Moving Target (29 page)

Jenn drew away and rubbed her eyes with her hands. "This whole conversation started because of the key. What are you thinking?"

A little bit of excitement prickled Ani's skin.

"Maybe Dad stored some kind of evidence against the Borenkos."

Jenn met Ani's gaze. "That's quite a stretch."

"Not really." Ani clenched the key in her palm and walked back and forth on the carpet in her bare feet. "Dad probably didn't expect to be shot as soon as he said he wasn't going to have anything to do with the Russians anymore."

Ani scrunched her nose before continuing. "Dad might have been planning on telling them he had detailed records that could put them all away if they didn't leave him alone." She gripped the key tighter as she continued to pace. "Dad could have put that information in the safe-deposit box to make sure it was safe. And that he was safe. It would be just like him to do that."

"But they killed him before he could use the threat." Jenn still looked skeptical, but she added, "It's a long shot, but worth checking out."

"It's Sunday, so today's out." Ani stopped pacing and tucked the key into one of the front pockets of her jeans. "Likely the bank won't open until eight tomorrow morning and I have to be in court at nine.

"I need to talk to Daniel." Ani strode through the open French doors of Jenn's bedroom, headed for the sitting room, and went up to Janet.

"I need to see Inspector Parker as soon as possible," Ani said.

Janet nodded. "I'll give him a ring on his cell phone and see if I can get him up here."

While Janet called Daniel, Ani returned to Jenn's bedroom and helped her put away all the things they'd unpacked from the box, minus the key.

When Daniel made it up to the room, he and Ani shared a long look that said so much to her. He broke eye contact first and looked to Janet before returning his gaze to Ani's. "What's up?"

Ani's heart pounded as she dug out the key and handed it to him. She explained her theory and said, "It could be nothing, but Jenn and I can't imagine why Dad would have a safe-deposit box when he put our important documents into the fireproof safe at home. Maybe there's hard evidence on the Borenkos in that safe-deposit box."

Daniel raised his eyebrows with an intrigued expression. "I'll contact Singleton now to get a federal grand jury subpoena.

An FBI agent can check out the box," he said.

"Unfortunately," he continued, "no matter what strings we try to pull, we can't get into a bank on a Sunday. But we can get the subpoena to examine the safe-deposit box as soon as the bank's doors open tomorrow."

Monday morning Ani sat in the witness stand and stared down Dmitry Borenko.

To her surprise, she no longer felt any fear of the man. Only anger and hatred burned deep within her that would never go away. What Dmitry Borenko had done to her family was unforgivable.

Absolutely unforgivable.

Even though Daniel and Janet Hernandez were standing against the adjacent wall, Ani felt their presences, which gave her some comfort. Having Daniel there gave her even more strength than she already had.

God, she hoped something was in that safe-deposit box. Something that would make sure these bastards would pay even more than she was going to make them pay. Singleton had assured her that her testimony would put Dmitry Borenko behind bars, at least for murder and attempted murder, as well as arson, if not money laundering and racketeering. Any additional information that could back her up would be the icing.

As the defense attorney began his cross-examination, Ani clenched her hands in her lap. She spoke as clearly and slowly as possible, trying not to let Plutov rattle her.

First, the defense attorney started with questions about her sister again, which made her want to scream. "Ms. King, please tell the court how it was that you did not know your own sister has been alive these past two years?"

"I was in the Witness Security Program because of the threats on my life." Ani stared directly at Plutov. "I thought my sister had died before I signed the irrevocable papers that would not allow me to have any connection to my former life."

When the defense attorney asked what she could be in danger from, Ani gave him an "Are you an idiot?" look.

Her skin prickled and she felt a little queasy as she prepared to answer his question. What had happened over the past few days—it was amazing she was still alive. The fact that people had died because of the Russian Mafia sickened her further.

She raised her chin. "The Borenkos have had a hit out on me since they discovered that I survived the fire."

Plutov straightened his spine as he turned to Judge Steele. "Move to strike. There is no evidence to support this statement."

