‘How about I go some of the way with you?’ Grigory offered. ‘Just to make sure you are not being followed.’
‘Let’s just leave things the way they are,’ said Yuri. ‘If we all go it will be more suspicious.’
Grigory nodded sadly, like a schoolboy who was not getting picked for the football team.
‘Don’t worry,’ said Yuri. ‘We will show the British how wrong they were.’
Grigory smiled but it did not last long. He stiffened as he saw Timur approaching their table.
‘Morning, gentlemen. May I join you?’ he asked.
Yuri could see that the party man was about to say no. Normally, he was diplomatic with everyone, no matter where they came in Pyramiden’s pecking order. Those English spy handlers really had gotten under his skin.
‘Sure,’ said Yuri, though he wanted to say no too.
Timur spun a chair around and straddled it, resting his elbows on the back.
‘What are you two talking about so quietly over here?’ Timur asked.
‘Chess,’ replied Yuri. ‘It’s Grigory’s obsession. Didn’t you know?’
‘No, I didn’t,’ said Timur. ‘Perhaps you and I should play some time, Grigory. I am quite good, or so I am told.’
‘He’d like that, wouldn’t you?’ asked Yuri. ‘A new challenger.’
Yuri kicked Grigory under the table. He looked up and gave Timur a false smile.
‘I’d love to. Any time,’ said Grigory.
‘It’s good to see that you have other interests, Yuri, not just women,’ said Timur.
The comment was not worth responding to so Yuri did not bother. Or maybe the man had intended it as a joke. It was hard to tell.
Grigory checked his watch and made a hasty departure, using the excuse of an imminent meeting in his office.
‘I didn’t know that you two had so much in common,’ said Timur. ‘Our friend Grigory always struck me as a solitary creature.’
‘Oh, he is,’ agreed Yuri. ‘A proper grumpy old hermit. But he also likes to beat me at chess.’
For a horrible moment, Yuri thought that Timur was about to ask him to inform on Grigory. The man had done the same before with Semyon, and his curiosity about Pyramiden’s resident party man had obviously not waned.
As Timur continued to talk, Yuri wondered again if he could have been the one to kill Semyon. The Latvian had been a good informant. Having read his file, it was clear he had applied himself to his task with enthusiasm and had done everything that had been asked of him. Why would Timur want to get rid of a good informant? There was no doubt the KGB man was physically capable of doing it, if he wanted to. Timur, while not a big man, was in good shape and had his KGB training to rely on. Yuri had felt the force of one of his blows himself. But he could not see a reason why Timur would have taken such a radical action. Where was the benefit?
‘How do you find Grigory?’ asked Timur.
‘What do you mean?’
‘I mean, would you say you know him well? I have always considered him to be one of the good guys. I think we are in excellent hands with him here in Pyramiden.’
‘Very good,’ agreed Yuri. ‘If only all party execs were like him.’
Timur gave a half-smile, and let pass the implied criticism of all other party executives. Yuri could not tell if he was genuinely praising Grigory or not. It was more likely that he was fishing for something, as always.
‘I am pleased you have gotten over our little misunderstanding about Catherine,’ said Timur. ‘I am very fond of her. And I want her to be happy. I believe it made her sad that our relationship disrupted yours with her. She is glad that you two are friends again.’
It pained Yuri to smile. He could not bring himself to add any words of agreement.
‘It’s a pity she’s leaving so soon,’ said Timur. ‘But you never know what the future might bring.’
It took Yuri a moment to figure out what he was talking about.
‘You mean a posting to London? For you?’
‘Of course,’ said Timur. ‘I’ve been practising my English with Catherine. It’s not so bad, if I do say so myself. And I’ve been in this backwater long enough. I never understood why they sent me here.’
So they did not have to listen to you talking about yourself all day long, thought Yuri. And Pyramiden was the furthest place they could find to send him. If they ever did decide to send communist colonists into space, he expected Timur’s name would be top of their list.
