"Did you take any radiation level measurements with your watch?"
"Of course, but there was nothing above background level. I wanted to ask the watchman to let me into the refrigerated room where the bodies were stored but thought that would be too much to ask for."
"Good decision. This could have got you into trouble if he called the police. We'll keep an eye on the hearse. By the way, did you ask the watchman about the driver you saw?"
"No, this would have blown my story to bits."
"Joe, you did well. Do you want to finish my cocktail? I see you like it."
"Thanks. Look out, two women have just entered the bar, and they are probably trying to offer their services to potential clients."
Two tall women, looking like top-models, except that they were not modeling too many clothes, approached their table. The blonde one smiled at them and in near-perfect English said, "Are you gentlemen going to buy us a drink?"
David thought that she looked a lot like his favorite Italian AISI agent, Julietta, and wondered if this was just a coincidence. "Thank you, ladies, but we are just getting ready for bed" and he started to rise from the table.
"Do you mind if we join you?" the blonde said without missing a beat. "Perhaps, you fancy my friend? She comes highly recommended." It was obvious that her choice of the verb was not accidental.
Despite himself, David had to acknowledge her professional approach. "Thanks for the offer. Maybe tomorrow night, at an earlier hour?" He wanted to ascertain whether they were just hookers or trained FSB agents. The blonde looked disappointed, even slightly unsettled, and shrugged, making sure that the Israelis saw that there was nothing underneath the form-hugging dress she was wearing. She motioned to her colleague and both women left the bar. David whispered to Joe, "Have you heard the new term for this type of espionage?" and after a pause he answered his own question, "It's now called sexpionage."
Joe laughed and then caught a glimpse of the FSB agent in the adjacent booth and saw that he was smiling in appreciation of the professional behavior and attitude of the hookers and the response of the Israeli agents. Joe exchanged a quick knowing smile with the FSB agent and figured that the Russian man had a sense of humor.
The next morning, the Mossad group met for breakfast in the hotel's dining room. It was a buffet-style affair, with an impressive assortment of cheeses, meats, eggs and even a few vegetables, as well as coffee and tea. After they filled their plates, the Israelis sat at one of the round tables. They didn't want to discuss Joe's findings in the dining room, so talked about the cultural treasures of St. Petersburg, and their restoration after the fall of the communist regime.
'The Fish' said, "Do you know that the first 'all you can eat' restaurant was opened in Moscow shortly after communism officially ended?" They all stared at him, not knowing what he was getting at, so he continued, "You had to wait in line for half an hour and when you finally entered and paid your 10 rubles you were given a slice of bread and were told 'that's all you can eat'." No one laughed — they knew that the suffering of the people and food shortage were not a joking matter. 'The Fish' was embarrassed by the lack of reaction, so as they were leaving the dining-room he decided to change the subject. He said, "I know we shouldn't talk about this here, but I am troubled by something we may have missed." David held up his hand as a signal to stop talking.
They Mossad group followed David to Dmitrovskiy Skver, just down the road from the hotel. David found a bench that was slightly isolated and motioned for his team to sit down. He gestured for 'The Fish' to continue speaking. "If Joe is right, and the coffin contains the item we are looking for, then the culprits we are seeking must also be here. Joe only told us about the old man he saw, but I guess that Le Docteur and the two women are not too far. Perhaps they were also on board the same cruise ship. We have their photos and copies of the passports the women, Fiona and Lara, were using in Bologna. Maybe it's time to ask for assistance from the FSB and local police."
David considered this for a moment. "You are right. We cannot conduct a wide-spread search under the nose of the FSB." He unobtrusively pointed at the husky men that were watching them, "We don't have to go very far to find them." Then he got up from the bench and did something that no intelligence agent would normally do — he walked straight up to his 'shadow' and faced him. The Russian man's shock showed on his face and he froze. David asked him, "Do you speak English?" The FSB agent said something in Russian and tried to walk away. David motioned for Edna Rieger to join him.
She addressed the FSB man in Russian, and in a stern tone said, "Take us to your headquarters."
The FSB agent said something, that to the other Israeli agents sounded like 'I don't know what you are talking about'. Edna persisted and finally the Russian shrugged, called his two buddies who were watching the situation from a safe distance. The entire group of FSB men and Israeli agents headed to the FSB main office in the city. The FSB people used their unmarked car and the Israelis took a taxi. While all this was going on, Joe quietly slipped away unnoticed and headed back to the funeral parlor.
The taxi driver paled when he heard the address, but one look from the FSB agent was enough to make him comply. The St. Petersburg headquarters of the Federal Security Service of Russia, was in building called Bolshoy Dom, literally translated as the Big House. It was in the Central District of the city, just one block south of the Neva River. Edna, who had a special interest in pre-revolutionary Russian architecture, appreciated the history of the main building that had replaced the Imperial Armory Building that was burned down in 1917. Since then it had served as the headquarters of the different secret-police organizations of the Soviet Union and retained the same role in the post-communist era. Its adjacent prison gained notoriety during Stalin's purges, and even in present time still projected an intimidating image. Edna nudged David, "Are you sure you want to enter this building?"
David bit his lip, "We need the Russians to stop whatever Le Docteur is up to. In times of need, we cannot be too picky about our friends."