by W. Soliman
Which was what I ought to be doing. But since when had I been sensible?
For the first time ever, Nadia was unable to reach her husband. She racked her brains as they drove to London, trying to think what she could say to calm him down. He’d never struck her before, not once in fifteen years, and that in itself revealed the extent of his jealous rage. She held a handkerchief to her cut lip, aware of Viktor’s expression of smug satisfaction as he darted frequent glances at her in the rearview mirror. He’d always resented Igor’s devotion to her and was making no attempt to hide his satisfaction at her spectacular downfall.
Several attempts on her part to engage Igor in conversation were met with stony silences. In the end she gave up trying, leaned into the farthest corner and closed her eyes in weary resignation, no longer caring what happened to her. She was unsurprised when the car drew up outside Monika’s house in Cathcart Road. She got out without waiting for Viktor to open her door and ascended the front steps with her head held high. Igor was at her side, supporting her arm, with every appearance of husbandly concern. Monika came to greet her father, frowning when she saw Nadia with him.
“I wasn’t expecting you both,” she said, kissing her father on both cheeks and pointedly ignoring Nadia.
“Nadia needed a change of scenery. And you have another guest.” He indicated Anton who, ashen-faced but as yet seemingly unharmed, was escorted into the house by Nikolay.
“As you wish,” she said frostily.
“Put him in the top room at the back,” Igor said to Nikolay. “Go with them,” he added to Viktor.
Viktor grunted and headed for the stairs.
“Come, my dear,” Igor said to Nadia with a flash of his old-worldly charm.
For a moment Nadia was encouraged by the change in his attitude but soon realized he was putting on a show for his daughter’s sake. He wouldn’t wish Monika to know he’d been cuckolded by the wife she despised and had advised him against marrying. Viktor and Nikolay would know better than to enlighten her.
They reached the first floor and Igor opened the door to the room kept for him whenever he visited London. A sumptuous apartment with a far-reaching view but, her mind focused on the forthcoming confrontation with her husband, the splendour of her surroundings was lost on her. She felt herself trembling as Igor closed the door behind them with considerable force.
“Now then, my dear.” He strolled towards her, speaking with a casualness she could tell was entirely feigned. There was a pulse working beneath his eye and a thin layer of perspiration on his forehead that gave him away. “Perhaps you’d care to explain what you were up to today.”
“But there’s nothing to explain, Igor, I’ve already told you, I—”
She didn’t see the blow coming, and it knocked her clean off her feet. She fell heavily, winding herself. Instinctively she curled into a tight ball, fearful that Igor might kick her, and wrapped her arms ’round her head to protect herself.
“Igor, please!”
He loomed over her, his immaculately shone shoes close enough for her to touch.
“Don’t hurt me. Think of our baby.”
His arm arrested midswing. “Baby? What baby?”
And for a fleeting moment he couldn’t disguise his joy.
I wrenched open the door to my clothes cupboard, seeking out the one suit I still owned, which would have passed muster even in the rarefied atmosphere of Monk’s sartorially elegant circles. Charcoal grey, well cut and ruinously expensive when purchased three years previously, I kept it to remind me what I was escaping from. And for weddings, funerals and the particular destination I had in mind for that evening. I showered and shaved carefully, slicked my long hair severely back with some goopy stuff I dashed out to buy in the local Asda, and donned a pair of horn-rimmed glasses with clear lenses. Wearing the suit over a white shirt and blue silk tie, I barely recognized myself when I looked in the mirror.
Gil was treated to an extra long run and left to guard the boat. I stopped by on the next pontoon, hailed my fellow live-aboards, Tessa and Mike, threw them the keys to the No Comment and asked if they’d mind giving Gil his evening run. It was a favour they’d done for me once or twice before, and I reciprocated by helping Mike sometimes in his engine room.
“Sure.” Tessa gave me the once-over and grinned. “Hot date?”