‘I hope you get it,’ said Yuri, meaning every word.
The downside was that the KGB would inevitably send a replacement who was equally difficult to have around.
At work Catherine was quiet for most of the day, which suited Yuri as he was preoccupied with thoughts of the impending trip. He decided not to remind her about her role in his alibi. She had already agreed, and it was best to leave well enough alone. Since she had started seeing Timur, he had noticed that she had lost some of her bubbly nature. He blamed the KGB man for this. From what he could tell, there seemed to be no positive side for Catherine to their relationship. Other than the fact that she was in one, after such a long time. If Timur made her happy, Yuri might reconsider his opposition to their relationship. But from where he stood, it did not look like Timur was doing that.
At the end of the day, she put on her coat and walked to the door.
‘See you tomorrow,’ he said.
She nodded, without turning. ‘Yes. See you.’
Yuri decided that once he had finished with Anya, he would apply himself to breaking up Catherine’s relationship with Timur, by one means or another. He had no intention of playing fair. He would not get any thanks for it, but it was for her own good.
In the evening he visited Anya in her apartment. She was already a little drunk. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her cheeks were redder than usual. He looked around the room, and saw no bags packed. Her belongings were still in drawers or hanging in her wardrobe.
‘We are going the day after tomorrow,’ he said. ‘Have you decided what you are taking with you?’
Anya shrugged. ‘You told me to pack the last time and I ended up not going anywhere, just a trip to the weather station and back again.’
‘Well, you are going this time. Definitely. So you better get organised.’
Anya nodded without enthusiasm.
‘Look, it’s happening. OK? Trust me. And no more booze.’
‘Hey,’ she protested, as he took the glass from her hand.
He also grabbed the bottle from the table, and poured both down the sink.
‘You can survive without it for two days, can’t you? When you get to the west you can drink all you want, all day every day.’
Anya looked up at him, then turned away.
‘Taisia doesn’t like me to drink. We had lots of rows about it. It drives her crazy when I do.’
Anya had not mentioned her name in a long time. Yuri did not like to hear her say it, and he had to remind himself that he did not care.
‘That’s something she and I have in common then. I disapprove of your drinking too.’
Anya smiled. ‘You are not alike at all. Life with you is easier.’
‘Easier?’ said Yuri. ‘Is that a good thing?’
‘Yes,’ she said. ‘That is a good thing.’
‘And life with Taisia?’ he asked. ‘What was that like?’
‘Up and down,’ said Anya. ‘When it was up, it was fantastic. But at other times it was not so good. She likes to get her own way in all things. Not just at work.’
Yuri found it hard to imagine Anya allowing herself to be bossed around. This, he suspected, was where her depression pills came from. When she was in a vulnerable mood like this, he just wanted to wrap her in his arms. It was tempting to try again to talk her out of going but he knew he would be wasting his breath. She held up the possibility of them staying together like waving a stick to a dog. Only to squash his hopes almost in the same breath. He forced himself no
t to fall for it once more.
‘I’m going,’ he said. ‘I’ll check in with you tomorrow.’
‘You don’t have to leave.’
‘I know,’ he said. ‘Sleep well. And please, do not go searching for more booze.’
He spotted a guilty look on her face. She had already been wondering where she could get some. He opened the door, and shut it behind him.
On his way home, he checked on the two snowmobiles in their covered car park. He did a quick check on their engines, and calculated how much extra fuel he would need to take. Enough for the return too, he decided. It would be better if he did not have to speak with any Norwegians at Longyearbyen. One of them might let slip that he had been seen in town with Anya. He doubted they would understand the consequences in store for him if such simple information was passed on to the wrong person. The KGB as a whole, and not just Timur, would be all over this when they figured out what had happened.
