"Katya?" Danil suggests.
"Wrong hair color. Katya's is darker and shorter." I pause the video on the clearest shot we have. "But that doesn't mean they're not connected."
Danil calls the investigator back, and she answers on the first ring.
"Can we enhance this?" I ask. "Get a better look at her face?"
"We're working on it," the woman says. "But the angle is bad, and the lighting is worse. It might not be possible."
"Try anyway." I watch the red-haired woman stand and leave, her movements graceful and controlled. "What about the hotel staff? Did anyone remember her?"
"The bartender recalls a regular customer matching that description. Said she was polite and tipped well."
"Anything else?" Danil asks.
"We're still digging. But there's one more thing." The investigator pauses. "We reached out to our contacts in Montana like you requested. To check on John Davis and Pavel Galkin."
"And?" I ask.
"Pavel Galkin was found dead in his cabin three days ago. Local police are calling it a suicide."
43
LENA
Ifrown, a sense of dread filling my gut.
Pavel is dead. Poor Pavel. Except for his unwanted attentions, which really bothered Aleksandr more than me, he was a nice guy. He always made sure I had supplies, and sometimes we'd sit for hours, just talking, both of us lonely and glad to have someone to talk to.
I stare at Aleksandr across his desk, my brain refusing to process what he just said. The early afternoon light streaming through the office windows feels too bright, too cheerful for this moment.
"What?" My voice comes out strangled.
"Pavel Galkin was found dead in his cabin three days ago." Aleksandr's tone is gentle, but his gold eyes are sharp, watching my reaction. "Local police are calling it a suicide."
"No." I shake my head, standing abruptly. The chair scrapes against the floor. "No, that's not possible. Pavel wouldn't kill himself."
"Lena." He stands too, moving around the desk toward me.
"He was paranoid, Aleksandr. Constantly looking over his shoulder, always checking exits." My hands shake, and I clasp them together. "Men like that don't suddenly decide to end it. They're too busy planning their next escape route."
Danil shifts in his chair near the window. "She has a point. Witness Protection survivors don't typically commit suicide. They're wired for survival."
Aleksandr's hand finds my elbow, steadying me. Even through my sweater, his touch burns. "I agree it's suspicious."
"Suspicious?" I pull away, needing space to think. "Someone killed him. Someone found out he was in Witness Protection and eliminated him."
"Possibly." Aleksandr exchanges a look with Danil. "Which is why we're sending men to Montana to investigate properly. The local police won't dig deep enough."
The guilt crashes over me like a wave. "This is my fault."
"No." Aleksandr's voice is sharp, commanding. "He had a lot of enemies, Lena. He was in the program for a reason. He was a snitch and he pissed off a lot of families."
"But I was there. I brought you into his life." My throat tightens. "He warned me about you. About both of you. And now he's dead."
"Lena." Aleksandr cups my face, forcing me to meet his eyes. The intensity there steals my breath. "Pavel's death has nothing to do with your being kind to a lonely neighbor."
"What if it's because he recognized you?" I whisper.