Page 5 of Canyon of Deceit
FOUR
THERESE
Professor Ivanov’s slumped shoulders and red-rimmed eyes tugged at my sympathy strings.
His slow approach from the restaurant entrance contradicted the image of the confident, energetic professor at Leonard University.
I’d walked through the same fire of losing a loved one, and the agony burned physically and mentally. Drawing each breath took courage.
I’d secured a corner booth in the rear that offered visibility of those entering, a habit I’d picked up in college.
A roommate had been stalked by an old boyfriend, and she told me how facing the entrance to a restaurant or any public building gave her comfort.
The position prepared her for any challenges, and I adopted her wisdom and never regretted it.
Professor Ivanov wore a wrinkled shirt splattered with coffee stains that told me more about him than a thesaurus full of words representing grief, sorrow, and shock. His anguish crept into a part of me that I normally kept locked away.
“Professor, I’m so sorry about your family.” I shook his hand.
He moistened his lips, his grip clammy. “Thank you. I appreciate you choosing to discuss this further.” He seated himself across the table from me.
“Normally I’d be up assembling last-minute plans to greet my students.
So much has happened in such a few hours.
” He inhaled and slowly exhaled. “My wife’s death and Alina facing the same merciless fate torments my every moment. They are victims of evil-infested men.”
“I agree. You asked me to help you. But I’m not sure how or if it’s possible.”
A server approached and took our orders for coffee. Professor Ivanov watched her leave and surveyed the small crowd as though one of them had pulled the trigger on Daria or held Alina.
“Do you see someone familiar?” I said.
“Everyone looks like a killer or a kidnapper to me.”
“Do you suspect you were followed?”
“I don’t think so. I kept my eyes on the rearview mirror.” Rurik pulled a small notebook from inside his sports jacket and handed it to me. “I’ve written what happened in chronological order. Perhaps you’ll see something I have missed.”
His jerky handwriting conveyed his tormented mental state. My reasoning to help rescue Alina wavered between hot indignation against whoever had abducted the little girl to stone-cold dread if the child had been killed. My reservations said I fell below the skills required.
I read through his notes. Professor Ivanov received the distressing call at 3:00 p.m. yesterday.
He attempted to contact Daria, phoned Alina’s school, learned his daughter had been picked up earlier at 11:45, and then he returned to an empty home near 4:30 p.m. His notes mirrored his early morning plea to me.
“Have the kidnappers contacted you since we spoke?” I snapped a pic of his notebook and slid it back to him.
“Not yet. I keep thinking there’s a reason they chose such a desolate area, and I shudder at the fears plaguing Alina.
While the high desert mountains would be difficult for her, the kidnappers are minus conveniences too.
” He slipped his pad inside his jacket. “My daughter... I refuse to believe she’s dead. ”
I wrestled with the same horror. “You must not lose hope. Concentrate on finding Alina alive and well.”
He gave me a thin-lipped smile above a quivering chin.
“Professor, this isn’t a solo mission. The abductors are dealing with high stakes too. Are you trained in wilderness survival and weaponry?”
“No, Ms. Palmer. I battle with words, not nature or unscrupulous men, and I’m sadly out of shape. I admit I’m powerless to be the rescue-father Alina deserves. She is in excellent physical condition. She’s involved with gymnastics three days a week and competes regularly.”
I nodded at his pride in her and bit back my disappointment at his inability to help with the search. “Do you see the necessity for at least one trained person to accompany me?”
Rurik paled. “Have you told the police or the FBI?”
“I gave you my word that I wouldn’t. But if I’m to accept your request, I will not take this mission on by myself. It’s useless even to contemplate the idea. Surely you see the danger and implications for all concerned.”
“I do, Ms. Palmer—”
“Therese, please. We’re talking about your daughter’s life, and the formalities seem cold.”
“You’re right. I’m Rurik. Who are you recommending? Please, not the FBI.”
“I shared the highlights of the situation with a friend who’s a Texas Ranger. He has no name or information that would jeopardize Alina.”
He scrubbed his hands over his face. “Do you trust him?”
“I’ve dealt with him on a prior occasion, and his record is impeccable. He’s a hostage negotiator and an expert marksman. He refused the mission without more information, so I asked him to join us here at five thirty.” I paused. “I can call him and cancel.”
Rurik stared at me, but I couldn’t read his emotions. “What are you thinking?”
“It’s apparent that you need assistance. Are you proficient with a firearm?”
“Yes, but I’ve never shot anyone.”
He lifted a brow. “The crimes involve more than one man. At least two. One to manage Alina and another to pilot the plane. I suspect a third man as a guide.”
“Makes sense. Would she have fought her kidnappers?”
“I taught her how to show bravery in all circumstances, and I also taught her to use her brain.”
“Then in your opinion, she’d not fight them.”
“Right. She isn’t a whiner and doesn’t cry easily, but I have no idea what her captors have demanded.
I want her back safe, to live a child’s life, and forget what she’s experienced.
.. I’m afraid she witnessed my Daria’s murder and might not ever recover from the sight.
” Anger narrowed his eyes. “Nothing is guaranteed. Neither life nor death. Alina’s ordeal has the potential to make her strong, invincible.
.. The caller said if I went to law enforcement, he’d kill her.
Can you assure me that the kidnappers will not learn I reached out for help? ”
“I will do my best.”
“I see no alternative but to risk talking to the Texas Ranger.”