"I need to know if one of your drivers drove this man anywhere."  She showed him the photo.  "It is likely they either picked him up or dropped him off at this hotel," she showed him the hotel business card and then the address on the back of the taxi company's business card, "or this address."

She looked at the man and reached into her pocket to pull out a roll of bills which she showed and then quickly put back into her pocket.  "There may be more money depending on the quality, reliability, and level of discretion shown... not to mention future opportunities to make even more money."

The mustached man barely looked at the picture.

"Eh, wouldn't know by the picture. You'd have to ask the drivers for that. If you wanted to, though, you could check the log book for those two addresses. This guy in some sort of trouble?"

Addie ignored the question for the moment as she instructed the man to get the log book. There were a few instances of the hotel address being used as either a destination or the place of pick up; it seemed to be popular spot. There was, however, one instance of someone getting picked up at the hotel and getting dropped off at the address written on the back of the business card by a driver named Jimmy Wallace. When Addie asked the mustached man about him, he told her that Wallace was in the group of drivers getting questioned by Silvio.

When Addie arrived outside, however, she found that Silvio wasn't having as much success. He was always good at persuasion- his tongue was his greatest gift- but these men didn't even give him a chance. They assumed that he wanted to get Jimmy in trouble for something, and they'd clammed up. 

Also, unlike Addie, Silvio was broke and had no money to bribe them with.

Addie displayed her most charming smile and her eyes singled out Jimmy.  "Hello Jimmy, I need your help and I am willing to pay for it."  She pulled out another $20 and gave it to him.  She showed him the picture and explained that she knew he had picked him up at the hotel and where he dropped him off.  

"I just want to know if he was alone, if he might have said or did anything that you noticed, or anything that might could lead me to discover his identity.  I am just a woman trying to protect her family.  Can you help me out?"

Jimmy seemed confused whether he should stare at the money or Addie. Eventually, he pocketed the cash and focused his eyes on the Sicilian woman with a grin. Silvio sighed- men had such one track minds, he thought without even a hint of self awareness.

"Yea, I picked up the guy. He was alone, carrying a music case or something. Like a trombone maybe? Guy didn't say a word, just handed me the address and watched me drive. Kinda... creepy, especially in the eyes, ya know? But uh, I can tell you he got dropped off at a bar. Dive kinda place called The Red Square, located a few blocks offa The Strip. Don't know nothin' else, except that he was a shit tipper, but not the kinda guy you challenge. Whaddaya mean about your family? This guy do somethin'?"

Addie blew the man a kiss and gave him a smile.  "Grazie Tesoro. Apprezzo davvero l'informazione"

Turning she caught Silvio's eye and nodded back to the car.  When they were out of earshot of anyone she said, "The Red Square.  Might have been as simple as grabbing a drink at a place that spoke his native tongue, or it could be that he was meeting someone there.  Either way, we are going to stick out like sore thumbs in a place like that.  What are your thoughts? It probably is our best chance at getting anymore information."

She opened the driver's side door and got back into the car. Revving it back to live once more.

Silvio sighed as the car revved to life.

"Seems like trouble, to me. But I don't know how else you're going to find anything out. I suppose you could always go to his hotel, try to say he's your father or Uncle or something, show them the picture... but we still don't know the guy's name. I guess I'd say the bar, then. Maybe we can figure out some more there- but the choice is yours, of course. What do you think is best?"

Addie sighed, "Well as futile as this will probably end up being. it is are best shot at this point."  She looked down at the address on the back of the business card.  One thing was for certain.  It was not a coincidence that this dive bar was Russian and that was exactly where Aurora and her family had traveled too.  

"The Red Square it is.  Hang on."  She pulled the car out into traffic and gunned the engine.

It did not take them long to find the place and soon Addie was parking the car across the street.  She had thought about parking it around the corner but she decided against it.  If someone in this bar wanted to come after her... come after her family, she would be damned before she showed them one ounce of fear.  To bad they did not have Finn right now.  Addie was not certain how useful Silvio would be in a bar fight.

"Ok we go in order a couple of drink, offer a tip for some information and just see what we find out.  Ready?"

Silvio nodded as he followed Addie into the bar. There was music in another language- must be Russian- playing softly on a radio. There were a half dozen men in the bar, and they all turned to stare at Addie and Silvio as the two of them walked in. Feeling very self conscious, Silvio slid onto the bar stool next to Addie. Four of the men went back to playing pool, but the bartender and a man at the end of the bar all continued to stare. The pool players seemed younger, but the bartender and patron seemed to be over forty.

