‘Perhaps you ought to take a couple of aspirin, and try to get some sleep?’
Maureen nodded weakly. ‘Could you fetch them for me? They’re in my wash bag.’
‘Of course, my darling.’ Once he’d found the pills, he filled a glass with tap water, before returning to his wife’s side. She had taken off her dress, but not her slip. Dick helped her to sit up and became aware for the first time that she was soaked in sweat. She swilled down the two aspirins with the glass of water Dick offered her. He lowered her gently down onto the pillow before drawing the curtains. He then strolled across to the bedroom door, opened it, and placed the Do Not Disturb sign on the door knob. The last thing he needed was for a solicitous maid to come barging in and find his wife in her present state. Once Dick was certain she was asleep, he went down to dinner.
‘Will madam be joining you this evening?’ enquired the head waiter, once Dick was seated.
‘No, sadly not,’ replied Dick, ‘she has a slight migraine. Too much sun I fear, but I’m sure she’ll be fine by the morning.’
‘Let’s hope so, sir. What can I interest you in tonight?’
Dick took his time perusing the menu, before he eventually said, ‘I think I’ll start with the foie gras, followed by a rump steak—’ he paused — ‘medium rare.’
‘Excellent choice, sir.’
Dick poured himself a glass of water from the bottle on the table and quickly gulped it down, before filling his glass a second time. He didn’t hurry his meal, and when he returned to his suite just after ten, he was delighted to find his wife was fast asleep. He picked up her glass, took it to the bathroom and refilled it with tap water. He then put it back on her side of the bed. Dick took his time undressing, before finally slipping under the covers to settle down next to his wife. He turned out the bedside light and slept soundly.
When Dick woke the following morning, he found that he too was covered in sweat. The sheets were also soaked, and when he turned over to look at his wife all the colour had drained from her cheeks.
Dick eased himself out of bed, slipped into the bathroom and took a long shower. Once he had dried himself, he put on one of the hotel’s towelling dressing gowns and returned to the bedroom. He crept over to his wife’s side of the bed and once again refilled her empty glass with tap water. She had clearly woken during the night, but not disturbed him.
He drew the curtains before checking that the Do Not Disturb sign was still on the door. He returned to his wife’s side of the bed, pulled up a chair and began to read the Herald Tribune. He had reached the sports pages by the time she woke. Her words were slurred. She managed, ‘I feel awful.’ A long pause followed before she added, ‘Don’t you think I ought to see a doctor?’
‘He’s already been to examine you, my dear,’ said Dick. ‘I called for him last night. Don’t you remember? He told you that you’d caught a fever, and you’ll just have to sweat it out.’
‘Did he leave any pills?’ asked Maureen plaintively.
‘No, my darling. He just said you weren’t to eat anything, but to try and drink as much water as possible.’ He held the glass up to her lips and she attempted to gulp some more down. She even managed, ‘Thank you,’ before collapsing back onto the pillow.
‘Don’t worry, my darling,’ said Dick. ‘You’re going to be just fine, and I promise you I won’t leave your side, even for a moment.’ He leant over and kissed her on the forehead. She fell asleep again.
The only time Dick left Maureen’s side that day was to assure the housekeeper that his wife did not wish to have the sheets changed, to refill the glass of water on her bedside table, and late in the afternoon to take a call from the minister.
‘The President flew in yesterday,’ were Chenkov’s opening words. ‘He’s staying at the Winter Palace, where I’ve just left him. He wanted me to let you know how much he is looking forward to meeting you and your wife.’
‘How kind of him,’ said Dick, ‘but I have a problem.’
‘A problem?’ said a man who didn’t like problems, especially when the President was in town.
‘It’s just that Maureen seems to have caught a fever. We were out in the sun all day yesterday, and I’m not sure that she will have fully recovered in time to join us for the signing ceremony, so I may be on my own.’
‘I’m sorry to hear that,’ said Chenkov, ‘and how are you?’
‘Never felt better,’ said Dick.
‘That’s good,’ said Chenkov, sounding relieved. ‘So I’ll pick you up at nine o’clock, as agreed. I don’t want to keep the President waiting.’
‘Neither do I, Anatol,’ Dick assured him. ‘You’ll find me standing in the lobby long before nine.’
There was a knock on the door. Dick quickly put the phone down and rushed across to open it before anyone was given a chance to barge in. A maid was standing in the corridor next to a trolley laden with sheets, towels, bars of soap, shampoo bottles and cases of Evian water.
‘You want the bed turned down, sir?’ she asked, giving him a smile.
‘No, thank you,’ said Dick. ‘My wife is not feeling well.’ He pointed to the Do Not Disturb sign.
‘More water, perhaps?’ she suggested, holding up a large bottle of Evian.
‘No,’ he repeated firmly and closed the door.
The only other call that evening came from the hotel manager. He asked politely if madam would like to see the hotel doctor.
‘No, thank you,’ said Dick. ‘She just caught a little sun but she’s on the mend, and I feel sure she will have fully recovered by the morning.’
‘Just give me a call,’ said the manager, ‘should she change her mind. The doctor can be with you in minutes.’
‘That’s very considerate of you,’ said Dick, ‘but it won’t be necessary,’ he added before putting the phone down. He returned to his wife’s side. Her skin was now pallid and blotchy. He leant forward until he was almost touching her lips — she was still breathing. He walked across to the fridge, opened it and took out all the unopened bottles of Evian water. He placed two of them in the bathroom, and one each side of the bed. His final action, before undressing, was to take the DON’T DRINK THE WATER sign out of his suitcase and replace it on the side of the washbasin.
Chenkov’s car pulled up outside the Grand Palace Hotel a few minutes before nine the following morning. Karl jumped out to open the back door for the minister.
Chenkov walked quickly up the steps and into the hotel, expecting to find Dick waiting for him in the lobby. He looked up and down the crowded corridor, but there was no sign of his business partner. He marched across to the reception desk and asked if Mr Barnsley had left a message for him.
‘No, Minister,’ replied the concierge. ‘Would you like me to call his room?’ The minister nodded briskly. They both waited for some time, before the concierge added, ‘No one is answering the phone, Minister, so perhaps Mr Barnsley is on his way down.’
Chenkov nodded again, and began pacing up and down the lobby, continually glancing towards the elevator, before checking his watch. At ten past nine, the minister became even more anxious, as he had no desire to keep the President waiting. He returned to the reception desk.
‘Try again,’ he demanded.
The concierge immediately dialled Mr Barnsley’s room number, but could only report that there was still no reply.
‘Send for the manager,’ barked the minister. The concierge nodded, picked up the phone once again and dialled a single number. A few moments later, a tall, elegantly dressed man in a dark suit was standing by Chenkov’s side.
‘How may I assist you, Minister?’ he asked.