Iain sighed. He looked around the room and said in a low voice, ‘OK, you win. But you must promise not to tell anyone, and I mean anyone at all. Not even your teddy bear.’ He was deadly serious and Pia promised. She felt the hairs at the back of her neck stand up.
‘Vladsislas Kovtun is about to defect to the West. We are here to help him do that.’
12
The doorbell to Leena’s flat rang straight after she’d got home from school. As if whoever it was knew her movements. She put the shopping in the little alcoved kitchen and took off her overcoat. The bell rang again, impatiently. Leena went to answer the door. No doubt it was the unpleasant caretaker with some new house rule or other.
‘Vadi!’ Leena went to embrace the man, but Vadi pushed her away and walked straight into her living room.
Leena followed him, ‘Can I take your coat?’
Vadi paced the room from one end to the other, filling the space with his long black coat and large boots.
‘Or a drink, I have Koskenkorva?’
‘We have problem!’ Vadi’s eyes were dark. For the first time since meeting him, Leena felt a little afraid of the man. He was passionate – so very passionate – but even when he was telling her off for doing or saying the wrong thing he’d never looked as angry and dangerous as he did now.
‘Well, let’s just have a tiny, weeny drink and I’m sure…’
Vadi started pacing the room again. Leena slid into the kitchenette and poured two large glasses of neat vodka. He downed the drink in one and Leena went quickly to fetch the bottle. Vadi poured himself another glassful and said, ‘Your girl, Pia, she a big, big problem.’
‘Why?’
‘She has very bad friends.’
Leena looked at Vadi. He finally sat down in one of her comfy chairs, but was still wearing his overcoat. He leaned back with his long legs apart and looked at her with the kind of intensity that she’d only seen in his eyes when he was undressed.
‘She’s friends with Anni, you know, the girl whose father is a diplomat, apart from her…’
‘No, no, not at school, you stupid woman.’
Leena sat a little more upright in the other of her comfy chairs. There was no need to insult her; that she would not take from any man. She looked down at her hands. ‘I will help you, I said I would, but there’s no need to be rude.’
Vadi was silent for a while.
‘Ah,’ Vadi said, and after a while, still looking at Leena, he again said, ‘Ah.’
They were both silent for a long while, Leena thinking of how she’d got herself involved in this. She looked at Vadi who also seemed to be deep in thought. He was calmer now. Suddenly Vadi got up and knelt down next to Leena. ‘You not stupid, Vladsislas stupid.’ He took hold of Leena’s chin and kissed her. She closed her eyes. There was a taste of vodka on his velvety lips.
‘The man Pia meets, I worried. You know this girl, Pia, she very nice,’ Vadi said and looked down at his hands. ‘She remind me of my daughter.’
Leena knew how much Vadi loved his daughter. She’d seen it in Moscow, even if she hadn’t known his relationship to her then.
‘My very beautiful Alyona,’ he said quietly and stood up. Vadi flung his coat onto the bed and settled his large frame in front of Leena, ‘This is why I want to protect your gymnast girl!’ He stared intently at Leena.
‘Oh Vadi,’ Leena said.
Vadi took Leena’s hand and led her to the bed. He pulled her top and jeans off and entered her swiftly; his black eyes on her the whole of the time.
Afterwards, Leena thought about Vadi’s daughter. He’d been very secretive about her mother. Leena didn’t know if she was dead, or not around for some other reason. Surely a mother would have a problem with what Vadi planned? She looked at him. Vadi was already out of the bed, pulling on his shirt. She needed to approach the subject gently, from another direction.
‘So who is this man Pia is friends with?’
Vadi flashed his eyes at Leena, ‘He very, very bad. But Pia with him all the time!’
‘But it’s OK. She has a mother after all. Her mother won’t let her…’
‘It no good, no good for girl! No good for Tournament!’
‘I don’t understand,’ Leena said, though she was afraid of questioning Vadi too much.
‘He English pig! He want sabotage Tournament!’
Suddenly Leena had an idea, ‘Do you want me to talk to him?’
‘No!’ Vadi came over to the bed and placed Leena’s hands between his, ‘you must not talk to him!’
‘Of course not, I promise.’
‘Leena, you must watch this girl, Pia. Make sure she keep away from the man, OK?’ Vadi was now looking at her bare breasts, his face less serious. Leena pulled the sheet closer to her body, but leaving enough flesh for Vadi to admire. He bent over and kissed Leena’s neck. ‘You beautiful Finnish woman,’ he said. ‘Remember. Keep close to Pia, yes?’
Leena smiled and nodded. She could not resist this man. She watched his muscular back as he got dressed and wondered if she’d dare to approach the subject of the mother of his daughter.
‘Vadi,’ she began.
‘What?’ Vadi snapped.
The moment had gone.
Five minutes and Vadi was out the door.
Heikki was waiting for Pia outside the Council entrance. He looked cold. He had his school bag flung across his back and was stamping the ground to keep warm. He looked sheepish. Pia wasn’t sure whether she was glad or angry to see him. Iain had confused her. Why would the British want a man like Kovtun? And what did Kovtun have to do with Anni’s father? And why was he keeping an eye on Pia? Iain hadn’t been able to give her any answers. She’d have to find out what was going on herself.
She walked slowly towards Heikki. It was already dark, but the fresh snow was shimmering against the street lights. Suddenly she felt a shiver. She put her hands in her jacket pockets and looked around. No Russian that she could see. Iain had promised to keep an eye on her from a distance. He’d said he couldn’t be seen with her too much, especially if Kovtun was following her. He’d told Pia to be very careful who she spoke to. Pia was afraid for herself but even more afraid for Anni. Pia knew Iain had finally told her all he knew, but had the Colonel? Pia wasn’t so sure the Colonel didn’t know exactly what was going on between the Russian, her and Anni’s family.
Pia was wondering how she could get to talk to the Colonel without Iain knowing about it, when she saw a tram approaching. She wondered briefly whether she should run for it and leave Heikki there. Instead she decided to confront him too.
‘Why didn’t you tell me you’d been to the Council?’
‘Dunno,’ Heikki said, kicking at the snow with his boots.
Pia saw they’d still make the tram. She took Heikki’s hand. ‘Come with me.’
They found two seats together. Pia looked at her watch; it was well past six. Her mum would just have to get used to her being out a bit later. At least she no longer believed the story about the drugs. She looked at Heikki sideways. ‘Do you want to help me?’
‘Yeah, of course.’ Heikki said. He took Pia’s hand and added, ‘I’m sorry about not telling you…’
Pia had her lips on Heikki’s mouth before he could finish the sentence. She slid her arm around the inside of his down jacket. She hadn’t spotted anyone remotely Russian in the tram, but you never knew who was listening.
‘Mmm, I liked that, but what was it for?’ Heikki said when Pia pulled her lips away from his.
‘Nothing,’ Pia said, looking ahead and smiling. How easy it was to distract men!
When they were at Anni’s stop, Pia got up and hurried Heikki out of the tram.