CHAPTER 2
It took most of the day to locate an address. As they had feared, all of Alex Krycek's FBI paperwork led to the same phony apartment that Mulder had found empty the day his ex-partner disappeared. Scully was nearly ready to concede that she had been wrong- that the photograph and card had been fakes- when she hit the jackpot in the back of the former agent's personnel file: Kryceks's health insurance enrollment form.
"Ekaterina A. Krycek age 26 and Niklas A. Krycek age ten," Scully read out triumphantly as she walked into Mulder's office with copies of the paperwork.
"Does it give an address?"
"2914 Cherry Blossom Court in Alexandria"
"Phone number?"
Scully shook her head in the affirmative. "I already tried calling, but no one picked up. I got an answering machine." She paused briefly but anticipated her partner's next question "There was no mention of Alex on the recording."
"At least we have a start," Mulder said. "I don't guess we really expected even Krycek to be dumb enough to live there. Still, we should be able to drag his whereabouts out of 'Ekaterina'"
"If she knows."
"What do you mean 'If she knows'? She's that dirt bag's wife!"
Scully rolled her eyes, "Mulder, practically the first thing women discover about men is that they are all liars."
"All?"
"All," she said pointedly.
Mulder chuckled, "Is that the voice of experience, Scully?"
She ignored the question and grabbed her coat and car keys.
"Still, I do think Mrs. Krycek warrants a visit. Shall we?"
Mulder nodded. "After you."
He didn't know exactly what he had expected Krycek's house to look like, but Mulder was surprised when they arrived at 2914 Cherry Blossom Court. It looked so shockingly normal: a modest Cape Cod with white vinyl siding. There was a pair of shady Maple trees in the front yard, and cheerful flower beds edged the sidewalk leading up to a red front door. It was the sort of house that would be at home on any street in any town anywhere in America- hardly what one would expect for a double-agent murderer.
The two agents walked to the front door and knocked. When there wasn't any answer, Scully knocked again and then stood on her tiptoes to peer through the fan of glass in the top of the door.
"Looks like nobody's home" she whispered to Mulder.
"Are you looking for Katya?" Mulder and Scully both swung around quickly at the sound of an unfamiliar voice.
An old woman in a blue housedress and faded gardening gloves was standing at the foot of the porch. "I saw you from across the street." The woman gestured over her shoulder to a yellow cottage on the other side of the road. "I thought I'd save you the trouble of waiting. She had to go pick Nik up from school again today. He's been fighting again, you know." The woman frowned, her tone and expression both clearly implying that she disapproved of the situation. "I don't expect her home until four o'clock- and then she has to go to work."
Mulder and Scully both looked at their watches in unison. It was two-fifteen. If the busybody neighbor was right, they were in for a long wait.
"Should we stay?" Scully asked, but almost as soon as the words were out of her mouth, a silver car pulled into the driveway.
"Oh…" the old lady's lips pursed in a frown, as though she were offended to be proven wrong. "I guess it didn't take so long this time. She waved weakly in the direction of the car and then shuffled back to her own porch.
Mulder and Scully ignored the neighbor and concentrated on the new arrival. The car had tinted windows, which made it impossible to make out who was inside, but angry voices- yelling in a language that sounded like Russian- carried to where they were.
It was more than a minute before the car door opened. When it finally did, Mulder sucked in his breath at the sight of the woman who stepped outside.
Once again, Fox couldn't account for his astonishment. He had seen pictures of Mrs. Krycek, after all. His eyes swept over her body, noting the details. She was tall and slim, but with lush curves that attested to an Eastern European heritage. Her hair was raven black and her skin was almost translucent pale. All of those things were the same as in the photos- but the two dimensional images had failed to capture something vital- or else, the woman had changed. In the snapshots, Ekaterina Krycek had looked warm and inviting. The woman who stood before him now was anything but. She was still beautiful- breathtakingly so- but cold. Looking up at her bottle green eyes, Mulder was reminded of a statue carved out of ice.
"Who are you?"
The sound of a young boy's voice caught Mulder's attention. He had been so intent on drinking in the image of Ekaterina that he hadn't noticed the boy walking beside her. Luckily, his partner stepped forward.
"I'm Dana Scully and this is Fox Mulder," Scully said, brandishing her Bureau credentials. "We're Federal Agents with the FBI."
While his partner spoke, Mulder looked at younger Krycek. The child was older than he had been in the pictures. According to the insurance forms, Niklas was ten. Although his features were still boyish, he wore the same brittle expression as his mother, aging him further.
Mulder surrendered the last of his doubts that the "family" was a fake. This boy was definitely Alex Krycek's son. Beneath his childish features, the same strong jaw and cheekbones were beginning to show through. Nik's eyes were a paler green than his mother's. They would probably fade to hazel like Alex, and his lips- beyond simply being shaped like his father- were held in the same defiant expression that Krycek often wore.
"May I help you with something?" Ekaterina Krycek acknowledged the agents and got right to the point. She gave them only half of her attention as she maneuvered around them and unlocked the front door of her house.
"Are you Mrs. Alex Krycek?" Scully asked, adopting the same, strictly business tone as their subject.
At the mention of Alex's name Ekaterina's annoyed expression wavered. Something that looked like fear flickered across her face, but it was quickly hidden. She opened the door and shooed her son inside.
"Yes" she answered quietly.
"We'd like to ask you some questions about your husband."
