Sunstroke

by Madge Swindells

  ‘He traced the stolen money to Riga. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m busy.’

  ‘What did you tell Sergei?’

  ‘About what – this conference?’ I frowned.

  ‘About the diamonds at De Witt’s.’

  ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’ He had caught me by surprise, and my bowels cramped with fear. I hoped it didn’t show.

  ‘I think you do.’ His hand shot out and gripped my arm. I struggled to shake him off, but his fingers dug into my flesh. Should I scream? If I did, half the hotel would come running. David would probably start a fight.

  ‘Someone broke into De Witt’s. The files were photocopied and the wires cut. Strangely, it happened on the same night you went home with flu. Sergei was with me that night, but yesterday he had these documents in his possession.’

  ‘Did he give them to you?’ Cold dread seized me as I realized that I had made an error.

  ‘I think you broke into De Witt’s with David Bernstein.’

  ‘That’s not true. I went home with flu. Now, let go of my arm or I’ll scream. Where is Sergei?’

  ‘Where you’ll be if you try to double-cross me.’

  Fear for Sergei swamped all other emotions. ‘What happened to him?’ I noted the hysteria in my voice and I tried to calm myself.

  ‘I arrested him and sent him to Moscow to await trial, but he was shot while resisting arrest.’

  I could no longer pretend. I pressed my fingers on my forehead and closed my eyes. Bastard! Bastard! I screamed silently.

  For a few moments, grief stopped me from thinking clearly, but unexpectedly and blessedly, cold hard logic took over, and with it came the idea for which I had been searching.

  ‘I liked Sergei. I’m so sorry, but I’m sure it wasn’t your fault. This is my plan, Boris. You must attend the cocktail party as one of the guests and I will identify Wolf to you alone. Then you must do what must be done. Do you understand? You must force him to tell you where my child is hidden and get him back to Russia to stand trial. Only then will I be able to go home and live in peace with myself, knowing that justice has been done.’

  Colonel Borovoi looked relieved. ‘We understand each other, Nina. I’ve always admired you. You’re a tough woman. You can count on my support.’

  ‘You must come as a delegate, not as a policeman, or they’ll thwart you. I don’t think David knows what you look like. Don’t come down here again until I have an alias for you. I’ll make a badge and find a suitable address. I’ll send the details to your room. Be sure to be at the opening tomorrow night at eight. It’s to be held in the cocktail lounge on the third floor. Don’t be late. We won’t have much time.’

  ‘Don’t try to double-cross me, Nina,’ he muttered. He wasn’t sure, I could see that. I hadn’t convinced him of my sincerity, but he would come. I felt sure of that. I needed him, and he needed to be there.

  Colonel Borovoi shot me one last frown, turned abruptly and left.

  ‘There will be time to mourn you later, Sergei,’ I whispered. ‘Right now, my first priority is revenge.’

  Chapter 70

  I had this dread that when I confronted my child, my beloved Nicky, he would not remember me. What if our meeting was no more meaningful than passing a child in the park? Would we be strangers? Common sense told me that it would be like this, but emotionally I hoped that my love would win through.

  Nicky had been two when Wolf kidnapped him, now he was over four. No child could remember that far back. Thus I reasoned with myself as I paused at a T-junction and took the road to Baldone.

  My palms were slippery on the steering wheel and I was panting slightly while my heart hammered as fast as the car’s pistons, or so it seemed. Fields and woods and small stone houses flew by. Eventually I came to Lecava and turned left towards Vecumnieki. Soon there were no more houses. It was dark, but the full moon seemed extraordinarily bright. If the map and the directions I had been given were correct I should be getting close. I slowed and searched the right-hand side for signs of a gate, but there was nothing I could see. Pulling to the side, I drove forward at a snail’s pace.

  I saw lights twinkling through the trees, long before I saw the gate. The house was large and rambling in art-deco style with a light blazing in the porch. Was it a private home? I parked the car and examined the entrance: two tall stone pillars flanked an ornate, wrought-iron gate that stood open.

  When I read ‘Morgendauw’, I knew I had arrived. How could he? That name was ours, not his. But so was Nicky.

