Belov said: ‘A long journey apparently for so little. It was actually extremely important.’ He hoped the hint was passed on, to prompt an inquiry from which he could make his changed allegiance obvious.
‘Of course, Comrade Director,’ said Yuri. He was as curious at the remark as he was at being received by the man; Belov owed him no explanation. Or perhaps he was trying to make one of a different sort.
‘You are experiencing no problems in New York?’ Surely an approach as direct as this could not be misconstrued!
‘None whatsoever,’ assured Yuri. What was the direction of this conversation?
‘What effect has the defection had upon the UN mission?’
This was a question for Granov, not him. Yuri said: ‘There was the obvious publicity, for several days. It has diminished now.’
‘Has there been any indication of greater surveillance from American counter-intelligence?’
If there had been any indication it would have been bad surveillance, thought Yuri. He said: ‘None. Of course precautions are being taken.’
‘I have advised your father of your return.’
Was it something as simple as being a conduit to his father, Yuri wondered suddenly. But why would the man need a channel to someone heading the division in which he worked? Access was no problem. Yuri said: ‘I would welcome the opportunity to see him.’
‘Your flight does not leave until ten o’clock tonight.’
‘That is extremely considerate,’ said Yuri. Which was true. But why?
‘Convey my regards to your father.’ What the hell more could he do?
Yuri was unsure of his father’s attitude when he arrived at Kutuzovsky Prospekt. His first inference was impatience but almost at once he wondered if there were some nervousness involved as well.
‘What did you carry back?’ demanded the older man at once.
‘I don’t know. Something in a camera.’
‘No difficulties during the flights?’
‘None.’ What had his father expected to happen?
‘Whom did you see?’
‘Belov himself.’
‘That was unusual: unnecessary.’
‘He was almost embarrassingly friendly. Which was unnecessary too. Asked me to convey his regards.’
‘He personally told me you were coming back today: a memorandum would have done.’
‘Switching from Kazin?’
‘Or working with him.’
Yuri felt a flicker of unease. ‘You think I was being set up?’
‘I’m not sure what to think at the moment,’ said the older man.
Seeking reassurance somewhere, Yuri said: ‘What about reopening the inquiry?’
‘There may be something.’
‘What?’ demanded Yuri.
‘Panchenko’s squad were dispersed to other security units,’ disclosed the older man. ‘The major to Kiev, the others to Leningrad and Odessa. All within three days of the inquiry ending.’
‘Hurriedly got out of the way!’
His father smiled, a teeth-bared, humourless expression. He said: ‘We’ll see. I’m bringing them back. The major should be re-posted within a fortnight. The others about a week after that.’
Yuri recalled his thoughts of making a direct demand of his father. He said: ‘When I arrived back from Kabul you talked about an attempt to hurt us both?’
‘Yes?’ agreed Malik doubtfully.
‘Both of us,’ insisted Yuri. ‘Not just you.’
‘So?’
‘I deserve to know.’
For a long time Malik did not speak. At last he said: ‘I am not sure I want you to know.’
‘I want it!’ Yuri was surprised at his own force: and frightened, too, that he had gone too far, despite his impression of a closer relationship. His father looked surprised at the outburst, and Yuri hurried on: ‘Unless I know I can’t understand what the hell is happening: what I should or should not do.’
Still there was no immediate response. Then, almost in conversation with himself, Malik said: ‘No, you can’t, can you?’
Yuri waited, considering there was a risk in pushing further.
‘I loved your mother,’ declared Malik bewilderingly. ‘You must understand that. And she loved me.’
‘Yes,’ encouraged Yuri, even more bewildered.
‘We were always friends,’ continued Malik, still in private reminiscence. ‘Kazin and I entered the service together, trained together… were together when I met Olga. He was my supporter, at the wedding… a friend to us both… so it wasn’t her fault…’
‘What?’ said Yuri, expectantly now.
Malik did not directly answer. He said: ‘I never knew, not at Stalingrad. Not about anything before, either. Kazin’s function was liaison, so he flew in and out to Moscow all the time. My job was to remain wherever I was posted… She had to be lonely. Never knowing.’
‘How long?’
‘Something else I never knew: a long time, I think.’
Yuri shook his head, still finding difficulty. ‘But why does he hate you?’ he demanded. ‘You should hate him! ’
‘Oh, I did once,’ said the older man. He jerked his deformity. ‘I think if it had not been for this I would have tried to kill him… I wasn’t able, you see…?’
‘But why?’ repeated Yuri.
‘When the choice came, Olga chose me,’ said Malik simply. That’s what he can’t forget: that when she had to choose between us she stayed with me instead of him.’
The Moscow timetable had not allowed for the debriefing to be so leisurely and Yevgennie Levin was worried; by now the demands should have been flooding in from the CIA. Instead all they’d done was discuss his career up to the age of twenty.
‘It’s going slower than I expected,’ risked Levin.
‘No hurry,’ soothed Bowden. ‘No hurry at all. And there’s a slight problem anyway.’
‘What!’ said Levin, immediately alarmed.
‘The tutor thought I should know,’ said Bowden. ‘Petr’s refusing absolutely to cooperate: to accept any sort of instruction. Tried to smart-ass the guy by only speaking Russian and when he realized the man was fluent told him to go to hell. That he didn’t intend studying anything in America.’
‘I’ll try to talk to him,’ said Levin. It had been a bad miscalculation failing to anticipate Petr’s reaction. But there was little they could have done about it if they had gauged it accurately.
‘There is some good news to balance it, though.’
‘What?’
‘Moscow have agreed to a letter exchange between you and Natalia.’
Levin determined to convey as much as possible. The more Moscow realized he was performing in every way they demanded, the more likely they were to release the girl. He still couldn’t understand why he’d been activated as he had. Had it been the old days he would have thought of her being a hostage but that was unthinkable now, surely?
17
Yuri was as careful about his return to America as he had been on the outward journey, routing himself from Amsterdam to Rome and from Italy flying back to Washington to complete the journey to New York as he would
