Nightmare in Red - The Wheelman

“I HAVE NEWS,” WILCOXSON SAID OVER THE CELL PHONE.

“I’m not going to like this news, am I?” Katie asked. She was walking around Rittenhouse Square, sipping a paper cup of decaffeinated tea, trying hard not to lose her cool. It was getting harder and harder every day—emotions, body temperature, everything out of whack. She was tempted to call Michael, but that was weak. She just got here. She could figure this out by herself.

“No. The latest deal fell through.”

She knew the code, but didn’t understand what Henry was saying. The Wachovia bank had been robbed. It was in all of the local papers.

“According to the business section,” she said, “the deal went through.”

“Indeed. Initially. But it fell through during the financing, and someone else stepped in.”

“Someone on the inside?”

“No, an outside company.”

“Who?”

There was a pause. “I don’t know if I should reveal that kind of information, since it hasn’t been reported anywhere. In fact, not even the SEC has receiving filings yet.”

SEC = FBI.

“Fucking tell me,” Katie said.

“Look, let’s have lunch and talk about this in greater detail. There are other options for you. And your family.”

“Who the fuck was it, Henry?”

He sighed. “Your husband wouldn’t like me discussing his business with you like this, but all things considered, maybe it’s better you hear it from me. It was a foreign company, with increasing financial interests in this part of the state.”

“Do you mean the company based in Milan?”

“No. Uh … St. Petersburg.”

Katie was silent. Russians?

What were the Russians doing involved in this? Think, think. The hijacked funding was meant for urban renewal. Maybe the Russian mob had their hand on the building and trades folks, or were on tap to do the demolitions. Shit. Katie knew little about Philadelphia—just the physical layout and a few rudimentary historical facts, such as the fact that the Italian mob had been decimated in this town over the past twenty years. Katie had no idea the Russians were such a force. Think. What was their interest here? How did they find out about the heist?

And what did they do with Patrick?

“Do you have a PR contact for that company?”

“Oh Jesus,” Wilcoxson said. “Katie, no.”