  After blowing my nose vigorously and combing my hair, I felt better. I started the engine and drove along a well-kept gravel road between lawns and shrubs. Wolf had always had good taste, I remembered.

  I parked and glanced at my watch. Eight p.m., a perfectly reasonable time to arrive, although this was hardly a normal social visit, so why worry?

  What would I find? A mistress and more children? A new wife who adored her step-son? I was afraid to ring the bell, but at last I plucked up courage and heard loud chimes echoing around. A child called out, and a voice answered. I heard footsteps running to the door, which opened after some puffing and heaving at the lock.

  There stood Nicky. Dear, sweet Nicky, dressed in striped pyjamas and slippers with a bright red train tucked under his arm. My son had hardly changed in the past two years. He was tall for his age and he looked happy. His brown eyes still twinkled with fun, he had Wolf’s full, mobile lips, my hair, that same sweet angel’s smile… Oh, God! I love him so, but I must stay calm.

  ‘That’s a fine train, Nicky.’

  ‘You’re English,’ he said shyly.

  ‘Yes, I am. You understand English well.’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Did your daddy teach you?’

  ‘Yes. We speak English all the time. Only my nanny speaks German.’

  ‘Can I come in?’

  He ignored that question, but reached up and took my hand.

  I crouched down and wrapped my arms around him. He didn’t seem to mind. ‘Oh, Nicky, I’m so happy to find you, darling. I’ve been looking for you for a long time. Do you know who I am?’

  ‘You look a lot like my mummy,’ he admitted, escaping from my arms. ‘I have a photograph of her next to my bed.’

  ‘That’s because I am your mummy. Oh, Nicky, sweetie, give Mummy a hug.’

  ‘I remember you,’ he said politely, but I could see that he didn’t. He gave me a hug all the same. Something about the close connection seemed to get through to him. He hugged me more tightly and his hands reached up and grabbed my hair, as they used to do.

  Nothing is ever lost to the mind, I know. Every memory is carefully recorded in our subconscious, to be triggered off by all kinds of stimuli, perfume, perhaps, or the feeling of someone’s body. Nicky dropped his train and wound his arms tightly around my neck, his legs crept around my waist, and his head nuzzled my cheek.

  ‘Don’t cry, Mummy,’ he said. ‘I remember you, really I do. Only your hair is different. I knew you’d come because I asked God to send you. And here you are.’

  ‘Yes, here you are,’ a well-remembered and once-loved voice said behind me. ‘My one big mistake personified.’

  ‘Nicky remembers me.’

  ‘Do you think so? He loves women, perhaps because he’s missed a woman’s touch. Well, come in and sit by the fire. Nicky will get cold in the draughty hall. He’s just had his bath.’

  He showed me into a graceful room with huge windows where green silk curtains hung half open. A crystal bowl of hyacinths stood on a broad window-sill.

  I sat on a chintz sofa and Nicky climbed on to my lap and stared into my eyes, and stared and stared. He turned to his father and spoke in German.

  ‘He says you are beautiful. Nicky, it’s bed-time,’ Wolf said, decisively. He picked him up, carried him to the hall and called out in German. A woman’s voice replied.

  I didn’t want Nicky to go, but I wasn’t going to beg. He would soon be mine.
r />   Wolf returned and sat opposite me. ‘And now? What next?’

  ‘I’ve kept myself going for years visualizing this moment, Wolf. You sitting there unarmed and caught unawares, just as you are now. And me, drawing out my gun like this, pointing it at you, like this. And then I say to you, “Wolf, I loved you, but you betrayed me. How could you do that? You took away all meaning to my life. You left me to face a prison sentence. I was tortured, did you know that? Electric shocks and solitary confinement. You never cared.” This scene kept me going. I promised myself that I would play it out.’ I put the gun in my pocket. ‘Of course it’s not loaded.’

  ‘I knew that. Guns terrify you.’

  ‘That was the old Nina. I’ve changed. I could have killed you, but I don’t want my son to be an orphan.’

  It was so much more than that, but I didn’t have time to explain to Wolf about my own personal discoveries: that love is all there is to live for and revenge is only for losers.

