I was waiting in the parking lot when the flowers were delivered. I was there when the taxi pulled up. Tatiana walked out in a short blue dress with black high heels and a floppy black hat. She climbed into the back seat and chatted with the driver for a moment before they took off.
I hate following cars. I hate having to run through red lights and cut people off just to keep pace with some suspicious moron. I agonize over the possibility of losing them in traffic. It's more stressful than rushing to the airport, and I despise being late for a flight.
The taxi dropped Tatiana in the parking lot of a building with several small shops. There was a mini market, a nail salon, a dog groomer, a pizza place, and a tax preparation service. The tax place was closed, and the rest didn't look busy. Across the street, a tire shop was situated next to a large vacant area, overgrown and enclosed in fencing.
Tatiana paced nervously. She clutched her handbag and checked her phone every few seconds. I set up the video equipment and grabbed some quick stills of her as she waited. I liked the hat. It was a nice touch.
At 1:18, she dialed a number. The microphone picked up the conversation, but it was all in Russian or something that sounded like Russian.
A car arrived at 1:43. It was Ivan, the little weasel who bought me a drink at the casino. He didn't look so small standing next to Tatiana, and he was furious. The two of them launched into an animated argument. I let the video roll and called the cops on the prepaid phone.
"Yeah, there's some guy here arguing with a prostitute. They're really screaming at each other. Can you send somebody?"
The argument continued. Tatiana showed Ivan the note from the flowers, and he smacked her across the face. He hit her a second time and knocked her to the ground. She lay there stunned and sobbing like a child who had fallen from a ride on the playground.
Ivan continued to yell at Tatiana as he stood above her. After a moment, he realized that they were making a scene. He tried to get Tatiana to stand, but she was hysterical and pushed back his advances. Her face was a mess.
Ivan tried to reason with Tatiana and calm her down. He was in the process of picking her up when the first police car pulled in. The officers exited the car with guns drawn and ordered Ivan to lie on the ground. One officer handcuffed him while the other kept a watchful eye on Tatiana. Women in domestic disputes sometimes turn on the officers once the aggressive male has been subdued.
Two more cruisers arrived. A group of officers raised Ivan to his feet and sat him in the back seat of one of the cars. They checked on Tatiana, but she didn't say much. She was afraid of Ivan - that was clear - and she probably was wondering if this incident was going to get her into trouble with the authorities.
The officers led Tatiana to one of the other cars and then stood around for a while chatting and placing calls on their mobile phones. I gave Wentworth a call at the State Gaming Commission. Carson answered his line.
"This is Mike Daniel. I wanted to let you know that Kingsburg Police just picked up Ivan Mednikov and one of his girls. Do you guys have a contact at the Bureau?"
Carson took some information and promised to loop in Wentworth.
Carson took some information and promised to loop in Wentworth.
"Okay," I added. "And I have some video that you'll want to see."
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