It did not matter what time of day they arrived in Longyearbyen. Darkness was still their companion twenty-four hours a day, apart from the halo below the horizon line on either side of sunrise and sunset. He would be able to drop her off without being noticed, and he could turn straight back around. Doing this would be risky for him. Double the journey, one hundred miles with no rest in between, would push his own body and the vehicle’s engine to the limit. But overall, he considered it the safest option. When the alarm was raised that Anya was missing, he needed to be in Pyramiden. If he wasn’t, then all the secrecy would have been for nothing. He would be considered guilty by everyone, and no matter what he said, he would not be able to talk himself out of it.
The next day, Catherine did not turn up for work at the power station. Yuri was not overly worried about her. She had seemed a bit down the day before and he expected that it was just this. Perhaps she needed some time alone. However, when there was no sign or word from her by six in the evening he decided to go and check on her.
Despite having been in Paris many times since Anya’s arrival, he had never been to Catherine’s apartment before. He knocked gently and after a few moments she opened the door a few inches. She did not seem pleased to see him but she walked back inside, leaving the door open for him. Scanning the room, he was not surprised to see a framed picture of Karl Marx hanging on her wall.
‘Are you not feeling well?’ he asked. ‘Do you need anything?’
‘I am not sick,’ she said.
‘Oh. That’s good,’ he said. ‘You didn’t feel like coming to work today? I know how that feels.’
When she did not respond, or even smile, he asked, ‘What’s wrong?’
‘I have told you so much about myself,’ said Catherine. ‘Things I haven’t told anyone else. But you keep everything from me. You asked me to be a part of this thing, without telling me what it’s really all about.’
Yuri stared at her.
‘She is a traitor, like her friend,’ Catherine continued. ‘And you’re helping her. Which makes you a traitor too.’
‘I am not a traitor,’ said Yuri. ‘I am doing it for her. She needs to go there, to the west. She has a chance to get her life back.’
Catherine avoided looking at him. ‘You should have explained it to me, if you wanted my help. Don’t you think I deserve to know, if I am to be involved in a crime?’
‘Wait,’ said Yuri. ‘How did you know about her friend?’
Yuri’s mind raced, trying to figure this out. He stopped himself from shouting at her, and demanding to know everything.
After a moment, she said, ‘Timur told me.’
‘What exactly did he say?’ asked Yuri.
‘He told me that her friend, Taisia, defected to the west five years ago.’
‘What else did he tell you?
Catherine did not answer.
‘Please, tell me, what else did he say? It’s important.’
‘He didn’t say anything else,’ replied Catherine. ‘Just that.’
‘When did he tell you this?’
‘Two days ago.’
Yuri wondered when Timur had acquired this information about Anya and Taisia. And how?
‘But he didn’t know about my trip with her. Did he?’
Catherine turned away again.
Yuri tried not to, but couldn’t help raising his voice. ‘Did he know about that? You better tell me quick. If he did, more people than Anya will be in danger.’
Catherine looked up at him.
‘No,’ she replied. ‘He didn’t know … but he does now.’
‘You told him?’ asked Yuri.
‘She won’t be going anywhere after all, will she,’ said Catherine, almost spitting the words. ‘Except to jail.’
‘How much did you tell him?’ asked Yuri.
‘I told him she was leaving. I didn’t know she was planning to defect until he told me,’ she replied. ‘Don’t worry. I didn’t mention your name. I kept you out of it.’
Yuri went pale. He looked at her in disappointment.
‘Why? Why did you do that? You said you would help me. I thought we agreed that you were not going to tell Timur anything.’
‘I guessed there was more to it than you made out,’ she said. ‘You were not honest with me.’
‘I did not want to involve you, that’s all.’ said Yuri. ‘What did Timur tell you in return?’
Catherine was getting angry now. ‘You did involve me. You didn’t tell me she was a traitor. You didn’t tell me that her friend had defected, and was working against the Soviet Union. You didn’t mention any of those things.’
Yuri rested his forehead in one hand, trying to think. It did not make any sense.
