Chapter 5
I look blankly at Maxim, who is standing in front of my desk with his arms crossed at his chest, wondering where he is getting his stupid ideas from all of a sudden.
“No,” I say.
“Why not? It’s a perfect opportunity. She can say she just got lost or that she’s exploring the house.”
“Because one, she probably never saw a listening device in her life and wouldn’t know how or where to place it. And two, no one will believe that she just wandered into Leonid’s room or his office by accident. We don’t know who else is involved. Could be someone from the staff or one of the security guys. I don’t want her tipping off Leonid or his partner sooner than intended.”
“You are sure it was Leonid?”
“Very.”
“Let’s just bag him right away then. Get Mikhail to work on him. He’ll be singing like a bird by morning.”
“And if it wasn’t him?” I ask. “Do you have any idea how it would impact the morale and trust of my men if I tortured one of my own without proof, only to have him turn out innocent?”
“Well, then we have reached a dead-end, Roman.” He takes off his glasses and sighs, “I’ve been listening to the recordings for months and didn’t find anything other than standard gossip. Did you know that Kostya is sleeping with both Valentina and Olga?”
“I don’t give a damn who is sleeping with whom. Which rooms have you bugged so far?”
“The library, the lounge, dining room, both downstairs bathrooms, the basement, armory as well. Varya bugged the kitchen and the pantry for me. That’s it.”
“The cars?”
“All except Leonid’s, Mikhail’s, and Sergei’s.”
“You don’t have to bug Sergei’s car. If he had been the one who set up that bomb, I would have been dead. Together with the whole damn block probably. It’s not Mikhail either.” I tap my finger on the desk, thinking. “Have Valentina place a bug in Leonid’s room and the office.”
“Valentina?”
“Why not? She can be trusted.”
He shakes his head. “Well, let me put it this way. Last night, Nina was sitting on your lap, with her hair in disarray, barefoot, clutching her arm around your neck as you were groping her leg under her dress. Your shirt was unbuttoned, and you were kissing her like a man possessed,” Maxim says and raises his eyebrows at me. “The whole staff knew every single detail the moment Valentina rushed back to the kitchen, as well as her conclusion that you two are soul mates and will have beautiful babies soon. She’s loyal, but her tongue is a mile long. There is no way she can keep her mouth shut even if her life depended on it.”
“Fucking great.” I take a deep breath and look at the ceiling. Is there anyone in this household who is even remotely sane?
“We should get Nina to do it. The staff or the men still haven’t met her, and if you instruct her to pose like a giggly, simple-minded idiot, no one will pay attention to what she’s doing.”
“I would never marry a giggly simple-minded idiot, Maxim. Everyone knows that.”
“Of course, you would. You are a man possessed, remember?”
I close my eyes and shake my head in irritation. One of these days, I’m going to strangle Valentina.
“That’s settled then.” Maxim straightens his jacket, puts his glasses on, and turns to leave. “Let me know when you want me to come and explain the procedure to Nina.”
* * *
When I get back to my suite in the east wing, I don’t see Nina anywhere–not in the kitchen or the living room–so I head to her room, which I find empty as well. For a moment I think she changed her mind and somehow got away. I turn my wheelchair, planning on raising the alarm, when I notice her, and the pressure I didn’t realize was gripping my chest vanishes.
She is sitting cross-legged in the furthest corner of the library with her back to the bookshelf, a bunch of paper towels spread on the floor around her. I wheel myself across the living room, stop a few paces away, and watch. She’s sketching something on one of the paper towels. It’s very basic, but I can see the shape of a woman holding something in front of her. Most of the other paper towels scattered around bear similar compositions, some just unrecognizable lines, others more detailed. I couldn’t have been gone more than an hour. How did she manage to do all that in such a short time?
“Can you send someone to my place to bring my stuff?” Nina asks without removing her eyes from the drawing. “There are three large boxes in the living room. Tell them to be careful, my canvases and paints are inside.”
“When do you need them?”
“Yesterday. Since I’m stuck here, I better do something useful with my time. I have the exhibition in three weeks, and I only have six pieces done. I need nine more, as well as the big guy.”