by Paul Blake
‘I don’t know I didn’t see them. He was a big fella though.’
‘You’re lucky that’s all he did. You let me know if you see blood when you pee. I’ll get you to a hospital. Here are the tablets, I’ll get you another water.’
‘Don’t worry about it.’ Alec swallowed the tablets dry. He coughed a couple of times, wincing at the movement.
‘Alec, you’re not Superman, you know. You have to start looking after yourself better.’
‘I know, Sara tells me that each time I see her—’
‘—She’s right. You should listen to her, she’s very sensible for her age.’
‘She really is. She’s coming here tomorrow,’ Alec paused for a moment, ‘what time is it? ‘
‘A little after seven.’
‘Seven? Did I sleep all day? How did you get on at the office?’
‘Fine. How about you get dressed, I’ll make you a tea and something to eat, and I’ll tell you all about it. Your clothes are on the chair over there,’ Claudia said, pointing at Chris’ desk.
‘Sure, sounds like a great idea.’
‘I’ll see you in the kitchen, bacon sandwich ok?’
‘Perfect, thanks, Claude.’
Claudia smiled at Alec’s use of the old nickname he had for her and left the room, closing the door behind her. Alec struggled to his feet, stretched to work out kinks in his back. She wasn’t wrong; I’m no Superman, that’s for sure. I don’t think I’ve ever hurt so much. His knees creaked, and each foot had a large blister on the heel. He gingerly walked over to the chair and slowly got dressed. The nightmare already fading in his mind.
12
Alec walked into the kitchen, the smell of the frying bacon making his mouth water. Is there a greater smell? He asked himself.
‘Your tea is on the counter,’ Claudia told him.
‘Thanks, Claudia,’ Alec took the tea to the table and sat down. His hands shook with a little tremor he put down to stress.
‘So, how was work?’ He asked.
‘Well, according to the rumours you are either a double agent, a patsy, insane or an assassin, or all four at the same time. The whole embassy was talking about it, from the secretaries to the department heads. Lots of people came up to me asking about you.’
‘Did you see Arthur?’
‘Yes, he was waiting at my desk when I came in, said he wanted to tell me the news himself before I heard the gossip.’
‘What did he say?’
‘He told me that you met with Polyakov last night, Polyakov was shot and you escaped. He spoke to you on the phone just before eleven, and you said you were heading in. That was the last he heard from you. He did say there was a report that the Russians caught you at a strip club, but he didn’t believe it. After all, why would you go to a strip club when you’re wanted by the Russians, Berlin Police, the assassins and us?’
Alec coughed uncomfortably, ‘There was a valid reason.’
‘Oh Alec,’ Claudia laughed shaking her head. ‘You really haven’t changed, still the same reckless man from twenty years ago. Come on then, what was the reason? Some drink and some fun before spending the rest of your life in a Russian prison?’
‘I needed a phone and a gun, I found out a contact I used to use was working at the club, so I headed there. I may have had a drink to avoid suspicion. I’m far too old for strip club fun. That’s if you could even call it fun anyway.’
‘Methinks the lady doth protest too much. You forget Mr Foster, I know you too well.’
‘Claudia,’ Alec said, hurt evident in his voice. ‘I don’t frequent those types of places.’ Anymore.
‘That’s a shame, your seediness is one of your more attractive features,’ Claudia said. ‘Here’s your sandwich.’
Alec’s head tilted in puzzlement at her remark, but before he could comment his stomach growled at him in anger at his neglect. ‘Thank you,’ He said, lifting the sandwich to his mouth. ‘What else did Arthur say?’
Claudia sat down opposite him, a cup of tea between her hands. ‘He asked if I had seen you or if you had contacted me last night. I told him I hadn’t, and that since Roger died, I have barely spoken to you at all, just a passing nod in the office or uncomfortable small-talk in the lift… why do you do that? When I needed you the most you retreated and avoided me?’
Alec said a muffled apology, his mouth full. He indicated the reason for the delay in responding with his finger and thought how to answer. The truth was that I had shut everyone away. The death of Roger and then Mark and Sophie so soon really affected me. I didn’t want to get close to anyone again. I didn’t stop to think how others needed me.