Singleton stood. "Special Agent Michaels has already testified to this
fact
."

"Mr. Plutov," the judge said. "I will allow the witness to continue."

Ani moved her gaze to Dmitry Borenko and met his eyes, which held nothing but death. "An FBI agent explained it all to me. He said for my safety I needed to enter the Witness Security Program as soon as possible."

Before Plutov could ask another question, Ani continued, "These past few days, from the time my location was discovered, as I explained earlier, I've been chased, shot at, almost blown up, chased and shot at some more. Wouldn't that tell me that my life has been, and still is, in danger?"

"Irrelevant." Plutov narrowed his gaze at Ani. "Move to strike. The witness has no proof that Dmitry Borenko had any direct involvement in such alleged activities."

Ani's body burned with heat and her words came out in a furious rush. "Then you tell me, Mr. Plutov, who else do you think is trying to kill me, because I'm reasonably certain it's not the Red Cross."

"Objection!" Plutov drew himself up as he whirled to face the judge.

"Sustained." The judge turned her head to face the jury. "Ignore the witness's last statements."

Ani let out a huff of air. She chanced a look at the twelve men and women on the jury. She saw nothing but blank expressions at this moment, which didn't give her a lot of confidence.

"Let's discuss the document you claim you saw on your father's computer," Plutov said, drawing her attention back to him.

Heat continued to burn within Ani. "I didn't
claim
anything. It's a fact. I saw the document on my father's computer."

Plutov raised an eyebrow. "How could you possibly be sure this was not some story created from your father's imagination?"

"My father kept detailed journals throughout his life." She raised her chin a little and her gaze didn't waver from Plutov's.

"He had countless handwritten journals that were destroyed in the fire. He started using the computer to document things once he purchased his first PC."

"That does not answer my question." Plutov gave her one of his sickening, indulgent smiles. "Let me rephrase the question.

Could the document you read on his computer be fictitious?"

"No," Ani answered immediately, no question, no doubt in her mind whatsoever.

Plutov braced his hands on the witness stand and practically got in her face. "How do you know this?"

Ani tried not to recoil. At the same time she saw Daniel take a step toward her, a protective expression on his features, as if he were ready to toss Plutov on his ass if he didn't back off.

Apparently Plutov noticed as well because he pushed himself away from the witness stand after a quick glance in Daniel's direction.

"I knew my father well," Ani said in answer to Plutov's last question. "Better than you do."

The defense attorney gave her a condescending look. "Perhaps not well enough to know what you read was a figment of his imagination?"

"He didn't write or even read fiction." Ani clenched her hands tighter in her lap. "He thought it was a waste of time."

"Hmmmm . . ." Plutov studied her with disdain in his gaze. "Did you speak to your father about this document?"

"Before I had a chance to—"

Plutov interrupted. "Yes or no."

Ani tried not to glare. "No."

"Ah." Plutov faced the jury. "So you did not speak with your father to know absolutely whether or not this alleged document was fictitious."

Fury rose up within Ani like a storm. "It would have been difficult to discuss that with my father, considering Dmitry Borenko had just shot him in the head."

"Answer the question!" Plutov's jowls trembled and he looked like he was ready to sprout horns.

Ani was so tense and angry she wanted to
really
explode at him. "FBI agents matched what I remembered reading—"

"Yes or no, Ms. King," Plutov demanded. "Did you speak with your father about the alleged document?"

Ani ground her teeth. "No."

"Then as far as you know," Plutov repeated, this time with a smirk, "the document you claim to have seen was nothing more than a story."

More waves of heat washed through Ani. Plutov was attempting to completely undermine her credibility as a witness. She sucked in a deep breath and steeled her expression. "I also saw and heard Dmitry Borenko speak to my father—"

"Again,"
Plutov said, his voice booming through the room. "Yes or no. Do you have concrete proof this document existed or that it wasn't in fact, fiction?"

Ani swallowed. She paused a moment and Plutov raised his eyebrows. "No," she finally said, the word barely making it out of her mouth.

