1-1: East

Character sketches here … Chapter 1-2 here

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I

April, 1996

It was a million to one chance, maybe even more.

‘That comes to £108.99, with the shirts.’  The woman took the Burton’s Card, swiped it and began to wrap the purchases.

‘I’ll wear the trousers, if you don’t mind.’

‘Let me remove the labels.’

So that was one job done this Saturday before the Easter weekend.  It was always a pleasant drive up the A2, park near Greenwich and take the boat to the city. Turning to exit Debenham’s, such thoughts were interrupted by two sirens before him, two obviously foreign sirens, two stunning sirens and his throat went dry.

True, London was a city of foreigners but these two were something else again, they had to be those ice dancers you see on television, definitely continental the way they moved … he had to find out. ‘Excuse me,’ he asked quickly, lest they walked past and out of his life, ‘but are you … er … Russian?’

‘Da, mi Russkiye,’ the one with the golden hair replied, taking in everything of note – the cheeky grin, the now balding pate, the nerve in even addressing her, she thought she liked his sheer gall.

II

In the 12ème arrondissement this Saturday morning, Cafe Chose was quiet.

Nicolette Vasseur curled a strand of fair hair round her little finger and shuffled on her chair, observing the other woman. ‘Will you take Philippe’s name?’

In her eyes, Geneviève should long ago have pushed her casanova into a yes or no and this was Nikki’s way of pushing her but Mlle Lavacquerie was not the type to push, she was seriously indecisive. The events of five years ago in Paris had sent them both over the edge, they’d both vowed revenge on every man who’d ever treated a woman that way.  They weren’t what they’d have called feminist, either of them, but they sure as hell weren’t putting up with that type of treatment.

Nikki had arranged for Genie to meet this Philippe Legrande, the only one with sufficient clout in Bercy, so she’d been told, who would take their idea for a security Section seriously.  She’d always been the little organiser, Nikki.

He hadn’t laughed, Philippe, he’d seen the value of Section 37, ostensibly to expose corrupt officials but it had had other distinct political possibilities too in his eyes, he’d taken a shine to Geneviève anyway and as usually happened with herin turn, she’d fallen in love.

He’d organized the finance and they were off and running.

‘The most Philippe can expect is a hyphenation,’ she murmured. ‘Anyway, he’s not even broached it.  If I could think of a way, Nikki, I’d have done it already, the nightmares are back too.’

‘I can deputize.’

‘No, I have to know how the money is put through, why they don’t just wire it to us – why must I fly there, why always in cash?’

‘Russian law perhaps? I can go if you want.’

‘No, I’ll send Marc, that’s more his line. Besides, there’s no point going yet, the next collect’s not until July – he’ll go a week ahead of me.’

‘Seriously, does it really matter? You return with the money as usual, we do what we do, what’s the problem?’

‘I am. I’m the problem.’

III

‘Do either of you speak English?’  Hugh asked, customers sweeping past as he tried to maintain a place by the counter.

‘Yes, a little,’ replied Golden Hair.

That seemed to be the end of that, and as he racked his brain for something else to ask, she stepped into the breach: ‘We do shopping but you can come.’

‘Maybe I could even help you.’

They ran the gamut of the perfume counters and every so often they’d poke a fragrant wrist under his nose, then Dark Hair suddenly asked: ‘What do they call you?’

‘Er … Hugh Jensen. And you?’

‘Dilyara … and this is Anya.  I see you prefer blondinki, da?’

‘Not at all, whatever gave you that idea? Are you hungry, ladies?’

‘Da,’ replied Anya but Dilyara wasn’t so sure they should go down this path – he wasn’t exactly … well … within range. Anya seemed interested in playing this out though, so Dilya sighed and went along with it.

.o0o.

Eventually, they decided to try McDonald’s, his idea of haute cuisine and as they ate in the sidestreet off Oxford Street, leaning against a black wrought-iron railing surrounding a tree, Anya seemed nonplussed.

‘Hugh?’ she whispered.

‘Yep?’

‘How do you eat this?’

‘With your hands.’

‘I don’t need spork or foon?’

He glanced to see if she was pulling his leg but actually, she was deadly serious, she really had said that.  ‘Use your hands – hold it in the paper wrapper if you like.’

