes, that’s true. And none of us can afford to be wrong again.”

“If you think of any other details, we’ll factor them in. We appreciate the time. If you could send up Ms. Wright.”

“Of course. I’m at your disposal for as long as it takes. We all are.”

When she walked out, Eve turned to Peabody. “Find out where you can get that candy bar in New York. If you can get it here. And we can start checking golf courses.”

“He stole from dead people.”

Eve angled her head. “And this offends you more than making them dead?”

“No. Sort of. I’m just saying it’s so… low. It could be a bad guy, an enemy agent, and Potter’s like 007—that’s—”

“I know who that is.” She’d watched some of the vids with Roarke.

“Okay, license to kill, right, and it’s war. But then you take the dead guy’s coin collection for personal gain? That’s subzero.”

“I think we’ve established Conrad Potter as subzero.”

Rising, Eve walked to the window. Yeah, Ivanna had it right. A wonder.

“What she told us fits Mira’s profile like a boot.”

“It’s a glove.”

“Not if it’s on your foot. And more, we’ve got candy bars and golf. He’s been out for a few years, sure, but he was in a lot longer. You’re going to want what you missed. Fashionable high-end wardrobe. If he wants or needs sex, it’d be a high-end LC most likely. We can work all of that.”

“We’re going to get more. People remember different things. And once they’re all together, talking, they’ll remember other different things.”

“That’s exactly right. She didn’t like him.”

“Sorry?”

“Ivanna, she didn’t particularly like Potter back then. Trusted him, respected him, but she didn’t really like him.”

“I didn’t get that, but now that you say it, I do. She was careful how she phrased things.”

“Some of that’s training.”

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