Chapter 25 Summary

At the FBI office late into the evening, Javon Morris eats a quiet meal at his desk while reviewing new developments in the Walter Jenkins case. Email analysis reveals Jenkins’s last message had been sent from Florence, Italy, shortly after he arrived there on vacation. Yet the message was addressed to an unidentified Hotmail account, leaving its recipient a mystery. With Jenkins’s whereabouts still uncertain, whether alive, captive, or dead, Javon drafts an urgent message to the FBI’s Rome office, specifically to Special Agent Angelina Bernardi, requesting assistance in tracking Jenkins’s movements after Florence. He hopes that the time zone differences will allow for progress by morning.

Meanwhile, at the Hyatt Regency, Tony Russell arranges to meet Jennifer Bennett for drinks and dinner. After a brief call to her room, they meet in the hotel’s bar, where their casual conversation drifts from the Jenkins case to more personal details. Jennifer shares her family background and love of sailing, while Tony speaks about his Seattle upbringing, passion for flying, and constant battle against corporations like GenaSeed. Their evening continues with a planned dinner at Luigi’s Trattoria. As they stroll through the warm night toward the restaurant, their connection deepens, marked by an unspoken yet evident attraction.