Chapter 17
It was standard procedure to deepen the knowledge of their employer's background if they were directly involved with the investigation.
The digging on Nikolai Markali had proved to be very revealing by showing his connections within the eastern European politic. A man fond of his country and interested in social scourges, he had run for presidential elections and had been the favorite until he had surprised his supporters, as well as his party, by announcing his retreat. According to Samuelle Investigations principal informer, Mick Schtoppel, this choice had been dictated more from necessity than from his poor health, as was publicly told to the electors.
It had been rumored that the politician's name figured in a list of possible ''associates'' of a local terrorist faction. No concrete proof of participation in illegal business was found, but it also looked like Nikolai's leaving for the States had discouraged further investigations. Michael, despite his lack of tolerance for the man, valued Mick's usefulness as a consistent source of information and had considered this development intriguing, even though all they had at the time suggested nothing more than a suspicion of conjugal infidelity. He couldn't deny to himself a slight preference for the second possibility presenting itself.
Nikita was teasing him on the benefits of intuition (in that he professed to being a non-believer), when Birkhoff barged in and interrupted them with some freshly stamped pages and exclaiming enthusiastically with his face lit up like a child.
''We hit the jackpot! You guys aren't gonna believe any of this!''
Arching her eyebrow at the display of excitement, Nikita took from Seymour's hands the copies he offered, as the boy explained himself, looking back and forth between her and Michael:
''To begin, Claire Parker isn't Claire Parker. As a matter of fact, from a purely legal viewpoint there's no proof she's ever existed before her employment with Markali. I ran a search of her photo on the databases of police and this came up ''
Birkhoff indicated to Nikita and Michael the sketch showing the full front and profile photos of a slender girl, short blonde hair and vacant china blue eyes. It was her penal recording. She looked like... no, she was the younger version of Claire Parker.
''Sage Matthews. She is barely legal when she marries her contemporary, Peter Ross. They live for a while in Las Vegas where they are sued for fraud at 20 years of age, but they come out of it clean. They are 22 years of age when police search their house and find a large quantity of cocaine. He confesses and discharges her completely, taking all the blame and asserting his wife knew nothing of his activities. While he's in prison, her name appears again during an investigation about an organization of industrial espionage. Her involvement, marginal or not, is never proven. Once Peter gets out, they both disappear from the face of the earth. Seriously, after five years there is barely a trace of them ever existing. ''
While she and Michael went through reading the particulars about Sage's penal precedents, Nikita bit back her question about the legality of hacking into police databases of various states; it wasn't really a question and it wouldn't be the first time so she stayed silent. Besides, even Michael didn't seem to mind and she doubted all this information could be acquired in any other way.
Michael went ahead to examine Peter Ross' file, which was slightly more eye- catching than Sage's, as it bore traces of a penchant toward illicit activity that had started off as a way to survive. Staring back at him from the full front photo was a blonde boy with hardened eyes, orphaned who grew up in Maine.
''What do we know about him?'' Michael inquired, his gaze scanning the page so as not to miss anything.
Birkhoff answered animatedly, "He is evidently proud of his work. Ran from the orphanage in Maine when he was 15, was 16 when he began working for Alec Chandler and by then authorities always kept him under observation. A short time later, Chandler, as we all know, was on trial for slavery. For Peter there was nothing major before his detention. He was released early for good behavior.''
''So basically they reunited and just went poof?''
Still leaning on Michael's desk, Nikita commented and eyed skeptically the two penal recordings, taking Peter's file out of Michael's hands to look at again; her attention drawn to the notion of two lives wasted - it was the first thought that popped into her mind, but she pushed it away.
Photos of archived police files were severe, yet she doubted that the vacant expression on the two young people had anything to do with this.
''Until today'' Birkhoff nodded, and she didn't know if she was bemused or dismayed at seeing him so cheery about such a thing.
''There was a trace showing connections between the Markali's old life and Sage?'' The softly spoken question by Michael seemed to make Birkhoff very satisfied.
''Not in the slightest.''
''Check on Peter.''
Birkhoff rubbed the back of his head in a subconsciously self-effacing fashion, as he rebuked himself for not having already anticipated this request.
''But nothing makes us believe they are still together.''
''Nothing makes us believe the contrary'' was the quietly imperious reply.
They had all the puzzle pieces in their hands and now the game was to make every one of them fall neatly into place.
It was the part Michael liked the most.
