Stephen Leather - True Colours

He tensed as he heard a key slot into the front door lock, but then almost immediately relaxed. It was seven o’clock in the morning. It was the girl, returning home. He heard the front door open and close, and then a shuffling sound as she removed her shoes. He smiled as he heard her tiptoe down the hallway and gently open the bedroom door. She paused, then tiptoed towards the bathroom. He let her get all the way to the bathroom door before speaking. ‘I’m not asleep.’

She jumped, and then laughed. ‘I was trying not to wake you.’ She jumped on the bed, rolled on top of him and kissed him.

‘Alina, you will never be able to sneak up on me, no matter how hard you try. If I had been a heavy sleeper when I was a teenager, I would have died, beaten to death as I slept.’

‘My wild man,’ said Podolski. She laughed as he ran his hands over her body. ‘Are you going to hammer me?’ she asked.

He rolled her on to her back and she opened her legs as he moved on top of her. ‘There’s no one I’d rather hammer than you.’

She put her hands either side of his face. ‘Bullshit, Kirill. You’re using me. Don’t pretend otherwise. You’re using me to get the inside track on that pig Grechko.’

‘You’re helping me,’ said Monotok. ‘And I’ll show you my gratitude.’ He started to pull off her shirt and slid his hand up to her breasts.

‘I’ll do it,’ she said, pushing him off her. ‘You fumble.’

He laughed as he rolled on to his back and she straddled him. ‘I do not fumble.’

She undid her shirt, slid it off and tossed it on to the floor. ‘You fumble,’ she said. ‘But I forgive you.’ She undid her bra and let her breasts swing free. ‘Now shut up and hammer me.’

Afterwards, he lay on his back staring up at the ceiling, his arm around her as she toyed with the hairs on his chest. She felt tiny lying next to him, soft and warm like a small bird. ‘Something strange happened today,’ she said quietly.

‘Really? What?’

‘We’ve all got to take a lie detector test. Grechko’s orders.’

‘Why didn’t you tell me before?’ he asked.

She laughed softly. ‘Because I wanted you to hammer me,’ she said. ‘And if I told you, you’d want to talk and not fuck.’

He gave her a small squeeze. His heart had started to race but he forced himself to stay calm and to keep his voice level and soothing. ‘You’re a bad girl,’ he said, then kissed her softly on the top of her head.

‘And you’re a bad man. That’s why we’re so good together.’

‘You’re not a bad girl, Alina. You have no idea what it is to be bad. So who has been questioned so far?’

‘The butler. Two of the maids. They did Dmitry first, he insisted.’

‘And who is carrying out the tests?’

‘Some sort of expert.’

‘Russian? Or English?’

‘Chinese. British Chinese. Or Chinese British. But he speaks Russian.’

‘And he will be questioning everyone at the house?’

‘That’s what Dmitry says. But it’s nothing, it’s about a stolen watch. Grechko has lost one of his watches. It’s worth four million dollars, they say. It’s a Patek Philippe, made of platinum. Old and very valuable.’

‘And they say someone stole it?’

‘From his bedroom. There is no CCTV there. It’s not a problem, he’s just asking if you stole the watch, I didn’t so it’ll be OK.’

‘How long does each test take?’

He felt her shrug. ‘Half an hour. Maybe more.’

‘Then he’s not just asking about the watch,’ said Monotok. ‘This expert, does he seem to know the two British guys who joined the security team?’

‘I’m not sure. But Tony is sitting in on the tests. He’s in the library all the time.’

‘And who did he arrive with, this expert?’

‘He came alone. Just after three o’clock yesterday afternoon.’

‘And when did the watch go missing?’

‘Yesterday, I think. Grechko called Dmitry in yesterday morning.’

‘Who hired this expert? Who called him in?’

She shook her head. ‘I don’t know. Dmitry didn’t say.’

‘But it wasn’t Dmitry’s idea?’

‘I don’t think so.’

‘And he’s British, you said?’

‘That’s right. Well, like I said, he’s Chinese. But he has an accent like he comes from the North. Not Scottish. It’s strange.’

‘If it was Grechko’s idea he would probably have used a Russian. Don’t you think?’

‘He prefers Russians, yes.’

Monotok nodded. ‘What about the woman who comes to see Grechko? The one who knows Ryan. Has she been again?’

‘No. What’s wrong? You think this is about you?’

‘I think it is unlikely that any member of Grechko’s staff would be stupid enough to steal from him. Especially a four-million-dollar watch.’ He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. ‘They know,’ he said quietly.

He felt her tense. ‘They know what?’

‘They know that someone is passing information on Grechko. At least they suspect. When are you due to be tested?’

‘Tonight. After I report for work.’ She frowned. ‘It’s a problem?’

‘They’ll be looking for signs of anxiety. Nervousness.’

‘I’m not nervous,’ she said, stroking his chest.

‘You don’t feel nervous but the signs will be there. Respiration rate, sweat, skin conductivity, pulse rate. Things that you have no control over.’

‘I’ll take deep breaths and think sweet thoughts.’ She laughed. ‘I’ll think about you hammering me.’

‘That won’t work,’ he said. ‘There are ways of beating the machines but it takes practice and the right drugs.’ He kissed her on the cheek. ‘Did they say when they want to test you? Is there a schedule?’

‘They just come and get you. It could be any time.’

He nodded as he stared up at the ceiling. ‘We do it tonight,’ he said quietly.

‘Tonight? Are you sure?’

‘It has to be,’ said Monotok. ‘If they suspect you in any way they’ll move you from the team and then you’ll be no use to me.’

She grabbed a handful of chest hair and pulled, hard enough to make him yelp. ‘See! You are using me!’

He rolled on top of her and kissed her. ‘You’re helping me, and I’m grateful. Really grateful. And when this is over, I’ll show you how grateful.’

‘You won’t leave me?’

‘Alina, I swear I won’t leave you. Once I’ve taken care of Grechko it’s over. The four of them will be dead and I can move on.’

‘With me?’

‘With you.’

‘You promise?’

‘I promise.’

She smiled and kissed him again.

Monotok returned the kiss and then broke away. ‘Who is on the shift with you tonight?’

She frowned as she tried to remember. ‘Vlad, and his bloody porn. He’ll be in the security centre for the whole shift. Leo will be there, he’s not on shift but he lives in the house. Same with Konstantin. The British guy. Ryan will be there. He’s been working with the lie detector guy. And Boris. And Max. And Dmitry. He’s always there. Thomas will be on the gate. That’s all. Grechko is in all night and there are no visitors expected.’

‘Max still fancies you, right?’

‘He’s just a boy,’ she said. She laughed and ran her hand down his chest towards his groin. ‘Are you jealous?’

‘Of course I’m jealous,’ he said, and kissed her on the forehead. ‘OK, we’ll use Max. You can call him and tell him you’ll give him a lift. Tell him there’s something you need to talk to him about.’

‘OK, but you need to do one thing for me,’ she said, slipping her hand between his thighs.

‘Anything,’ he said.

‘Hammer me again,’ she said, rolling on to her back and opening her legs.