Addie turned her head slightly and spoke in a hush tone, "About what I expected."

Finding out what Silvio would have to drink, she pulled out a couple of bills that she knew would be large enough to cover her order and then some she raised her voice for the bartender to hear,"Can I get a glass of your best Rkatsiteli variety wine and a glass of Pinot noir for my friend?"

The bartender spoke in broken English with a heavy russian accent.  Still Addie was able to understand him when he told her that a glass of his best  would cost the same amount as the bottle.  She nodded her understanding and pulled a few more bills out of her pocket.  Billy was going to skin her for how much she was spending, but fuck if he didn't make more money than he could possibly know what to do with it.  

When he brought the bottles and a couple of glasses over to them, Addie tried to noted the quality.  Unfortunately she did not read Russian and only recognized the brand and the year from the label.  It was most likely middle of the road at best she suspected. 

"I was suppose to meet a man here, at this bar.  I was told that he had access to some rare, high-quality wine from the Mother Country that I was wanting to purchase for my showcase collection." She described the assassin, but did not show him the photo.  

"Have you seen him?"

Silvio raised an eyebrow and whispered, very concerned, "What in the heavens is Rkatsiteli?!"

His other eyebrow raised at how much Addie was spending. Hopefully nothing else surprising happened; he was running out of eyebrows.

The bartender, after hearing the description of the man from Addie, looked at her skeptically; the other men in the bar began looking at her as well and the pool game ground to a halt.

The bartender leaned forward, looking at Addie intently before speaking in a heavily accented voice.

"I think you should go. One warning. Because you are lady."

The math was quite simple.  Two of them, half a dozen of the Russians.  This was their turf and their rules.  There was no chance in hell a physical alteration turned out well for Silvio or herself.  

Addie shrugged nonchalantly and slowly reached into her pocket making sure everyone could see what she was doing.  "Let me leave a card with you."  She pulled out a small silver case.  Flipping it open she slipped out a business card and laid it on the bar.  On the card there was a name, "The Whiskey Barrel" and a telephone number.

"I am in the works of opening a high-end, members only, exclusive drinking club.  The first of its kind here in this nation and I am looking to secure a continuous supply of the world's most rare and elusive liquor."  She slipped off her stool and grabbed the two bottles.  "I really could careless who my supplier is or how they go about acquiring said liquor."  She gave the barkeep her most charming smile and nodded towards the card.  "Feel free to give that to anyone you think might be interested in such an arrangement." 

She caught Silvio's eyes and nodded to the door.  "Let's go." 

As they walked towards the door she told Silvio in a volume loud enough to be heard back towards the bar, "I have a contact in Paradise.  He said he can introduce me to a french supplier who can get hands on a few bottles of 1787 Chateau Lafite.  We will go there next.  Surely there has to be someone in this damn town who recognizes what a cherry opportunity this deal represents."

Addie and Silvio walked out in silence as they returned to their car. They both climbed in, and Silvio could hear Addie sigh in frustration.

"Well," suggested Silvio, "at least we didn't get shot. What do you think? Try the hotel? Or wait to see if you get a phone call?"

Addie's frustration grew into anger and she slammed the door of the car after getting in.  "I was fucking stupid.   I should have brought more men with me.  I knew what it was going to be like in there!"  She started the car and after barely waiting for Silvio to get in she slammed the accelerator to the floor board and peeled out out back onto the street.

She drove in silence for a while, the anger obvious bubbling across the features of her face.  It was something that SIlvio had never seen from her before.  Sure Addie had been mad from time to time, but this was seething, hot, potentially explosive anger that Silvio was wise to give her space.  Though time seemed to stretch out in the tense silence, it really was only a couple of minutes later when Addie spoke again.

"I have a secretary that will field the call if it comes in.  If they take that step they will be willing to wait a bit to get back in touch with me.  It will also help with the appearance that I could careless about who the assassin is and legit just looking for a contact."

She sighed again and released the last of the anger.  "We will go to the hotel next.  If you have any great ideas for getting in I am all ears.  At the moment I have no idea how to find out what room he was in and how to get into it."

Silvio had never seen such anger from Addie before, and he was stunned into silence. She'd accelerated and drove away so quickly that he hadn't time to point out the lone Russian man who'd seemed to have left the bar and been heading toward them. And now... well... too much time had gone by.

