Mishka Ben-David - Forbidden Love in St. Petersburg

A hero I wanted to emulate, who excited me, I answered after a while, someone who pops into my mind from my youth but in a blurry sort of way, is Martin Eden by Jack London.

Not his suicide by drowning I hope, she said.

No, not just that. I remember descriptions of this broad-shouldered character, walking around awkwardly, actually fearful of bumping into things and causing damage. Something about this reticence verging on clumsiness combined with strength, and the writing, greatly appealed to me. I was just a boy, and felt like him. My shoulders were broadening out, I had enormous strength, I didn’t know how to talk properly and from the reading I wanted very much to be a bit of a writer and a bit of a sailor and fighter…

You know that he really did commit suicide, Anna said.

Yes, I said. I knew that Jack London was a seaman. I assumed there was an autobiographical basis for the book, and that’s what I loved. But mainly I was able to identify with the portrait of a man who didn’t understand himself and wasn’t aware of the inner drives preventing him from ever being at peace with himself.

Anna stroked my thigh affectionately. And you too are like that. I see that in you, and so dream of tempering that inner struggle of yours.

And which book did you love most? I preferred to divert the focus away from me.

The book I love best is Love in the Time of Cholera , the most wonderful love story I have ever read. So many people fail to realize the great love of their youth and spend a lifetime dreaming of that love. Marquez really made me happy when, in the end, he returned Fermina into Florentino’s arms. They were both old by then, she a shadow of her former self. And yet love conquered all. It’s so moving that people don’t stop believing, loving, trying. I don’t have a love from my youth that I want to meet again. Yet I do feel that this book is very relevant to my life.

Our love was at its height and Annushka at the peak of her beauty and ripeness. We were neither the youngsters at the beginning of the book nor the elderly couple at its conclusion, but I said nothing. The seeds of destruction were already latent in our love and who could tell how it would end?

AT DAWN THE four members of the team took off for Europe and by lunchtime were on their way to St Petersburg with fake IDs.

Early in the morning, Ariel contacted Udi at home. I had problems closing the bank account, he said in his wake-up call from Montreal, and I need to know whether I should come back as planned or stay here until it’s all settled.

What, exactly, is the problem? asked Udi, still drowsy.

The day before I went to the bank there was a substantial transfer of funds from Israel to here and from here to Russia and when the market closed the rates of exchange were not final and adjustments to the balance are expected.

A transfer from Israel? Udi was now fully awake. The company account in Montreal that Paul set up was supposed to have absolutely no link to Israel.

And you won’t believe the sums involved, Ariel added. Something like a million shekels. Apparently he transferred everything he had in Israel.

Was it sent to the company account in Russia? He’s burned the company?

That’s it. He hasn’t. I have the account number in Russia to which the funds were transferred, and it’s not the company account. So at least in Russia the account remains clean.

Have you managed to close down the account in Montreal?

That’s not possible because of what I’ve just explained to you. But I’ve cut its link to the company account in Russia and blocked all foreign dealings except for what’s involved in these exchange rate adjustments.

For the moment that’s good enough. When is your flight back?

It’s now 1 a.m. here. I have a flight at 7 in the morning to Vienna and land in Israel at 11 p.m.

Come straight to the office with all the paperwork, Udi said. We’ll have to do some serious work on it.

A short while later Alex called and the conversation wasn’t any more encouraging. Cotton Field’s controller met up with his source tonight and was informed by him that ‘Anna Petrovna Starzava from St Petersburg was an ex–KGB spy catcher and is apparently employed in the same role by the FSB.’

Was he able to give any more information about her? Udi asked, impatiently. At least so we can say which one of the six listed in the phone book she is?

The paternal name, Petrovna, isn’t listed in the phone books, Alex said, Cotton Field was only able to give me what I’ve now told you.

No address, no description, not something we can bite into?

No, said Alex, the instruction was not to push to avoid it impacting on Paul.

Does the source have encrypted communications?

No, his recruitment is not yet at that level. But he’s a businessman who is in Europe every few weeks.

If what he’s reported is correct it doesn’t leave us much time, Udi said. Is the controller still with him?

Until lunchtime, Alex replied.

So get him a precise list of the essential information we want, and do it urgently. We must have an address, a description, every possible detail. He should tell the man to come to a follow-up meeting the moment he has some answers. Have him give the guy a backhander of some sort to make it worth his while.

Udi quickly left his house for Mossad HQ. The bureau secretary ushered him in straight away.

Double espresso, thank you. Udi’s request was picked up by the recording machine and the head of the Mossad duly ordered his third cup of coffee of the day.

Not the worst news but hardly encouraging either, Udi said as he sat down. For starters, we sent out four people this morning who’ll be arriving in St Petersburg during the course of the day.

Up till now you’re doing OK, the chief responded.

But that’s the end of the good news. Ariel was at the branch bank in Canada where the company has its account. It turns out that Paul transferred large sums yesterday, apparently everything he had in Israel, via the account in Montreal to a new account he opened in St Petersburg.

Son of a gun, the Chief said.

That messes up the Canadian company for having ties with Israel and prevents the account’s closure because of some issues with the exchange rate. It also shows, of course, that he’s serious about wanting to cut his links to Israel and live in St Petersburg. And that’s only the half of it.

Oh, there’s more?

Yes. The source in Russia has relayed information that there is an Anna Petrovna Starzava from St Petersburg who’s an ex–KGB spy catcher and is continuing to work in that role with the FSB. But he had no details about her and as you’ll recall we know of at least six Anna Starzavas.

Petrovna narrows down the number, not all their fathers were named Petrov, the chief said confidently. And quite apart from that she’s not one of the six. Does it seem likely to you that a spy catcher would be listed in the phone book?

If so, it means that right now we are clueless. The ‘Field’ was instructed to get an address and a description.

Good, at least we’re clear about what’s happening with Paul, and all those bleeding hearts in your division who think that he’s either the most righteous or the most pitiable man of his generation can begin eating their hats, the chief said. The guy has really deserted and, if we take the worst-case scenario, has been seduced by a spy catcher and is now in the clutches of the FSB.

Alternatively, this isn’t the KGB’s Anna and he’s just severed his links with us to be with her, what you called a love deserter, Udi replied.

We have to work on the assumption that we’re facing a far more serious possibility. At least until we’re proven wrong. How many people did you say were on their way, four?