Vebekka began to feel uneasy, frightened. Why did the woman keep on calling her Ruda? But all she said was that her husband did not know.
"I bet he doesn't... so you got to America? I heard you had, and then what? You met a prince and a baron — all the same thing. Is he rich?"
Vebekka drained her glass, and Magda poured her another. She asked again if her husband was rich. Vebekka shrugged. "I suppose so, I don't know, I never think about money..."
Magda laughed, her body shook. She had a coughing fit that seemed to subside after a drag on her cigarette. "You don't think of money... I do, every second of every day, I count it every night on this little computer."
The two women drank in silence. The sounds of Madonna could be heard from the club, the low murmur of voices and shrill laughter. Magda's eyes watered. "You know, it hurt, Ruda, it hurt when you ran off — I never thought you would steal from me, not after all I did for you. I never thought you would do that to Mama, maybe that's why I have never forgotten you... you forget lovers, forget husbands, forget children even, but when someone hits your pocket, you don't forget. I never forgot you, Ruda, and maybe I just guessed one day you would come back."
Vebekka listened, her head cocked.
"I don't understand what you are saying, but I know I have never met you before... I am not this — Ruda? You are mistaken..."
Yet Vebekka felt a strange sensation when she pronounced the name Ruda, it rang through her brain like an ominous bell. Magda pulled herself to her feet and looked at Vebekka with distaste. "Don't play games with me, I am a master player, honey. You don't speak German? We've never met? Who the fuck do you think you are kidding, eh? Because you got fancy clothes on, and call yourself a baroness?"
"I don't understand..."
Magda was losing patience, she slapped the desk with her fat hand. "Don't make me angry, it's been many years, a lot of changes, Ruda... I run this city, hear me? You stop this act right now — I have had enough!"
Vebekka gulped. "I have never met you before! Please, there is some misunderstanding, I must leave..."
Vebekka started to go but Magda pushed her back into the seat, looming over her.
"You want something to refresh your memory? Huh? I didn't want to do this, I was prepared to be hospitable, maybe forget, but me? Never, I forget nothing... no one, you owe me a lot, Ruda, you owe me!"
Magda waddled to a large built-in cupboard and gasped for breath as she opened the double door. The cupboard was stacked with boxes and files, she looked up and down, reached in for a box, and then withdrew her hand. Suddenly she yelled at the top of her voice: "Eric... Eric!"
The club was in full swing now, Madonna blared from the speakers.
"Just sit, sweetface, I'm gonna jog that memory of yours."
Eric came in, looked at Magda, Vebekka, then asked if everything was all right.
"There was a box, old cardboard box from the Kinkerlitzchen, taped up, big brown cardboard box..."
"What about it?"
"I want it. Where is it, it used to be stashed in here, in this cupboard, where is it?"
Eric stood by the cupboard doors. "I haven't moved anything in years; everything you wanted brought over should still be here, unless when we computerized somebody threw it out!"
"I never gave permission for one thing to be chucked out!"
Magda's chest was heaving, and Eric got down on his hands and knees to look for the box. "Shit, this place is filthy, it's dusty down here."
Magda stood behind him. "Just find the fucking thing."
Vebekka looked from one to the other, not understanding what they were saying. Eric suddenly pulled a box from beneath a stack of files. "Is this it?"
Magda peered over his shoulder, and told him to put it on the desk. Eric dumped the dusty box on the table and then restacked the files as Magda tore open the box. She rooted around, hurling things to the floor, and then took out an old torn thick envelope. "Put it all back and get out!"
"Shit, Magda, I'll have to take all the files and restack them again, it won't fit now."
Magda yelled for him to leave, she would sort it out later. Eric tripped over the dog, who yelped and scuttled under the desk, and then slammed the door shut.
Magda filled Vebekka's glass again, then settled herself back on her cushions, lighting another cigarette. "You don't remember Mama, huh? You don't remember what I did for you, what Mama did to help Ruda? Well tell me, do you remember this, sweetface?"
Magda tore the envelope and pulled out an object wrapped in old newspapers.
Ruda? The name puzzled her. She suddenly looked behind her, she had the sensation there was someone else in the room, close to her; but there was no one. Ruda, she repeated to herself, no longer listening to Magda. She sipped the champagne; it was chilled, it tasted good. She had not been allowed to drink for years. She turned again, sure that someone was there, but as she did so she saw Magda watching her, and she laughed nervously.
"I have not been allowed to drink! I had forgotten how lovely it tastes. Are you all right?"
Magda was coughing, ripping the newspaper. She withdrew an old wood-handled carving knife, a knife with serrated edges, and snarled: "You forgotten this?"
Vebekka looked at the knife. "I don't understand?"
"You don't understand, and you are not Ruda?... And you didn't come crying to Mama? Didn't come begging me to help you clean up? Help you to strip him, help hide him? You couldn't lift him, you had to come running to Mama? That perverted piece of shit still moaning and begging us to save him, begging you, begging me, but you couldn't do it, so you started begging Mama — you remember Magda now, tart?!"
Magda staggered, gasping for breath again. Vebekka began to shake, both hands clasped around her champagne glass. She could hear Louis shouting at her, he was dragging her to their car while she was trying to button her blouse. Where was it? Was it here? She couldn't remember, all she could hear was his voice as he pushed her roughly into the car. "You tart!.. You cheap tart!" He had driven off fast, the tires screeching, his face white with anger. He was shouting that he had been searching for her. Then he had pulled over and had punched the steering wheel with his hands. "Why, why do you do this?"
"Answer me, tart!"
Vebekka's head began to throb, she gulped the champagne. "Did my husband tell you?" she asked Magda. She felt hot, the cramped office was stifling.
"Water, could I have a glass of water?"
Magda leaned back, clinking the ice cubes in her vodka glass. "What have you done to your face? You've done something to your face, you had a nose job? That's what's different, you had some work done, sweetface?"
Vebekka touched her face. "Yes, yes... I had, er, surgery."
Magda chuckled. "I knew it, I knew it. I can always tell... Ruda."
"Please, I need a glass of water!"
Magda reached over to the champagne bottle and banged it down in front of Vebekka. "You want a drink?"
Suddenly her fat face twisted. She leaned forward and threw the contents of her glass into Vebekka's face. The vodka burned her eyes, and she knocked over her chair as she sprang to her feet, her hands covering her face.
Magda waved the carving knife in front of her. "Get the hell out, and think about this! Think about this, Ruda, then come back and see me! You owe me, maybe now's the time to pay me off, out — get out!"
Vebekka stumbled to the door and fumbled, trying to open it. Magda pressed the button at the side of her desk. The door buzzed open, and Vebekka ran out as Magda picked up the phone and screamed for Eric to come in.
Magda was sweating, her eye makeup running. She didn't even give Eric time to walk in before she snapped at him to follow the tart, find out where she was staying and report back. "I want to know everything about that one, you understand me? Go on, get out!"