.o0o.

Greenwich Park was the obvious choice – tube – tickets – the boat with the hollow, distorted commentary booming through the tannoy, all good stuff and an hour later, the three were seated, cross-legged, on the grass near the flower bed fence, soaking up the sunshine and warming to this new association.

‘Where are you both from, may I ask?’

‘From Russia,’ answered Anya.

‘I gathered that, but from where in Russia?’

‘You wouldn’t know it – it’s a town called Shadzhara.’

‘Actually, I do know it – an academic from there came to our school not long ago. Care to tell me?’

‘Hmmm. It’s in the east, halfway to the Urals, as you call them. We have a bit over a million people, half Russian, half Shadzhari, about 80 other nationalities.’

‘You speak good English.’

‘We learn it nine years,” put in Dilyara. ‘We’re on Berlitz course,’ she thought to add, ‘for Anya’s job, you know and I came too.’

‘Do you teach English? I mean, what’s your interest in it?’

‘Anya works for airline company, I do this and that.’

That caused a lull in the conversation and he realised he’d have to do something to keep the momentum going.

‘Would you like to see the deer?’

IV

With eight lanes of traffic gridlocked below on Leningradskaya, even on Saturday morning, Sergei Safin was gnawing at a dried fish. Before him on the table sat two empty glasses and one half full bottle of Kristalnaya.

Safin watched the man opposite out of the corner of his eye and it put him off his food.

The Beast was gross, he’d seen military service, he’d done time for some minor infraction after leaving the army and then, unable to find gainful employment of the kind he’d hoped for, he’d simply devoted himself to the task of making money hand over fist, money Safin envied.

Safin reflected that  the Beast had done well, he’d soon accrued some powerful protection in return for certain favours of a delicate nature.  Good arrangement all round, but today he’d been compromised.

‘Sirozh,’ he said quietly, ‘you appear to have me over a barrel,’ indicating the graphic photo on the table, turning it face down with his podgy fingers. ‘What exactly do you want, while you still can?’

‘I’d like to feel, Oleg Alexandrovich, that there’ll be no accident to the head of the family.’

‘You’re in security – what could possibly happen?’ The younger man smiled, a point not lost on the Beast. ‘Why didn’t you just ask me, Sirozh? I would have agreed without all this – this high drama. Your sister was perfectly happy to -’

‘We need a guarantee.’

‘And now you’re certain you’ve bought that?’

The younger man wasn’t certain, no and he’d had to use his sister as a sort of family insurance policy … it might not have been enough.  He hoped his sister would understand.

V

The executive meeting at the south London school on the second Monday was grimmer than usual, the Principal’s mouth a tight line as he came through, settled down, arranged his notes and began.

The prognosis was not good.

Basically, someone in the school’s recent past – the bad old days – had been cooking the books, contracting sub-standard constructors for the basic edifice and the whole thing had finally imploded. Even the damning accounts had disappeared and this was not good in such a small school, particularly in these new days of Ofsted throwing its weight about.

Robin Wilson gave a little cough and spoke.

‘I need hardly remind you, ladies and gentlemen, that we can’t meet the cost of the renovations at this moment, given the monthly salaries we’re currently paying and something will have to give, I’m afraid. Any suggestions?’

Ashen faces stared back at him and they waited for the bottom line but there was not to be one. ‘Thank you. Give it some thought and we’ll discuss it on Thursday, at 16:20. Anyone can’t make that?’

The staff trooped out and he took Hugh and Paul Medhurst aside to ask them where they felt the first cuts should come from. Both promised to think on’t.

‘Fancy a pint?’ asked Paul as they stepped onto the flagstones, a weak sun sneaking a look from behind a bank of clouds and immediately hiding itself again.

‘Why not?’

Silence prevailed all the way over to the Rose and Crown but the first pint loosened Paul’s tongue. ‘I know it’s not the done thing to mention but I can guess your salary as Prep Head, given mine as Head of the Sixth Form College, Hugh. You catch my drift?’

‘Loud and clear.’

‘We’d save Robin the requisite deposit on the repairs, along with four who’d be offloaded anyway – French and Maths for a start.’

They sipped silently for a minute.

