A Blind Eye: Book 1 in the Adam Kaminski Mystery Series

by Jane Gorman

  “He does.” Adam nodded and looked down at Angela. He couldn’t read the expression on her face. “It looks like his interests are broad and generous.” Adam gestured toward the clippings on the walls. “Helping businesses… helping students…”

  Angela glanced up at him sideways, a smile playing at her lips. “That’s important to you, isn’t it?” she asked under her breath.

  “What?”

  She gestured at a photo of a student receiving an award. “His support for students. For young people.”

  Adam shrugged. “I guess. Isn’t it for everyone?”

  Angela frowned and put her head on one side, stepping closer to peer at the image. Lines appeared on her forehead, then disappeared just as quickly. “We all have our own priorities.” She looked back at Adam. “And our own guilt to manage.”

  Adam was still considering how to respond to this when Chris approached them.

  “You haven’t heard of Mr. Malak?” he asked them. “He’s pretty well known for all the things he’s done for Warsaw. He’s even been covered in the New York Times because of his pro-Western stance and creative ideas for encouraging economic growth.”

  Adam admitted, with more than a little shame, that he had not heard of him before today. “I’m impressed that you know so much about him,” he added.

  “It’s my job, Adam,” Chris smiled at him. “Don’t feel bad you’re not familiar with him. This is what I do. We follow the news in every country we work with as sister cities.” Chris shrugged. “I love this kind of stuff. Particularly the good stories, and Malak’s is definitely a success story.”

  “Oh?” Angela smiled to encourage Chris.

  “The citizens love him. It’s not just that he brings in new business now, he has a respectable history within the Solidarity movement. He was young at the time, it’s true, but he was always one of the good guys, supporting freedom, supporting justice. In fact, everyone believes his party has tapped him to be their next candidate for president. He hasn’t run for office before, only served as a political appointee, but everything I’ve heard is that he’s already agreed and is planning his strategy.”

  “Ahem.” Malak’s cough brought Chris up short.

  Chris started turning an entertaining shade of red, but Malak spoke almost immediately. “I appreciate the kind words, I really do. And I am proud of my history and of my accomplishments. My position is not political, I am appointed by the mayor, but I believe I serve at the will of the people. If I ever find that the people of Warsaw no longer support my vision or my methods, it will be time for me to move on to the next stage of my life.” He paused and smiled at the group. “Until then, who knows what the future holds?”

  “Your accomplishments are very impressive, Mr. Malak,” Jared chimed in.

  “Thank you, sir. As I said, I am proud of what I have done. And I believe there is still more I can do for the city of Warsaw.” He walked over to one of the clippings Adam had not been able to read and tapped it as he spoke. “Minister Kapral, now there is a man who has the interests of the nation in the front of his mind.”

  Malak turned back to the group. “I don’t want to keep you from your meeting with him, but I must ask Sylvia to do one quick task for me. Why don’t I accompany you to his office? I always enjoy a conversation with Kapral.”

  Angela tilted her head to the side as she spoke to Malak. “He’s a strong leader in the government, isn’t he?”

  When Malak nodded, Angela continued, “And you’re considering a run for president. So that makes him your competition, doesn’t it?” She smiled to take the edge off the words, but her eyes were sharp.

  Malak simply smiled. “Not at all, not at all. In fact, Nelek Kapral and I make a good team. We share many ideas, but we also differ in certain fundamental ways. In this way, we complement each other. We will both achieve more if we work together.”

  Angela looked skeptical, but said nothing more.

  “Minister Kapral will achieve great things, oh, yes, I’m sure of it.” Malak nodded as he spoke, glancing back at the news cutting taped to the wall. “He has some original ideas and the strength of will to carry them through. Mark my words, he will lead this country into the future.”

  * * *

  “It was not necessary for you to join me, Pan Kaminski. This errand will not take long.”

  “I know.” Adam shrugged. “To be honest, it seemed more interesting to visit a local printer than to sit through another meeting with another politician.”