“Something like that. And if I get lucky I’ll probably be late.”
Mike laughed. “Not that cute little redhead that’s been hanging around?”
“Now, Mike, you know better than that.” I wagged a finger at him. “A gentleman never kisses and tells.”
“That lets you off the hook then.”
“Fair point.”
I treated myself to a taxi to the station and caught a fast train to London just as it was about to depart. Arriving at Victoria I found a bank of pay phones and called the number I’d obtained from enquiries that morning. A well-modulated female voice, with a slight accent, answered on the second ring.
“All-Bright Escort Agency. ’Ow may I ’elp you?”
I explained what I wanted and was given directions to the house in Cathcart Road. I took the tube to Fulham Broadway. In seemed strange to be in the area and not heading for Stamford Bridge, but I had no time to dwell upon the misfortunes of my favourite team. Instead I concentrated upon finding the house in question and had to admit to being impressed when I succeeded. If this was Kalashov’s daughter’s place, then she sure lived in style. Four stories of immaculately maintained terraced house. The sort of place that went on the market for five million quid or more. I looked up at the façade, wondering if Jasmine Webb was behind one of those spotless windows and, if so, how she was being treated.
I rang the bell and a disembodied voice echoed through a grill, asking me my business.
“Joe Longthorpe,” I said. “I phoned earlier.”
“One moment, Mr. Longthorpe.”
The door swung open on silent hinges. Feeling as though I was entering the dragon’s den, I stepped into a chequered, marble-floored foyer, trying to look as though I belonged.
“Mr. Longthorpe?” A fashionably dressed, very attractive woman was there to greet me. She extended a hand that sported a manicure as immaculate as her clothes. “You found us all right?”
“Yes. Your directions were very precise.”
“And ’ow can we ’elp you?”
“Well, like I said, I’m down from Yorkshire on business for my company.” I briefly described the town where my father now lived. Nothing like a bit of local colour to add flesh to a story. “I, um, well, I find myself at a bit of a loose end tonight…” I ran a finger ’round my collar and tried to look uncomfortable, like I’d seen any number of suspects with stuff to hide do when being interrogated down the nick. “The thing is, the business dinner I was supposed to attend has been cancelled and I just, well, I wondered, er…I wondered—”
“Of course.” The woman had obviously heard it all before and didn’t have time to listen to the excuses of a randy businessman hoping to get his end away and charge it to expenses.
“Perhaps if you’d come this way I could show you some pictures. I feel sure we’ll be able to satisfy your needs.”
She led me into an anteroom, comfortably and elegantly furnished, and offered me something to drink. I was tempted to ask for a beer but suspected there was no place for such lowly beverages in this establishment and amended my request to a gin and tonic. I wondered if this woman was Kalashov’s daughter. My curiosity was satisfied when she returned with my drink and a large album of photographs and invited me to address her as Vera.
“Why not relax after your journey and see if you like any of these girls? I will come back later to see what you think. Ring the bell if you need me.”
And she was gone. Smiling face after smiling face greeted me as I flipped through the book. Beautiful as they were, to me they looked like so many clones with no individuality. I sighed, still wondering quite what I hoped to achieve by
being here. My idea of dating one of the girls and cross-questioning her about the setup seemed pretty dumb, now that I’d actually arrived. Okay, so I’d got through the door, but that was as far as I was likely to get. Any hopes of finding Jasmine or locating the computers used for cybercrime were as remote as Chelsea’s chances of winning the premiership next season. No actual entertaining of clients took place here and anything of interest would be on the upper floors. Well out of bounds to the likes of me.
I continued to examine the bevy of lovelies available to me for a few hours in exchange for an astronomical fee and questioned the quality of Monk’s intelligence. This house seemed to be on the level and was the most unlikely location imaginable from which such a scam would be run. But then again, surely that was the whole point?
Vera returned, all smiles, and asked me if I’d made a choice.