‘You’d probably be retained as Junior Head,’ said Paul, ‘but on half the money, you present well.’

‘As do you. I’m obviously not going to suggest it to him but I think Robin should retain Lisa as nominal head and take on the admin himself.’

‘Josephine could double up with my role.’

‘I don’t feel the school owes me anything,’ said Hugh, ‘nor I think does Robin. Look, it was nice to find some stability after I came down here, holed up in Mill Hill, scanning the TES on Fridays and visiting Hendon Aircraft Museum to break the monotony – that’s not my idea of a future though. I thought landing Prep School Head was a bit of a miracle -’

‘Many did. I don’t mean to be rude but you were hardly experienced at it – not a bad job done, mind, no one’s moaning.’ Paul’s face clouded.  ‘Bit of a pisser for both of us though – isn’t it – for this to happen.’

‘As you say, not good for either of us. I was told you’d turned down Pocklington for this – why?’

‘To stay in London. Family’s moved from Horsham to here, it’s nice. Not insulting you or anything but I didn’t really want to go north.’

‘What would you do if it came to it?’

‘Not sure really. Maybe go back to Horsham, find some work at my old school. You?’

‘I think I might do something remarkably crazy.’

‘Such as?’

‘Go to Russia.  I had an offer some time back.’

.o0o.

Three evenings later, at a small table at the Traveller’s Arms down the A2, sat an Infant Mistress and a soon to be ex-Prep School Head.

Lisa James gazed over and knew she was expected to comment.

‘What do you want from me, Hugh … to give you the seal of approval? You jumped before you were pushed, I would have waited, but still you tell me it was inevitable.’ She suddenly grinned. ‘I can guess what precipitated it though.’

‘Does it look bad from where you sit?’

‘Which of them are you looking at?’ she asked, taking a mouthful.

‘Maybe Anya but open mind, neither perhaps, let’s see what happens.’

‘I thought as much, at least you’re honest. Bit of an age difference.’

‘So forget it, eh?’

‘I didn’t say that. What about children? Where would you live? How would you live on a Russian salary – what is it these days – sixty pounds a month? How would the family accept you anyway, with your track record – two wives and no children – doesn’t look so good.’

‘There were children.’

‘But not yours. Do you want kids?’

‘Not particularly but if she does, I’m still within range.’

‘Of course she’ll want – you know nothing about her and anyway, are you sure she feels the same way about you going there?’

‘Seemed to when I phoned yesterday. Look, this is a firm job offer, so the romantic side hardly matters at this point –’

‘Oh, come off it. I’ve seen the photo, remember.’

‘All right, true confessions – it wasn’t discussed but I’m sure she knew what was on my mind. She made no excuses whatever, dropped no hints it might be a bad idea … it’s just that … well … with this thing imploding here, Lisa, it’s either the dole queue and hours poring over the TES again or else brave new world, whatever comes of it … here, let me get the refills.’

She drank the last few drops and gazed at the glass for want of something to do.

.o0o.

When he returned, she said, ‘It’s all so sudden. Couldn’t you have held on until the end of Michaelmas Term? It would help me.’

‘I would do, I most certainly thought it through, truly I did, but there are a few factors – the cash just isn’t here any more to run both you and me. With this offer, I’ve somewhere to stay, they’ve arranged a flat, and it’s only fair on our parents and kids that we announce it early and get you prepared.

You’ll need to work with Robin and start talking to the parents now, answering their questions. For me to come back after summer and hang about like a bad smell – that’s no good for anyone either way.

She looked across and finally said, ‘I hope you know what you’re doing.’

‘Anyway, what about Riccardo?’

She snorted. ‘I’m working on it.’

‘Plenty of time.’

‘I’m approaching thirty, Hugh – that’s not plenty of time.’

VI

July, 1996

In Shadzhara, in the old part of town, it was cheerful enough today, even if cramped and stuffy in the heat.

Ludmilla Valerievna Petrova congratulated the Section, the Sovyetski champagne flowed, they tucked into the kolbasa and red caviar on rye plus the inevitable salads. The burning sunshine, through one cracked pane of glass, cast a jagged shadow upon the table.

Ksenia Sharova, half-mockingly referred to as The Siren, made the speech, thanking Ludmilla Valerievna – their coup in London couldn’t have been achieved without back up and so on and so on and so on.