‘I’m sorry Claudia, after Roger and then Mark and Sophie I stopped talking with anyone. I couldn’t bear to be close to someone and risk losing them. I guess… I guess I gave up. I surrendered and retreated to my own prison. It wasn’t fair on you, Chris, Erika, even Sara.’
Claudia’s eyes began to water; she wiped it away with the palm of her hand before it could spill into tears. ‘We could have helped each other through it. That’s what friends do, you know. They emotionally support each other in times of need. What am I saying? You’ve always had the emotional depth of a… used teabag. It’s one of the reasons loving you was always so hard.’
‘Claudia that was a long time ago.’
‘Really, you haven’t changed a bit. I’m kind of amazed you came to me for help. The all-powerful Alec Foster needing someone, I’m surprised the skies didn’t crack.’ She stood up abruptly, her cheeks and neck flushed; she clasped the back of the chair. She screamed and threw the chair to the floor and stormed out of the kitchen.
‘Clau—’ Alec started, but stopped his mouth wide open, blinking. Give her some time to calm down or go to her? What should I do? I don’t know. I can’t sit here with a mouthful of bacon sandwich, like a robotic, what did she call me? A used teabag? A robotic used teabag? I don’t want to be one of them. That doesn’t sound good. Alec stood up, took a sip of tea to wash down the now hard to swallow sandwich in his mouth. His guilt making his tongue swell. He followed her out of the kitchen.
Where did she go? It’s not the biggest apartment in the world, but I don’t want to be knocking on her bedroom door or the bathroom while she’s in the living room. He stopped for a second in the hallway to see if he could hear her. Muffled screams were coming from the bedroom. Claudia and Roger’s. Alec had never been in there before. He imagined a room filled with pillows, frills and romance. He knocked on the door and waited a beat for a response. Nothing. With a deep breath, he twisted the handle and pushed the door open.
Claudia was lying on the bed, face into the pillow, her shoulders shaking violently. Alec took a step towards her; he noticed that the skirt she was wearing had risen and she was displaying a lot of stocking-clad leg. He looked away guiltily and moved closer to the pillow end of the bed.
‘Claudia,’ He said softly, reaching out a hand to her shoulder. To comfort and apologise.
She flinched at his touch, lifted her face and said, ‘Go away, leave me alone, that’s what you do best.’ Her makeup had run, and there were streaks of mascara on the pillow.
‘Claudia,’ He repeated, his voice stronger this time, his touch firmer. Saying he wasn’t going away, he was there for her.
She sat up straight on her knees and looked at him. She launched a slap, which struck with a clap. ‘How dare you, I needed you. Chris and Erika needed you.’
She tried slapping him again, Alec stepped back, and she fell forward, overbalanced. Alec caught her and lifted her back onto the bed. Claudia struggled against him.
‘I’m so sorry Claudia. I let you down. I failed you… and the children.’
Claudia didn’t try to stop the tears that fell, darkening patches on the grey duvet cover, she launched herself at him again. Her strength surprised Alec and his legs gave way, and he fell backwards onto the carpeted floor. The cushioned blow to his back still hurt his already tender body, and he crie
d out. Claudia fell down on top of him and started beating his chest with the outsides of her clenched fists. Tears dropping onto his face. The punches weakened and then stopped, and she collapsed on top of him, shuddering. He could feel her breath on his ear, her fists caught between their bodies. He wrapped his arms around her and held her. Tears flowed from his own eyes. Tears for the pain he had caused, tears for the guilt he felt, tears for the pain in his back, getting ever stronger. He kept murmuring his apologies into her hair. How long they were like that Alec didn’t know. Eventually, both of their crying ceased, Claudia’s, and then Alec’s. Claudia lifted her head and looked into his red-rimmed eyes. Her eyes narrowed, her face questioning.
‘That’s better,’ Claudia said. ‘I’ve wanted to do that to you for years. Let me up now.’ Alec released his arms and Claudia sat up straddling his thighs. ‘I can’t believe it’s taken you so long to let go. I’m glad you did though.’ She tapped his forehead. ‘Mr Roboto does have emotions.’
