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Chapter Thirty-Five
RAVEN
“Why areyou covering your face, Mummy?” Janna asks curiously.
“I’m just seeing what it would feel like. Sometimes it’s good to walk in other people’s shoes.”
I take off the niqab and stuff it into my bag. Then I lift Janna from her perch on the countertop beside the sinks and put her on the ground. Holding her hand, I go out of the bathroom in search of a payphone. With Janna singing to herself, I dial the number that Star gave me. Five rings later and I start to pray. Please Star, pick up, pickup.
“Hello,” a man answers.
For a second I think I have called the wrong number, but the man has a Russian accent, so I plough on. “Can I speak to Star, please?”
“Who is calling?”
“It’s her old friend, Raven.”
“Hold on one moment, please.” I hear a couple of clicks then Star’s voice comeson.
“Hi, Raven, how wonderful to hear from you.” Her voice is surprised, but happy.
“Hey, Star. Remember you said if I ever needed help I should come toyou.”
“Yes.”
“Do you still wantto?”
“Absolutely. I’d love to help you in any way I can,” she says immediately.
“Is this phone line secure?”
“Yes,” she says, her tone serious.
“I need you to take care of Janna for a while, but the thing is you cannot let anyone know that she is with you. You cannot tell anyone that I have been in contact, or that you have seen me. And if you hear that I am missing you cannot offer any information, or tell anyone that you have seen or heard from me. This is extremely important. If you think you cannot do this then you cannot helpme.”
She inhales sharply. “What is going on, Raven?”
“I’ll explain everything later, but first I need you to come get Jannanow.”
“Where areyou?”
“At St Pancras station.”
“I can get there in thirty minutes.”
“Great.” I look around me. “There’s a little store selling Cornish pastries called McConnels. I’ll be waiting there. I don’t have my phone so don’t try to call me. If you don’t make it in half-an-hour I’ll call youback.”
“I’m leaving rightnow.”
“Thanks, Star.”
I hang up and take Janna to a little coffee shop. She’s not hungry but I buy her a croissant and a hot chocolate. I watch her blow at her drink.
“So, darling,” I say. “Do you remember Star? We met her for lunch at the Thai restaurant.”
She nods. “Yeah. She has Princesshair.”
I smile. “Yes, that’s her. Well, you’re going to be spending the day withher.”
She stops chewing and looks a bit worried. “Justme?”
“Well, I’m going to be busy for a bit so she is going to take you to her house. She lives in a beautiful house. Actually, I think Aunty Cindy told me that she has horses too. Maybe she will let you see them, hmmm? What do you think?”
She thinks about it. “How long will yoube?”
“A few hours at themost.”
“Is that like two hours?”
“Something like that. Not long anyway.”
“Okay.”
How quickly she has forgotten our big adventure. I smile ather.
“Does Star have ponies?”
“I’m not sure, but you can ask her when she comesokay?”
“Okay.” She pauses a moment, a considering expression on her face. “Can I have ice-creamnow?”
“Sure,” I agree.
“And chocolate too?” she asks eagerly.
“Janna, don’t you think you’re going a bit over the topnow?”
She looks down at her croissant and tears off a bit, her facesad.
“All right. You can have the chocolate too, but that’sall.”
She looks up and beams atme.
I look at my watch. I have another twenty minutes tokill.
* * *
I seeStar hurrying towards us, the big guy in the suit following closely behind, and I start walking towardsher.
“Are you all right?” she asks with a frown.
“Yeah, I’mfine.”
“Does Cindy know you’rehere?”
“No.”
She frowns. “What on earth is going on, Raven?”
I swivel my eyes towards Janna to indicate I don’t want to discuss it in front of the child. “I just need you to keep Janna for a few hours.”
“Yuri can take Janna to that shop and get her a little toy or a sweet?”
Inod.
She turns to the big guy who had stopped a few feet away from us. “Sure,” he says walking towardsus.
“Janna, this is Yuri. He’s going to take you to buy a toy from that shop there. Would you like atoy?”