She hated being cooped up inside old state buildings with poor ventilation but it still wasn’t wise to complain too fervently – communism might have died as a political force, the oligarchs were running amok in the scramble for the dollar but old habits died hard in the security services and people didn’t appreciate the unappreciative.

In the Russia of the mid-90s, you did what you had to do, so Ksenia kept her own counsel, she and brother Zhenya accepted the accolades and awaited their return to London.

VII

Marc Lacour checked the travel case on his home scales and it weighed in under 14 kilos.

Good.

He checked the mirror and decided the hair needed cropping before departure, also the designer stubble wouldn’t do for this job. Well all right – yes it would.

Sitting at the kitchen table, he looked over the five pages of notes and frowned – the cash seemed to peter out at Nizhny and restart in Shadzhara, further east. Who was getting paid for what and who was couriering it? More importantly, what sort of business was generating that sort of cash, why was it always in notes and why did Mademoiselle always have to personally travel to Shadzhara?

She was being dropped off here in twenty minutes.

VIII

Brother and sister had been sent back to London to tie up some loose ends, they’d collected the two tapes and were ready to head home.

The Sheremetyevo end had been primed, Zhenya now took through the first tape, Ksenia was still at Charing Cross, tasked with taking through the second and more damaging.

She needed a bunny, someone who was not likely to be searched. It could be one of her countrymen but chances were they’d know the ropes. Yes, what she needed was a bunny.

Looking once more in the mirror in her hotel room, she flashed that famous smile and knew she’d always have to smile to get what she wanted. When she didn’t smile, her face was hard and reflected the life she’d had.

At last, satisfied, she gathered her cabin bag, keys and door card, looked around, hadn’t left anything, took the lift down, paid the Charing Cross receptionist, saw the car pull up and the porter followed with her wheelie case.

.o0o.

In the back seat, she thought out how she’d do it, went over it in her mind, then gazed out of the window as they joined the M4, wondering who occupied all those little boxes in a row in this green land.

IX

At Orly, Marc sipped one last coffee with the slender Nicolette, she of the anxious grin and the fair hair swept up in a bun.

For her part, she thought he looked quite dashing this morning in his charcoal blouson, polo tee and cords but knowing his lack of interest in things sartorial, concluded there’d been a female behind the choice.

Now who?

Not Geneviève, she was fairly sure – Mademoiselle was more conservative. Hmmm – Francine? Nikki hadn’t heard of anything going on there and she’d have been the first to pick up on that.

Ah, she had it – the efficient young Claudette!

‘Claudette not travelling with you, Marc?’ The shot found its target. ‘Oh Marc, surely not with Claudette?’

‘What’s wrong with Claudette?’ came the reply.

‘Nothing, nothing at all. Will we hear wedding bells?’

Now it was his turn to grin. ‘Brain works overtime with you, Nikki, doesn’t it?’

He said his farewells and went through, the early flight took off after a forty minute delay.

.o0o.

In the next sentient moment, Marc was once again queuing at Sheremetyevo 2 immigration control, discovering that the stamp on his visa was not sufficiently over the photo and having to fork out the equivalent of $US152 plus 400 roubles for inconveniencing the authorities, all of which amused rather than annoyed him – he’d heard horror stories of Sheremetyevo and considered he’d got off rather lightly all told.

A taxi took him to the station for eastbound trains and it was now a case of killing a few hours until the 19.28 departure. He checked his bag in at the left luggage and went for a wander.

X

In the slow moving Aeroflot queue at Heathrow, about the only excitement, Hugh felt, was when a young lady accidentally fell against him, knocking his cabin bag to the ground just as he was opening it to get a mini-Toblerone, spilling all the documents, photos, mini-Toblerones and bits and pieces over the concourse floor.

At second glance, he wondered if they cloned them over there – sculpted face, athletic figure, high cheek bones and blue-grey, melancholy eyes.  And stunning.

She apologised profusely in heavily accented English, scrambling over the floor, helping put them back in his pack but when he protested, she simply disappeared. Not that there was anything of value in there – the cash and documents were in his special underpants with the holdall gusset, one of his inventions, but still – he did an inventory as far as he could remember.

