Julia Gousseva - Gray Shadows - Russian Historical Thriller

Nikolai looked at the husband’s name: D.F. Petrenko.

“Do you know his first name?” Nikolai said.

Vanya furrowed his brows, looked at the initials, then at Nikolai. “Dmitry Fedorovich, I think, or Denis Fedorovich, something like that.”

“Do you happen to know the name of his company?” Nikolai said.

“No, not off-hand. I could check.”

Nikolai looked at the invitation and the names again. “Actually, don’t worry about it. Not important.” Nikolai knew exactly who could find all the information he needed. He was about to excuse himself to go make the call, but his cell phone buzzed.

It was Anatoly.

“Any news?” Nikolai asked after he stepped outside and started walking to Pyotr Alekseevich’s office. The wind was blowing snow in all directions, obscuring the path and getting into Nikolai’s face. He picked up his pace, walked inside the building, and stopped by the staircase. He wanted to finish this conversation before heading back up.

“As we expected, the old director is putting pressure on Pyotr Alekseevich to sell the company,” Anatoly said. “But you already knew that.”

“Right,” Nikolai said. “So what’s the real news?”

“The company’s financial problems go well beyond the unpaid taxes. Apparently, the old director made deliberate attempts to bankrupt the company so he could sell it at a low price to himself.”

“Care to explain that part?” Nikolai said.

“He set up another company, with a different corporate name and a different bank account. And that’s the company that is trying to buy Luzinsk Oil and Gas.”

“I see,” Nikolai said.

“But Pyotr Alekseevich is determined to stay in charge of Luzinsk Oil and Gas, and he’s about to sign a deal with the government to that effect.”

“I know that,” Nikolai said. “That’s why I’m here. And that all is supposed to happen by the end of the board meeting. Next week.”

“Right. So, what I get from this whole story is that if the deal is not signed by then,” Anatoly continued, “the company will go on sale. Cheaply. Is that how you understand it, too?”

“Yes.”

“And there’s only one condition that could stop Pyotr Alekseevich and the other two board members from signing the deal.” Anatoly paused.

“If one of them dies,” Nikolai said.

“I’m afraid so. I’m sending reinforcement from the agency tomorrow, as Pyotr Alekseevich has asked for. Get ready to meet them.”

“Can you also send Viktor? Can you spare him for a day or so?” Nikolai said.

“Viktor the computer guy? Why?”

“The company seems to have a lot of computer problems, including computers that operate security cameras and monitors. I want to make sure nothing fishy’s going on.”

“Don’t they have a computer person?” Anatoly said.

“Sure, they do. But I don’t know if I trust him.”

“Got it. I’ll send Viktor,” Anatoly said and clicked off.

A blast of freezing Arctic wind sent a chill through Nikolai’s bones despite the warm parka he was wearing, but it was not time to go inside yet. He had one more phone call to make.

Nikolai punched the number into his phone, and Olga picked up right away.

“I have something to ask you,” Nikolai said.

“Not about my promotion, I hope. I’m beginning to suspect you’re just envious that I’ll be making more money than you. Male ego problems?”

“Maybe, a little of that,” Nikolai said. He was a little taken aback by Olga’s harsh tone, but decided this was no time to argue. He had a job to do. “What is Denis Fedorovich’s last name?”

“Petrenko.”

“That’s what I suspected.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

Nikolai paused, then told her everything he had discovered about Denis Fedorovich and his company. Olga listened without interrupting him, so Nikolai could not tell what her reaction was to all this new information.

“Now that you know all this,” Nikolai said. “Can you promise me not to accept his job offer?”

“Promise you?” Olga said. “I don’t know if you’re telling me all that because you want to protect me, or because you’re jealous of my promotion. Let’s face it: I make more money than you do, my schedule is easier, and I get better job offers and promotions. You are just a servant, nothing else. And there’s one more thing. I’m moving out.”

“You’re what?” Nikolai did not expect this reaction from Olga. “Moving out?”

“We both know that our relationship is not working, so why waste any more time on it. It’s better if I just move out.”

“You don’t want to wait till I come back so we can talk about it in person?”

“There’s nothing to talk about. Nothing you can say will change my mind.”

“All right,” Nikolai said. Olga’s words hurt, and he still loved her, despite all the recent problems and disagreements. At the same time, he felt a sense of relief. Olga was right. She was saying exactly what Nikolai had been thinking for a while but never had the courage to bring up. “I’m sorry things did not work out for us.”

“Just like that?” Olga said. “You’re giving up that quickly? I knew you never loved me. I’ll leave the key on the kitchen table.”

Before Nikolai could say anything else, Olga clicked off. For a moment, Nikolai contemplated calling her back but decided not to. What could he tell her? That he used to love her but the social and political circumstances of their changing country and of their lives erased his love for her? Or erased the person Olga used to be? All that would sound like pathetic excuses, especially over the phone. It was better just to let her move out and have a longer conversation in person, after Nikolai got back to Moscow, if Olga would even want to have such a conversation.

Nikolai closed his eyes for a second, exhaled, and put the phone away. Then, he stepped into the warmth of the office building, climbed up the steps and stopped outside of Pyotr Alekseevich’s office. The door was open, and Nikolai could hear the director’s agitated voice.

“Yes, I got the report,” Pyotr Alekseevich was saying. “The numbers are incredibly high. Yes, of course, we’re checking. We’ve been checking day and night since we got the information from MENDAX Environmental Group. Yes, they are our new consultants. And no, we can’t find the source of the problem. It may be a leak in one of the underground pipes. Yes, of course, we’ll keep looking. We are looking.”

Nikolai stepped into the office. Pyotr Alekseevich stood by the window, tapping a pencil on the glass. Isolated from the outside world by her ear buds, Natalya was at the computer, typing busily.

“Problems?” Nikolai said.

Pyotr Alekseevich turned to him and nodded. “Serious ones. We got the environmental report, and it shows high contamination of soil and water, and that means a major leak in the pipeline.”

“But isn’t the pipeline new?” Nikolai said.

“It is. But things can happen even with a new pipeline,” Pyotr Alekseevich said. “Especially if somebody wants them to happen.”

“You’re thinking sabotage?” Nikolai said.

“I’m not ruling it out.” Pyotr Alekseevich said. “But whatever the reason, we can’t even find that leak. That’s really bad news, especially just before the board meeting. The government could just close us down, and auction off our assets.” He shook his head, then walked over to Natalya and tapped her on the shoulder lightly. She pulled out her ear buds and looked up.

“I need to go back to the oil field,” Pyotr Alekseevich said. “Could you please stay here and work on these documents?” He handed her a folder.