“Well, it’s just so hard, I don’t really know—”
The sound of voices—of one especially familiar voice—caused me to turn my head sharply towards the entrance hall. I could only hope my acute interest in the owner of the voice hadn’t aroused Vera’s suspicions. My training as a policeman kicked in, helping me to tamp down my surprise at seeing Kara, her hair now a light shade of brunette. She shook hands with another woman and carried a very familiar-looking holdall towards the stairs. Some sort of sound must have escaped my lips because she turned in my direction, her expression one of abject shock. But to her credit she managed not to blurt out my name. Vera was observing me closely and thankfully mistook my shock for admiration.
“This is Isabel,” she said, indicating Kara. “She’s only just joined us today. She’s very beautiful, is she not?”
“Oh yes, and it’s much easier to choose a girl in the flesh, so to speak. Perhaps, if…” I stared at the floor, at pains to project the image of a married man having second thoughts about being unfaithful.
“Of course.” Vera took control. “Isabel, why don’t you go and change? Margarita will show you to your room. And when you’re ready, this gentleman would like to take you out to dinner.”
“How nice!” Kara flashed a blistering smile my way and followed Margarita up the stairs.
“Now then, Mr. Longthorpe, how would you like to pay?”
She named the sum I’d be required to part with for the pleasure of Kara’s company. I tried not to wince, even though I was paying with Monk’s money, which hadn’t yet run out. Vera didn’t raise an eyebrow when I told her I preferred to deal in cash. She freshened my drink and excused herself to go and deal with another punter.
I was left alone again with ample time to curse my stupidity in assuming Kara would quit whilst behind. But in spite of the danger she’d put herself in, I had to admit to a sneaking admiration for her courage. Her chances of finding anything out about Jasmine whilst living under this roof were ten times better than my own inept attempts. But still, the moment I got her alone she was in for a severe tongue-lashing.
“Ready, Mr. Longthorpe?”
I’d been so lost in thought that I hadn’t heard Kara enter the room. I glanced up at her and did a rapid double-take. She was wearing a simple black dress, which finished just above the knee and had those thin shoulder straps I’d admired on her once before. Her hair tumbled down her back and she wore the minimum amount of makeup. She looked simply stunning. I stood and almost knocked my drink over in my haste. I was vaguely aware of Vera standing behind Kara, trying to hide her amusement at the way my tongue must have been literally hanging out.
“Err, yes, right, Isabel, is it?” My nervousness was not altogether a fabrication. “If you’re ready, shall we go?”
“Shall I call you a taxi, Mr. Longthorpe?” Vera asked.
“Yes, that would be good.”
I waited for the taxi to deliver us to an upmarket watering hole I knew of but had never patronised before I said anything to Kara. But as soon as we’d found a table and ordered our drinks, I laid into her.
“Just what the fuck do you think you’re playing at?”
She smiled sweetly. “I could ask you the same question.”
“This isn’t about me but, just so you know, I stopped by on the off chance to see if there was anything obvious I could do to help your sister.”
She rolled her eyes. “Oh, so you just happened to be passing, all suited and booted.” She fingered the lapel of my jacket. “Very nice,” she added, grinning.
“Kara!”
“We’re just thinking alike, Charlie.” She leaned towards me, her eyes alive with determination. “You didn’t imagine I’d simply abandon Jas, did you?”
“Jasmine made her own bed,” I said harshly. “She knew the score when she married Kalashov.”
“Don’t be so heartless. She couldn’t have known what her husband was really like or she wouldn’t have married him. She said herself she didn’t know what he did in Russia.”
I made a scoffing sound, which she ignored.
“There was so much I wanted to say to her, Charlie.” She stared at the tabletop. “All these years I’ve been thinking of the questions I’d ask her if I ever saw her again, but I never got the chance because you and Monk took over.” She finally looked up at me, making no effort to wipe away the tears that were brimming. “I feel responsible for what happened, and I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t at least try and help her.”