.o0o.

All through that flight, her eyes remained on his mind. Did they all have those melancholy eyes?

.o0o.

Over Russia proper, he looked down from the cabin window onto the forest below – he could make out, through the cumulus, a long straight road with bumper to bumper traffic – there was a cruise ship on the meandering river. That might be something nice to try out one day, he thought, as the last of the whisky in the plastic beaker went down the throat neatly.

.o0o.

The moment they hit the ground in Moscow, passengers were out of their seats, scrambling for baggage from the stowage lockers, the hostess pleading through the intercom for them to remain seated – he grinned – then, in next to no time, they were in the customs area.

Two uniformed, auburn haired women were sharing a private joke; one took up her place in the booth. She seemed friendly enough, which augured well and it certainly began pleasantly enough – until her eye caught the visa.

The face fell, the pouting lips tightened, she left the booth to consult with her superior.

.o0o.

An eternity later she returned – there was a problem with the photograph, the stamp hadn’t been placed correctly over the corner, no it wasn’t incidental, he’d have to wait to one side and his bags would be held for the next plane back in the morning.

One of the airline officials now slid over to him and spoke soothingly.  ‘It can be resolved, my friend, don’t worry, the consulate can solve this problem of yours.’

.o0o.

Nervous waiting followed, interminable waiting but eventually the official returned with a spring in his step and a bundle of documents, all was well. Did Mr. Jensen have dollars? A little matter of $US152 plus 400 roubles fine for inconveniencing the authorities.

Anyway, it got the clunk of stamp on passport and now followed the unwanted attentions of the newly deregulated taxi drivers vying with each other for his fare. He’d prepaid Intourist for a taxi to the station and his lift was meant to have been here by 14:00 but there was still no sign.

He bought a drink, found a free table and watched the door for a man in a hurry.

.o0o.

The driver rushed in at 15:25, thin and wiry, rubbing his moustache, well aware he was late.

Thing was, there was still much time and yet the man was rushing as if there were no tomorrow. He also knew how to cut through Moscow’s rush hour traffic, Hugh’s hands gripping the door handle as the Muscovite mounted footpaths and shaved parked cars with his wheel arches, all the while keeping up a jaunty monologue.

‘You only true Moskvitch if you born inside Garden Circle ring road.’

‘Watch the old lady!’

‘Da, da … ya Moskvitch –’

‘Tovarishch, the old lady! For goodness sake!’

‘No to worry, friend,’ puzzlement on his face. ‘Everything normal, khorosho.’

.o0o.

The Volga shot through gaps and brushed curbsides but they got to the train an hour and a half ahead of time, screeching to a halt at an angle to the traffic, the driver grabbing Hugh’s case and shoving his way through the throng towards the carriage in its grey-green livery, with him tagging along as best he could, avoiding random passengers lugging tartan PVC bags – carrying their worldly possessions most like.

Would the compartment even be open this early? He’d taken half a ‘lux’, the stern lady at the door did let him onboard and he settled in.

.o0o.

About half an hour before departure, he was relieved to see his fellow passenger arrive, a frizzy-haired chap with the makings of stubble, French as it turned out, which augured well. Expecting to have to speak Russian, he could practise his French instead, that is if the other could stand it and if not, well, then the man was bound to fancy a tipple or two.

.o0o.

The train gave a shudder at 19:28, creaked a little, then shuffled out of the voksal, through some domestic stations, then into the more open countryside, slowly picking up speed.

The wooden sliding door was flung open, and with the increased noise came a uniformed woman, perching on the olive vinyl bench with a sort of bus conductor’s leather satchel at the ready.  Some passing girl in the corridor said they wanted tickets, passports and some money.

After she’d collected, neatly folded and stowed the items in her satchel for the night and offered heavily sugared tea in glasses jammed into ornate metal holders, there was relative peace and both finally felt they could relax for the first time.

.o0o.

The silver birch trees began to rollick past outside as the train settled into its rhythm and both men settled back on their bunks.

Neither Hugh’s French nor the Frenchman’s Russian passed muster, so they settled on English as the medium, both wanting to know what the other was doing heading for this eastern outpost.

.o0o.

Marc thought Hugh’s story the most romantic he’d heard in a long while.

