Kornilov was not a man to look or sound angry, even when he was furious. Grushko would have preferred it if he had been. At least you knew where you were with a man like that. But Kornilov was as inscrutable as a field of bison grass.
As Grushko came through the door the general nodded at the chairs in front of him and carried on with the protocol he was writing. Grushko sat down, reached for his cigarettes and then thought better of it. Perhaps it was best not to seem in any way relaxed about what had happened. Finally Kornilov put down his fountain-pen and clasped his hands on the blotter in front of him. Grushko's eyes noted how the fingernails on Kornilov's right hand were so badly stained with nicotine they looked as if they were made of wood; they seemed to underline Grushko's impression of Kornilov as something hard and inhuman.
What the hell did you have to go and make that stupid remark about the city councillors for?'
Grushko shook his head and shifted uncomfortably under his senior officer's scrutiny. It was said that Kornilov had once stared down Bobhov, formerly the first deputy chairman of the KGB. Grushko could easily believe it.
He was trying to provoke me,' he said.
I'd say he damn well succeeded, wouldn't you?'
Kornilov lit one of the Boyars he liked to smoke. Grushko watched the incriminating smoke curl round Kornilov's fingertips. Not wood, he thought, but smoked fish. Kornilov was kippering his own fingers. He wondered what the man's lungs looked like. For that matter, what did his own lungs look like?
I had Borzov from the mayor's office on that phone for fifteen minutes this morning,' grumbled Kornilov. He made his feelings quite plain about your performance, Grushko.'
Grushko winced. It was always bad when Kornilov called him by his surname.
Did he, sir?'
He suggests that we need to solve this business with Milyukin as quickly as possible in order to demonstrate that we are winning the war against the Mafia. Otherwise '
Borzov,' sneered Grushko. That idiot. It's only a few years since Borzov was telling people, Mikhail Milyukin included, that there was no such thing as the Soviet Mafia.'
Otherwise,' Kornilov repeated more loudly, things might go badly for us when it comes to renewing our budgets. I need hardly remind you of the shortages we already have to cope with. Petrol, paper, handcuffs, photocopiers, to say nothing of proper leisure facilities for off-duty officers.'
No, sir.'
I want results, Grushko. And I want them soon. Is that quite clear?'
Yes, sir.'
Kornilov picked up his fountain-pen. His yellowing fingers began to write.
That's all,' he murmured.
9
When the old man, whose name was Semyonov, had answered all our questions, Sasha thanked him for coming in and, wishing to humour him a little, asked him how he had come by the impressive row of medals he was wearing on his jacket.
During the blockade of the city,' said the old man. I was on the Pulkovo Heights. Four years facing the German 18th Army. Most of them are service medals. But this one I got for commanding the execution of eight German officers. We built a gallows right here in the centre of Leningrad and after a bit of a trial we put them on four trucks, two apiece, parked under the beam and then strung them up. Half of Leningrad came to watch.' The old man grinned cariously. First decent bit of entertainment folks had seen in three years.'
Sasha nodded politely but I could see that he was shocked. Neither of us was old enough to think of the nine-hundred-day siege, when over a million citizens of Leningrad had died, as anything more than another morbid statistic in our country's bitter history. Distracted from his continuing telephone inquiry by old Semyonov's story, Andrei nodded grimly.
Still,' he sniffed, I expect they deserved it.'
That they did,' said Semyonov. They were war-criminals. The only pity is that we didn't hang more of them.'
Grushko emerged from his dressing-down in General Kornilov's office and directed a face the colour of blood towards Andrei.
Haven't you finished making those calls yet?' he snarled. What's the matter with you: sleeves too long or something?'
I smiled. Sleeves that were much longer than a man's arms had been a mark of the privilege that the tsars enjoyed, showing that they did no work.
Andrei picked up the phone and extinguished his cigarette. No, sir.'
Well get on with it then. And where's Nikolai Vladimirovich?'
I stood up and walked towards him. I was just about to remind Grushko that Nikolai and Alek Svridigailov had spent half the night keeping an eye on the Georgian gang at the Pribaltskaya when the two of them appeared in the corridor behind him.
Where the hell have you been?' said Grushko, but before either one of them could answer he had turned to me. And who's the Hero of the Soviet Union with Sasha?'
Mr Semyonov,' I said. Reckons he saw Milyukin on the night he was killed.'
Why the hell doesn't anyone tell me what's going on around here?' Advancing on the old man he fixed a grumpy sort of smile to his face.
Hello, sir,' he said. I'm Colonel Grushko.'
The old man rose half out of his chair and touched his forehead with his forefinger in what looked like a salute.
Yes,' he said, I know. You were on television last night. I saw you. That's why I came.'
Grushko winced at the memory of it, and I saw Nikolai and Sasha exchange a smile.
I hear you think you saw Mikhail Milyukin on the night that he was murdered.'
It's what I've been telling the two detectives here,' said Semyonov. I was in the Poltava Restaurant, at the Peter and Paul Fortress, dining with some old army friends. We were in the blockade together, you know, and we always meet around this time of year. Of course the Poltava is expensive and so we have to save up a bit, but it's always worth it.'
Grushko nodded patiently.
Milyukin was at another table and he seemed to be waiting for someone.'
When was this exactly?'
Well, we got there at around eight. And he came in not long after that I think. He waited almost two hours, until about ten.'
Semyonov drew the sleeve up his bony old arm to reveal a new army watch of the kind you could buy from any street-corner spiv.
I'm sure about the time, because my daughter bought me this watch for my birthday and I kept looking at it all evening. Anyway, whoever Mr Milyukin was waiting for didn't show up. He kept looking at his watch too. That's why I noticed him in the first place. I wondered if he had a new watch as well.'
And you're sure it was him?'
The phone rang and was answered by Andrei.
Oh yes,' said Semyonov. It was him all right. He's on television as well, you see. And I never forget a face that's been on TV.'
Thank you, Mr Semyonov,' said Grushko. You've been most helpful.'
I know this restaurant, sir,' said Nikolai.
You would.'
His hand covering the mouthpiece of the telephone receiver, Andrei waved it at Grushko.
I've got a Lieutenant Khodyrev on the line,' he explained. From Militia Station 59. She says that Milyukin reported a break-in there, two days before the murder.'
So where the hell have they been?' said Grushko. On holiday?'
Do you want a word with her?'
Grushko reached for the phone and then seemed to think better of it.
No,' he said glancing at his watch. Tell her to meet us at Milyukin's address in half an hour. We can go there