“Has it occurred to you,” I said, enunciating each word carefully, “that by enrolling at that bloody place, you’ve laid yourself open to having strange men pawing you and…” I was too angry with her to carry on talking and fell into a disgruntled silence.
“It’s a good job you came along then,” she said sweetly. “I don’t mind you pawing me.”
“Do you know how much they charged me for the privilege of your company?” I held up a hand. “No, don’t answer that. What I mean is, the men that go to those places, they expect more than just dinner and good conversation. A lot more. And they might get nasty if you don’t give out.”
“It’s not like that. Monika—I met her by the way, she interviewed me—told me how much of your lovely money I’ll get for putting up with your company, and that anything else I do is entirely up to me. I also have a number to call if I get into situations I can’t handle.”
“I doubt it’ll be that straightforward.”
“You’re starting to sound like my dad. I’m quite capable of taking care of myself. What’s more, since I’ve just arrived in the big bad city and have nowhere else to stay, I’ve been given a room at the Cathcart Road house. Don’t you see what that means?”
I did, but my frosty attitude remained firmly in place.
“I’ll be able to explore at night when everyone else is in bed. And if I don’t find Jas, at least I might be able to locate those laptops and copy whatever’s on them.”
I groaned. “Please don’t tell me you have a portable hard drive in your luggage.” I leaned across the table and glared at her. “Hasn’t it occurred to you, in your misguided attempts to help your sister, that your belongings are probably being searched even as we sit here? The only thing you’re likely to do is make trouble for yourself as well as her.”
“I’m not entirely dense you know.” She opened her bag and waved a gizmo under my nose. “It will never leave my person.”
In spite of everything, I felt my lips twitching in reluctant admiration. “All right, I guess it’s pointless trying to talk you out of this madness.”
“Madness, you call it. Remind me again what it was you expected to achieve.”
She had me there.
“Okay, but before you go charging in to do your female impersonation of James Bond, just bear in mind that those computers are hardly likely to be left unguarded. If no one’s manning them, you can bet your life there’ll be a camera or alarm of some sort in the room with them, alerting whatever passes for security in that house that someone has intruded. You’ll be rumbled within minutes.”
She looked crestfallen, as w
as my intention. “Oh, I hadn’t thought of that.”
“It makes sense. If they’re planning some big scam, they aren’t going to skimp on security.”
“Yes, but still, I might be able to find something to help.”
“Promise me you’ll only stay there for a couple of days.”
“Oh, I don’t know.” She absently played with her bottom lip. “I might get to date the man of my dreams who’ll keep me in the style to which I intend to become accustomed.”
“Kara!”
“Yes, all right, Charlie, I promise. If I haven’t found anything out in that time, then I doubt I ever will.”
“Good girl. Okay then, let’s go and get something to eat. I’m starved. And,” I added, helping her with her jacket, “you can pay out of the money I just forked out to be with you.”
She pulled a face. “That’s not how it’s supposed to work.”
“It does tonight.”
“How did you find out where the agency was, by the way?” I asked her over dinner.
“Oh, Mr. Monk told me.”
I frowned. “No, you mean you asked him to tell you.”
“No, he volunteered the information yesterday when you were sorting things at the marina office. It sort of planted the idea in my head to come and have a little look-see.”
I sensed the manipulating gloved fist of my ex-boss at work here. “The crafty bastard!”
“What’s up, Charlie? You look furious again.”
“He told me where it was, as well. I did ask him, mind you, but if I hadn’t, I bet he’d have found a way to drop it into the conversation.” I stared off into the distance, my brain whirling with the implications of Monk’s actions. “We’ve been set up, darling. He fully intended us to get further involved but knew if he suggested it outright I’d put the kibosh on it.”
“Well, if he set us up I dare say he’s got his people looking out for us, so you have no need to worry about me anymore.” She reached across, removed my glasses and slipped them into the top pocket of my jacket. “That’s better.”