Ekaterina frowned. "Can't it wait until later?" She glanced after Niklas. "My son got into some trouble today. We're really in the middle of something."
"No," Scully said curtly. "I'm afraid it can't."
Mrs. Krycek sighed and then held the door open to the agents. "In that case.." Her voice trailed off, but she motioned for them to enter.
Mulder and Scully followed her into the house, where they were led to a cheerful yellow kitchen. Ekaterina motioned for them to sit in chairs at the kitchen table. "Coffee?" she offered, before sitting down to join them.
"No thanks." Scully answered for both of them and then took a notepad from the breast pocket of her jacket. "Your name is Ekaterina Anyastasia Krycek?"
"You may call me Katya," the woman offered, nodding at the recitation of her formal name.
"Very well Katya..." Scully began again, "I'm sure you know why we're here."
"I'm afraid I don't." Katya's face was all innocence now. Her haughty froidure was gone. Mulder noted the change and couldn't help but wonder if the thaw was intentional. "You mentioned Alex…I assume it has something to do with him?"
"Where is he?" Scully asked bluntly.
Katya blinked as though shocked by the question. She didn't answer.
"Well?" Scully pressed.
"I don't know what to say" Ekaterina laughed hollowly, "He didn't come home from work one day- and then the FBI told me that he was dead."
"But you didn't believe them?" Mulder cut in. He had noted a hint of bitter sarcasm in Mrs. Krycek's tone, "Why?"
Katya bristled. "Why should I believe them when they send agents to ask me where he is?" She gave both agents a smug glare and then looked away. Her voice was softer and almost sad when she continued, "I would know if he were gone. I'd just feel it somehow."
"So you claim to be unaware of your husband's whereabouts?" Scully continued.
Katya shook her head.
"Mrs. Krycek, you are aware that lying to the FBI is a federal offense." Scully snapped, clearly annoyed by their lack of progress.
"Yes Agent Scully" the dark-haired woman answered tersely, "I am aware that lying to the FBI is a federal offense. My husband was a Special Agent, you know…Now if there's nothing else- I need to go talk to my son." She rose from her chair without waiting for an permission and started to walk away.
"Actually," Mulder stopped her by laying his hand against her arm, "There is one more thing. Did you ever hear Alex talk about a Doctor Harry Rickman?"
Something Mulder couldn't quite make out flashed behind Katya's eyes.
"No he's...I mean...yes." Katya seemed to be arguing with herself before she resolved on an answer. "I think I may have heard Alex mention that name a few times right before...right before he went away."
"Do you remember what he said?"
"No...I...I'm sorry, I...I don't remember...Alex was trying to talk to him, I think. Why? Did you find him?"
"I'm afraid that's a matter of FBI business." Scully said tartly.
Mulder stepped in, softening his voice to compensate for Scully's
harshness, "He works at Oakview Manor Nursing Home in Bethesda. We're going to talk to him this afternoon. Any background you could give us on his dealings with Alex- or why Alex was trying to reach him- would be very helpful."
"I'm afraid I just don't know anything...Alex didn't...he didn't talk to me about work."
Mulder scrutinized her face, hunting for signs of deception.
Instead, to his amazement, he found traces of tears barely contained from brimming over her lids. Mulder was stunned. It was hard enough for him to imagine Alex married- could someone actually love him? Katya noticed his staring. She blinked her eyes and looked away. Mulder felt a pang of guilt for witnessing her private pain.
Beside him, Scully opened her mouth. She seemed prepared to press on with questioning, but Mulder cut in before she had the chance. He was suddenly overwhelmed by the urge to protect Katya from anymore painful memories.
"Well, if you remember anything else, please give us a call." He handed Mrs. Krycek his business card. Scully opened her mouth to protest but Mulder steered her toward the door.
Katya took the card and turned it over with one hand while she dabbed at the rims of her eyes with the back of the other.
"Thank you Agent Mulder." She said, in a small, quiet voice." I will."
They moved toward the door, but Scully resisted Mulder's herding long enough to stop and turn around. "One more thing," Scully said. She fished a crumpled bit of paper out of her pocket. "Do you recognize this handwriting?"
Katya watched with interest as the other woman laid a yellow post-it note on the table.
"Yes." The vestiges of a smile returned to Katya's face. "It's my writing."
"Who is Casey Milk?" Scully demanded.
"What?" Katya asked, confused.
"We found this note inside Dr. Rickman's file," Scully said brusquely. "We need to contact Mr. Milk as well."
At last, the smile broke across Katya's face, transforming her into the woman in the photographs once again.
"There is no Mr. Milk," she said firmly. "Well- I mean, Anita Casey was Niky's teacher last year. She has a husband, I guess-but the second part was just to remind Alex to bring some groceries home!"
Scully muttered an embarrassed "Thank You" and finally followed her partner to the car.
"Me-ow!" Mulder exclaimed as he slid into the driver's seat.
"Just what is that supposed to mean?" Scully asked, defiantly.
"You didn't seem to get along too well with Mrs. Krycek."
"Oh, Come on, Mulder. The woman was a total fake! She knows exactly where Krycek is- she was schmoozing up to you to avoid answering our questions."
"What ever happened to 'all men are liars'? You're suddenly sure that she knows about Alex?"
Scully rolled her eyes. "I think she knows where to start looking, at least. Let's just say, she didn't look like a heartbroken young widow to me."