019

When Kaitlynn arrived in Denver it was without the usual fanfare associated with her profession. There were no reporters waiting to greet her like there had been prior to Conviction back in May. There were no fans waving signs and screaming at her for an autograph. Today she was just an ordinary woman flying across the world to make a social call on her brother-in-law. She found it somewhat disheartening when nobody seemed to notice who she was.

Her flight had been delayed, barely giving her enough time to check into the Airport Ramada and take a quick shower to freshen up before meeting Jacob at a restaurant across town. She arrived with only minutes to spare, wanting time to scope out the scene and make sure that there weren't any eyes and ears listening. The extents of her investigative skills were exhausted in moments, as they were mostly gleaned from the John le Carré spy novel she'd borrowed from her grandfather as a teen. Sighing, she flagged down the bartender and ordered herself a mineral water with a twist of lime that she could occupy herself with while she waited at the bar for him to arrive. The last time she'd met Jacob in a locale such as this was weighing heavily on her mind— the entire debacle with Jennifer and Gambini seemed to plague every waking moment during and since as though reliving every detail was her penance for survival.

A hand touched her back, that belonging to the man she had come to meet, Jacob Stryfe. Dressed casually at least for him in a pair of khaki pants and a black button down shirt, he didn't immediately make eye contact as his eyes looked around the people surrounding them before finally greeting her. "Kaitlynn...I must admit I was quite surprised to hear from you. I suppose I should welcome you back to Denver, though I doubt your last memories of being here were entirely pleasant."

She closed her eyes for a moment, her hand gripping the edge of the bar for support, "no, I suppose they were more nightmarish than anything else. I was pleased with the ending, at least for my story." Those golden eyes lifted at locked on his features, "please, join me. I wasn't sure if you wanted to dine or simply have drinks, although I hear they make a kale salad here that's to die for."

"I've had it....several times now." He added, before leading her to a table and taking a seat across from her. Jacob's appearance hadn't altered much, save for the fact he was beginning to sport a bit of stubble as he apparently hadn't shaved today. "I am glad you are here though, something tells me I have my dear brother to thank for your arrival."

"Of course," she murmured, setting down her glass of water simply so she could toy with it. "He's worried about you— we both are. I suppose that goes without saying though, doesn't it? Even when you and I were at odds, you and Alex were still the same as always— like that old saying of blood being thicker than water." She was stalling and she knew it. The unfortunate part of this little detective role she'd agreed to take on was that she had been playing the victim for too long. She'd forgotten how to play the strong femme fatale. "How are you holding up, darling?"

"Oh, the authorities have put me in quite the nice hotel while I am asked to stay here. But there is a saying of a sort that goes something like even the most comfortable prison...is still a prison. I know what they are doing, they are building a case against me. Or trying to." He took a deep breath; his eyes looked a bit tired as it was obvious that sleep had not been a frequent visitor. "However, their case is....flawed. I did not shoot Anthony Gambini. Though I admit many is the time I wish who did had succeeded."

She reached across the table and laid a hand over his, giving it a squeeze. "As do I. The entire universe as a whole would be greatly improved if he was fertilizing a patch of daisies." With her other hand, she lifted the glass of citrus-flavored water to her lips, taking a small sip. "If it wasn't you, or me, or even that foolish little vampire hunter from SVW— Jacob, do you have any idea who might have done it?"

He looked around at their surroundings again, almost as though he were looking for familiar faces and apparently finding none. "I have no proof, but I am quite positive I know. I managed to secure a bit of information that...well I haven't told the authorities. And you'll understand why. I found out that Anthony Gambini hired a hitman the night of Conviction to kill both you and my brother as you were leaving the arena. He was paid up front, and is a man that comes with a high price tag. However, the night before your match, he was spotted in a hotel bar being very cozy with Jennifer. So much so, they went back to her room, upon which he never left the entire night."

Kitty frowned as the words came from her brother-in-law's lips, her heart rate quickening as she realized how very close to death she'd actually come. "Are you telling me that Jennifer seduced the man that was contracted to kill Alex and I? Why would she do that?" Her overworked and jetlagged mind seemed unwilling to make that most basic connection.

"My guess is that she found out about what he had in mind, and didn't want it to happen. I seriously doubt she cared for your well being, but I am almost certain she was trying to protect my brother. I happened to run into this man backstage at Conviction, he was lingering around Gambini's locker room before I went in to see him. I assumed he was one of his men till we got to talking, and told me that I needed to clear the area as soon as possible. That I didn't want to be there. He told me his name was Marco. And I left Gambini's office on the video, and he wasn't standing at that door when I came out. Two minutes later, someone emerged at the other door and shot Gambini. I assume Jennifer realized that was the only way to stop him..."

She nodded, not bothering to voice her questions. Like his brother, Jacob was a skilled speaker. He didn't falter over his words. He didn't hesitate and his eye contact was perfect. There were no signs he was telling a lie yet she still felt as though he wasn't being completely honest with her. Perhaps it was that he'd tried to mislead her in the past, planting and watering the seeds of doubt that that threatened to tear her apart. "Did anyone else other than you or Jennifer interact with this Marco... I'm sorry, did you happen to catch his last name by any chance?"

"I fear that international hitmen don't favor me with their personal credentials. I do know his name though, if only because I remembered the face so clearly. And you can see it for yourself. He's listed on INTERPOL's watch list on their website by several aliases. His name is Marco Petrillo. He was born in Palermo, and is wanted for questioning in the deaths of several men and women throughout Europe." Jacob stopped himself for a moment, tapping his finger against the table. "The reason I did not share this with the authorities is very simple. It doesn't help my case at all to tell them I had a lively conversation with a hitman the night Gambini was shot."

"No, of course not," she replied, "they'd simply assume that you hired him if you were to tell them this. It's not like Jennifer is in any condition to corroborate this story." She sighed, looking around the restaurant to find that nobody seemed interested in their conversation. Those eyes swiveled back to Jacob's, cool and green now, "tell me honestly, Jacob. Did you have anything to do with this?"

"You really have to ask. Do I look like the type who would—", he cut himself off as his eyes darted to the right across the street. "If you want someone to corroborate my story, Kaitlynn, I believe that may be within your grasp." He looked back to her. "Don't look directly at the blue sedan parked across the street, you don't want to startle the star witness." He added, as both of their eyes glanced towards the car in question. Kitty didn't recognize the man in the vehicle, but Jacob did.

"Meet Marco Petrillo..."

Meanwhile half a country away in the picturesque city of Vancouver, a small black car pulled up outside the gate of a home. The young woman in the driver's seat pulled her sunglasses off, and parked before reaching into the back seat and producing a baseball bat. Shaking her head, she looked up at what she could see of the large home through the fencing.

"Looks like someone is home alone." She noted to herself as she saw the person she wanted, walking from the courtyard back towards the home. That man was Alexander Stryfe. The woman in the car was Megan Parker.

She clicked the door handle and stepped out of the car, looking down to the bat.

"Time for a reality check...."