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23

Ðakovo, Slavonia

1 March

Thursday, 10:08 am local time

Philip and Ellie sat in the rear seat of Jozef ’s 2005 VW Golf, each one of the in

their surroundings as they drove through the suburbs of Ðakovo

Side-by-side rows of compact houses lined both sides of the street, h a few had painted, plaster-covered fronts and brick sides The wooden-shingled roofs were green-tinged frorass and squares of concrete that served as driveere the only things dividing one house from another

The road continued that way, pretty htaway, until Jozef slowed down, turned the steering wheel, and pulled onto the concrete pad of an all-brick house, parking alongside an old-model Audi A4 sedan

“We’re here,” he said in Croatian, unbuckling his seat belt as he did

Ellie and Philip followed suit, cli politely for Jozef to precede them

Ellie translated as he spoke

“My dear friends, Ivan and Helena Flego, live here They are also Croatians with a proud Albanian heritage, but they are not part of my world Do you understand?”

Philip waited for the translation Once it came, he easily read between the lines “They have no ties to organized crime and you want to keep it that way,” he deduced

Jozef watched Ellie carefully as she supplied Philip’s reply He was visibly pleased by what he heard “That’s right So here’s how things will go You will hear the explanation I give thely You will do what you’re told and not ask questions or offer information Is that clear?”

Ellie relayed that to Philip, who nodded again