Part 28 (1/2)

”The ATF? Agent Cornell Brown. Tell me what you did, Lewis.”

Lewis took a deep breath. ”Agent Brown is a source of ours. Some years back we helped him locate a nephew, his sister's child that she had given up for adoption. As a result, he offered himself as a resource for us, in future searches. Two years ago, when you first came in with your situation, I knew that Brown had served in Eastern Europe as part of some sort of criminal task force and might have connections in that part of the world.”

”It was you who brought attention of my case to him?”

”I thought Brown could help you.” Lewis nodded. ”As soon as he read your file, he recognized your situation. The time frame of your arrival at the orphanage, the lack of doc.u.mentation. Somehow he figured out that you were the daughter of Yalena Mayakova and Alexei Klesko. He told me that his team had been putting together a case against arms dealers in the former Soviet republics and that if they found Yalena-your mother-she could testify for them. He said the arms people would find her eventually anyway and kill her, so really I was protecting her by helping Brown and his team find her first. Initially, I refused, of course. All my rules, you see ...”

”But eventually you changed your mind. Why?”

Lewis shook his head ruefully, clearly ashamed of what he had done.

”Brown said he had access to some immigration doc.u.ments that would help locate my son in America-the very doc.u.ments I had been trying to find for decades. Harvesting the information would be a great risk for him, he said, because of where the database was located. He would do it for me, but only in exchange for my help in locating your mother. He said he would protect Yalena when he found her, and the two of you would be reunited, just like you wanted so badly. I ignored our rules, I know, but my own desperation blinded me, Wallis. To die without knowing my son ... I was too weak to resist the opportunity.”

”So the Brighton Beach file was your idea?”

Lewis nodded yes. ”I knew that with just a small amount of inspiration you would begin your search, and that sooner or later Yalena Mayakova would reveal herself to you.”

Wally realized now how perfect the plan had been. A little thread of hope had been offered to her and she had pulled it, unraveling her own life and the lives of those she loved most. She could blame Lewis, certainly, for helping Cornell Brown set all of it into motion, but Wally felt responsible as well. She had been willing to risk anything in the search for her mother, and in the end she had lost it all. She expected to feel hatred and rage for Lewis, but instead all she felt was pity.

”And Brown was lying?” Wally said to him. ”He never told you where to find your son?”

”No. I haven't heard from Brown in days.”

”You won't,” Wally said. ”He's dead.”

”Oh G.o.d.” Lewis was stunned. ”What happened, Wallis?”