It was standard procedure to deepen the knowledge of their employer's background if they were directly involved with the investigation.
The digging on Nikolai Markali had proved to be very revealing by showing his connections within the eastern European politic. A man fond of his country and interested in social scourges, he had run for presidential elections and had been the favorite until he had surprised his supporters, as well as his party, by announcing his retreat. According to Samuelle Investigations principal informer, Mick Schtoppel, this choice had been dictated more from necessity than from his poor health, as was publicly told to the electors.
It had been rumored that the politician's name figured in a list of possible ''associates'' of a local terrorist faction. No concrete proof of participation in illegal business was found, but it also looked like Nikolai's leaving for the States had discouraged further investigations. Michael, despite his lack of tolerance for the man, valued Mick's usefulness as a consistent source of information and had considered this development intriguing, even though all they had at the time suggested nothing more than a suspicion of conjugal infidelity. He couldn't deny to himself a slight preference for the second possibility presenting itself.
Nikita was teasing him on the benefits of intuition (in that he professed to being a non-believer), when Birkhoff barged in and interrupted them with some freshly stamped pages and exclaiming enthusiastically with his face lit up like a child.
''We hit the jackpot! You guys aren't gonna believe any of this!''
Arching her eyebrow at the display of excitement, Nikita took from Seymour's hands the copies he offered, as the boy explained himself, looking back and forth between her and Michael:
''To begin, Claire Parker isn't Claire Parker. As a matter of fact, from a purely legal viewpoint there's no proof she's ever existed before her employment with Markali. I ran a search of her photo on the databases of police and this came up ''
Birkhoff indicated to Nikita and Michael the sketch showing the full front and profile photos of a slender girl, short blonde hair and vacant china blue eyes. It was her penal recording. She looked like... no, she was the younger version of Claire Parker.
''Sage Matthews. She is barely legal when she marries her contemporary, Peter Ross. They live for a while in Las Vegas where they are sued for fraud at 20 years of age, but they come out of it clean. They are 22 years of age when police search their house and find a large quantity of cocaine. He confesses and discharges her completely, taking all the blame and asserting his wife knew nothing of his activities. While he's in prison, her name appears again during an investigation about an organization of industrial espionage. Her involvement, marginal or not, is never proven. Once Peter gets out, they both disappear from the face of the earth. Seriously, after five years there is barely a trace of them ever existing. ''
While she and Michael went through reading the particulars about Sage's penal precedents, Nikita bit back her question about the legality of hacking into police databases of various states; it wasn't really a question and it wouldn't be the first time so she stayed silent. Besides, even Michael didn't seem to mind and she doubted all this information could be acquired in any other way.
Michael went ahead to examine Peter Ross' file, which was slightly more eye- catching than Sage's, as it bore traces of a penchant toward illicit activity that had started off as a way to survive. Staring back at him from the full front photo was a blonde boy with hardened eyes, orphaned who grew up in Maine.
''What do we know about him?'' Michael inquired, his gaze scanning the page so as not to miss anything.
Birkhoff answered animatedly, "He is evidently proud of his work. Ran from the orphanage in Maine when he was 15, was 16 when he began working for Alec Chandler and by then authorities always kept him under observation. A short time later, Chandler, as we all know, was on trial for slavery. For Peter there was nothing major before his detention. He was released early for good behavior.''
''So basically they reunited and just went poof?''
Still leaning on Michael's desk, Nikita commented and eyed skeptically the two penal recordings, taking Peter's file out of Michael's hands to look at again; her attention drawn to the notion of two lives wasted - it was the first thought that popped into her mind, but she pushed it away.
Photos of archived police files were severe, yet she doubted that the vacant expression on the two young people had anything to do with this.
''Until today'' Birkhoff nodded, and she didn't know if she was bemused or dismayed at seeing him so cheery about such a thing.
''There was a trace showing connections between the Markali's old life and Sage?'' The softly spoken question by Michael seemed to make Birkhoff very satisfied.
''Not in the slightest.''
''Check on Peter.''
Birkhoff rubbed the back of his head in a subconsciously self-effacing fashion, as he rebuked himself for not having already anticipated this request.
''But nothing makes us believe they are still together.''
''Nothing makes us believe the contrary'' was the quietly imperious reply.
They had all the puzzle pieces in their hands and now the game was to make every one of them fall neatly into place.
It was the part Michael liked the most.