“This was shot less than an hour ago.”
Kitsune looked down, saw the time stamp, and saw Mulvaney walk out of the warehouse, upright, unfettered, tossing off some remark at the man who stood nearest the door. He was by no means tied up, nor did he seem to be under duress. On the contrary, they were laughing.
What is going on here?
Nicholas said, “We have it all, Kitsune. Lanighan kept detailed records.”
“You’re lying.” She smiled. “I destroyed everything.”
Nicholas smiled back. “No, you didn’t. We got there before you. Remember Savich? He’s been on Lanighan for a day now, and guess what? Lanighan saved all your emails. All your planning, every detail. And we found emails between your friend Mulvaney and Lanighan. Let me read one to you. This is dated a year ago.
“You can’t trust Kitsune. Did I mention her name is Victoire? Her full name is Victoire Couverel. She was a careless little gutter snip, no more than sixteen, when I saved her from jail in Naples. I saw the potential in her and trained her myself. She has betrayed me and she will betray you as well if she has a chance. Use this information wisely. Watch your back around her. I will bring you Anatoly’s diamond. I will send the account number when I have secured the stone from America. Once she’s made delivery of the Koh-i-Noor, kill her. You need the blood of a woman to fulfill the promise of the stone. If you can’t do it yourself, I will do it for you.”
“Stop! Stop, now.”
“Betrayal tastes pretty rank, doesn’t it, Victoire?”
“Bloody bastard.” Her voice was flat, unemotional. Shock, Mike thought, the woman was in shock.
Kitsune’s head dropped. She was tired, so tired. She didn’t understand any of it. She hadn’t betrayed Mulvaney. She would cut off her own arm before she’d even consider betraying him. Why had he said that she had? What did he mean about needing her blood to fulfill the promise of the stone?
She wanted to weep. Why did the man she’d loved more than her own father hate her now? What was she going to do?
94
Paris safe house
Saturday night
Her world was crashing down around her ears, and yet here she was clearly plotting and assessing. Nicholas could practically hear her thinking.
He said to Mike, “Call Menard. Tell him to take the warehouse. We’ll transport Kitsune to the Préfecture de Police, let them start the paperwork to extradite her to America.”
Her voice rang out in the small kitchen. “No.”
He glanced back at her, but kept talking to Mike. “We’ll want a full assault, he has plenty of help. If we overwhelm them—”
“No!”
He stopped and gave her his full attention.
“What?”
She spoke through clenched teeth. “I will help you. I will give you everything you want, and more. But we must do it my way.”
She was taking a huge risk. But this was Mulvaney, and she had no choice. He had given her back her life—no, he’d done much more. He’d given her a life. Even if he hated her enough to betray her, she still owed him.
“You can’t take the warehouse by force. There are safeguards.”
“Explosives, you mean?”
“If Mulvaney is involved, yes. Many. He’ll have the entire place wired to blow.”
Mike paused before she hit send on her cell. “What exactly are you proposing?”
“You allow me to go as I’m supposed to. I’ll get the detonator from Mulvaney. When I signal, it will be safe for you to enter.”
“You’re joking, right?”
She said quietly, “I will give you information. Everything I know. About his crimes, and those of mine it is safe to reveal. You will get the biggest assassin in the world, close hundreds of open cases, both thefts and murders and espionage. Then I will give you back the Koh-i-Noor.”
Nicholas said, “What do you want in return?”