Helena Halme - The Red King of Helsinki - Lies, Spies and Gymnastics

Mrs Cooper brought the two youngsters into the room. This time Pia looked more relaxed. She was holding the boy’s hand. Iain examined his face. He had open features, fairly attractive, he presumed. His hair was not exactly blond, but sandy coloured and unruly. He looked uncomfortable in his body, as boys of that age often did, not quite used to their long limbs. But his face displayed no unease. He looked straight at Iain, and then nodded towards the Colonel.

‘And who’s this, another spy?’

Mrs Cooper stopped at the door. The Colonel looked up and put his hand up to her. She left the room, silently closing the door.

‘Sit down,’ the Colonel said in English, ‘I hear you wanted to see what this place was like?’

‘Yeah, sure I did.’ The boy’s English was remarkably good, though his accent was more American than British, but then that was the influence of the television here.

‘I have it from good authority that you did in fact make an unannounced visit to our premises two nights ago. Is this true?’

Heikki looked straight at the Colonel. ‘I might have done.’

‘What were you looking for?’

No answer.

The Colonel leant over the table and put his face very close to the boy’s.

‘Now young man, people’s lives are at stake and we are not playing games here. Do I make myself clear?’

‘Heikki, just tell them why you came,’ Pia said to the boy in Finnish. He didn’t look at her, as if he hadn’t heard a word she said. Pia glanced at Iain.

‘That’s right, Pia, we do not want Heikki to be in danger,’ Iain said, also in Finnish. Just in case the boy’s English wasn’t as good as it appeared.

Heikki looked at both Pia and Iain in turn. Then he faced the Colonel again. His English faltered a little at this point. As Iain understood it, he’d just been curious when he saw Pia coming out of the building. When Iain asked him how he’d got in – and out – of the Council, he grinned and said, ‘I like to open locks.’ Pia looked shocked.

The Colonel sat back in his chair. He held the boy’s gaze. Without moving his head he said, ‘We need to talk to Pia alone.’

‘No’ the boy said. He took hold of Pia’s hand again, but she pulled it back.

‘It’s OK, Heikki, you go on.’ Pia said in Finnish. ‘I want to talk to Iain and the Colonel alone.’

‘The Colonel?’

Pia turned her face away from the boy and Iain suppressed a smile. Heikki looked at each one of them in turn. Mrs Cooper must have been standing outside, waiting and listening, because as soon as Heikki got up the door opened and she led him away.

Pia couldn’t believe what she’d just heard. Why hadn’t Heikki told her about being in the Council right after their first date at the Happy Days? She bit her lip when she remembered the night before. How, after her mother had left them alone in the kitchen, Heikki had kissed the bruises on her wrists. ‘I told you to be careful, silly,’ he’d said. Pia had told him absolutely everything. The relief she’d felt at not being alone in the middle of the whole mess had been overwhelming, as was not having to face the two men on her own this afternoon. Especially when she’d tried phoning Anni and her number had been engaged. And then Anni still hadn’t showed up at school this morning.

‘Where’s Anni?’ she asked the Colonel in English.

‘We don’t know,’ The Colonel answered. Pia looked over to Iain. His face was stern.

‘Pia, what have you told Heikki?’

Pia looked down.

The Colonel sighed. ‘In that case can I ask that you tell us everything as well then, please?’

‘I don’t understand anything,’ Pia said. Suddenly tears started running down her cheeks. She thought about the KGB man, Anni, her chance to win the Friendship Trophy. Iain looked at her and eventually Pia calmed down. She told them about being held by Kovtun and what Mr Linnonmaa had said about Iain.

The Colonel listened with a grave face. At times he shot a quick, unfriendly glance at the Admiral. Pia felt almost sorry for him.

When Pia had finished the Colonel sat in silence for a moment.

‘Thank you, young lady,’ the Colonel said finally. ‘You mustn’t worry, everything will be alright. Iain will let you know what to do.’

The woman in the tight skirt appeared at the door again and showed the Colonel out. Pia sat with Iain for a while longer. The woman brought them tea with biscuits. Iain started talking to her in Finnish.

‘Are you OK?’ he said. His eyes looked kind.

‘Yes,’ Pia lied.

‘I know we haven’t told you much. But it’s for your own good.’ Iain reached across and took hold of Pia’s hand.

Pia pulled her hand away, ‘You told my mum I’m on drugs.’

Iain moved further away from her in his seat.

‘I know,’ he said, looking down at the floor between his feet.

There was a silence. All Pia could hear was the faint noise of the traffic from the street below them. Iain lifted his eyes to Pia. ‘I have no excuse for what I did. All I can say is that it was to protect both you and your mother. You see, the less you know the less danger there is.’

‘But it didn’t work, did it!’ Pia felt a surge of anger. She had been dodging questions about Iain while Kovtun had threatened her and hit her!

‘I know, and believe me it wasn’t my fault.’ Iain hesitated and continued, ‘I know it’s not fair.’

Pia looked at Iain. He seemed genuine and she couldn’t help but trust Iain.

He was speaking again, ‘I also think you shouldn’t tell Heikki any more than you have. It will only be dangerous to him, too. Same goes for your mother.’

Pia looked at Iain. ‘What if I do tell, everything to everybody?’

Iain stared at her.

Suddenly Pia felt strong. She was fed up with playing games. Whatever the British security forces, the KGB and Anni’s father were fighting over, it had nothing to do with her! Or Anni! Why should Pia be the piggy in the middle, being told nothing, but still suffering the consequences? She wanted her old life back, be a normal teenager, go to school, be in love with her boyfriend, go out with Anni. Win the Friendship Trophy. She held Iain’s gaze.

Iain sighed. He looked around the room and said in a low voice, ‘OK, you win. But you must promise not to tell anyone, and I mean anyone at all. Not even your teddy bear.’ He was deadly serious and Pia promised. She felt the hairs at the back of her neck stand up.

‘Vladsislas Kovtun is about to defect to the West. We are here to help him do that.’

The doorbell to Leena’s flat rang straight after she’d got home from school. As if whoever it was knew her movements. She put the shopping in the little alcoved kitchen and took off her overcoat. The bell rang again, impatiently. Leena went to answer the door. No doubt it was the unpleasant caretaker with some new house rule or other.

‘Vadi!’ Leena went to embrace the man, but Vadi pushed her away and walked straight into her living room.

Leena followed him, ‘Can I take your coat?’

Vadi paced the room from one end to the other, filling the space with his long black coat and large boots.

‘Or a drink, I have Koskenkorva ?’

‘We have problem!’ Vadi’s eyes were dark. For the first time since meeting him, Leena felt a little afraid of the man. He was passionate – so very passionate – but even when he was telling her off for doing or saying the wrong thing he’d never looked as angry and dangerous as he did now.

‘Well, let’s just have a tiny, weeny drink and I’m sure…’

Vadi started pacing the room again. Leena slid into the kitchenette and poured two large glasses of neat vodka. He downed the drink in one and Leena went quickly to fetch the bottle. Vadi poured himself another glassful and said, ‘Your girl, Pia, she a big, big problem.’