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The htest duress) by Katie It led to a post office in Charlotte, North Carolina

I backed h froh to watch the entrance My first day of surveillance was a complete bore, as were my second and third Now and then, I moved the car so I could walk to the shop and stake out the place while scarfing down a sandwich at atable For the most part, no one seemed to noticein a few rab a quick bite to eat at the deli

The fourth day finally bore fruit The ood bit like the photo I had of Kandinsky’s son Less than a minute later, he reappeared and walked around to the back of the building I started the car and crept toward the post office, pretending to look for a space

A green pickup truck nosed out onto the street My quarry was behind the wheel He turned left, so I pulled into the drive that led to a parking lot,as if to take his spot After a quick three-point turn, I left the same way I’d co sure to keep two or three cars between us

We took a fairly well-traveled, but hardly crowded, highway into the surrounding countryside As ent deeper into the Great Sreater distanceroads and occasional forks in them Most of the time I was able to stay on course Only once did I pick the wrong fork A quick encounter with a dead end et behind the pickup again

We ended up near a cabin tucked away downhill froreens and birch trees I could barely tell the cabin was there There was a gravel driveway but I stayed away fro of my tires and to maintain my distance The pickup drew up in front of the cabin and the driver went inside I looked around for a good place to leave ed to find the world’s tiniest pull-off area and squeezed the Fiesta into it From there, I walked back to the driveway and tried not to overly disturb the gravel as I made my way doard the cabin

The place apparently had no official address, that is, no house nu, under the circumstances

I knocked on the door, stepping to one side just in case No shots were fired, butwatched

“I’m not here to hurt you,” I announced “We just need to settle a few things”

A prolonged silence followed Then a man’s voice “Why? Who are you?”

“A friend So hounded because of rate client”

That gave hi to think about “Why should we talk to you?”

We? The use of the plural answered one question “Because if you help me, I can help you, Mr Kandinsky”

Chapter Forty-Four

The door eased open and young Kandinsky peered through the gap