There was a peremptory, practically dismissive nod and Natalia tried to remain unruffled by Lestov’s clearly preconceived acceptance of the accusations against her.
She turned fully to confront her accuser, who came around in his turn to face her. He was impassive but still red, his attitude one of assured confidence. She was a long way from matching it, because she hadn’t expected the quasi-legality of an inquiry with witnesses arraigned against her and she still hadn’t properly adjusted. She tried to clear her throat but failed, so when she started to speak her voice was ragged and she had to stop and start again. A smirk flickered momentarily around Tudin’s mouth.
‘You are my immediate deputy, in the external directorate of the Russian security agency?’
Tudin hesitated, cautiously. ‘Yes.’
‘As such I have delegated to you particular authority concerning the new independent republics of the former Soviet Union?’
The caution was longer this time. ‘Yes.’
‘At a recent conference of all department and division heads did I have cause strongly to criticize your performance? And to insist upon substantial improvement within a stated time period?’ The smirk flickered again, and Natalia decided the man imagined she was attempting a defence in an indefensible situation by introducing internecine and irrelevant squabbles.
In immediate confirmation, Tudin turned invitingly towards the committee, visibly shrugging. Lestov responded with worrying speed and obvious impatience. ‘Is there any purpose to these questions? They have no bearing on what we are considering here today.’
‘They – and the attitude of Colonel Tudin – have everything to do with what is happening here today,’ argued Natalia, as forcefully as she felt she could. She was directly arguing against her chairman, she realized.
Lestov’s mouth tightened, but he nodded curtly for her to continue.
‘Was there disagreement between us?’ resumed Natalia.
‘I regarded it then and I regard it now as a department matter. I do not consider it has anything to do with these proceedings.’
Natalia’s voice caught again when she began to speak, but this time she did not regret the apparent uncertainty. ‘The conversation between myself and Investigator Kapitsa was a private matter: quite unofficial?’
Tudin smiled openly at what amounted to an admission of what he was accusing her of. ‘Exactly!’ he said, triumphantly. ‘In an official Militia inquiry you intruded unofficially to save your son!’
There was a stir from among the men comprising the examining panel. Natalia tried to remain unruffled. ‘How did you discover that contact between myself and Investigator Kapitsa?’
Tudin’s caution returned. ‘Rumours,’ he said shortly.
‘The directorate has an internal security division. It is not your function or responsibility to respond to rumours or gossip or suspicion of internal wrong-doing within the directorate.’
For the only time since the inquiry began, Tudin looked uncomfortable. ‘I regarded the matter as one of the utmost seriousness: one that had to be handled by someone with the authority I possess, to avoid any intimidation.’
‘Isn’t the truth of the matter that you were spying upon me, as your superior, because of your resentment of my holding that position and because of my criticism of your inadequacy to fulfil the job to which I had appointed you?’
‘No!’ denied Tudin, loudly. ‘I admit – and if the committee should require an apology then of course I offer it – that I did not strictly follow the procedures laid down for investigating matters of this sort. My only reason for doing so was quickly and effectively to prevent an abuse of power and authority. Which I have done.’
Natalia slumped down, stranding Tudin neither talking to her nor to the committee, but to the empty space in between. She hadn’t obtained an admission – as he had from her – but she hoped to have established doubt in the minds of the three men sitting in judgement upon her.
The unidentified man whom Tudin called first gave his name as Anatoli Alipov and his position as a lawyer with the security agency who had witnessed and formally taken the affidavit from Eduard. Alipov’s account was formal, nothing more than assuring the committee that the incriminating statement had been properly obtained.
‘What reason did Colonel Tudin give for your going with him to Petrovka?’ she demanded, when her turn came to question.
‘Legally to conduct the taking of an affidavit.’
‘An affidavit to serve what purpose?’
Alipov considered his reply, a careful lawyer. ‘To establish there had been an abuse of power according to our internal regulations.’
‘Which you considered to be established?’
There was another gap, for consideration. ‘Yes.’
‘Was that all?’
‘No.’
‘What else?’
‘To give an opinion on possible criminal action, too.’
‘What was your opinion?’
‘That there was a case to be made.’
As she sat, Natalia glanced unexpectedly sideways and caught the look of smiling satisfaction upon Eduard’s face, and when Tudin called him by name there was a swagger about the way he stood. He rested his hands upon the chair-back in front and at the beginning looked about him, and Natalia got the impression he regretted not having a larger audience before which to perform.
Tudin led.
The facts, from the moment of the interception on the Serpukhov road, were essentially the same as she had heard from Kapitsa, and there was a basis of accuracy in the account of the conversation she’d had with Eduard and which Kapitsa had witnessed, at her insistence. But it had all been subtly exaggerated, inference hardened into substance, innuendo presented as positive fact.
It sounded convincing and devastating.
Eduard adamantly repeated that he had never doubted her protection: at Petrovka his mother had assured him he would be freed and no action taken against him. His deepest regret was that his mother now faced this and possibly further, more serious inquiries. He had never openly asked her to be his protectress. He wanted to cooperate in every way he could, which was why he had made the affidavit. He hoped his mother would be leniently dealt with, at this and any other investigation.
She was quickly on her feet, but having risen she did not immediately speak, regarding her son steadily. How could she have ever had any emotion or love for this creature standing before her, thinking about him in the same terms – my flesh and blood – as she thought about Sasha? Her only feeling now was one of loathing hatred.
‘Where do I live?’ Natalia demanded, harshly.
Eduard blinked. There was shuffling in the room. Eduard said: ‘What?’
‘Where do I live?’
‘I don’t … I thought Mytninskaya but it wasn’t.’
‘When was the last time you came to Mytninskaya?’
‘I don’t …’ started Eduard, then stopped. He shrugged. ‘Some time ago.’
‘How long have you been out of the army?’
Another shrug. ‘Quite a while.’
‘Have you come to Mytninskaya to see me during that time?’
There was no longer any swagger or superciliousness. Eduard was suddenly aware it was not as easy as he imagined it to be, and was leaning slightly towards her. Tudin was half turned, but unable to provide any guidance, from his awkward position. Guessing the direction of her questioning, Eduard said: ‘I tried, but you weren’t there.’
He was improvising! Natalia realized at once, from long-ago experience. He was lost without guidance from Tudin and he was improvising as he went along! ‘When did we last meet, before you left the army?’