‘Do you really think so?’ asked Hugh. ‘Tell you what, if you give me your mobile number, Marc, I’ll give it to her best friend Dilyara tomorrow –’

‘Not to Anya herself?’ he smiled.

‘- and I’ll say there’s a wonderful Frenchman who came here just for her and who’s expecting her call. What do you say?’

He handed over his card, Hugh apologized that he had no business card in return, they lapsed into silence again, lying on their bunks, until Mark came out with, ‘I’m not really French you know, though it helps a lot with the girls.’

He had Jensen’s attention.

‘Actually, our family roots are French but two generations ago, they went to Warminster of all places, settled down and I’m from that branch of the family.’

‘I thought the English was a bit too good, yet you retain the French accent.’

‘My parents returned to Châtelet-en-Brie when I was four, I grew up in Melun and the French generally take me as one of them. Your accent has something in it as well I think. South African? Educated but it has something else.’

‘Bit of antipodaean, actually – the family’s split between both places.’

‘So we have our first common ground. Let me show you some photos of my family.’

Hugh scrutinized each in turn and the family resemblance was there – the long-bridged nose, the pleasing curve to the jaw, the wavy hair.

‘And this one?’ Hugh asked.

‘That’s Marie-Ange. I don’t know why I brought that really, it’s in the past now.’

Hugh produced the ones he’d kept back till now, of Anya and Dilyara.

‘Ah, I see.’

.o0o.

The train came to a shuddering halt only two to three hours out of Moscow, Shadzhara still another nine hours or so away.

It had started raining some time earlier, the window of the compartment was partially fogged and droplets were trickling down outside the pane. Hugh could just about make out some figures over by another stationary train – obviously they were at some station and much as he tried to glimpse its name, he couldn’t catch it.

People were jostling for position out there, holding up crystal chandeliers and all sorts of glassware for passengers to peruse. A handful of passengers actually did step down to buy and were immediately set upon by up to fifteen vendors trying to push their wares onto them.

He remembered he’d read about it now – Vekovka, where the workers were paid in their own products and had to sell them to passers-by to survive. This was what the immediate post-Soviet days were about it seemed. Appalling.

One girl of about twenty, cigarette hanging from her mouth, had become bored, she was now joined by a young spiv, clearly on the make, right under their carriage window and though neither Marc nor Hugh could make out the words, the tone was guttural and the intonation harsh.

‘Fancy her?’ smiled Marc and Hugh’s look said it all.

XI

Sergei Safin was bored, waiting for the call.

The tie had been loosened, his shirt opened at the neck, only the pips on the epaulettes of his khaki jacket indicated his rank. Feet up on the only other wooden chair in the office, he stubbed the cigarette out in the ashtray, ran powerful fingers through his unruly fair hair and then the cacophony of the phone began.

‘Da? Khorosho. Da. You’re sure? Khorosho. Kama Camp? Tomorrow morning, all right, I’ll find him, he’ll be the centre of attention, won’t he?’

The woman continued at the other end and Safin assured her: ‘Ladno, I promise – I’ll just observe, that’s all.’

He replaced the receiver and went out for a drink.

XII

07:12 saw Lacour and Jensen both stepping over the tracks at Shadzhara railway station – no roofed in platforms here – there were three cars waiting to take a largish party, including Hugh, straight down to Kama Camp, the resort by the Kama River. These were his new school colleagues but of Anya and Dilyara – no sign.

Marc bid adieu and seemed to slip into the shadows.

Hugh’s car pulled out and drove past the imposing white Kremlin with the brown bricked tower on a lean, they clattered past low, cream-coloured buildings looking like stucco, the walls, quite nice though with all these waterways and stone Venetian bridges.

Hot day, improved not one bit by the potholed road, he settled back for the panorama, the Volga sedan alternately racing past and suddenly slowing to a crawl, then back up to breakneck speed again.

.o0o.

An hour later, supposedly near the river according to the host, they turned left and there was the river on the right, a bit narrow here, probably still a tributary.

.o0o.

The car eventually slowed, turned through a Soviet green wrought iron gate – there was an inscription in Cyrillic woven into the wrought iron archway, he suspected it might mean Arbeitet Macht Frei, and now they came out on a flying saucer shaped building which, had it been in the west, might have been labelled art deco, very 50s.

