you, I apologize.’
She seemed to relax.
‘It was hard everywhere. We built this place from nothing, but there was no shortage of citizens who wanted to work for us. The College was a key part of the drive towards collective agriculture in this region and so we were allocated rations for our workers.’
‘They must have been grateful.’
‘They were, but we had to turn away a hundred for every one we took.’ She paused and began to tap the table with one finger, as if considering a problem. ‘I must appear to have been annoyed just then. I apologize. Some of my Party colleagues thought I shirked my duty by taking this role – but this was the real front line. Here is where the battle for collectivization was fought and won. There’s a difference between plans and implementation, Comrade Korolev. And here we transformed theory into reality.’
‘I’d never suspect a woman like you of shirking her duty, Comrade.’
‘Thank you.’
‘And was that when Citizen Andreychuk arrived, during the construction of the College?’
‘That’s correct. His paperwork seemed in order.’
‘A good worker?’
‘Very good. I kept him on when we finished building. He has worked tirelessly for the College’s development – not a Party member, but he participated fully in works meetings and always had the interests of the Collective close to his heart. Or appeared to have.’
‘You’re surprised that he turned out to have a secret past?’
‘It’s not so uncommon for people to obscure their past these days, Captain.’ Mushkina spoke flatly, as if stating the obvious. ‘I was surprised to discover that Lenskaya was his daughter, though.’
Yes, who could have told from Andreychuk’s craggy, bearded face that he’d have sired a girl like Lenskaya?
‘Comrade Shymko told me that you have a key to the house, is that correct?’
‘As director I have a key for every building. I walk around the College at least twice a day to see what needs to be done for myself.’
‘When do you take these walks?’
‘In the morning and in the evening, generally. It depends on my responsibilities for the day.’
‘Maria Lenskaya’s office. It was in the closer of the two small turrets to the stable blocks. The ones that overlook the lake.’
‘I know it.’
‘I was wondering, did you see her on your walks? As you passed by?’
‘Often. She was hard-working. I saw her many times late at night and early in the morning, sitting at her desk. If she saw me passing, she would wave. A productive young comrade was my impression.’
‘Did you know her personally?’
‘I knew her to say hello to, that was all.’
‘On the night of the murder, did you attend the film shoot?’
Mushkina seemed to hesitate.
‘Very briefly. I walked down to see what was going on, but I didn’t stay for more than ten minutes.’
‘And what time was that?’
‘Just before eight o’clock I think. They were about to begin filming.’
Around the time the girl was last seen alive, in other words.
‘What did you do afterwards?’
‘I walked back here along the road. It was cold, so I walked quite quickly.’
‘Did you see anyone after you left the village? We’re trying to establish people’s whereabouts.’
‘Not on the road, but I met Andreychuk as I passed the house. He was just closing it up.’
Korolev looked up from his notes. This was news, and confirmation of the caretaker’s statement.
‘He never mentioned it when I spoke to him. Seeing you, that is.’
‘I’m surprised. I spoke to him.’
‘What did you talk about?’
‘Nothing much,’ she answered, running a knuckle along her chin. ‘He was in a rush, due to be down at the village, you see. For the film people. I asked him if he’d closed up the other buildings and he said he had.’
‘And how did you find him? I mean to say, in what kind of mood?’
‘A little agitated, perhaps, but I put it down to his being late for the film people.’
Korolev hesitated. Why hadn’t the caretaker mentioned the meeting?
‘So about five past eight?’ he asked, trying to puzzle it out.
‘Not any later, certainly.’
‘And did you by any chance walk past Maria Lenskaya’s window?’
‘Yes.’
‘And?’ he asked, thinking that she was making him work hard for the information.
‘The light was on,’ Mushkina said.
‘Did you see Lenskaya?’
‘No, I didn’t, but I’ve thought back to that evening more than once, wondering whether I was walking past at the time of her death – and whether I could have done something to prevent it. I don’t think so, however.’
Korolev studied the old woman, wondering if the ambiguity was deliberate.
‘I’m sorry, do you mean you don’t think you could have prevented it?’
She considered the question.
‘No, if I’d known, I suspect I could have prevented it. But I’m confident she died after I passed her office.’
‘Why do you think that? Was there something you saw?’
‘The typewriter on her desk. It was the American one – the Remington. I noticed it because I used to have a similar one a long time ago. She had two of them, typewriters that is. She also had an old Underwood with Cyrillic keys. When she was discovered, I noticed that the typewriter on her desk, which is visible from the path, was not the same as the one that was there earlier in the evening. So I reassured myself that she must have used the typewriter after I’d walked past her window.’
‘It would have been very useful for the enquiry to have had this information earlier.’
‘As far as I was aware, this wasn’t a murder enquiry until today, Captain. When I heard it was, I came to see you. And I’m telling you everything I know.’
She spoke calmly and she had a point, Korolev had to admit.
‘You’re sure about the typewriter? You could recognize the difference between the two of them from outside the house?’
‘Oh yes. If you look at the back of it, you’ll see Remington is written in large white letters. Not our alphabet, of course – but it’s quite visible.’
‘I see,’ Korolev said, and wondered what the dead girl had been typing. There hadn’t been any paper in the machine when he’d seen it.
For Belakovsky’s interview, Korolev found himself back in the same classroom, but this time in the company of Slivka.
‘Comrades,’ Belakovsky said, as he sat down.
‘Thank you for sparing us some of your time,’ Korolev answered.
Belakovsky acknowledged the remark with a grave nod of his head. ‘When a worker of Maria Lenskaya’s calibre falls victim to violence, we must do everything possible to bring her killer to justice.’
‘And you knew her well, didn’t you?’
‘Quite well,’ Belakovsky replied, slanting a calculating glance up towards Korolev. Well, Korolev thought, they could dance around the question for the rest of the day or they could put it on the table and have a good look at it.
‘You were having an affair with her, I believe.’
Belakovsky looked at Slivka for a moment and Korolev had the impression the Film Board boss would rather
