She smiled. “You are still an enigma to me, Dillon-san, after all this time.”
“I can say the same thing about you because despite everything, I’m convinced that you have aconscience. Something you allege you don’t have.”
Steers rose. “I must go and. . .finish some things. I will call if I need you.”
He said resignedly, “I’ll be there if you need me.”
She walked out of the room, leaving Nash to stare after an enigma of his very own.
CHAPTER
58
ISAW OUR VISITOR TODAY. BUTonly from a distance,” Masuyo said in a disappointed voice.
Steers set down her soup spoon and looked at her mother, who was, as usual, seated at the head of the table.
“I did not think you wished to greet the man who kept you a prisoner for years.”
“That is not the point. You let that man into our home after what he did to me?”
“It was necessary, Mama.”
“I do not understand you sometimes, Daughter. You are more powerful than you think. This is no time to shrink like a faded flower. You must be bold.”
“Being boldandstupid is just being stupid,” said Steers wearily as she picked up her spoon again and dipped it into her bowl.
“What did you talk to him about?”
Steers swallowed a mouthful of soup while she glanced at her mother. It seemed both women were appraising the other.
“You believe you need to know this?” said Steers.
“It was you who said that what you have is built solely on what I created. Thus, I believe I have every right to know all.”
Steers laid down the spoon again, wiped her mouth with her napkin, and leaned back in her chair. “He is displeased with me. Not simply for having liberated you. Before this meeting he also made clear that he does not agree with the way my business is being conducted, largely with respect to this country.”
Masuyo nodded and a cruel smile emerged on her lips. “You are not killing enough Americans to please him. I do not know what led to this, Daughter, or who you are listening to, but you are better than that.” She tapped her forehead. “This houses your brain, nothing else. If he requires death, provide it. What do you care for this country anyway? America is our enemy! And look at Moscow. Do you think Putin wastes one minute of his time worrying about helping America? He wants to crush this country. Anyone who thinks otherwise is an idiot. But then again, idiots are useful, particularly if they are highly placed. And many are,” she added knowingly. “Very highly placed indeed.”
Steers visibly trembled, as though her rage threatened to break through all her outer calm. “Hiroko-san would disagree with you. Hiroko-san would speak of one’s soul, of one’s compassion, of one’s good nature up here.” She tapped her forehead.
Masuyo’s lips curled into a sneer. “You embrace the advice of someone who never rose above the level of a servant? I do not know why you still have that foolish old woman around. But the fact that you do makes you a fool as well. And I did not raise you to be a fool. I raised you to bevictoriousabove all others. You were named for a queen. Act like it, child!”
“All right, using mybrain, I have partners who do not wish to kill their paying customers, since that is clearly bad for business. However, this man does not care about that. Indeed, as you just pointed out, he desires this outcome. Thus, I have conflict on both my flanks. An interesting challenge, would you not agree?”
Masuyo dropped her arrogant and domineering manner and assumed an engaged expression. “A challenging problem indeed. What do you intend to do about it, Victoria?”
“I have already done something about it.”
“What have you done!” snapped her mother, giving Steers a ferocious look.
Steers rose, dropped her napkin on the table, and said, “I am tired. Have a good sleep, Mama. I very much intend to. Because tomorrow belongs to no one, especially people like us.”
* * *
Two nights later Nash was lying on his bed thinking about his last conversation with Steers. Nash had wanted to ask about the prison but the timing did not seem right. Why did a man such as she had described run a prison in Myanmar? What would be the point?
He had not heard back from Agent Morris on his query about the man’s identity. From this Nash concluded that Steers had been correct in her analysis of the man and his intense desire for anonymity.