Alec felt battered, fragile and more than a little embarrassed. He sniffed a couple of times and coughed to clear the hoarse feeling in his throat. ‘I’m sor—’
Claudia put her finger to his lips, silencing him. ‘I know, and you’re forgiven. Don’t say it again. Now help a lady up.’
Alec bit his tongue at the obvious retort and held up his arms for Claudia to support herself on.
‘Thank you, now let’s go back into the kitchen and sort your problem out,’ She said with a smile, straightening her clothes and flattening her hair. She left the room with Alec still flat on his back. His breathing ragged, his eyes wide and confused. He stayed there a minute to recover, then rolled onto his front and ungainly and with a lack of grace scrabbled to his feet. What the hell was that? It worked whatever I did. He shook his head in wonder and again followed her.
Alec entered the kitchen, and Claudia was making another tea.
‘They went cold,’ she said. ‘Do you want another sandwich? That’s gone cold too.’
‘Nah, a cold bacon sandwich is still an enticing prospect,’ Alec said. Are we going to talk about what just happened? Hey Claudia, you remember the time you started beating me? The time we cried like babies? Do you want to talk about it?
‘Don’t just stand there like a lemon. Go and sit down.’
Alec sat and absentmindedly started picking bits of bacon out of the sandwich and eating them. Claudia brought over the new cup of tea.
‘One of these days, you’ll finish one of these,’ Her eyes were sparkling, and she had a great smile on her face, as though a lover had given her an expensive present for Christmas.
‘Things keep getting in the way, I guess?’ Alec said tentatively.
‘Where were we before… oh, I remember I was telling you about Arthur and the office. Yeah, so Arthur was worried about you, he looked like he hadn’t slept all night. To be honest, though, he didn’t look as rough as you did when you came in this morning. That was frightening. I said that I hadn’t seen or heard from you, but I’d keep him informed if you did contact me. He went around the whole office asking everyone.’
‘I feel bad about not letting him know I’m ok.’
‘He’ll get over it. He may beat you around a bit, but he’ll get over it. After he had left the whole office started talking. Rumours going round include: you killing Jaromir to start World War Three; Arthur and you in on a plot to kill Putin; you’re holed up in a Berlin jail for being drunk and disorderly; Jaromir split your drink, so you killed him; a lot of them were drink related, a particularly nasty one started by Stephen on the EU desk – you finally fell into your bottle and drowned.’
‘That’s quite funny for him. He’s just bitter because I refused him a transfer to my department. He saw it as a fast-track to Head of Section, as I won’t be there forever. After last night he might be right. Anyway, there’s a reason he’s stuck on the EU section, nothing ever happens there, so there’s nothing for him to mess up. Arthur will never accept him as a Head of Section. Anyone say anything else?’
‘Richard in Counter-Terrorism was unusually silent; he normally has something to say about everything. He just stayed in his office with a concerned look on his face.’
‘That’s nice,’ Alec said. He didn’t get on with Richard, mostly due to his outspoken views on terrorism and the money being spent on it. Richard took that kind of stuff personally.
‘I brought my laptop home with me; we can access the network from here and have a root around to see if we can find anything we can take to Arthur.’
‘We?’ Alec said, surprised.
‘You come back into my life, well, come barging your way back into my life. With a tale of assassins, conspiracies and near-misses, and I got to see a side of you that I had never seen before. So, of course, I’m with you in this.’ Her tone brooked no argument.
‘I wasn’t saying you couldn’t be. You just surprised me that’s all,’ Alec said. Don’t make her angry, you won’t like her when she’s angry. He smiled at his own joke.
‘What are you smiling about?’ Claudia asked.
‘I’m glad we’re going to be doing this together. At least you’ll be able to use the laptop. I type like a ninety-year-old woman counting change in her hand.’ He mimed a palm held out in front of him and with his other hand jabbed the forefinger into the palm slowly and firmly, looking for the correct change. Claudia laughed.
