*
When Virginsky entered Porfiry’s chambers later, he found the magistrate alone. A mist of tobacco smoke filled the room, and the air tasted pungently of Porfiry’s familiar brand of cigarettes.
Porfiry blinked, as if the fug was bringing tears to his eyes. That did not prevent him from lighting a fresh cigarette. ‘What did the doctor say?’
‘Three broken ribs. Do you approve of that?’
Porfiry sighed out smoke. ‘I do not like his methods any more than you do.’
‘And yet you allow them. More than that, you encourage them. You complimented him.’
‘I do not think I complimented him.’
‘You said “good”!’
‘I was not referring to Salytov’s treatment of the witness. Merely to his success in tracking the man down.’
‘Do you think Salytov is capable of making that distinction?’
‘Men like Salytov. .’ began Porfiry.
‘Yes?’
‘His generation of policemen — those who entered the force before the reforms — will not endure. You are young. You must simply bide your time. The new recruits are being trained to honour the rights of our citizens.’
‘But they still have the example of men like Salytov, whom they see encouraged by a respected magistrate.’
‘I hardly think that one word, uttered in careless distraction, counts as encouragement. Besides which, if I remember rightly, you hardly gave me an opportunity to admonish him. For all you know, I may have been going on to say, “Good. . Good God, Ilya Petrovich, have you any idea how damaging your behaviour is?”’
‘Were you?’
Porfiry looked away sheepishly. ‘That’s beside the point. The point is that this witness may prove to be crucial in the case. I cannot regret that we have him in custody, even if I regret the means by which this was achieved. The fact that he did attempt to flee from a policeman is enough to confer suspicion on him. There is flexibility within the law — within the new law — for Salytov’s conduct. A warrant has been drawn up.’
‘In retrospect?’
‘His known association with the dead man necessarily makes him someone we are desirous to interview. If he will not co-operate with our desire, I’m afraid we must resort to a warrant.’
Virginsky shook his head dismissively. ‘This ability to compartmentalise the deeds of men like Salytov, accepting those that are expedient but turning a blind eye to the inconvenient abuses they commit, is the reason why such abuses persist. I would go further: it is the foundation upon which all the injustices of the regime are constructed. So long as men like you, Porfiry Petrovich, say nothing, then the state may do as it pleases. You urge me to bide my time, to simply wait for the extinction of Salytov’s generation. I am afraid I must also be impatient for the passing of men like you, Porfiry Petrovich. If you will not stand up to the Salytovs of this world, then one must seriously wonder if you have any role in society left to you.’
‘We are investigating a murder. My role in society is to keep on asking questions until we have discovered the person or persons responsible. It is as simple as that. I urge you to adopt a similarly narrow focus of concentration.’ Porfiry ground out his half-smoked cigarette with premature finality, as if he had suddenly sickened of it. ‘In my conversation with Lieutenant Salytov on our return from the cells I was able to glean a number of significant facts. Our man from the canal, the man with the pockmarked face, now has a name: Pseldonimov. I have asked Alexander Grigorevich to submit an enquiry at the Address Office. We should have Pseldonimov’s last known address later today. We also have an occupation for him. He was a printer. There is more to it than that. He is rumoured to have turned his hand to certain illicit activities, such as the printing of manifestos, and counterfeiting.’
‘Counterfeiting?’
‘Yes. I am afraid so. Perhaps — after all — his death has more to do with common criminality than revolutionary politics.’
Virginsky hesitated a moment before asking, ‘W-why do you say that?’
The slight falter in Virginsky’s question provoked Porfiry’s attention. Under his superior’s calm and interested scrutiny, Virginsky felt himself blush.
‘What is going on, Pavel Pavlovich? Do you know something about all this?’
‘What do you mean? Why do you ask that?’
‘You’re blushing. And there was a decidedly guilty tone to your voice just now. And now you have adopted a bullishly aggressive one.’
‘What nonsense!’
‘What have you got yourself mixed up in, Pavel Pavlovich? Whatever it is, I urge you to confide in me.’
‘I have been. . pursuing a line of enquiry of my own.’
‘And when did you intend to share this with me?’
‘When I had something more concrete to go on.’
‘What if, in the meantime, this line of enquiry of yours leads you into the company of dangerous men? And they find out who you really are — Pavel Pavlovich Virginsky, magistrate. The next thing we know, we are fishing you out of a canal.’
‘They already know I’m a magistrate. So. .’ Virginsky shrugged. And then grinned, rather sheepishly.
‘You fool! These men do not play games, Pavel Pavlovich.’ Porfiry’s hands were shaking as he reached for his cigarettes. ‘Now, you will tell me everything. For God’s sake, sit down. I cannot have you standing over me like this. My nerves will not tolerate it.’ He threw his enamelled cigarette case back onto his desk without taking a cigarette out.
‘I–I-I met a man.’ Virginsky lowered himself hesitantly onto the artificial-leather sofa. ‘On Easter Sunday. The night of the first fires, you will remember. I suspected him of being a petroleur. It was something he said. Something along the lines of, I would always find him at such events. Anyhow, he gave me a copy of a manifesto. “God the Nihilist”. You know the one. You had it in your collection. It was the one we linked to Kozodavlev. Through the scrap of paper we found in his apartment.’
‘We found?’
‘Very well, you found it. At any rate, I had been thinking about it, and last night I decided to seek him out again. I found him in a tavern in Haymarket Square, as he had said that I would. I offered my services to the cause. We talked about methods. He mentioned counterfeiting.’
‘I see.’
‘It is a method of destabilising the government. He said that they had employed it with some success. So, you see, it is not simply an activity of common criminals. Revolutionists engage in it too.’
‘Do you have any idea of the risk you were exposing yourself to in talking to this man? There is not simply the danger from him and his associates to consider. Suppose he is being watched. That would bring you under suspicion — if you are not already.’
‘I know what I am doing.’
‘What? Does this mean you intend to continue in this course of action?’
‘I can hardly back out now.’
‘I cannot allow it.’
‘Come now, Porfiry Petrovich. You and I both know that if there ever comes a time when you consider it necessary to the progress of the case, you will certainly allow it.’
Porfiry gave Virginsky a reproachful look, quickly averted.
The two men sat in silence for some time. Eventually, Porfiry picked up his cigarette case again and opened it, but only to count the cigarettes remaining. ‘Seven,’ he murmured, as if he were communing with his cigarettes.
‘Porfiry Petrovich.’ Virginsky’s tone was sharp, almost hostile.
Porfiry looked up, startled, it seemed, to discover Virginsky still there.
‘The man I met. . he said I was to take him something, information, to prove my commitment to the cause. Do you have any suggestions? Something we can feed to them?’
Porfiry’s expression was somewhere between bewilderment and anger. That is to say, he turned a flurry of blinking on Virginsky. ‘But I forbid it. It is too dangerous. It will not happen.’ He gave a decisive nod to underline the force of his intent. ‘Now, I suggest that we interview our witness as soon as possible, so that he may be released without inconveniencing him any more than we have done already. It would be regrettable if he were forced to spend the night in the cell.’ With that he began to heave himself up from his chair.