Chapter 98: Conspiracy.

The morning sun was timidly entering through the cracks in the blinds of the small apartment that Robinson shared with Evan. The smell of fresh coffee was already filling the living room when the door was opened with a dry creak. Robinson came in unsteadily, with a haggard face, sunken eyes and a stubble on his face. His wrinkled jacket and open collar betrayed a long and sleepless night. Evan, who was sitting on the sofa reading a newspaper, looked up and examined him with a worried expression. 

“Good morning… Or should I say good afternoon?” he said, calmly folding the newspaper. “You were gone all night. What happened to you? You look terrible.” 

Robinson snorted and threw his coat on the armchair. “Are you going to keep an eye on me now? I'm too old to have a babysitter, don't you think?” Before Evan could answer, a female voice interrupted him. “Looks like someone here didn’t have a good night,” Susan said, appearing with two cups of coffee in her hands and a provocative smile on her face.

“What’s wrong, Robinson? The whore you paid couldn’t sati

Evan stood up, stepping forward to intercede. “Okay, Rob. Go tasfy you like you expected? Uh… I don’t blame her.”

“Shut up, you insolent girl!” he snapped irritably. “I just had a bad night, that’s all.”ke a shower and then come have breakfast with us. Susan brought fresh bread.”

Robin hesitated, but soon realized that this was the perfect setting to probe for more information. He needed to be subtle, and there was no better place to disguise his intentions than the breakfast table.

As he disappeared down the hall toward the bathroom, Susan gave her uncle a sour look.

“You know he’s no good, right? Why are you so protective of him?”

Evan sighed, running a hand through his gray beard. “Because he saved my life, Susan. At a time when no one else would have risked it. Ever since that day, I promised myself I would pay him back.”

“But have you ever considered that he only did that because it was his duty? He had a higher position than you within the Hahn family; protecting you was part of the job!”

Evan’s silence confirmed her suspicion. There was no way of knowing if it was really gratitude or just an unresolved debt.

A few minutes later, Robinson returned. He had showered, changed his clothes, and looked a little more presentable. He sat down at the table with a casual air, picking up a slice of bread and butter.

Susan stared at him intently.

“Do you have something to ask me or do you think I’m cute?” he said with a crooked smile.

“That’s disgusting! Put yourself in your place, you old drooler.”

“Anyway,” Robinson continued, taking a bite of bread, “why are you here today? Don’t you have to take care of the boy, Bella’s son?”

“I don’t need to be glued to him 24/7. At this moment, he’s at the Jiu-jitsu gym. I’ll pick him up in half an hour. Now shut up and eat.”

“Hmm… gym in the morning. So he studies in the afternoon?” Robinson teased.

“Yes. But he studies at home. Mrs. Hahn is very concerned about Théo’s safety.”

Robinson feigned confusion. “You mean he doesn’t go to school, but he can go to the gym? Strange.”

“The gym is only twice a week, and Miss. Hahn believes her son needs to socialize with other children. As for his studies, he has the best teachers in New York. See if shut up.”

“Okay, I get it. There’s no need to get nervous. After all, the boy isn’t even yours.”

Susan’s face instantly flushed. Her fists clenched on the table, her eyes sparking with anger. Evan sensed the imminent danger and intervened before things got out of hand.

“Hey Rob, stop teasing and eat already. And you, Susan, take a deep breath. He’s not worth stressing over.”

Susan let out a heavy sigh and stood up, going to get more coffee from the kitchen. Robinson, in turn, saw the perfect excuse.

“You know what? I think I’m the one who’s left over here. I’ll leave you two to yourselves,” he said, rising from his chair with false politeness.

Without waiting for an answer, he went to the hallway and, picking up his cell phone, dialed a number he now knew very well. Across town, in a luxurious building, Andrew Frazier was already waiting for the call, and it was then that he locked himself in the tiny bathroom in the laundry room, turned on the faucet to disguise the sound, and took the cell phone out of the inside pocket of his jacket. His calloused fingers quickly dialed Andrew Frazier’s number. The call was answered on the second ring.

“Robinson.” Andrew’s voice sounded cold and practical on the other end. “Did you get anything?”

“I got more than you imagined,” Robinson replied, keeping his tone low. “The kid doesn’t go to a regular school, but he leaves twice a week at the same time: in the morning, to train Jiu-jitsu.

Andrew was silent for a second, absorbing the information. On the other end of the line, a muffled sound could be heard — maybe the clink of ice in a glass of whiskey.

“And where is the gym?”

“I don’t know exactly yet. But my friend’s niece…  Susan, is going to pick him up in a little while. I’m going to follow her. I just need someone to cover me.”

Andrew took a deep breath, as if he already had a plan.

“Ester will be on the corner of 45th Street, in a black car, in 7 minutes. She’ll cover for you. When you have the address of the gym, send me the location. I want everything timed, Robinson. This needs to look clean. I need this kid alive and in one piece.”

“Understood. One more thing: are you going to tell the blonde?”

“Not yet. Trust me, this needs to be our move, not hers.”

“Okay…” Robinson murmured before ending the call.

Robinson came out of the bathroom with a neutral face, as if nothing had happened. He found Evan in the living room, distracted by a news report. Hearing a noise coming from the kitchen, it was probably Susan who hadn’t left yet, which was perfect for him.

Wasting no time, he went down the three floors of the building, discreetly exited through the side and walked to the agreed point. He noticed a black car that stopped slowly at the corner. The passenger window rolled down.

“Get in.We have work to do.”

Soon Susan left the building’s garage driving a white luxury car and then Ester and Robinson began to follow her at a distance on a journey that took about 15 minutes, stopping in front of a gym in a leafy neighborhood of Manhattan. It was a two-story building with a glass facade and the name of the dojo in Japanese letters. Observed as Théo, who was wearing a backpack and a blue kimono over his thermal underwear, got into the car and a man with an athletic body dressed casually closed the door and got in on the passenger side.

“There’s the bird’s nest,” Robinson commented, satisfied.

Ester made a mental note of the location, took a few photos and immediately sent them to Andrew.

“The first movement will be in two days,” she said, putting away her cell phone. “We’ll monitor the exact times, number of children, employees leaving and entering. When we find the breach… we’ll act.”

Everything was ready, a somber atmosphere hung in the air, now it was just a matter of watching and waiting for the action to finally take place.