Brian Freemantle - No Time for Heroes

‘They’ve already gone.’ Danilov hesitated, wanting to enjoy twisting the knife. ‘And I have never once tried to usurp your authority. It’s made quite clear it’s on your orders…’

Metkin looked steadily at him. His mouth moved very slightly, as if he were practising a challenge, but he did not finally make it. Instead he said: ‘You have been extremely busy.’

‘We’ve already agreed that I am going to be, with all the responsibilities you have given me.’

‘Which you are taking extremely seriously.’

That afternoon a gaunt, sharp-faced woman who introduced herself as Ludmilla Markovina Radsic came unsmilingly into his office. ‘I was told to report here as your secretary.’

‘Temporarily?’

‘Permanently.’

Danilov wished Metkin had at least imposed an attractive informant.

Olga shopped lavishly at the open market for the celebration supper with Yevgennie and Larissa Kosov. There was sufficient steak, vegetables both fresh and marinated, and cheese and fresh fruit to have thrown a banquet for four times their number. Because Danilov had no access to dollars she had had to pay in roubles: it had cost what was officially a whole month’s salary. Danilov refused to compete, which he acknowledged to be a kind of inverted snobbery: the vodka and brandy and champagne and the flat wine were all Russian. When they went to Yevgennie and Larissa’s apartment the Scotch was from Scotland – always Chivas Regal – and the champagne and brandy and the burgundy was from France.

‘You could have got something else,’ complained Olga, when she saw him setting the bottles out.

Danilov did not, in fact, believe he could have done. ‘I’m happy with this.’

‘I’m not. Neither will Larissa or Yevgennie be.’

‘It’ll be a new experience for them.’

‘You told me you were superior to Yevgennie now.’

‘I am,’ confirmed Danilov. In empty rank but certainly not in authority or power, he admitted to himself.

‘They won’t think so, when they see the sort of drink you’re serving.’

‘Who cares what they think?’

‘I do.’

The Kosovs arrived precisely on time, almost curiously. Larissa looked spectacular – and knew it – in a clinging black angora dress, topped by a white, three-quarter-length real leather coat which had clearly not been fashioned in Russia. Neither had the matching crocodile handbag and shoes. Danilov had not seen any of it during their hotel or tucked-away-restaurant assignations, and guessed she’d dressed for him. Because it was virtually unavailable in Moscow, Kosov usually dressed in cashmere. The jacket tonight was blue, over tan trousers; his shoes were crocodile too. Danilov had not seen the heavy gold watch before: there were jewels – diamonds maybe – instead of numerals. His own had stopped again that night. It was supposed to be a Cartier but he knew it wasn’t: the ‘gold’ surround had flaked a long time ago.

There were effusive, both-cheek kisses, and Kosov presented Olga with Belgian chocolates: when Danilov kissed Larissa, she positioned herself so he would detect she was not wearing a bra, smiling at him as they parted. Kosov looked pointedly at the Russian label when Danilov poured the champagne, but didn’t comment. Danilov knew Kosov would have done, if he had been drinking before he left their own apartment, as he normally did, and wondered why the man had abstained that evening.

‘A toast!’ Kosov declared, as usual moving to dominate. ‘To Dimitri Ivanovich and his well deserved and well earned promotion!’

Danilov stood feeling foolish as the other three drank. He sipped his own wine, at the end. It was sharp. ‘It doesn’t mean a great deal,’ he said, in gross understatement.

‘Nonsense,’ said Larissa. ‘You’re a star!’

‘Of which we’ve been reminded,’ said Kosov. ‘See you were mentioned in the newspapers today.’

‘History,’ dismissed Danilov.

‘Don’t be modest,’ chided Larissa. ‘Aren’t you proud of him, Olga?’

The idea seemed to surprise Olga. ‘Of course,’ she said, hurriedly. Her tan dress had a stain on the left sleeve and the shoes did not co-ordinate; she looked dowdy in comparison to the other woman.

‘Thought you might have got the Directorship,’ said Kosov. It was a question more than an opinion, a remark inviting a reply.

Danilov met the other man’s look. ‘It’s an enlargement of the Bureau.’ He wished he hadn’t had to fall back upon Anatoli Metkin’s empty insistence in the corridor the day Lapinsk had retired.

‘A division of authority?’ asked Kosov.

‘Yes.’ Danilov was curious at Kosov’s interest.

‘You’ll go on heading the investigative side of things?’

Danilov didn’t think this was polite interest. It sounded like someone trying to pin down rumours – which would, among other things, account for Kosov’s sobriety. ‘It’s interesting you should mention the newspaper references,’ he evaded easily. ‘I’m liaising with the Foreign Ministry about this business in Washington.’

‘You’re going to investigate that!’ said Larissa excitedly.

Danilov decided she was very brave – or very confident – wearing a black wool dress: Larissa moved her head a lot but there was no stray blonde hair on her shoulders. ‘We need to know all we can,’ Danilov avoided again. He hurried around with the champagne: neither Larissa nor her husband had drunk very much.

‘You get on well with Metkin?’ persisted Kosov.

‘There’s a professional relationship,’ said Danilov.

‘Wasn’t he junior to you, when Lapinsk was Director?’

Danilov saw both Olga and Larissa look at Kosov, then to him. Danilov said: ‘We held equal rank.’

‘Why didn’t you get the Directorship, with Metkin as your deputy?’ demanded Olga. ‘You should have done, shouldn’t you!’

Bastards, thought Danilov. Metkin was a bastard and those above him in the Interior Ministry were bastards and those who sneered in the squad room were bastards and Kosov, who’d clearly heard rumours if he’d not been openly told, was a bastard for making this scene in the middle of his living room. ‘If I had been made Director I would have been removed from any investigative role. This way I’m not.’

‘So you will continue as an investigator!’ said Larissa.

‘In certain, particular circumstances,’ said Danilov, uncaring of his lie, wanting only to close off the inquisition.

Which it appeared to do. Olga bustled into the kitchen, taking Larissa with her, and Kosov switched to vodka and began to catch up on his alcohol intake. He made half-hearted attempts to get back to discussing Danilov’s new role, but Danilov always managed to deflect him. Danilov had been unable to reach the commander of the Militia district covering Kirovskaya to get protection for the Volga, and had intended asking Kosov to fix it: now, that would be quite the wrong thing to do.

The steaks were excellent and the wine, which actually wasn’t Russian but Georgian, was as good as any Danilov had been served by Kosov.

It was over coffee and brandy that Larissa whispered to Danilov she was working afternoon split-shift, with access to rooms throughout the week. He whispered back he would try. Larissa, in turn, insisted they had their future to talk about: he’d asked her to wait until he was promoted, which he’d now been.

After they left, Olga said: ‘I thought Yevgennie kept on at you, at the begining of the evening.’

‘I didn’t notice,’ lied Danilov. How much longer could he go on dodging the personal situation? Larissa had been right, of course; they had a lot to talk about. Danilov acknowledged, abruptly, that he was frightened: he was frightened of abandoning Olga, and he was frightened of trying to look after Larissa after the luxuries heaped upon her by Kosov, and now he didn’t have the protective directorship he was frightened the uniformed colonel would try to use his past to cause as much harm as possible when Larissa announced whom she was leaving him for.