A/N: review feedback. Whitelighter Enchantress: Shopping is wonderful everywhere.. cept maybe Siberia, thanks for reviewing! Valoriahn: Your enthusiam makes me very happy, thanks! Tricia: Glad you like the memory thing, thanks! Ren201: Thanks darlin, you made me blush! Edes: Two reviews! Thanks! I just had to write based on this premise... and Iam working on the Francie style snarking! Fair Cate: Thank you for your kind words, i try to get memories in as much as possible. Scary-girly: Thank you for your lovely review! Hope y'all like this chapter! Katex
Chapter 7. Cappuccino..mmm
Chloe was led down several corridors and three flights of stairs to a sublevel basement. They were in the contact's office; she realised with a start. He gestured for her to sit down and walked over to the coffee machine where he proceeded to make a couple of cappuccinos.
"So Leo wasn't that clear on why you may need my help. Would you care to elaborate and I'll see how I can offer my assistance?" he asked, sitting down behind his desk and leaning leisurely back in his chair.
"Sure, but do you mind if I ask you a couple of questions first? I feel kind of uncomfortable talking about my situation with a stranger." Chloe asked anxiously, curling her hair back behind her ear as she had done so many times in the last few days. She couldn't help it, she was quite worried and the slight movement made her feel in control.
The contact answered with a deep chuckle. "Sure, go ahead, but there are some questions I won't answer."
"That's ok, I was just wondering. How come you are so fluent in English whilst you work here in Italy? Sorry if it sounds too personal, its just I'm intrigued. You do seem like a real Italian." Chloe enquired curiously.
"No, it's ok, I'm used to being asked. It's all down to my Parents. My mother is British and my father is Italian. I grew up in Britain until I was 17, then my mother died and my father moved out here to help with the family business. I decided to come with him. Am I to assume you are in a similar situation? After all Leo works from Graz and I don't believe you would travel far for an Investigator, or was there some problem with the ones where you live?" Robert replied with a slight grin.
"No, you're right. I live in Graz; Leo's office isn't that far away. I was so glad to find a British investigator I must admit. My parents moved from London years ago, not that I remember it but that's another long story." She sighed with this last admission.
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, maybe you could clue me in after we have finished our business here. It does sound intriguing." He said, his eyebrows raised with interest. He really was a people person.
"Thanks, it's also a right pain but let's get back on track shall we? I feel like I know you now, except from one thing, do you by any chance have a name?" She asked with a small secretive smile.
"Oh, sorry, I do apologise for not introducing myself. I'm Robert Verlanti. I'm a private investigator like Leo." He confirmed.
"Oh! That's great. My husband's name is Rob actually. But what I'm here to talk about doesn't really concern him. I need to track down someone; a woman named Julia Thorne."
"OK, I can start looking right now by searching my databases for an address, it shouldn't be that hard." He made to make a move but stopped when she nervously interrupted him.
"Well um, it is actually. See I had an address, and I went to it, but it turns out Julia was arrested by the police about a week ago." She pursed her lips and looked at him embarrassed.
"Ah. I see your problem. Well, Leo did mention your case was special, and as I owe him a favour I guess I could check the police database if you like." He replied, not wanting her to give up hope and breakdown in front of him, she seemed to be on the verge of doing something by the strangled look on her face when he took more than a minute to reply.
"You could? That would be great. When can you do it?" She let out a small shriek implying her hope and energy had been temporarily restored.
"How about I do it right now? I have access from my computer here." Robert said, before opening up his laptop and hitting what seemed like a million keys to Chloe before he announced he had her file.
"Lets see, what do we have here…a name, an address… aha, and reason for arrest. Oh." He came to a sudden stop and moved his eyes closer to the screen, which were by now showing signs of disbelief.
"What? What is it?" Chloe nearly fell out of her seat she was leaning that far forward.
"The warrant for arrest is through Interpoll. It looks like a NSA directive." Robert frowned at the screen, his chin resting on one hand whilst scrolling down the screen with the other.
"NSA?" Chloe questioned incredulously.
"The National Security Agency, its America's... Robert absentmindedly explained without looking up from the file, too engrossed in its content.
Yeah, I know what the NSA is, but what the hell would they want with her? Chloe asked impatiently, cutting him off mid sentence.
"Well, according to this, Julia Thorne is really a rogue CIA agent by the name of Sydney Bristow." Robert had looked up from the screen now and was watching as Chloe's face turned white and she fell back into her chair.