Hope in the Day of Torment, Part 4
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At Thames House, instead of leading them straight to the interrogation rooms, furnished only with metal chairs and tables, as Lucas had expected, Harry brought them up to the third floor and ushered them into one of the comfortable waiting rooms there. Lina seated herself stiffly on the couch, and Lucas sat down next to her while Harry picked up the inhouse phone and dialed. "Adam? Can you come up to room three oh six?"
Apparently, Adam could, because Harry put the phone down and looked at Lina.
"All right," Lina said before Harry could speak. "What do you know about this Gennady Mikhailovich?"
Harry smiled disarmingly. "Let me start by asking you a few questions about your husband."
It was still strange, and painful as well, for Lucas to hear somebody asking Lina about her husband and to know that somebody else was meant, not him.
Lina shook her head. "Oh, no. You first."
"All right," Harry said. "Gennady Mikhailovich Chtgheglovski was a member of a cell of the Russian Mafia which specializes in selling weapons from Soviet stockpiles. MI-5 has been monitoring a group of Chechen separatists based here in England, and when they met Chtgheglovksi yesterday to complete a certain sale, we raided them. Chtgheglovski was found dead after the raid – we think he killed himself to avoid capture. Now. If the other members of his cell were expecting money, and Chtgheglovski disappeared without giving it to them, they'd probably think he'd done a runner, and start looking for him."
"That can't be my husband," Lina stated. She was interrupted by a knock on the door, and the entrance of Adam.
"Hello, Harry, Lucas," Adam said, and even nodded to Lina.
"Adam, here, can you send this through the facial recognition software?" Harry asked, pulled the portrait of Lina and Nick out from under his coat and handing to him.
"Hey!" Lina exclaimed. "I didn't say you could take that!"
"And send us up some coffee and things," Harry added, ignoring the outburst. Adam took the picture and said, "Right," then went out again.
"You'll have it back in just a few minutes," Harry said. "Now, you were telling us about your husband. What was his name again?"
"Nick Barnes. Nicholas," Lina said. "And I was saying that he is not a member of the Russian Mafia. He doesn't sell weapons! He's an engineer, he works with lasers!"
"How long have you known Nick?" Harry asked.
"About four and a half years."
"And you married him … when?"
"On the 25th of November, 2004."
Lucas did some arithmetic and came to the conclusion that Lina must have married Nick almost as soon as her divorce from him had been finalized. The realization tormented him as much as any torture ever had.
"And where does he work?" Harry went on.
"Clipstone Lasers, in Ealing."
"Clipstone Lasers," Harry repeated. "Have you ever been there?"
"No," Lina retorted, "and he's never come to my office, either."
"Do you still work at Powell, Hunt and Powell?" Lucas asked, curious. They were a firm of lawyers that specialized in European law, and Lina had been their Russian consultant when he'd left.
"Yes," Lina said. "I thought about leaving, after I – after the – but I didn't."
Someone knocked, then opened the door. A young woman came in with a tea trolley and positioned it by the table, then went out again. Harry poured a cup of coffee and handed it to Lina, who immediately took a large sip.
"Does your husband come home at the same time every day?" Harry went on, pouring a second cup. Holding it out to Lucas, he waited until he was sure that Lucas wouldn't drop it before letting go. Lucas had never realized before just how difficult life could be with both thumbs immobilized, but managed to get the cup to his mouth anyway.
"No," Lina said. "He comes home every night, but never at the same time."
She must be used to that by now, Lucas thought. It had been the same with him.
"And does he ever go on business trips?" Harry took the third cup for himself, then lifted a plate of biscuits from the trolley and placed it in the middle of the table.
"He goes quite often to their associate company in Germany," Lina said.
Lucas took a sip of coffee and counted one Kapitolina, then remembered he was supposed to be trying to get over that habit, and winced mentally.
"Where in Germany?"
"Close to Frankfurt. I forget the name." Lina put her coffee cup down. Lucas pushed the plate of biscuits invitingly over to her side, but she shook her head. He took one for himself and crammed the whole thing into his mouth at once so there wouldn't be any bites to count.
"Does he ever bring you anything that would prove he's been in Germany?" Harry went on.
"Once he brought me a teddy bear. It has a little button in its ear. And some wine, occasionally. What do you mean, prove he's been there? Why are you asking me these stupid questions?" Lina demanded.
"I'm indulging my curiosity as to whether Nick Barnes theoretically has the time to be Chtgheglovski," Harry admitted, and Lina made a sound of outrage. Harry went on. "If you'd said, for instance, that he came home at the same time every night and watched telly with you every evening, and never went on any business trips, I might be convinced. But as it is, even you have to admit that it is theoretically possible."
Lina picked up her coffee cup again, gripping it in a way that suggested she wanted to dash it in Harry's face. Lucas awkwardly placed his fingers on her leg in a gesture meant to show support, but she merely glanced sideways at him.