  Sylvia’s smile grew wide and she raised an eyebrow at him.

  “Sorry. I’m sorry, I keep putting my foot in my mouth. I know, this is your job. I’m sure you love it.”

  She shrugged. “I do, yes. I look forward to the future as well, where I might go.”

  “I guess I do, too. I’m not sure how far I can get. I have a feeling my past will always catch up with me.”

  He followed her as she turned down a narrow cobblestoned alley, a street heavy with the echoed footfalls of generations of Poles. Small storefronts lined the path, shops selling paper goods or offering copy services. Modern stores that seemed out of place in this picturesque setting.

  Sylvia looked at Adam and slowed her pace. “In America, you feel that the past ‘catches up with you,’ as you say?”

  Adam nodded and slowed to match her stride.

  “Yes, we have a similar experience here. That’s too bad. I wouldn’t mind going to a place where there is no history. Where everyone lives only in today.”

  “Now why would you say that?” Adam asked with a frown. “Surely Poles must derive great value from your nation’s long history?”

  “Of course, of course, I didn’t speak correctly.” Sylvia waved her hands as if to wave away the words she had spoken. “It’s just lustracja, that’s all.”

  “Ah, lustration. I get it.” He did. He’d read about the law, which had been updated again five years ago. Anyone who worked in politics was required to submit statements in which they declared any cooperation they had with the communist-era secret police. The law applied to all politicians, as many people who worked in politics now were also part of the previous regime. Sometimes by choice, sometimes not.

  “Lustracja,” Sylvia repeated. “These are good people. They were good at their jobs under the previous regime, and they are still good. But they were communists, and that must come out.” She ran a hand through her hair as she spoke, her eyes focused on the pavement ahead of them. “Now the law is being challenged in courts, and who knows… the uncertainty of what may happen is sometimes worse than what the law requires.”

  “And would this law apply to you, too?”

  Sylvia frowned and considered the question. “I work for the city of Warsaw, not the national government, but the law still applies.” She glanced at Adam, then looked back at the cobblestones below their feet. “I submitted a form, as did others.”

  Adam’s curiosity was piqued, but he kept his questions about Sylvia’s past to himself. If she, or anyone, had collaborated with the previous regime and admitted it in her lustration form, she would be free from any repercussions. On the other hand, if there were any doubt about a politician’s denial of collaboration, his statement would be evaluated by the Institute of National Remembrance and the Lustration Court. After reviewing the evidence, the court would decide if the lustration statement was accurate or not. Anyone who lied about his involvement with the secret police would lose his job and be banned from holding another government position for at least ten years.

  They had reached the printer’s, and Adam pulled the door open for Sylvia as he spoke, placing his hand lightly on the small of her back to guide her through the door. “Surely this law is a good thing, right? You want to know who these people are who are running your country?”

  “Sure.” Sylvia nodded, looking back at him. “But sometimes the past is best left in the past. Sometimes we just need to move forward. Some people — some important and powerful people — are not h
appy with the way this is going.” She glanced at the shopkeeper coming toward them. “And we will all suffer the consequences.”

  13

  The man smiled at each of them as he spoke, his teeth as straight and white as if he were auditioning for a toothpaste commercial. The meeting had started without them and Adam glanced around at the rest of the team as he slid into a chair, to see if they were as unimpressed as he was.

  They were gathered in another large office. Minister Kapral sat behind his oak desk, his hands clasped in front of him on the gleaming wood surface. Only a pile of folders stacked neatly in his inbox gave any clue that he used this office for work. Angela, Jared and Ray were seated around the conference table with Chris but Adam and Sylvia grabbed chairs near the windows, so as not to cause any further disruption as they joined the group. The gray Warsaw sky hung heavy above them and Adam could see dark clouds on the horizon. More snow was on the way.

