Bait, a distraction. That is what Charley was. They wanted to use her against her father somehow. She was his one weakness and if Harold thought she was in danger, they knew he would do anything to get to her.

Suddenly, Tesla knew what she had to do.

She punched in a text response. CM DEAD.

Tesla shut her eyes, waiting for the response. When it came, her blood chilled.

SEND PROOF.

Again, she looked to Charley. Could she do this? Could she get this shattered young woman to help?

Tesla went to the sofa and took Charley’s hands in hers. “Charley, I need you to listen to me,” she said gently.

Charley just looked up at her.

“Charley, I need to take a picture of you.”

“Picture?”

Tesla scanned the wreckage of the room. She spotted the bloody blouse she had used as a gag on Jana. “Help me, quickly,” she said.

Leading Charley by the hand, she picked up the blouse and took Charley over to where Jana had been sitting. “Put this on,” Tesla said.

Charley recoiled. “What?”

“Please, Charley, we don’t have much time.”

“Why? What—”

“Charley, this will help your father. It will help Harry.”

“Harry?”

“Put the blouse on.”

Charley shook her head. “No, not unless you tell me why. Where’s Harry? What’s happened to him?”

Tesla bit back her impatience. She quickly told Charley that her father was in Russia and that he couldn’t do what he needed to do unless he believed she was safe.

“Then why do you want him to think I’m dead?”

“Not your father. I want whoever sent Jana after you to think you’re dead. Your father has to be able to . . . to do what he needs to do. Can you understand that?”

Charley looked away.

“Charley, do you trust me?”

She nodded slowly but wouldn’t look at her.

“Then please do what I’m asking you to do. Please.”

Charley took the bloody blouse and slipped it over her t-shirt. But then she stopped and went to the desk.

“Charley?”

She scribbled something with bold strokes of a felt pen and brought the paper back to Tesla. “Put this in the picture,” she said.

Tesla took it. Charley had written three words: GREEN LANTERN. EVAC.

“What is this?”

“When I was little, Harry and I made up a code in case I ever got in trouble. Mom thought it was stupid but we . . . ” Her eyes filled with tears. “Green Lantern is our favorite comic book hero. ‘Evac’ means I’ve gone somewhere safe to wait for him to come get me.”

Tesla hesitated then wrapped Charley in a hug.

It took just minutes to position Charley for the photograph. She posed, slumped against the wall, with the backdrop of Jana’s blood on the wall and carpet. Tesla positioned the note so it looked like a harmless piece of paper spilled from a waste basket.