Holding his key at the kitchen door, Yuri hesitated. Musing about Curt’s personality raised a worry that Yuri had not contemplated before. Considering Curt’s selfishness, what was going to keep him from making arrangements so that his People’s Aryan Army would get the credit for the whole bio-weapon event even if Curt and the others had nothing to do with the Central Park laydown?

“Chert,” Yuri murmured when he realized the validity of this new worry. Up until that moment the idea had not entered his mind.

“Mr. Davydov?” a feminine voice called out.

Shocked to hear his name, Yuri looked toward the alleyway. Despite the proximity of the houses in the area, Yuri had always made it a point to avoid socializing with his neighbors. His hand tightened around the automatic.

“Excuse me! Are you Mr. Davydov?”

Yuri had to squint in the darkness. With his carriage light off and no streetlights, all he could make out were two figures in the alley beyond his chain-link fence. He relaxed when he could tell they were both white. At least it wasn’t Flash Thomas.

“Who wants to know?” Yuri asked.

“My name is Dr. Laurie Montgomery. If you are Mr. Davydov it is urgent I speak with you for just a few moments.”

Yuri shrugged. Holding onto the pistol and being sure it was free if he wanted to pull it out, he advanced toward his fence. He could see that the second individual was male.

“Sorry to bother you so late,” Laurie said. “I’m a medical examiner from Manhattan. Do you know what a medical examiner is?”

Yuri tried to speak but no words came out. Despite the darkness he recognized the other figure. It was Jack Stapleton!

Laurie took the silence for a negative response and went ahead and explained what medical examiners did.

Yuri swallowed with difficulty. He couldn’t believe he was looking at Jack Stapleton. What possibly could have happened? Why hadn’t he been informed? But then he remembered his phone was off the hook.

“And the reason we are here,” Laurie continued, “is because your late wife, Connie, apparently died of botulinum poisoning. Do you know what that is?”

Yuri nodded. He could hear his heart beating and was afraid the two people he was confronting could hear it as well. He was at a loss as to what to do. Should he try to get rid of them? Should he try to get them inside and wait for Curt? He had no idea.

“We’re very concerned that the source might still be in your home,” Laurie said. “Did your wife do any home canning?”

“I don’t know,” Yuri stammered.

“Well, that would be key to review,” Laurie persisted. “There are other possible culprits, like fresh garlic in oil. Frozen pot pies have been a source. By the way, are you Russian?”

“Yes,” Yuri managed.

“I thought perhaps you were from your accent,” Laurie said.