  As far as Adam could tell, the rest of his team was hanging on Kapral’s every word. His English was perfect, with a slight British accent, and they peppered him with questions about how the Polish legislature worked and what his particular interests were.

  “Well, of course it is slightly different from your American system. And many of us would like to veer more in the direction you have shown works so well,” Kapral was saying in response to a question from Angela.

  Adam thought it was a somewhat aggressive question, challenging the high number of political parties active in Poland. A valid inquiry, but not an easy one to answer.

  Kapral addressed her with diplomacy and grace. “But there are still many different voices that must be heard in Poland. We were kept quiet for so long, you understand. Now is our opportunity to make some noise.”

  He pumped his arm as he spoke, like the master of a parade, and smiled engagingly.

  “But eventually,” Kapral continued, “soon, I hope, we will settle into two, three or four major parties. Then we will be more in line with the US or the UK. I am confident of that.”

  Watching Kapral’s eyes, Adam thought he recognized the same raw ambition he’d seen before on the streets of Philadelphia. He shuddered, but he knew the drill. He tried to put on what he thought was his most engaging smile. Kapral glanced at him with a questioning look and he reverted to a normal expression.

  “I can tell you have high expectations of Poland’s future. Does that include the next generation? Do you know much about who Poland’s future political leaders will be?” Jared asked the next question.

  Adam saw Angela glance at him out of the corner of his eye, but he avoided making eye contact.

  “Ah, of course. Our future is bright because of these young people.” Kapral smiled once again. “Many of us here in the Sejm encourage young people to be interested in politics. We meet with them at their schools, we help them find work here in our offices. It is important we support these young men and women today, so they can lead us tomorrow.”

  He inclined his head toward Sylvia. “And we encourage our staff always to look for ways of improving themselves, better educating themselves. For we are all students, in a way, are we not?”

  “Do you have many young people on your staff?” Adam asked, as an image of Basia Kaminski floating in the Wisła came unbidden to mind.

  “I have a few, yes…”

  “How do you select…” Angela and Kapral spoke at the same time, then both paused and laughed.

  “I’m sorry,” Angela said, “please, go ahead.”

  “No, Pani, please, I am interested to hear your question.” Kapral invited her to continue.

  “I was just going to ask how you select your staff. It must be very competitive, I’m sure. Does each office hire its own, or does the Sejm as a whole offer internships?”

  Adam had been watching Angela as she asked her question and only turned to look at Kapral as she finished, so he almost missed the flicker of annoyance that crossed Kapral’s face. It came and went in the blink of an eye, replaced by Kapral’s easy smile once again. But Adam had seen it, he was sure.

  “That is an individual decision, Pani Tarallo. I cannot speak for the Sejm in answering that question. We all have reasons for the choices we make.”

  Angela frowned and looked as if she were about to say more when a light tap on the door interrupted them.

  Without waiting for a response, a young man entered the office. Adam tensed when he recognized him as the man who had intervened in the scene with Łukasz earlier. The man nodded to the group, but didn’t speak to them. Instead, he leaned over Kapral, saying something in rapid Polish.

  Kapral leaned back, tipping away from the young man but still listening intently to what he was saying. The rest of the group looked on in interest without understanding anything.

  Finally, the young man stood and stepped away from the desk. Adam was expecting some sort of explanation, as Sylvia had graciously translated every interaction for them in their other meetings. Instead, Kapral simply nodded subtly at Malak.

  Sylvia leaned toward the young man, as if to speak, but their eyes met and she stayed silent.

  Adam felt the slight toward Sylvia as if he had been slapped. His face grew warm and his grip tightened on the arms of his chair.

  Malak immediately stood. “Ladies and gentlemen, you must excuse me. My apologies, I have much work to do today and I do not want to take up any more of your time with Minister Kapral or with visiting the Sejm.”

  He walked around the room and shook hands with each of them as he spoke. Adam rose as Malak approached him but Malak simply patted him on the shoulder as he passed. Adam sat back in his chair. The young man, who had not been introduced, nodded and followed.