A short distance from this, to the left, was a long table under the silver beriozi trees where they now joined the many guests.

.o0o.

Many speeches went on, every new speech by someone further down the table a signal to raise glasses, some nibbling followed.

A young man standing behind Hugh saw it as his job to keep the foreigner’s glass full of vodka.

.o0o.

The speeches continued to wear on.

.o0o.

They ate properly.

.o0o.

The day wore on.

.o0o.

He excused himself and stumbled some distance in search of a tree, just as Dilyara appeared from the forest, an exotic bird in olive bathing costume and yellow wrap. On autopilot, he kissed her cheek and she nodded – so Mr. Jensen had come to her home after all.

Swaying slightly from the heat and vodka, which impressed her not, he reached into his pocket and extracted Marc’s card.

‘What’s this?’

‘It’s a Frenchman who’s patiently awaiting your phone call at his Hotel, handsome chap and he’s heard all about you.’

Dilyara glanced again at the card and commented, ‘And what if I already have a perfectly good boyfriend?’

‘I’m sure you have to beat them off with a stick, Dilya.  Do you think you could show us both the city tomorrow?’

She murmured, ‘I think Anya has plans for you tomorrow.’

Reason now reached his foggy brain, he went to put the card away but her hand stopped him, she took it and slipped it inside her costume. ‘Never know what might happen, do we? Did you bring your swimming costume?’

‘Er … no,’ he slurred.

‘Pity,’ she replied, finding a place on his cheek and kissing him there, she turned and went back to the forest.

He stood there swaying for some seconds, turned and stumbled back to the others.

XIII

The next morning, Anya finally turned up with her father in a red Zhigoulie, the local variant of the Lada, and there was no ceremony.

She sat in the front, he in the back, the ride wasn’t too bumpy but it was in silence.

.o0o.

The city came into view, they drove through the outskirts and then the father pulled up outside a flat in the Kvartel area – Anya called it ‘the edge of geography’ – one of those long housing blocks, nine storeys high, a hundred and forty flats in one block. Within the kilometre square, houses were interconnected by a labyrinth of service roads, most connecting with others, some not, some leading to archways through one of the houses, all surfaces potholed and in need of urgent repair.

Her own flat was a brisk twelve minute walk away, through the yards between these service roads and houses, bleak yards generally, some leafy and pleasant, all of them with tubular metal rug-beating frames and broken children’s play equipment.

She went inside, returning some minutes later and a rapid Russian conversation ensued, the father not happy, thick fingers drummed impatiently on the roof of the car.

She poked her head through the window and announced, ‘They’re redecorating your flat, you can’t stay here. Would you mind staying with me instead?’

‘For how long?’

‘For the summer.’

Gulp.

.o0o.

All belongings were deposited upstairs in their flat, he met her mother in passing and the usual self-conscious dipping of heads followed, with broad smiles – what a honey, like the daughter – then Anya asked, ‘Can you be ready in five minutes? We go to the Garden.’

‘Garden, what garden? Do I need to pack?’

‘Pack?’

‘Clothes, things, you know, to take with me.’

‘Enough for a few days, da.’

.o0o.

Seven minutes later, they were en route for the Garden, to Zhilploshatka on the outskirts of town and the heat had not become any less oppressive. He stole a glance across at her in the car, she allowed herself the quickest of smiles and just as quickly, it faded. He wondered what was going on here.

He was also wondering why the Russians always had to rush to and fro – was there some legal time limit to each journey or were they just charged by the hour?

XIV

Dilyara met Marc at Cafe Giuseppe, on the broad, tree-lined administrative street called Kryemlyovskaya, high up on the ridge looking down over the old town. It was shortly after opening, 09:45.

If she was expecting a wolf, she found a lamb, a well-dressed lamb too, with perfect manners and with the grace to ask what her tastes were. She hoped he wouldn’t ask the silly reason she’d chosen the place – the reason was no more than it was originally called Hotel France.

Besides, it was the perfect stepping off point for the little tour she’d organised but she’d have to put him straight on alcohol. Also, there was something she’d read that in France, there were certain sensitivities about Muslims in some quarters and she wasn’t sure how Marc was placed that way, whether he’d react negatively once he knew.

