Too many thoughts and feelings swamped her for her to make sense of them all right now. Hall’s argument against guilt, his directive, would all have to wait until later to be processed. “This is because of Zivon Marin, isn’t it? And you don’t think that a bit of an overreaction?”

He moved back to his chair. “You’re his daughter, Lily. Of course he’s being cautious.”

The way he sat was a dismissal. One she would have obeyed without a squeak on any other day. Today, she moved forward and leaned on the edge of his desk, much as he had done. “What exactly is it that has suddenly appeared to make you suspect him?”

He didn’t look as though he meant to answer her. But after a moment, he sighed and pulled a manila envelope from a stack of other papers. “This is what I came down to show you yesterday.” He opened the flap, pulled out a photograph, and handed it to her.

She looked at it. But had no idea what it meant. It was Zivon, that much she could clearly see. In dress uniform, bowing over the hand of someone in full military regalia. “I have no idea why this would cast a poor light on him.”

“Because the other man, my dear, is Lenin. Leader of the Bolsheviks.”

That didn’t make sense. The expression on Zivon’s face in the photo was one of respect, even adoration. But he’d never felt that for Lenin. He’d spoken against him—that’s why Alyona had been killed. “No.” She pulled the photo closer to her nose, traced her gaze over Zivon’s outline. She couldn’t see any lines, but that only meant it was well done. If she had magnification, she could no doubt spot them. “That can’t be right. He hates the Bolsheviks.”

“He says he does.” The photo was plucked from her fingers. “And being a socialist is certainly no crime here. But if the truth of his loyalty is so diametrically opposed to what he says of his loyalty—well, then, one must ask why.”

She reached for the image again, though Hall held it back, eyes flashing. Hers no doubt flashed right back. “Let me fetch my loupe, Admiral, and look at it more closely. That’s why you wanted to show it to me yesterday, isn’t it? To check its authenticity? Because you know as well as I that photographs can be falsified.”

He set it on his desk and rested his hand atop it. “I also know that when one’s heart is involved, one is far from unbiased in any examination. I’m sorry, Lily. But I saw how you looked at him last night.”

Her cheeks went hot. “That doesn’t mean I can’t do my job.”