‘Ok, I’ll just wash these up,’ indicating the sandwich plate and teacups. ‘then I’ll get the laptop and set up in the living room.’
‘Oh, I better give Sara a call. She’ll have texted my old phone her flight details. I usually pick her up from the train station.’
‘Alright, I’ll be in there when you’ve finished.’ Claudia took the plate and the cups over to the sink. Alec stood up and went to Chris’ room.
He took the phone out of the jacket pocket and rummaged for the tiny SIM Card. He sat on the bed and looked at the phone, that looks like something from Star Trek. He pretended to scan his body with the phone and in his best Bones McCoy voice he said, ‘He's dead, Jim.’ He laughed at his own joke. The phone was a lot more advanced looking than his usual medieval model. Where are the buttons? How am I supposed to work this thing? He turned it over in his hand and used a fingernail to pop the back off. He removed the battery and inserted the SIM card. Thank god it has the little notch to tell me which way in it goes. He replaced the battery and the back cover and then pressed the chrome buttons on the sides of the phone to start it. One of them will do the trick. The phone’s screen came to life in a riot of colours and sounds. He waited for the exuberance to die down so he could call Sara. The display changed to a welcome screen with a dumpy robot and then asked him for his email address, a keyboard appeared on-screen. Alec slowly looked for the right letters and typed in his email address. He had trouble with the ‘@’ symbol but eventually found it. The phone then asked if he wanted to connect to a Wi-Fi signal. No, I just want to make a call, thank you. He skipped that. An end-user agreement showed, and Alec scrolled through to the bottom and pressed the Accept button on the screen. Come on now. He was then asked to set the time-zone, date and time. He blew out his cheeks in frustration and slowly entered the information, looking at his watch for the correct time. That’s got to be it now, surely? Finally, the home screen appeared with a whole host of different coloured icons. Alec chose the one that looked like a phone, thankfully that is a pretty universal symbol. The screen changed to a blank contact list. Alec looked at the different icons shown and chose the one that looked like a landline push-button keypad. This is ridiculous. How is anyone supposed to do this in an emergency? He jabbed at the numbers on the screen and pressed the green phone icon to place the call and held the phone to his ear. A series of electronic beeps sounded and then the ringing tone. A strange woman’s posh voice said to him. ‘You have reached the voicemail of…’ then Sara’s voice interjected, ‘Sara!’ and the posh lady’s voice continued, ‘Please leave a message at the tone,
once you are done, please hang up or press the hash key for further options.’ Damn voicemail, I hate these things.
‘Hi Sara, it’s Alec. I… um… lost my phone and have got a new one. My new number is.’ Alec rattled off the numbers he memorised in front of Makary. ‘Can you text me your arrival time and are we meeting at Alex as usual?’ Alex being short for Alexanderplatz station. ‘I’ll try to reply back if I can figure out how to do it, but my new phone is one of those fancy smartphones you’re always telling me to get. You know they’re called smartphones because using them makes you realise just how un-smart you are. Ok, going to run out of message soon. See you tomorrow. Love you.’ He took the phone away from his ear and pressed the red phone icon to hopefully end the call. Remembering the debacle from the night before he removed the back cover and took out the battery and SIM card and placed them separately back into the pocket. He stood up and went back over to the chair and put the phone in the jacket pocket. Right, let’s go and work out who’s behind this then.
13
Alec walked into the living room. Claudia was sitting on the large cream leather sofa, her feet curled underneath her. Her laptop, sitting on the arm of the sofa, projected a blue glow onto her face.
‘Did you manage to get hold of Sara?’ She asked.
‘No, I left a voicemail though. She’s probably out with her friends, it’s the last night of freedom before her obliged visit to her boring uncle.’
‘After last night, I’d say you’re not too boring. How’s she doing? I haven’t seen her in years.’
‘She’s doing really well, as far as I know. She got a first in her degree in English Literature and is currently doing an MA at Brunel University. She’ll be looking for a job in the summer, hopefully with one of the big publishing houses in London.’
‘Wow, impressive,’ Claudia said, a genuine smile on her face. ‘How’s her love life?’