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

Iain pondered how this was going to affect Pia at the Tournament. Did it have any bearing? ‘The gymnastics teacher, Miss Joutila, would she be worth talking to a little more?’

‘On no account are you to approach her!’

Iain looked up. The Colonel had raised his voice.

‘Is that clear? Keep away from anyone apart from the two civilians. From now on you can leave Kovtun and his girlfriends to me.’ After a while he calmed down and continued, ‘I have to also warn you, you are getting very close to your subjects. Personal involvement like that only hampers operations. Makes one misjudge things.’ He was looking at Iain. His eyes looked naked, even vulnerable, without his glasses. ‘Believe me, I know.’ He was quiet for a long time. Then he put his glasses back on. He was already attending to the file on his lap. Clearly the interview was over.

Sunday the weather turned even colder. The snow was no longer falling, but there was a bitter wind. Did it really blow all the way from Siberia, Iain wondered. It was the lowest temperatures he had ever known. To avoid having to stand in the harsh weather for too long, he got to the corner of Kasarminkatu and Vuorimiehenkatu only five minutes before Pia was due to emerge from her block of flats. He knew he was cutting it fine, but then he’d made Pia promise she would be at the tram stop at 9.10. Iain glanced at his watch. It was now five minutes past. When he again looked at the entrance to the flats, he saw two women emerge. Damn, he swore to himself.

Iain now had to run up to Johannes Church to the next stop in order to catch the same tram. He must not be seen by Maija. As he ran up the hill, Iain hoped that Pia was keeping her promise not to tell her mother anything. He agreed with the Colonel. The less people knew about the defection the better, especially as Kovtun was behaving so strangely and with his own side after him. A desperate man was a dangerous man. But if Pia had kept her promise, why was Maija with her? The bank was closed on Sundays. Surely she was not planning to attend the rehearsals with Pia this morning?

Iain was astonished how tough Pia had been through this affair. Having never had children, he couldn’t imagine what worry a girl like Pia could bring to her parents. The father didn’t seem to be on the scene at all, which must make it all that much more difficult for Maija. Again, Iain felt the pangs of guilt. He was really not cut out for the life of an impartial agent.

Iain sighed in relief when he saw Maija climb out of the tram on Mannerheim Street. He made his way towards the front part of the carriage and sat down on the now empty seat next to Pia.

The girl glanced sideways but said nothing.

Iain took a newspaper out of his pocket. It was yesterday’s Helsingin Sanomat . He spread it out in front of him and whispered to Pia.

‘I have to go elsewhere. I’m off at the next stop. Be careful, do not step out of the tram before the school stop, and then walk straight to school. I’ll be outside, opposite the gym hall, at lunchtime.’

Pia was tired. She’d cried herself to sleep. The thought of Anni being held by that awful blond Russian had tortured her all night. Iain didn’t seem to know where she was. Unless he just wasn’t telling her. Poor Anni, she had been so brave in front of the KGB men. She, Pia, had been a slobbering baby. Mr Linnonmaa had said the KGB would not dare to come back, so perhaps the Linnonmaa family had left town for their own safety? If only Pia knew!

And did Heikki have anything to do with any of this? Sasha? The thought of her and Heikki together made Pia sick. Yet Sasha was always hanging around him. Heikki didn’t seem to be able or willing to stop it. Pia was glad she hadn’t made any plans to meet up with him today. She wasn’t sure she wanted to see him. She couldn’t guarantee she’d act normally when she saw him or when he touched her. She needed to be absolutely sure Heikki loved her and no one else. She’d ask him but not until all this was over. Iain had said that by tomorrow the Russian should have gone. Pia couldn’t wait.

Approaching the school building, Pia spotted two figures standing outside the entrance to the Lyceum. She recognised them immediately. Pia’s throat felt dry.

Sasha was standing so close to Heikki their heads were touching. What were they doing at school on a Sunday and what were they talking about?

Pia looked around the schoolyard. She didn’t want to be seen by them. She could hide by the low red-brick gymnastics hall. She stepped sideways and stood with her back to the wall. She heard Sasha’s laughter. She said, ‘So, how long are you going to wait?’

Pia couldn’t make out Heikki’s reply. He mumbled something in a low voice.

Again Sasha laughed, ‘Well, I’ve warned you.’

Pia hurried up the staircase and into the gym hall. It was empty. None of the other girls had turned up yet. There was a light in Miss Joutila’s office. Pia dropped her bag onto the floor of the changing room and took off her boots. It was cold, so she left her jumper on over her costume. She walked along the mats with her legwarmers pulled high up. There were voices coming from Miss Joutila’s office. Pia felt bad eavesdropping on her teacher again. Should she go back to the changing rooms and wait there? But she couldn’t help hear what was being said.

‘I told you not to talk to the man! You are mad, mad woman!’

She would have recognised the voice anywhere. It was Kovtun.

‘Please don’t be angry,’ Miss Joutila said. Her voice quivered. She was sniffling.

‘Do you understand what you do! You make everything wrong.’

There was a crash. Something broke as it was flung onto the floor.

Pia was frightened but she couldn’t move. Miss Joutila was weeping.

‘I’m sorry, Vadi. I didn’t know, I…’

But Kovtun didn’t let her finish. ‘I tell you what you do. You talk to this Englishman again. You tell him you sorry, very sorry. You were stupid. And you do not, hear me woman, you do not say my name!’ There was a bang. Kovtun must have hit something. Pia held her breath. Then, Kovtun continued in a more gentle tone, ‘Leena, dusha, you want to live in England with Vladsislas and his beautiful daughter, yes?’

‘Yes.’ Leena’s voice was so low Pia could hardly make out what she said.

‘But this man try to stop us, see?’

Leena sighed, ‘OK, I’ll talk to him again and tell him I was mistaken.’

Later when Pia came out of the gym hall, Heikki was waiting for her in the corridor.

‘Pia,’ he called when she tried to walk past him. Heikki took hold of Pia’s arm and said, ‘Please, can we talk. We could go to the Rixi Bar?’

‘Ok,’ she said. Iain would be outside by now, and would follow them. She felt safe knowing that. ‘But, instead of Rixi, we’ll go to my place, OK?’

‘Sure.’

Heikki seemed meek as a lamb. He followed Pia rather than taking hold of her and leading as he usually did. They walked out of the school building, picking up their coats from the lockers. Neither spoke. Outside, Pia scanned the street, but couldn’t see Iain. Then she remembered what Iain had told her and took off her scarf.

‘What are you doing?’ Heikki asked. ‘It’s bloody freezing out here!’

Pia said nothing, but continued to scan the people on the street. No sign of Iain! She took Heikki’s hand and ran to the tram stop. The number ten was just pulling up. Pia felt for the key in her pocket and decided she’d take Heikki with her to the Council. At least there they would be safe.

Pia and Heikki got out of the crowded tram at Erottaja.

‘I thought we were going to yours?’ Heikki said as their feet hit the pavement. Pia didn’t reply. Her heart pounded hard against her jumper as she looked up the hill towards Ullanlinna. A few people were hurrying down the slippery street and along the tree-lined South Esplanade. The lights of the Happy Days Café seemed bright against the grey sky. Where was Iain? Without his protection Pia felt vulnerable.