Big Easy Temptation (The Perfect Gentlemen #3)(104)

“It looks at spatial relations and assigns height and sometimes weight to an object,” Lara explained. “Even humans. See the lines? It takes measurements of objects, compares them to relative objects, and uses that to determine the size of the people and items around it.”

“I’ve seen this before.” Holland leaned over, examining the screen. It was really simple geometry, but it could explain so much that the human eye couldn’t understand. “Don’t you need a fixed, known point?”

“Yes.” Freddy’s finger touched the soda machine to the right of the couple. “That is a standard machine. They all have the same dimensions. Lara called the company and got the specs for the machine. They haven’t changed in five years.”

“This particular machine was installed about three months before this picture was taken.” Lara looked down at her notes. “That fall the owner signed the contract. So we know for certain what the height and width of that piece of equipment is.”

“According to the math, this man is exactly six foot two,” Freddy said with a smile.

Holland felt her gut roll. “Just like the admiral.”

“I don’t understand. If this was a setup . . .” Dax’s whole body had gone stiff.

She touched a hand to his back and felt him sigh into her touch. “You’re going to explain how this is a good thing. Right, Freddy?”

“Tell them about the torso-to-leg ratio,” Lara encouraged.

He swiped at the keyboard again and a picture of his father appeared, dressed head-to-toe in slacks and a button-down shirt, with a belt around his waist. He’d been snapshotted smiling and waving. “I got this off social media. Okay, so when I measure from your father’s waist to shoulders I calculate about thirty-five-and-a-half inches from waist to the top of his head. Your father had slightly longer legs than torso. His legs were roughly thirty-nine. He’s wearing loafers, so I think I’m close.”

“All right,” Dax allowed.

She could hear the tension in his voice and rubbed her hand down his spine in a soothing gesture. He leaned into her, obviously needing the affection, then slid his arm around her waist.

“Let’s do the same thing with a screenshot from the video.” Freddy pulled up a still photo. The admiral was almost out of range, his full body in the shot. “So we know your father’s measurements. When I put them in here though, the torso-to-leg ratio is off. Do you see where the natural waist falls? This man’s legs are nearly six inches longer than his torso.”

“That’s not my father,” Dax said with a huff.

“No.” Lara’s voice got higher as she seemed to get excited. “And we have even more proof. Once we realized we could prove it with math, we went a little further. Freddy isolated the hand on Amber Taylor’s shoulder.” She held up a printed shot of the enlarged digits. “Do you see it?”

Holland stared at the image of a man’s hand on the girl’s lower back. They’d enlarged it and focused on the fingers. Left hand. She realized what was missing. “There’s no ring.”

“Sweetheart, I don’t think my father would wear his ring if he was cheating,” Dax pointed out.

Lara held up her hand, slipping the wedding ring off her finger. “I’ve only had it for a few weeks. It leaves an indentation. Your father wore that ring for decades. This hand has never worn one.”

They were right.

Admiral Harold Spencer was innocent. She’d known it, but seeing the visible proof made her eyes water, her emotions swell. Dax could finally find some closure and peace. So could his mother and Gus.

“Thank you, Freddy.” Dax held out a hand.

Freddy nodded. “You’re welcome. This is a really fascinating conspiracy. I haven’t figured it out yet, but I have some theories. I think the next few weeks will be interesting.”

“What do you know about the Krylov syndicate?” Holland asked. If Freddy was this good with research, maybe they should set him to work.

“I can start on it. It’s not really any different than the way the Reticulan Grays organize.” Freddy pulled up a notebook. “I’ve got a friend in Interpol who can help.”

“I need to know if there’s a man named Sergei involved in that crime organization,” Dax said. “If you come across anyone by that name, flag it.”

Lara had gone still. “I have a theory.”

“Who is Sergei?” Holland asked.

“That’s what we all want to know.” Dax took a step back and Holland was surprised at the loss she felt. “We first heard his name when Mad asked Gabe about it just before he died. Then a Russian who worked for the syndicate not only confirmed that Sergei existed but this mystery guy was closer than we thought.”

“And Natalia talked about him, too. Well, she did before she was murdered horribly.” Lara shuddered. “She loved him. We don’t know if he was a husband, brother, lover, son . . . My bet is that she had a love child with Zack’s dad while he was living in Moscow and she was hired at the embassy while she was Frank Hayes’s mistress. I think Sergei is Zack’s half brother.”

Holland groaned. Having a half brother in the Bratva could be a political killer for Zack. “You think they’re going to disrupt the upcoming elections? Why wouldn’t they have done it the first time he was trying to get elected?”