"And then there are the men that came and tortured you," Harry explained. "If Nick Barnes is not Chtgheglovski, why did they come to you?"
Lina had no answer for that, and glanced away, but Lucas said, "They said that they found information about Lina in Gennady Mikhailovich's flat."
Lina shot him a glare full of hurt and betrayal.
"They knew your name, Lina," Lucas reminded her, hating himself for having to do it. "The name on your door says only Barnes, but they knew your full name, your birthday, and where you were born."
Lina shook her head in denial, but her face looked perilously close to tears.
"When was the last time you saw your husband?" Harry asked.
"Thursday," Lina said. "He was flying to Frankfurt and wanted to be back yesterday in the late afternoon or early evening, but he never came home."
"What time was the raid?" Lucas asked.
"Yesterday, at three p.m.," Harry replied.
"It can't be true," Lina whispered. "Nick is not a member of the Mafia, he is a good man!"
There was another knock, and then Adam came in, holding out the portrait. "Harry, this is a match for Chtgheglovski."
"No!" Lina shrieked, grabbing the frame from his hands. "No, it can't be true! It – maybe it's his long-lost twin? Or his doppelganger?"
She sounded desperate, and despite a fiery stab of jealousy that she should care so much for another man, Lucas wanted nothing more than to wrap her in his arms and ease her pain.
"Have we still got the body in the morgue?" Harry asked.
"Yeah," Adam replied, and Harry turned to Lina. "Does Nick have any scars or any other distinguishing marks?"
Lina nodded slowly. "He has a burn scar on the inside of his left hand. When he was a child, he put his hand on a hot iron."
"Would you like to come down to the morgue and see if the body we have is your husband's?"
For a moment, Lina hesitated, looking faintly ill, then nodded. "I suppose I have to, don't I?"
They all stood up, and Lucas noticed that Lina placed the portrait on the table. Harry said, "By the way, when is Nick's birthday?"
"To-morrow," Lina said. "The 23nd of December, 1972."
"I'm sorry," Harry said, but he was already turning to Adam. "See what you can find out on a Nicholas Barnes – do you know where he was born, Lina?"
"Colchester," Lina answered. "At least, that's what he told me."
"I'm on it," Adam said, and went out. They followed him more slowly, and just missed getting in the same lift. As they stood, waiting, Lucas reached out and used two of his fingers to grip two of Lina's. She smiled bravely up at him, and though the smile soon faded, she didn't let go.
Part 5
At Thames House, instead of leading them straight to the interrogation rooms, furnished only with metal chairs and tables, as Lucas had expected, Harry brought them up to the third floor and ushered them into one of the comfortable waiting rooms there. Lina seated herself stiffly on the couch, and Lucas sat down next to her while Harry picked up the inhouse phone and dialed. "Adam? Can you come up to room three oh six?"
Apparently, Adam could, because Harry put the phone down and looked at Lina.
"All right," Lina said before Harry could speak. "What do you know about this Gennady Mikhailovich?"
Harry smiled disarmingly. "Let me start by asking you a few questions about your husband."
It was still strange, and painful as well, for Lucas to hear somebody asking Lina about her husband and to know that somebody else was meant, not him.
Lina shook her head. "Oh, no. You first."
"All right," Harry said. "Gennady Mikhailovich Chtgheglovski was a member of a cell of the Russian Mafia which specializes in selling weapons from Soviet stockpiles. MI-5 has been monitoring a group of Chechen separatists based here in England, and when they met Chtgheglovksi yesterday to complete a certain sale, we raided them. Chtgheglovski was found dead after the raid – we think he killed himself to avoid capture. Now. If the other members of his cell were expecting money, and Chtgheglovski disappeared without giving it to them, they'd probably think he'd done a runner, and start looking for him."
"That can't be my husband," Lina stated. She was interrupted by a knock on the door, and the entrance of Adam.
"Hello, Harry, Lucas," Adam said, and even nodded to Lina.
"Adam, here, can you send this through the facial recognition software?" Harry asked, pulled the portrait of Lina and Nick out from under his coat and handing to him.
"Hey!" Lina exclaimed. "I didn't say you could take that!"
"And send us up some coffee and things," Harry added, ignoring the outburst. Adam took the picture and said, "Right," then went out again.
"You'll have it back in just a few minutes," Harry said. "Now, you were telling us about your husband. What was his name again?"
"Nick Barnes. Nicholas," Lina said. "And I was saying that he is not a member of the Russian Mafia. He doesn't sell weapons! He's an engineer, he works with lasers!"
"How long have you known Nick?" Harry asked.
"About four and a half years."
"And you married him … when?"
"On the 25th of November, 2004."
Lucas did some arithmetic and came to the conclusion that Lina must have married Nick almost as soon as her divorce from him had been finalized. The realization tormented him as much as any torture ever had.
"And where does he work?" Harry went on.
