Alina nodded.
“But I could be wrong.”
She was motionless.
“Though I hope not.”
Quietly, she said, “I’m not a spy.”
“Many spies say that.” Will grabbed his tea and nodded toward Maria. The girl was now playing with different-colored plastic shapes that were looped on a wire attached to her chair. “Has she had enough food?”
“Yes. Thank you, I. .” Her voiced trailed and she lowered her head. “I too have to deal with possibilities right now.” She looked at him. “You can’t deny that it’s possible Lenka’s dead.”
“Or that he’s alive.”
Alina shook her head. “He stole a piece of paper and delivered it to someone. What use is he to that person now?”
Will knew that she was right, but he could also see that she was becoming tearful. “Killing a man is not an easy thing to do.” He pictured the armor-clad private contractors attempting to slaughter anything that moved in the Gdansk port. “We don’t know if we’re dealing with a killer.”
Alina looked desperate. “Should I send him another message? Should you send him a message?”
“Saying what?”
“I don’t know.”
“Have you sent him any messages aside from the one about the contents of the note?”
She hesitated. “I sent him one right after Mikhail came here. But he didn’t reply.”
“What did you say?”
“The truth. That a Russian intelligence officer called Mikhail had been asking questions about him.”
Will’s heartbeat increased. “Any since?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because. .” She drained the last of her tea. “Because I’m not sure the messages would be read by him. Maybe his phone is now with. . them.”
Will nodded.
Her expression changed, and she said quickly, “Couldn’t you give me words to manipulate them? Anything that might keep him alive.”
Will didn’t answer her. Instead, he looked around the tiny but well-maintained home, then let his gaze rest on Maria. “If I can bring Lenka back to you, do you think he’ll stay?”
“Of course. The only reason he hasn’t lived with us was because he had a wage coming in. But whatever happens, there’s no going back to the SVR.” Alina smiled. “I think he’ll be relieved that the decision’s been made for him. Somehow, we’ll make ends meet. He’ll stay.”
It was the answer Will had expected. “I did consider asking you to send Lenka another message, knowing it would be read by the man who’s got him. Your message would have said that I’d visited you and advised you that I knew Lenka’s location, that matters would be concluded tomorrow and that I would try to keep Lenka alive, but that it was imperative that you went somewhere safe until all of this was over in case there were repercussions. You would have added that you didn’t believe that I was going to keep him alive, that Lenka should keep his phone safe and that you would contact him as soon as you were safe.”
“What purpose would such a message have served?”
“It might have caused the men who are holding Lenka to panic and move.”
And in turn to mobilize the SVR team, and to enable Will’s team to follow them and gun down William and anyone working for him, all before William had time to threaten Mikhail’s family and cause the SVR officer to back down from his vigil on William.
“But that’s good! They’ll abandon Lenka.”
Will shook his head. “They’ll put a bullet in his brain.”
Alina looked uncertain. “If he’s not dead yet, right now he’s as good as dead. Isn’t sending the message worth the risk?”
“Would you be willing to press Send on your phone, knowing you might actually be pulling a trigger?”
“I. .”
“In any case, there are other risks.”
Alina frowned.
Moving to the sofa, he sat next to Alina and held one of her hands between his. “I believe that the man who’s leading Lenka’s captors is very smart. There’s every possibility that he will suspect your message was dictated by me. That would place you in danger.” He glanced at Maria. “Both of you.”
“We could move somewhere safe.”
“Where?”
“My parents’, or my aunts’.”
“Does Lenka know their identities and locations?”
“Yes, he’s. . Oh, I see.”
Lenka could be tortured to reveal their addresses.
“I’m sorry-we can’t discount that possibility. Plus, I suspect you’d need to keep up your work at the university.”
“I have to earn my salary.”
“No doubt, but they could get you there.”
Alina squeezed his hand. “There must be something we can do.”
“Maybe, but sending a message would endanger far too many people.”
Including his sister.
Alina stared at nothing and said quietly, “You said you’d try to bring him back to me. Did you mean what you said?”
“Yes.”
Alina looked at him and smiled. A tear ran down her cheek.
Will said, “There is still hope.”
“What hope?” She yanked her hand away from him. “You don’t know where he is; you don’t know who he’s with; you know nothing about the paper he’s stolen; and you don’t know if he’s alive or dead.”
Will nodded. “All of that has to change. I need his home address in Russia. Can you give that to me?”
Alina frowned. “Sure, but. . how can that be useful?”
“Have you been there before?”
“Three times. It’s a rural cottage, outside Moscow.”
“Did you notice whether he keeps a safe in the house?”
“I don’t think so. . No, I’m sure I’d have seen one if it was there. The house is small.”
“Does he have a private space-a locked cabinet, drawers, anywhere that he’d use to keep things that only he could access?”
The confusion on Alina’s face was evident. “No. I told you before: he didn’t like to hide anything from me.”
“That might be true, but he might have wished to hide something from you that he considered dangerous.”
“Like what?”
“Information.” Will stood and put on his overcoat. Maria was still playing with the shapes. Will grabbed one of them and moved it quickly back and forth on the wire while smiling at the child. Maria giggled and tried to get the shape, but Will moved it out of reach, then gave it to her. He thought for a moment before reaching into a pocket and withdrawing his wallet. It contained 1.6 million Belarusian rubles, the approximate equivalent of two hundred dollars. He pulled out all of the cash and held it toward Alina. “I don’t know if it’s enough to get a new baby carriage, but please accept it.”
Alina looked offended. “We manage. I don’t need your charity and I certainly don’t need spy money.”
Will tried to think what to say. He settled on honesty. “It’s my own cash, and in any case if you get her a new carriage it will save me from being petrified that I’m going to slip while carrying her next time I come.”
“Next time?” Alina’s expression had changed.
“Just. .” Will felt awkward. “Just to see you’re both okay.”
Alina’s eyes narrowed. “Lenka may not be in my life right now, but as you say, I must have hope that he’s alive and will come to me. I’ve no desire for another lover.”
Will sighed. “That’s not why I’m here.”
The anger returned. “I agree. You’re here because you have an agenda to get the stolen paper.”
“Please, take the money.”
“Are you attempting to cleanse your conscience?”
Will shook his head. “No, no.” He gestured toward Maria. “I just want her to have a waterproof roof over her head. That’s all. Please.”