Page 67 of Near Miss

For several days, Korolev had a team staking out Matilda Martin’s apartment, but she hadn’t shown up. After consultation with the Bean Counter, he had moved his team to Stone Barrington’s neighborhood, in hopes of spotting her. This proved equally unsuccessful.

He had learned the house next to Barrington’s was also owned by the lawyer, and that he often let friends live in its apartments.

“She’s either in one of the apartments or in Barrington’s main house,” he said to the Bean Counter.

“Barrington’s house is off-limits.”

“I understand that, but what about the apartments?”

“Didn’t you say there were security guards?”

“Only the first night. None since then.”

They’d discussed it for a bit before Korolev finally convincedthe Bean Counter to let him check the apartments. Tonight was the night.

The lights in the lawyer’s house and the house next door finally went out.

Korolev lifted his radio, and said in Russian, “Standby.”

Waiting down the street were two of his men—Ruddy Antonovich and Theo Malic, Korolev’s best lock picker. They would be the ones searching the apartments while he kept watch from across the block, waiting in the stolen sedan they would use as a getaway car.

He let another five minutes pass, and when the lights in either house remained off, said, “Now.”

His men moved up to the entrance of the apartment building. In a handful of seconds, the door swung inward, and the pair hurried inside to the door of the nearest apartment.

Ruddy pressed his ear against it. All was quiet. He nodded to Malic, and the man once more did his magic.

The apartment was dark. From deeper inside came the soft sound of steady breathing. Ruddy followed it to a bedroom where he found a woman asleep. She didn’t look like either of the women Korolev had described, so he quietly returned to the hallway.

The next apartment was unoccupied, and they quickly moved on to the third.

When Malic eased the door open, they could see a dim light coming from farther inside.

Ruddy pulled out the special spray can Korolev had given him and crept through the flat, following the sound of running water to a bathroom.

Inside, a woman was brushing her teeth at the sink. She matched one of the descriptions; the problem was, he couldn’tremember if it was Matilda Martin or the other one. She was a real looker, though. Just the kind of woman Trench had gone for. So, she had to be Matilda.

Korolev’s voice came over the radio again, shouting in Russian, “Get out of there! Lights are back on in the main house.”

The woman spun toward the door. “Who the hell are you?”

Reflexively, Ruddy raised the can and sprayed her in the face.

She coughed and sputtered, “What the...” then crumpled to the floor.

On the radio, Korolev said, “Did you hear me?”

Ruddy pressed the talk button. “Yes. I found her, boss.”

“Where is she?”

“Lying on her bathroom floor. I sprayed her.”

“Okay, okay. Good. Get her out of there. Quick. I’ll bring the car around.”

Ruddy carried her over his shoulder to the building entrance, with Malic right behind him. The moment Korolev drove up, they hurried to the sedan, and got in with the woman.

Once they gone far enough that Korolev felt sure no one had followed them, he parked on a quiet side street, and turned to the back seat.

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