"Clipstone Lasers, in Ealing."
"Clipstone Lasers," Harry repeated. "Have you ever been there?"
"No," Lina retorted, "and he's never come to my office, either."
"Do you still work at Powell, Hunt and Powell?" Lucas asked, curious. They were a firm of lawyers that specialized in European law, and Lina had been their Russian consultant when he'd left.
"Yes," Lina said. "I thought about leaving, after I – after the – but I didn't."
Someone knocked, then opened the door. A young woman came in with a tea trolley and positioned it by the table, then went out again. Harry poured a cup of coffee and handed it to Lina, who immediately took a large sip.
"Does your husband come home at the same time every day?" Harry went on, pouring a second cup. Holding it out to Lucas, he waited until he was sure that Lucas wouldn't drop it before letting go. Lucas had never realized before just how difficult life could be with both thumbs immobilized, but managed to get the cup to his mouth anyway.
"No," Lina said. "He comes home every night, but never at the same time."
She must be used to that by now, Lucas thought. It had been the same with him.
"And does he ever go on business trips?" Harry took the third cup for himself, then lifted a plate of biscuits from the trolley and placed it in the middle of the table.
"He goes quite often to their associate company in Germany," Lina said.
Lucas took a sip of coffee and counted one Kapitolina, then remembered he was supposed to be trying to get over that habit, and winced mentally.
"Where in Germany?"
"Close to Frankfurt. I forget the name." Lina put her coffee cup down. Lucas pushed the plate of biscuits invitingly over to her side, but she shook her head. He took one for himself and crammed the whole thing into his mouth at once so there wouldn't be any bites to count.
"Does he ever bring you anything that would prove he's been in Germany?" Harry went on.
"Once he brought me a teddy bear. It has a little button in its ear. And some wine, occasionally. What do you mean, prove he's been there? Why are you asking me these stupid questions?" Lina demanded.
"I'm indulging my curiosity as to whether Nick Barnes theoretically has the time to be Chtgheglovski," Harry admitted, and Lina made a sound of outrage. Harry went on. "If you'd said, for instance, that he came home at the same time every night and watched telly with you every evening, and never went on any business trips, I might be convinced. But as it is, even you have to admit that it is theoretically possible."
Lina picked up her coffee cup again, gripping it in a way that suggested she wanted to dash it in Harry's face. Lucas awkwardly placed his fingers on her leg in a gesture meant to show support, but she merely glanced sideways at him.
"And then there are the men that came and tortured you," Harry explained. "If Nick Barnes is not Chtgheglovski, why did they come to you?"
Lina had no answer for that, and glanced away, but Lucas said, "They said that they found information about Lina in Gennady Mikhailovich's flat."
Lina shot him a glare full of hurt and betrayal.
"They knew your name, Lina," Lucas reminded her, hating himself for having to do it. "The name on your door says only Barnes, but they knew your full name, your birthday, and where you were born."
Lina shook her head in denial, but her face looked perilously close to tears.
"When was the last time you saw your husband?" Harry asked.
"Thursday," Lina said. "He was flying to Frankfurt and wanted to be back yesterday in the late afternoon or early evening, but he never came home."
"What time was the raid?" Lucas asked.
"Yesterday, at three p.m.," Harry replied.
"It can't be true," Lina whispered. "Nick is not a member of the Mafia, he is a good man!"
There was another knock, and then Adam came in, holding out the portrait. "Harry, this is a match for Chtgheglovski."
"No!" Lina shrieked, grabbing the frame from his hands. "No, it can't be true! It – maybe it's his long-lost twin? Or his doppelganger?"
She sounded desperate, and despite a fiery stab of jealousy that she should care so much for another man, Lucas wanted nothing more than to wrap her in his arms and ease her pain.
"Have we still got the body in the morgue?" Harry asked.
"Yeah," Adam replied, and Harry turned to Lina. "Does Nick have any scars or any other distinguishing marks?"
Lina nodded slowly. "He has a burn scar on the inside of his left hand. When he was a child, he put his hand on a hot iron."
"Would you like to come down to the morgue and see if the body we have is your husband's?"
For a moment, Lina hesitated, looking faintly ill, then nodded. "I suppose I have to, don't I?"
They all stood up, and Lucas noticed that Lina placed the portrait on the table. Harry said, "By the way, when is Nick's birthday?"
"To-morrow," Lina said. "The 23nd of December, 1972."
"I'm sorry," Harry said, but he was already turning to Adam. "See what you can find out on a Nicholas Barnes – do you know where he was born, Lina?"
"Colchester," Lina answered. "At least, that's what he told me."
"I'm on it," Adam said, and went out. They followed him more slowly, and just missed getting in the same lift. As they stood, waiting, Lucas reached out and used two of his fingers to grip two of Lina's. She smiled bravely up at him, and though the smile soon faded, she didn't let go.
Part 5