After a coffee and cakes made on the premises, he paid up, they embarked on their tour and the conversation was little more than desultory. Again using English as the medium, he asked about her family and friends, she asked about Paris and French life in general.

‘You say you live in three rooms?’

‘Da.’

‘You mean three bedrooms?’

‘Three rooms. One’s a living area during the day, one’s a study with books and one’s for storing things – at night they become bedrooms.’

‘Really?’

They sauntered along the footpath a hundred metres or so, Dilyara suddenly cutting through between two buildings and they were separated by a stone rampart.

When they eventually met up again, she murmured something in Russian, he asked, she explained. ‘Privyet na sto lyet. It’s for good luck, you know, so we’re not separated for real.’

‘Ah.’

.o0o.

By Lake Nabak, the two of them leaning over a parapet set above the lower walkway, his calm presence was pleasing, quite different to the local guys, yet his conversation lacked their earthy repartee. His awkward self-assurance, if there were such a thing, was hard to get a line on.

For his part, it was her long dark hair and eyes which did the damage. He’d heard they were exotic in this part of the world and now he saw it was so.

They paused by the lake wall. ‘When must you leave?’ she asked.

‘This evening – this is the last day.’

‘Will you return?’

‘Now that I have a reason.’

‘You’re French,’ she chuckled nervously, ‘you’d say anything.’

‘Yes?’

‘I’m sorry, I just get a bit anxious when I like someone a lot.’

‘If you like, Dilyara, you can visit me in Paris, would you do that?’ As she didn’t reply, he added quickly, ‘All right then, perhaps I could phone you sometime?’

She smiled and wrote the number on the piece of paper he proffered, with the pen he proffered.

He folded the slip carefully, placed it in his wallet and as he was clearly not going to make any other move himself, she quickly touched his cheek with the fingers of one hand and then her lips, causing him to blush.

XV

‘Does everyone have a Garden outside the city?’ asked Hugh, as the car slowed over a broken section of asphalt.

She turned to face him. ‘Families need somewhere to grow fruit and vegetables for the winter. Only those who work stay in the city – those or the poor.’

The father drove on stolidly, not sure if he liked the yabber yabber yabber of the English language or not. Hugh wondered what his job was – looked a useful customer in a tight corner – a mental note was made to always treat his daughter with scrupulous attention and affection.

Her mother, from what he could gather, was back in the town, working. No doubt all would be revealed.

.o0o.

The rough approach road to the dacha was like something from ancient photos of cities, bordered by rickety wooden fences.

Eventually they were adjacent to a green painted weatherboard doll’s house, overhung by leafy trees which had grown to full height and width over the decades, the vine-entangled verandah on the far side looking out upon row upon row of cabbages, potatoes and tomatoes, with the berry trees behind that again – all irrigated. Garden of Eden.

They went through.

In the far left corner of the allotment, past the vegetable plot, above the toilet, was the Tin Roof she’d said was for suntanning, accessible only by stepladder.

In the far right corner was the banya – the Russian sauna they’d apparently enjoy in the early evening.

And in the middle, this side of the rows of plants, under a huge apple tree, was the Table, the centrepiece of the whole garden.

From around the corner of the doll’s house now came an elderly couple and the pieces fell into place – their Garden, their pride and joy. The grandfather was a good looking cove, about Hugh’s height, wiry strength in a thin body, the grandmother was not undernourished and now she beamed from ear to ear.

She saw Hugh gazing at the Table and asked, through Anya, ‘Lunch. You must be hungry.’

The reason he’d really been scrutinising the Table was the mobile telephone carelessly left lying there. In the west – yes at that time but here, in this province – well, he was puzzled and besides, it wasn’t like his chunky vodaphone – this was a small flip-phone.

He asked Anya but she went coy on his job – maybe that was still classified for foreigners, who knew? Also puzzling was that though he seemed past retirement age, the man seemed to have that air of still being very much employed.

Hugh looked about the place and saw just how organised everything was, in rows, the woodpile in the far corner by the banya was stacked with precision – this was a very careful man, this grandfather. And this Garden was their pride and joy all right.

Character sketches here … Chapter 1-2 here

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