Back in their hotel suite, they gathered around the table in the makeshift office they had set up.

“They were lying through their teeth,” Jana said, as she set her valise on it and opened her laptop.

“You thought so, too?” Clarence asked.

Ethan opened the jumbo-sized bag of chips he’d bought from the 24-hour convenience store and took his seat.

“What’d they tell ya?”

“In my experience as an investigator, an innocent man will go to great lengths to explain why he didn’t do something, where he was when the offense occurred, who he was with.... Neither Gregor nor Hans did that. They spoke as little and as circumspectly as they could.”

Looking at his pad of paper, he read the following notes:

“Do you know a woman named Sophie?

Gregor: That’s what you’re here about? The mighty Directive in my home about that thief?

Hans: Nods head.

We know that Sophie was last seen running from you, Hans. Why was she doing that?

Gregor: I can answer that. Sophie had stolen something from me, and Hans was merely trying to recover it from her. She left at some point during the day when we were at rest. He began his search once he was able.

What did she steal?

Gregor: Something worth a great deal to me.

And that was?

Gregor: A lucky charm. Small thing really, but it was special to me. She knew that, and she was trying to hurt me by robbing me.

Did she give it back?

Gregor: Yes, she did.

Where is she?

Gregor: I heard through the grapevine that she was moving to Boise, Idaho. I assume that’s where she is now. I haven’t spoken to her in quite some time.

And you, Hans?

Sophie’s never liked me. I suppose even less so now, since I took the treasured item from her. Whatever Gregor said must be true.

Are you aware of any humans who’ve gone missing?

Gregor: This is New Orleans. I’m sure it happens all the time.

Hans: Shrugged.”

Clarence flipped through the rest of his notes.

“The entire interview was like that.”

Jana looked up from her PC and said, “Listen to this. Marcel was killed by the police. This local online news story says that he resisted arrest during a routine traffic stop and moved towards the officer in a threatening manner. Fearing for his own safety, the cop shot him. An ambulance was called to rush Marcel to the hospital, but he was dead on arrival.”

“Does it say where that happened?” Clarence leaned forward. “If anyone else was with him?”

“No.”

“What about witness statements?”

“None are quoted in the article.”

“And so, the plot thickens.”

Ethan popped another chip into his mouth and said, “I heard a couple of guards talking, while I was outside doing surveillance.”

“And?”

“They didn’t name names, but it was pretty clear to me that they were talking about Sophie. One was wondering if Gregor had killed a woman. The other was convinced he hadn’t, because apparently, some other female had betrayed Gregor. They said she was trained, whatever that means, before she was released.”

“We need to get back into that house when they’re away.”

“You agree that they have Sophie?”

“Everything is starting to come together. The evidence is circumstantial at best, but I have a gut feeling.”

“And the murders?”

“I think once we have Sophie, we’ll start getting answers.”

“I’ll place a call to Magno and get his take on this,” Jana said. “I’ll let him know we’re actively pursuing the suspects and plan to end their operation, whether it’s guns blazing or something more subtle.”

“While you do that, I’m ordering room service,” Ethan said, as he went to the desk and pulled the menu out of the drawer. “Y’all want anything? Dammit, they’re closed! I’m gonna pop out for a bit. I’ll be back later.”