Janna nods then turns towards me. “Can I, Mummy?”
I smile. “Of course youcan.”
As soon as Yuri leads Janna away Star turns to me. “What the hell is goingon?”
I tell her as briefly as I can and she shakes her head in astonishment. “Jesus, Raven, this is incredible. You must be so afraid. What are you going to do now?” sheasks.
“I’m going to go and look forhim.”
“Is that really a goodidea?”
“Look. I don’t expect you to understand and at this moment it doesn’t matter if you do or you don’t. You said you’d help me and the only thing I need from you right now is for you to take care of Janna for me. Just for a few hours.”
She sighs. “Okay. Got it, but remember that anytime at all you need help just call me immediately. Even if I can’t help I’m pretty certain Nikolai will be able to. He’s Russian and they all tend to know each other.”
“Okay. I’ll rememberthat.”
From the corner of my eyes I can see Yuri and Janna coming back. She has a brown teddy bear tucked under her arm and she is happily munching on her second bar of chocolate today.
I kiss both Janna’s rosy cheeks goodbye.
“Take care of her,” I say to Star, feeling tearful to be leaving Janna.
“I will. Just take care of yourself.”
When they have walked away I rush back to the bathroom, put on my heavily perfumed niqab, and make my way out of the station. I hop into one of the black taxis idling in front of the station.
I reach over, pull the door shut, and give the cabbie my address. To my surprise, he gives me a funny look, almost disgusted before he puts his eyes back on the road and pulls away. It takes me a full moment to realize it is the way I am dressed.
Fortunately, there is not much traffic on the road and the taxi pulls up across the street from the ground floor entrance of Dragan’s apartment building. I hope and pray he is in. I don’t know what I will do if he isnot.
I pay my fare and climbout.
As I cross the street I have no idea how this is going to work out. How he will react to seeing me again. Nervously I approach the building, but as I get closer to the main entrance a woman opens the door from inside and comes out. I sprint for it and manage to catch it seconds before the catch closes. I view that as a good omen. Maybe the Gods are with me today.
The foyer is deserted. I cross it and take the elevator up to Konstantin’s floor. Again, there is no one around and I walk down the corridor to the closed door of his apartment. I take a deep breath and knock on his door. He’s not going to be happy to see me, but his plan isn’t going to work for me. I have the beginning of a new one that I’d like to run by him. It’s one that gets us more of what we bothwant.
No one answers.
Out of mindless desperation and frustration I start banging on the door and callingout.
I know I shouldn’t, but I pull my cellphone out of my purse and call him. A recording lets me know that the number has been disconnected. Feeling suddenly hot, sweaty and overwhelmed by the cloying perfume of the veil around my face and head I bang even harder on his door. Of course, I already know he is not in, but I’m just not ready to give in yet. I can’t. This can’t be theend.
“Why on earth are you making that bloody racket?” someone asks rudely.
I spin around to find a woman in her sixties or seventies poking her head out of an apartment several doors down. Her expression is hard and unfriendly.
“I’m looking for the man who liveshere.”
“What do you want with him?” she asks suspiciously as if I am a robber or a terrorist.
“He is my friend.”
“If he is your friend then you should know he’s gone,” she says smugly.
“Gone?” I repeat in adaze.
“Yes, he moved out this morning. I saw the supervisor in there taking inventory,” she replies, oblivious to the panic in my voice.
My head spins with shock. “Where can I find a forwarding address forhim?”
“Try the supervisor,” she suggests, and retreating back into her flat, quickly closes herdoor.
I collapse against the door to Konstantin’s old apartment and slide, defeated, to the floor. All the frenzied strength that carried me from the train station dissipates into nothing. I know there is no point asking the supervisor. Dragan warned me that looking for him would be the same as looking for thewind.
He has kept to the original plan, both of us disappearing from the city at the same time, going our separate ways, our paths never to cross again.
Oh God! No!
I’ll never see him again.