  I said, ‘Furthermore, I don’t particularly relish the thought of explaining to Nicky why his father is serving a life sentence. That’s why I’ve come here with a deal, Wolf. Give me my child willingly. Help him to make the change. Tell him it’s what you want. Tell him you’ll come and see him often, and mean it. If you will do all that, I’ll help you to get out of the mess you’re in.’

  ‘What makes you so sure I need help? I don’t see that I’m in a mess at all.’

  ‘I’m here, aren’t I? Your position is hopeless. Everyone is closing in on you. All they needed was your real identity and now we’ve found you.’

  ‘We?’

  ‘My father, David Bernstein and I. Truly a joint effort.’

  ‘Who knows my identity besides the three of you, Nina?’

  ‘Father recorded the evidence. Don’t worry, it’s safe unless something happens to one of us.’

  ‘Do you really believe that I would kill you? You still don’t know me, do you? I’ve never killed anyone in my life. I never will.’

  ‘I don’t have to know you. The past is finished. Our marriage was never legal and you have no right whatsoever to Nicky. His real name is Nicholas Ogilvie and I have custody and guardianship.’

  He flinched. This time I’d scored a hit.

  ‘Nicky is heir to a great title, a great heritage and a fortune to go with it.’

  ‘A stolen fortune.’

  ‘It was stolen from my family. It was my duty to restore our line, nourish our fields, build up our herds, as my family had done for generations. It fell upon me to repair the damage done to us by the Nazis and the Soviets. You must see that.’

  There was that light in his eyes again. I remembered it so well, but now I understood his mission. I made a mental note to tell Father how right he’d been.

  ‘Who is this David Bernstein? Are you married to him?’ Wolf looked angry and deprived, and this amazed me.

  ‘Not yet, but I think we’ll marry soon. You cheated him with your Unita scam.’

  ‘That Bernstein.’

  ‘Yes. Not a man to cross, I promise you.’

  ‘And he loves you?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘And Nicky?’

  ‘He wants to help me bring him up. Listen to me, Wolf. There’s a long trail of vengeful people after you. I won’t list them since you know who they are. I have only to give them your true identity and that’s the end for you. I doubt you’d live long enough to stand trial. If you go into hiding you would lose everything you’ve gone to so much pain to steal back. You’d always be afraid for Nicky.’

  ‘It was you who found us, Nina. How did you trace me?’

  ‘You made an error. You linked your real self with your crooked aliases.’

  ‘Sarajevo,’ he whispered softly. ‘I should never have underestimated a woman’s resources when she’s fighting for her child.’

  ‘Yes, Wolf. And I saw you when you attended the conference today. I was sitting behind one-way glass waiting to identify you.’

  ‘So I’m through?’

  ‘No. I can’t destroy someone whom my son loves so dearly, someone who cared for him so well. Wolf, listen to me. I have a plan.’

  ‘I could always rely on your plans,’ he said wistfully. He broke off and sat gazing at the fire. ‘Remember Namaqualand? You saved me that time.’

  ‘I always suspected you’d set me up.’

  ‘No, never! I was caught. I loved you, Nina. I still do. I intended to bring you back here, but your staunch morality crashed my plans. Typical!’ His face expressed bitterness and longing. ‘Where were all of you moral people in the West when we were robbed, my father shot, my mother starved to death?’

  ‘Spare me the sob story, Wolf. Let’s get down to some hard bargaining.’

  He sighed. ‘I’m listening.’

  ‘We must be quick. David will be searching for me. I don’t have much time.’

  Chapter 71

  It was crisp and clear and not too cold, a lovely winter evening. I leaned over the balcony of the hotel’s second-floor cocktail lounge, watching the steeples and turrets of the lovely old city of Riga glow in the moonlight. In the background, a string band was playing old-fashioned tunes.

  Would Wolf come? Would he keep his side of the bargain? Borovoi, too, had a role to play in this evening’s charade. Would he try to rewrite the script? Lastly there was David, a stickler for morality.

  Did he love me enough to bend the rules for me and for Nicky?