‘When did you tell Timur?’
‘Two nights ago,’ said Catherine.
‘And you told him it was Anya?’
‘Yes,’ she said.
He had been with Anya yesterday, the day after Catherine had told Timur she was planning to defect. And he had already seen Anya walking around town that morning. If Timur knew about her planned trip, then why had he not done something about it? It should have been a big deal for an ambitious agent like him to catch a defector.
‘What exactly did he say when you told him?’
Catherine shrugged. ‘He didn’t seem to care. He didn’t look surprised, and he told me not to tell anyone else. He was most interested in how I knew all about it, but I didn’t tell him that.’
‘Come with me,’ Yuri ordered. ‘Now.’
‘Where to?’ she said, not budging from her chair.
‘I need your help. Please,’ he said.
She reluctantly got up and followed him out the door. Instead of heading down towards the exit door, he marched quickly up the stairs in the direction of the next floor.
‘Where are we going?’ she asked again.
‘You’ll see. By the way, now that we are being completely honest with each other, you and Timur have nothing in common,’ said Yuri. ‘He had me informing on you so he could find out all about you. He used that to make you think you were both interested in the same things. I doubt he’s ever read Pushkin, or any poetry, in his life. He is certainly not your soulmate.’
It was not the most appropriate time to tell her, but he felt a great sense of relief about being truthful with her finally. He imagined she would not have given away what she knew to Timur, if she had understood what sort of a man she was dating.
‘What! You spied on me!’ Catherine said.
‘For Timur, yes,’ said Yuri. ‘It’s a long story. I’m sorry. I didn’t want to. I don’t do it any more. I’ll explain it all to you another time.’
Catherine stopped halfway up the staircase. ‘But how could you do something like that to me? To anyone?’
‘He made me. I could have said no, it’s true, but I didn’t. But it’s not me you should be angry with. I tried to warn you about him, didn’t I?’
Catherine shook her head. ‘I can’t believe you. I thought we were friends.’
‘We ar
e,’ said Yuri, pulling her by the arm. ‘More than you know. Look, we can’t talk about this right now. We’ll get to it, I promise. But there are more important things happening.’
Catherine did not look as though she agreed anything else was more important. But she followed him in silence to the top of the staircase.
Yuri stopped outside Anya’s apartment and knocked loudly on the door.
‘Don’t say anything unless I ask you,’ he said. ‘Just follow my lead.’
Chapter 21
A MOMENT LATER, Anya opened her apartment door. She smiled at first but stopped when she saw Catherine standing behind him. She looked at both of their expressions, and did not open the door any wider.
‘What’s wrong?’ she said. ‘Did something happen?’
‘We need to talk to you,’ said Yuri. ‘It’s urgent.’
Yuri pushed past her into the room. From the various items on the table, it seemed that Anya had spent the day making decorations out of plastic wiring, similar to what she had seen hanging in Yuri’s apartment. Not the most obvious activity for someone who was planning to defect the next day. Catherine followed him inside, and shut the door behind her. She stayed put, hovering uncomfortably in the doorway. Yuri could see that she was not happy to be dragged in here. And she gave him a look to say he better have a damn good reason for it. Anya watched them both taking up positions facing her, and she walked nervously to the bed and sat down.
‘Anya, you will have to get your things ready,’ said Yuri. ‘Something unexpected has happened and there’s been a change of plan. We have to go today, not tomorrow. Tomorrow will be too late. So let’s go. I’ll explain on the way.’
Catherine turned to look at him with a surprised expression, but she did as he had asked, and said nothing. As Yuri had feared, Anya froze, and did not move a muscle. She just sat in the same position, looking confused.
‘Why is she here?’ Anya asked, pointing a finger at Catherine.
After betraying Catherine by acting as an informer for Timur, Yuri had hoped not to deceive anyone close to him ever again. But whatever he was about to do to Anya, it was probably nothing compared to what she had done.
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