Chasing Ivan by Tim Tigner Page B

shoulder.”
    Aspinwall swallowed a frog as he nodded. “What kind of guarantee do I have?”
    Michael shook his head in disappointment. “The common sense kind, Kian. We could have kidnapped Emily and dangled her over a kennel of starving dogs. But that’s not our style. We’d only do that if you attempted a retraction. Instead, we’ve gone to extravagant lengths to come and go like a bad dream. Tomorrow, there will be no trace of our existence but the footprints on your mind. In time, even you’ll begin to doubt that this was real.”
    “When will the necklace come off?”
    “The moment you step off the media stage, assuming we approve of your performance, of course. You’ll be able to watch it happen. I’ll open the app back up and hold the phone where you can see it the whole time you’re speaking, lest your political instincts kick in and your feet get cold. If that happens, you’ll be watching Emily’s head come off rather than the necklace.”
    Michael stood and headed for the stairs.  
    Aspinwall followed like a leashed dog.

Chapter 20

    WHILE A LUMP formed in her throat, Emily studied her date’s facial transformation in the colorful cascade of firework light. When Andreas resumed speaking, it wasn’t to her, and his voice had dropped an octave. “You were at Palace Place this morning. I saw you on Michael’s button cam.” As he spoke, Andreas raised his cell phone, but not to his ear. He was holding it up like a police officer’s badge. The phone showed something resembling a traffic light, with buttons of red, yellow, and green.
    Emily glanced at the phone, and then at the man Andreas had directed it toward. The waiter had indeed been in her lobby this morning, wearing a gray suit. He’d helped her with the door. Justine’s new boyfriend, she’d assumed.
    The back of her neck began to tickle.  
    She reached for her necklace, afraid that it was slipping off. The pendant wasn’t there. She began to panic but then found it, higher up rather than lower. She’d adjust it later, as soon as this odd twist was resolved, and her fairy tale had resumed. “You were there,” she said, addressing the man. “Who are you? Are you following me?”
    He responded to her, but didn’t take his eyes off Andreas. “I work in law enforcement. I’m here to rescue you.” Then his voice took on a commanding tone. “Step away from her, Ivan.”
    Emily appraised the man while he spoke. The set of his jaw and the energy radiating from his eyes told her he was deadly serious. His body looked serious too, primed and physically fit. Andreas was in good shape as well, but his fitness struck her as the health club type. More show than go , as Jen liked to say. Plus, Andreas was smaller by about two inches and twenty pounds. “You’re mistaken,” she said, pressing herself against Andreas and wrapping her arm around his waist. “I don’t need rescuing, and his name isn’t Ivan, it’s Andreas. Please leave us alone.”  
    His expression softened and he shifted his gaze to meet her eye. For a second she thought he was going to say, “My mistake. I’m obviously confused. Please forgive me.” Instead he put ice in her spine. “Everything you know about him is a lie, Emily. He spied on you to learn what you like, and then told you what you wanted to hear. All this is about manipulating your father into dropping out of the race.”
    “How do you know that?” Andreas asked. The question caused Emily to do a double take. It wasn’t a denial or even a challenge. Andreas sounded as if he sincerely wanted to know. She turned to study him. Andreas’s eyes were locked on the stranger’s. His expression, in fact his whole face, had morphed. His look was now positively carnivorous. He continued to hold up his cell phone as if it was a mystical amulet with protective powers.
    “Does it matter?” the intruder asked.
    “At the moment, the only thing that matters is what I can do with this?” Andreas waved his