"Let the record show," Plutov said to the jury, "that the witness has admitted that this document she speaks of could have been nothing more than a figment of her imagination."

Heat flushed Ani's cheeks. "I did not—"

"Objection!" Singleton's voice rang out. "The fact that the witness has seen this document has already been established, therefore it did, in fact, exist, and is not a figment of Ms. King's imagination as defense counsel would have the jury believe."

"Withdrawn." Plutov looked at Ani, then back to the jury. "Allow me to rephrase," he said. "Let the record show that the witness has admitted to the fact that the document she speaks of could have been fictitious."

"Again, Your Honor, objection." Singleton stood, giving him a more powerful presence. "The witness has already testified as to her belief that her father would not conjure up a document. Defense counsel's tactics are clearly aimed solely at undermining the witness's statements."

The judge threw Plutov an irritated glance. "Move on, Mr. Plutov."

The defense attorney turned his gaze back to Ani. "You also claim you saw my client shoot Mr. Henry King and Eloise King as well as your very much alive sister, Jennifer King, and yourself."

"Yes," Ani said as loudly as she could. "He murdered my parents."

"Allegedly," the attorney said. He put his hands behind his back and rocked heels to toes. "Apparently your memory is faulty—"

"Allegedly?" Ani interrupted with anger in her tone. "Does Dmitry Borenko have a twin brother? If not"—Ani pointed to Dmitry—"then that's the man I witnessed murder my parents."

Plutov continued as if he hadn't been interrupted. He grilled her, his every question designed to wear her down and to put doubt in the jury's mind as to what she'd seen and heard that night.

The whole ordeal was taking a toll on her, making her feel drained and weak.

"No further questions," Plutov finally said to the judge before heading back to his seat.

Relief poured through Ani and she wanted to collapse against the back of the chair from exhaustion.

The huge double doors to the courtroom opened.

Ani caught her breath and held it when she saw a man in a black suit walk down the aisle between the two rows of benches. He had a piece of paper in his hand.

Was this the FBI agent who had gone to the bank to open the safe-deposit box? If so, had the agent obtained information that would help put Dmitry Borenko behind bars for more than just murder?

The man entered through the swinging wooden gate and handed a piece of paper to the FBI agent seated next to Singleton. The agent glanced at the paper and passed it to Singleton.

The prosecutor nodded. A pleased expression lit his face.

Ani's heart rate picked up and she let her breath out in a rush. The FBI agent must have found something!

Plutov was just about to take his seat when Singleton stood and said, "New documentary information has come into our hands and I request a recess to review the information."

"Objection!" Plutov said. "Whatever this information is, it was clearly not presented in discovery. I insist on being given the opportunity to review it as well."

Singleton's gaze was steady. "As I said, this information has only just been presented to us. We do not yet know if it is relevant, or if we will seek to admit it."

Judge Steele frowned, clearly not pleased at delaying the trial. "We'll recess for one hour while the prosecution has the opportunity to view the new evidence, then we'll have a sidebar in chambers."

"Judge Steele," Singleton said. "We may require computers and screens from Litigation Support so that the jury may view this documentation should I wish to admit it."

The judge gave him a hard look. "Make arrangements as necessary."

Ani's heart raced as she looked from the prosecutor to Special Agent Michaels, to Daniel. They all were seated at the long table in the witness room while Singleton used a laptop to review the documents from a memory stick that had been in the safe-deposit box. He'd already saved all of the key files to his laptop's hard drive.

"A fucking gold mine." Singleton shook his head in obvious amazement as he scrolled through one of the documents.

"Wire transfers and corresponding bank account numbers, e-mails, receipts. Not to mention his journal that ends just a month before the murders—when he must have put this all into the safe-deposit box. And this information implicates Yegor Borenko as well."

He laughed and picked up the cell phone that had been in the safe-deposit box, as well as a phone charger. "And text messages. Can you believe it? King saved text messages on his phone that are far more specific than the e-mails."