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Authors: Orest Stelmach
Tags: Suspense
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depends on it.
Damian
He had scribbled Clementine Seelick’s address and cell phone number again at the bottom of the note.
“There’s no mention of his son this time,” Nadia said, hearing the disappointment in her voice. “As though that was just a pretense to start a dialogue with you. And there was no more time for games.”
Her mother scoffed. “There is no Adam. There is no Damian. Fate of the free world ? Spare me. I can see it now. Once you get there, they’ll tell you they need fifty thousand dollars in fees to release the money or something Nigerian like that. It’s a scam, Nadia. Don’t get sucked into it.”
Nadia wasn’t so sure. “What about the kissing under the apple cart? Did that really happen?”
“Well…” Nadia’s mother swallowed, blushed, and looked away. “It just can’t be him.”
“Who else would know a detail like that? Who would remember it?”
“Someone Damian confided in as a boy. Some other con artist.”
“Who surfaces now? Fifty years later?”
Nadia’s mother stared into space for a second. “Maybe it’s him, then.” She turned back to Nadia with a fierce expression. “And he’s the one that’s going to rip you off.”
Nadia knew there was only one way to be certain. “Do you have a pen and some paper? I need to copy this woman’s name and phone number.”
“Don’t bother.”
“Why?”
“I already called it. Three times.”
“And?”
“It’s a beauty salon. They’ve never heard of any Clementine Seelick. I spoke with a hairdresser, the bookkeeper, and the owner. Nothing.”
Nadia shook her head. “That makes no sense.”
Her mother wasn’t so cynical now, though. “You came here asking about Damian. It’s too much of a coincidence. Why? What’s this business with Victor Bodnar?”
“Do you know anything about the ten million dollars Damian stole?”
Nadia’s mother’s eyes shot up. “Ten million…” Her breath expired before she could finish the sentence. “He stole ten million dollars ?”
Nadia pulled out her checkbook. “I’m writing you a check for fifteen hundred dollars.”
“Finally.”
“Get out of town. Take one of your many male suitors and go on a vacation. Preferably out of the country. I don’t want to scare you, but it may be dangerous for you to stay here. I did the same for Marko, but he tore it into pieces.”
She took the check, folded it in half, and stuffed it deep in her bosom.
Her mother was always practical. “Your brother’s an idiot,” she said. “My daughter’s wish is my command.”
CHAPTER 17
A RESTLESS CROWD watched the Amtrak departure board overhead at Penn Station. Some carried briefcases, others dragged suitcases. None looked happy.
The bars on the board spun forward and rotated. The revolving numbers sounded like a giant roulette wheel. One of the bars landed on the 8:45 a.m. Empire State to Albany. It was now boarding at Gate 13A.
Victor handed Tara a fanny pack. “Wrap this around your waist under your coat. There’s two thousand dollars in it. Another seven thousand was wired into your bank account this morning.”
“Victor—”
“A woman will meet you at the train station. She will take you to her home in a town called Voorheesville. When it is safe for you to come home, your aunt will call you from New York. Until then, you must not speak to anyone. Otherwise, Misha will find you, and you will never be free from him.”
“Okay, I understand. But what about you? Here,” she said, pushing the fanny pack into his chest. “This is too much.”
“No, it’s not. You see…I need you to do me a favor.”
Tara hesitated. “What kind of favor?”
Victor reached down and picked up what looked like a small duffel bag. One end was vented. He unzipped the other. Ablack-and-white cat poked its head out and chirped like a parakeet at Tara.
“I need you to take care of him for me,” Victor said. “I have no one else.”
Tara froze, mouth open, as though she
Damian
He had scribbled Clementine Seelick’s address and cell phone number again at the bottom of the note.
“There’s no mention of his son this time,” Nadia said, hearing the disappointment in her voice. “As though that was just a pretense to start a dialogue with you. And there was no more time for games.”
Her mother scoffed. “There is no Adam. There is no Damian. Fate of the free world ? Spare me. I can see it now. Once you get there, they’ll tell you they need fifty thousand dollars in fees to release the money or something Nigerian like that. It’s a scam, Nadia. Don’t get sucked into it.”
Nadia wasn’t so sure. “What about the kissing under the apple cart? Did that really happen?”
“Well…” Nadia’s mother swallowed, blushed, and looked away. “It just can’t be him.”
“Who else would know a detail like that? Who would remember it?”
“Someone Damian confided in as a boy. Some other con artist.”
“Who surfaces now? Fifty years later?”
Nadia’s mother stared into space for a second. “Maybe it’s him, then.” She turned back to Nadia with a fierce expression. “And he’s the one that’s going to rip you off.”
Nadia knew there was only one way to be certain. “Do you have a pen and some paper? I need to copy this woman’s name and phone number.”
“Don’t bother.”
“Why?”
“I already called it. Three times.”
“And?”
“It’s a beauty salon. They’ve never heard of any Clementine Seelick. I spoke with a hairdresser, the bookkeeper, and the owner. Nothing.”
Nadia shook her head. “That makes no sense.”
Her mother wasn’t so cynical now, though. “You came here asking about Damian. It’s too much of a coincidence. Why? What’s this business with Victor Bodnar?”
“Do you know anything about the ten million dollars Damian stole?”
Nadia’s mother’s eyes shot up. “Ten million…” Her breath expired before she could finish the sentence. “He stole ten million dollars ?”
Nadia pulled out her checkbook. “I’m writing you a check for fifteen hundred dollars.”
“Finally.”
“Get out of town. Take one of your many male suitors and go on a vacation. Preferably out of the country. I don’t want to scare you, but it may be dangerous for you to stay here. I did the same for Marko, but he tore it into pieces.”
She took the check, folded it in half, and stuffed it deep in her bosom.
Her mother was always practical. “Your brother’s an idiot,” she said. “My daughter’s wish is my command.”
CHAPTER 17
A RESTLESS CROWD watched the Amtrak departure board overhead at Penn Station. Some carried briefcases, others dragged suitcases. None looked happy.
The bars on the board spun forward and rotated. The revolving numbers sounded like a giant roulette wheel. One of the bars landed on the 8:45 a.m. Empire State to Albany. It was now boarding at Gate 13A.
Victor handed Tara a fanny pack. “Wrap this around your waist under your coat. There’s two thousand dollars in it. Another seven thousand was wired into your bank account this morning.”
“Victor—”
“A woman will meet you at the train station. She will take you to her home in a town called Voorheesville. When it is safe for you to come home, your aunt will call you from New York. Until then, you must not speak to anyone. Otherwise, Misha will find you, and you will never be free from him.”
“Okay, I understand. But what about you? Here,” she said, pushing the fanny pack into his chest. “This is too much.”
“No, it’s not. You see…I need you to do me a favor.”
Tara hesitated. “What kind of favor?”
Victor reached down and picked up what looked like a small duffel bag. One end was vented. He unzipped the other. Ablack-and-white cat poked its head out and chirped like a parakeet at Tara.
“I need you to take care of him for me,” Victor said. “I have no one else.”
Tara froze, mouth open, as though she
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