  A steady stream of cars was moving around the hotel as the drivers searched for parking. Anyone who was anyone was intent on coming, with or without an invitation. Perhaps I should warn David. I went to look for him and found him in the small room behind the bar, which he had converted to his temporary office. At the sight of his worried frown and his hunched shoulders, which revealed his tension, I felt a great wave of love for him. With it came anxiety. What would he do?

  I said, ‘The delegates have brought masses of extra people, friends and family, by the look of things. We’ll be swamped.’

  ‘How will you find Moller if we get too crowded?’

  ‘Don’t worry. If Wolf’s here, I’ll find him. Where will your men be, David? I mean, if I need help, how will I find them?’

  ‘They’ll find you,’ he prevaricated. ‘All you have to do is identify Moller. Leave the rest to me.’

  ‘To you? That’s not in the script. What if he pulls a gun on you?’

  ‘I’ll shoot him.’

  ‘David, you’re not thinking about my feelings at all. How can we live with that? You’ll be Nicky’s stepfather. Have you really thought out the future implications of killing his father?’

  David swore under his breath. He stared at his desk for a full thirty seconds. ‘I guess you’ve got a point,’ he said, accepting defeat gracefully, which was one of the many qualities I loved in him.

  When he picked up his radio and spoke into it in Hebrew, I noticed the ear-plug for the first time.

  ‘How many of you are there?’

  ‘Enough.’

  Feeling exasperated, I went back to the cocktail party. Wolf should be waiting for me near the bar, if he were coming. That thought brought out the butterflies in my stomach again. Then I caught sight of him leaning over the balcony, gazing towards the old city.

  I sauntered past and paused next to him.

  ‘The old city looks beautiful in this mellow moonlight.’

  ‘It’s not the moonlight, it’s the city. It’s just beautiful.’

  ‘You always knew best and I always gave in to you. That’s because I believed in you. You sure as hell fell off your bloody pedestal,’ I snarled.

  ‘A domestic quarrel will do us a lot of good, I should think.’

  I brought myself smartly back into line. ‘Where’s Nicky?’

  ‘In the car with his nurse. Just below. Look, over there, the car beside the fountain. I left his clothes and his toys with the porter as arranged. So you won, Nina.’

  ‘No, Wolf. This w
ay both of us are winning.’

  ‘You won’t forget your many promises.’

  ‘I won’t do a Wolf on you, if that’s what you mean.’ I shot him a scathing glance and moved on, trying to guess which guests were police, but I couldn’t see anyone who looked right for the role, except for a very macho woman with a crew-cut, but she was knocking back the champagne. I circled the room, glass in hand, trying to look as if I was enjoying myself. Eventually, I returned to the bar.

  There was no sign of David. Wolf was talking to a group of businessmen he obviously knew well. His friends looked affluent, and a little tipsy. The music seemed to swell and surge around me, the laughter grew louder, I began to feel claustrophobic. The truth is, I was scared. There are always two sides to a bargain. My part of the deal was nowhere around. Then David came up behind me. His hand squeezed mine. Stay with me, David, I pleaded silently.

  *

  I think we both saw him at the same time: a small boy with tousled red hair and frightened eyes. He was trying very hard not to scream or cry, but I could see that Borovoi was hurting his hand, and from the way he was being held, I guessed there was a gun held against his back.

  How had he known where to find Nicky? And where was the nurse? What the hell had gone wrong? This wasn’t part of my script at all.

  No one had noticed, which seemed unbelievable to me. Nicky caught sight of me and his mouth moved. He was framing the word ‘help’, but no sound came. What a brave little boy he was. I stood dumbstruck. Borovoi should never have done this. A spark of outrage was kindled in me as I stepped towards them.

  ‘Where is Wolf?’ Borovoi muttered. ‘Bring him here, or I’ll kill the boy.’

  My mouth was open, but no sound came. I gestured towards the bar. Borovoi was intrigued: he had never set eyes on Wolf. In that split second, I threw myself forward, propelling my body between Nicky and the gun, knocking it upwards so that the bullet smashed into the ceiling. I landed over Nicky, shielding him, squashing him, feeling the fluttering beat of his heart against my hand, which was trapped between the floor and his chest.

  I twisted my head round, expecting to see Borovoi’s gun levelled at my back. It was.