Philip Kerr - The Five Year Plan (1998)

'Probably the French one Kate was expecting,' said Dave.

'She's the doll, right?'

'She's the mother of all dolls. A real matrushka, my friend. One woman inside another. There was me making love to her, and it turned out she was FBI all along. Not that I ever accepted her at face value. You know me, Einstein. I don't believe in anything.'

'Then we'll make a real Russian of you yet,' grinned Gergiev. 'What was she doing on the ship? Were they onto us, do you think?'

'Not for a minute. Like I said, it's a long story. This boat we're on? As bad luck would have it, the FBI had been keeping it under surveillance. Hard currency isn't the only thing being smuggled across the Atlantic. The fuel tanks of this boat are full of cocaine. She thinks that's what we came after.'

Gergiev looked thoughtful.

'A pity,' he said after a moment.

'What?'

'I was thinking it's a pity we don't have more time. There's a big market for cocaine in Russia these days. Please don't tell me how much there is down there.'

'Not just cocaine. There are three bodies too. I told you. We had some trouble.'

'In that case I'll feel a lot happier when we've sunk this boat.' Gergiev glanced over at Al, who was now restrained by two burly Russian sailors. 'Was the killing down to him?'

'Only partly.' Dave shook his head and said, 'I think he likes shooting people. Ten minutes ago, he was planning to shoot me.'

'So what are you going to do with him?'

'That all depends on whether Kate's still disposed to be the scrupulous federal agent. I was hoping I might be able to persuade her to come along with us.'

Gergiev looked doubtful. 'There are plenty of women in Russia, Dave. With the exception of our politicians' wives, most of them are very beautiful. A little corrupt, maybe, but that shouldn't worry you.'

'This one's special, Einstein. Any objections?'

Gergiev looked at Kate. At a glance he saw what kind of a woman she was. Beautiful, sure. But strong too. And proud. He had seen women like Kate before. Party women, when there was still a Party. KGB women, when there was still a KGB. They might wear a little make-up and dress in an attractive, feminine way; and some of them might also affect an interest in romance; but they were always a lot tougher than the men. Whenever there was a spy scandal and an agent went over from one side to the other, it was always a man who betrayed his country. Never a woman. And certainly never a woman like Kate. It was the same in marriage too. Always the husband who was the traitor, never the wife. Women knew the meaning of loyalty. Men just knew how to spell it. So Gergiev knew her answer would be no, even if Dave hoped it might be something different.

Gergiev said, 'Objections? No, of course not. Bring her along. I'm sure the missile boat's crew will be delighted to have an attractive woman on board.'

'Thanks Einstein. I'll talk to her.'

'Talk all you like. But, Dave?' Gergiev tapped his watch meaningfully. 'Don't say too much.'

Reluctantly Kate allowed Dave to lead her into the galley where he returned her FBI identity card and badge, and quickly reiterated that he wasn't interested in the drugs aboard the yacht. Then he explained about the money. He said, 'It's drug money. Tony Nudelli thinks the money is Colombian. But actually it belongs to some people in New Jersey. Some friends of Tony, as it happens. Italian friends. They are not going to be pleased when they find out that Tony was behind this. That's my present to Tony. He thinks he's picking up some easy cartel money, on its way to Eastern Europe for laundering. Instead he's going to make some new and powerful enemies.'

Kate looked unimpressed. She said, 'You ask me, it's your personality that needs the laundering.'

'Maybe you'd care to take my list.'

'You're in enough hot water already.'

'Do you poke fun at all men? Or just the ones you know?'

'Don't flatter yourself. I don't know you at all. You're just some guy I once slept with. Most of the time I had my eyes closed, remember?'

Dave smiled uncomfortably. 'You can sell yourself that story if you want, Kate. Who knows? Maybe you can write the report and say that there was a lone gunman and no guys standing on the grassy knoll. Maybe you can even produce a magic bullet. But I've seen the Zapruder film of what happened between you and me, Kate. It wasn't like you described at all.'

Kate shrugged dismissively. 'It's not just the Warren Commission who can cover up. And when it comes to what happened between us, I'm Earl Warren and Richard Nixon and Oliver North all rolled into one. In my head this cine film's already been edited. The scissors have been out. Crucial scenes have been cut. Cut, d'you hear?'

'Snip away, Kate,' said Dave. 'But which of us is the more dishonest? I steal money. You lie to yourself. Not just any lie, mind. But the worst kind of lie. This is the kind of lie that might stop you being happy.'

'Exchange an honest life for a crooked one? That's not even worth ten cents on the dollar. I'll say one thing for you, Van, you're full of surprises. I always thought your kind placed no value on sentiment.'

Dave sighed. 'Well, I had to try. Any law against that, Kate?'

'None that I heard of.' Kate shook her head, and quickly wiped a tear from her eye. 'You know, when I met you, I thought you were the perfect man.'

'You're confusing me with that other guy, in the Bible. The guy you're thinking of got himself nailed.'

'You knew Shakespeare. And Pushkin.'

'When you're in prison, you make all kinds of new friends.'

'It wasn't meant to end like this.'

'You just remember you said that, Kate. When you're back home in Miami. I know I will.'

'And where will you be?'

'Murmansk. St Petersburg. Riga.'

'Sounds cold.'

'They wear a lot of fur in Russia. Don't you like fur, Kate? You'd look good in mink.'

'To tell the truth I sort of hate to think of all those mink going to so much bother.'

'It won't be for very long. I intend to travel.'

'With all the enemies you've made, you'll need to.'

'Maybe even come back to the States, when it's safe.'

'Make sure you let me know in advance, so I can book you a cell in a nice jail.' Kate shook her head. 'Don't even think of it, Dave. I see so much as a homesick dog in the Miami Herald's Classified and I'll track you down like your name was Doctor Richard Kimball.'

'I'll be looking out for you.'

'Don't bother. You won't see me coming.'

'That I've seen already.'

Kate felt herself blush again. But this time it was not with anger.

Dave smiled and said, 'Did you know blushing is considered to be evidence of a moral sensibility?'

'What would you know about that?'

'Nothing much. I just know I'll always remember that night we spent together. When I'm old and gray it'll keep me occupied just thinking about it.'

'I hear cons have all kinds of ways of getting through a long sentence. But if I were you I'd think of a canary. I believe they can be quite affectionate.'

Dave looked around for inspiration and saw Einstein Gergiev tapping his watch. Sadly he looked back at Kate, her face as implacable as ever. The one tear that had encouraged him had quickly dried. The blush on her smooth cheek had cooled. There seemed to be no way of getting past her sharp tongue. He could see that she'd steeled herself to say some of the things she was saying. None of it came from the heart. He was certain of that anyway. But it was as if she had engaged the services of a smart attorney, like Jimmy Figaro, and the smart attorney was chambered in her mouth. There was no getting past him.

Desperate now, he said, 'Didn't you ever want to take a ride in a submarine?' He took her by the wrist. 'C'mon, Kate. Take a dive with me.'