"Well, I am sure you will get a call from one of them, si. They probably did not want to say something in front of each other, I think. I will tell you what. When we get to the hotel, let me handle that- at least the first part. I will find you when I have the key. You call your secretary from a payphone near the hotel- you could, perhaps, even use one in the lobby, yes? We will find answers. I am sure of it."

Silvio grinned reassuringly.

Addie nodded.  It was a good plan she had to admit.  Silvio was as sly as they came.  He had a way of talking himself through and out of problems with his wit and his charms.  The thought even caused her to smirk a bit.  It was one of his most endearing qualities as far as she was concerned.

"Alright.  Perhaps with any luck at all, we can still manage to salvage something from that mess I left back there." 

After a moment she looked over to him, "Thank you by the way.  For trying to help me find some answers.  We are obviously dealing with some very powerful and deadly people, and yet you are out here risking your life.  I appreciate it."

She pulled up in front of the hotel and tossed the keys to the parking attendant.  "Keep it close to the front.  We won't be long."  Pulling out another a five dollar bill for a tip, she thanked him and walked into the lobby with Silvio.  With a nod to him she moved off towards the courtesy phone to make the call into her secretary and left him to do what he did so well.

Silvio approached the front desk with a friendly grin.

"buongiorno!"

The woman working behind the desk matched his friendly smile with one of her own; Silvio leaned against the front desk and moved his head toward her, conspiratorially.

"Are you working alone in this place? Or is there someone else who assist me; I'm afraid I might have a two-person job- but one to richly reward you, eh?"

"I'm sorry, sir," said the bubbly front desk worker, "I'm afraid it's just me right now. My manager will be back in a half hour, though!"

"Perfezionare," said Silvio with a grin as he removed the shiny Beretta, "get in the closet now or I will have to use this. Follow my instructions, however, and no one will get hurt."

With wide, scared eyes, the front desk worker stepped back.

"Wait, where is your guest registry?" queried Silvio. The front desk worker pointed at a cabinet with a shaky finger, and Silvio bowed his head in thanks before indicating that she should continue her journey to the closet. When she was inside, Silvio pinned the door with a tilted chair. It didn't take him long to flip through the list of guests; he pulled out the two who had Russian names. Without showing a picture of a dead guy, he couldn't see any other way of getting what they wanted. Unless... well...

He opened the closet, pointing his gun inside, holding up the picture of the assassin and tossing the front desk worker the two registration cards.

"Which one is he? Now."

Silvio narrowed his eyes and growled the way he'd seen Gavin Byrne do once, and the woman immediately pointed to one of the papers. Room 208. Bene. He closed the woman back up in the closet and took the extra key for Room 208. 

Moving quickly, he jogged out to Addie, who'd just slammed down the phone, frustrated. Before Silvio could say anything, Addie spoke.

"Someone called," said Addie, "but they didn't know much. Got a name though: Andrei. And he's a big scary killer... which doesn't help us much. Any luck in the hotel?"

Grinning, Silvio held up the key.

Seeing the key, Addie grinned.  "You are amazing Silvio.  Don't ever let anyone tell you different.  Let's go." 

For the first time in this damn investigation, Addie felt some hope.  Walking quickly she went with Silvio to check out the hotel room.  Inside the room, it appeared to be unused.  There was no trash in the waste bins and the bed was still made.  Addie looked in the desker drawers while Silvio started lifting the mattress.  He called out for her when he made the discover of a folder.  While he held the mattress up, Addie grabbed the folder.  He then let the mattress fall back on to the box springs and she turned so that he could look over her shoulder.  

Inside the folder where several photos of Gavin, Tara, William, Aurora, and Billy.  There was also some various other information, including addresses and a series of communications from a Daria Zolotov.  The name meant nothing to Addie.  She had never heard of it before.   The communications were instructions.  He was apparently assigned to take out any of the priority targets, but was to withdraw and not engage if there was a chance of him being caught.  

"Well the guy apparently chose not to follow orders and attached.  Either that or the guy was one cocky son of a bitch."

She turned to look at him, "Well at least we have a couple of names to show Billy once we find him.  This hasn't been a complete waste of time and resources."

As Silvio walked with Addie out of the lobby, he froze, like a man who'd just realized he'd left the oven on when he left the house. Jogging back to the front desk, he let the woman out of the closet with a smirk. Returning to Addie, he buckled into his seat quickly before the car leaped forward onto the road.