Don't Say a Word - Barbara Freethy [67]
Finally Daniel looked back at them, his jaw tense, his eyes wary. "All right. I'll tell you this much. I believe Julia is the girl in the photograph."
Alex's heart fell to his stomach. He'd suspected that was the case ever since Julia had knocked on his door, but now someone was actually saying it out loud. He glanced at Julia and saw shock and fear on her face.
"Are you saying my mother was there?" Julia demanded. "Did you know her, Mr. Brady? Did you know my mother?"
"Yes, I knew her a long time ago," he admitted. "Sarah was in Russia with the theater group. She worked behind the scenes as a costumer."
"Oh, my God. She was there." Julia turned to Alex. "My mother was there. You did see her. I didn't want to believe you, but you were right."
Alex was surprised that Brady had told them about Sarah. "So Sarah's identity and the reason why she was in Russia aren't classified?" he challenged.
Brady shrugged. "I barely knew the woman. She was friends with Charles and Stan. Stan helped her get into the theater group."
"She must have taken me with her," Julia said. "I must have gotten a Russian visa or whatever as part of the tour, just like you did, Alex. And she must have put me in the orphanage so someone would watch me while she was meeting with your dad."
Alex still wasn't sure he bought Julia's scenario, but he looked to Brady for the answer. "Is that true? Did Sarah leave Julia at the orphanage for some reason?" j Brady hesitated. "That sounds right."
He was lying. Alex's gut instinct told him the man was lying. "Then why would anyone care that Julia's picture was taken? She was an American girl."
"She wasn't supposed to be there. Certain places were off-limits to foreigners. No one wanted to ac168 knowledge that there were orphans in the Soviet Union, and they certainly didn't want photographs taken of such venues. That's why the government denied all knowledge of the girl." He paused. "Now, will you let this go? There's nothing more to know."
"Of course there is," Alex said harshly. "No one killed my father because there weren't supposed to be orphans in Moscow. What was the real reason? And who did it?"
"I don't know who did it. Whoever took him out was a pro."
"I don't understand," Julia said, interrupting them. "Why would anyone kill Alex's father after the picture was printed? What could they possibly gain from that? The deed was already done. What was revealed was revealed."
"That's an excellent point," Alex said slowly. "Why would anyone have gone after him then?"
"It was punishment. Payback. They'd given him access to their country. He'd abused their trust."
"Who the hell is they?”
"I've told you everything I plan. Drop this line of inquiry, Alex, before someone else gets hurt."
"What about my mother?" Julia asked. "She was in Moscow, too, and if I was the girl in that photo, and she was connected to me, then she should have been in danger, too. But no one came after her. Did they?"
A pulse jumped in Brady's throat. "I don't know. She was lucky, I guess."
"Lucky?" Alex echoed. "That's your answer?"
"Sarah went into hiding after that picture was published. Her cover was good."
"Her cover was good?" Julia repeated, as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You're talking about my life, my stepfather, my little sister, the past twenty-five years we lived with my mother, with Sarah. It was a cover?"
"It sounds like you had a good life, Miss DeMarco. Maybe you should leave it at that."
"I can't. Not until I know who my mother really was."
Brady glanced down at his watch. "I'm sorry, but I have to go."
"You can't leave yet," Julia protested. "I have more questions."
"They'll have to wait," he replied.
"What if we need to talk to you again? How do we get ahold of you?" Alex asked.
"Call Stan. He knows where to find me."
"How does he know?" Alex asked suspiciously. "How are you and Stan friends? Was Stan involved in whatever went on in Moscow, too? You said that