Chapter 24
Over wine, Louis slowly read through the entirety of Kade’s file on Sturgis, making notes as he went.
The file was incomplete, which wasn’t the fault of Kade’s contacts.
Sturgis lived off his inheritance in a suburb of Boston, made the newspapers only in connection with charitable donations, had never married, and had no children.
For a few years, he served on the board of the Colonial Club, acting as its spokesman when a reporter came asking about minority representation among its membership.
Sturgis gave the reporter the party line: All were welcome, and the application process was the same for everyone, i.e.
, challenging, even with money, but he declined to confirm how many of its members weren’t WASPs, which pretty much answered the reporter’s question.
Louis set aside his pen, made a cup of coffee for himself and a hot chocolate for Mrs Bondarchuk, and went downstairs, steeling himself for the inevitable barking.
Over rugelach from Zabar’s, he gave her a heavily sanitized account of his meeting with Kade.
Mrs Bondarchuk clapped her hands in delight.
“Will he come visit?” she asked.
Louis replied that he was not sure, a polite way of saying no.
“But tell me, has he made something of himself?” Mrs Bondarchuk persisted.
“He’s been annoying Putin,” said Louis.
“Good.” Mrs Bondarchuk raised her hot chocolate in a toast to Kade. “I knew the boy would do us proud someday.”