Page 51 of The Shadow Friends

“You sound like you’ve seen a case before.”

“Not personally, but I’m familiar with polonium-210. My degree was in physics. It’s the reason they pulled me home from Brussels for this investigation.”

“You were working in Brussels?”

“For the last three years. I just got to town, and I’m pretty wobbly from jet lag.” He paused. “You wouldn’t happen to have coffee?”

“I’m sorry, I should have offered you some.” She rose from her chair. “Cream and sugar?”

“No cream. Three sugars, please.”

Three sugars. Something she didn’t expect from an FBI guy. Plus, he was a science nerd, something else she hadn’t expected. She poured him a cup from the station coffeepot and set it down in front of him.

“I’ve never met a federal agent who’s also a physicist,” she said.

“I wouldn’t call myself a physicist. I just have a master’s degree.” He inhaled the coffee’s aroma as if it were the sweetest perfume and took a gulp. “I’ve never met a woman chief of police.”

“Sounds like you need to get out more. Been to Maine before?”

“First time. Sorry to say, I probably won’t be seeing much of it. Too much catching up to do. We’re coming into this late, and a lot of evidence is already gone. Dr. Maslov’s hotel room was stripped days ago, and the linens and waste were incinerated. We don’t know when or where he swallowed that polonium. So we have to start by looking at all the conference attendees and hotel personnel. Anyone with proximity to the victim.” He gulped down the rest of the coffee and set down the empty cup. “Now. Tell me about Andrei Petrov.”

She blinked at the sudden change of subject. “The waiter in the restaurant?”

“I read your interview notes. About his murdered housemate.”

“It’s all in my report.”

“Right, but before I interview him, I want to know your impression of him. Vibes, his gestalt. Did you pick up any sense at all that he wasn’t entirely truthful with you?”

She thought about her visit to the employee cottage on the morning that Karen O’Brien did not show up for work. She remembered Andrei’s sleep-tousled blond hair and shy smile, and how he had politely offered her a cup of tea.

“I thought he was a rather sweet boy,” she said.

“Boy? He’s twenty years old.”

“But he seemed younger.” She frowned at Minnihan. “Don’t tell me he’s a suspect?”

“We’re not ruling it out.”

“Because he’s from Belarus?”

“He served a meal to Dr. Maslov.”

“He did?”

“According to the restaurant receipts, Andrei waited on Dr. Maslov the evening before the man was found. Andrei brought him clam chowder and a pot of tea. Either of those could have been poisoned.”

Jo mulled over this new information. “Well, it does mean he had opportunity. But can you prove that’s how it happened?”

“We’re working on it. We’re looking at a number of possibilities. And people. Particularly those from out of the country.” He glanced down at his notebook. “One last question.”

“Yes?”

“Can you help me find someone named Ingrid Slocum?”

And here it is, thought Jo. The subject she didn’t want to address.

Minnihan looked up at her. “Do you know her?”