  “What the hell just happened?” Adam kept his voice low as he leaned toward Angela. “Who was that asshole?”

  “Calm down, cowboy.” Angela grinned but her eyes were questioning. “What’s got you so worked up?”

  Adam’s brows knit together over his eyes as a dark shadow formed across his face. “I just don’t like getting the blow off like that, that’s all.”

  “Uh-huh,” Angela leaned away from Adam, as if feeling the heat of his emotions. “You mean to you? Or to our good friend, Sylvia?” With that comment, Angela turned in her chair, leaving Adam staring at her back.

  The change in atmosphere hastened the end of the meeting.

  Sylvia stood. “I think we have taken enough of the minister’s time today.” She turned to Kapral. “Minister Kapral, thank you so much for answering our questions and speaking to us about the Polish political system. I am sure we have all learned much in this meeting.”

  14

  At first, Adam thought the committee must be on a break. From the public balcony, the room seemed as if it were in silence, the musty air heavy and still. A cough from below drew Adam’s attention down. He shifted forward just an inch or so to glance down, then slid back quickly into the safety of his seat. Almost all the carved wooden chairs on the floor below were taken.

  “Sorry about earlier.” Adam leaned to his right to whisper in Angela’s ear. “I guess I overreacted a bit.”

  “A bit?” Angela kept her attention focused on the people below them.

  Adam shrugged, looking anywhere but down. “Yeah, anyway, sorry.”

  He opened his mouth to say more when one of the ministers stood and strode to the lectern. The rapping of his gavel on the wooden surface filled the room, and those seated before him closed the document they had been reading and looked up expectantly.

  A member of the legislature was invited to step forward to make remarks and Adam’s attention wandered as he listened to the steady stream of Polish. He leaned back toward Angela.

  “I guess I just let my anger get the best of me sometimes, you know?” He glanced at her then looked away. “It’s kind of embarrassing.”

  This time she looked at him when she responded. “As long as you don’t act on it.”

  He grinned and shook his head.

 
“That was pretty intense, though. Seriously,” she added, emphasizing her point.

  “I know.” He shrugged. “I’ve heard that before. But I don’t act on it. I mean, not rashly, anyway. I always stay in control.”

  Angela nodded, her glasses slipping down her nose. “You were pretty quiet during our meeting with Minister Novosad. You didn’t say a word.” She turned to face Adam, examining him. “Not great for a cop, though, is it?”

  Adam grinned again and tipped his head to the side. “Maybe that’s why I didn’t always want to be a cop.”

  “Yeah? What did you want to be when you were growing up? A teacher?”

  Adam laughed, and Sylvia looked over at them. Jared shushed loudly.

  “Sorry,” Adam responded in a stage whisper, then lowered his voice again as he turned to Angela. “Ready for this? A forest ranger.”

  “A forest ranger?” This time Angela laughed. “That’s what you wanted to be?”

  “Sure, why not?” Adam smiled and shrugged, not covering up his dimples. “Who doesn’t want to be a ranger?”

  “Well, me, for one.” Angela raised her eyebrows. “Did you join the Forest Service?”

  Adam shook his head slowly and sighed. “Nah, I didn’t get that far. Just the Boy Scouts.”

  “And there it is, of course you were a Boy Scout…” Angela nodded as she looked up at the ceiling. “I bet you were an Eagle Scout, weren’t you?”

  Adam shrugged. “What’s wrong with that? And yes, as a matter of fact, I was.”

  “Uh-huh.” Angela smiled as she shook her head. “That explains it.”

  “Explains what?”

  “Your approach to this trip, to your job. You want to do the right thing, you know? It’s just…” Her smile faded and her brows lowered as she shook her head, “I’m sorry, I don’t want to psychoanalyze you or anything.”

  “No, go on.” He said the words easily, but felt his muscles tense in anticipation of what she might say.