Sheremetev tried to get a peek into Belkin’s case. As far as he could tell, it was empty but for the watches that had just gone into it. But then… where was the money they had said they were bringing for him?
Sheremetev took a step closer, trying to get a look into the briefcase Rostkhenkovskaya was filling.
‘Where’s Monarov?’
Sheremetev jumped. Belkin and Rostkhenkovskaya froze, watches in hand, then turned to see an old man in a blue sweater and grey trousers standing behind them.
‘Where’s Monarov?’ demanded Vladimir, peering at each of them to see if anyone was his dead crony. His eyes lingered on Vasya, who stared back at him, mouth agape.
‘I told you, Vladimir Vladimirovich,’ said Sheremetev, ‘he’s coming later.’ Sheremetev took Vladimir by the arm. ‘Come on, let’s go back. It’s just workmen here. They need to finish what they’re doing.’
‘Monarov’s coming, is he?’
‘Yes, he’s coming. Soon.’
Vladimir looked at Sheremetev suspiciously. ‘You’re sure?’
‘I’m sure. I’ll let you know as soon as he’s here.’
‘With his report!’
‘Yes, Vladimir Vladimirovich, with his report.’
Sheremetev nudged Vladimir again, and the old man shuffled away with him back to the sitting room.
A couple of minutes later, Sheremetev returned. Belkin and Rostkhenkovskaya had finished ransacking the cabinet. When they had run out of space in their cases, they had filled their pockets.
‘Well?’ said Sheremetev.
Belkin grinned. ‘He really knows nothing, does he?’
The tone of Belkin’s question and the repulsive grin on his face brought out a protective instinct in Sheremetev. ‘He’s got dementia. That’s how it is. It can happen to any of us.’
‘He’s worse than he looks on the TV.’
‘Watch out it doesn’t happen to you,’ retorted Sheremetev. ‘All the watches you can steal will mean nothing then.’
Belkin laughed. ‘They’ll mean a lot until it happens, though. Right! We’re ready. Thank you, Nikolai Ilyich. You’ve been very helpful. We’ll be going now.’
‘And the money, Aleksandr Semyonovich? The half million?’
‘Yes, the half million. Listen, Nikolai Ilyich, we’ve been thinking…’ Belkin grimaced, as if it was a difficult decision that he had to announce. ‘We can’t give it to you.’
‘You mean you don’t have it with you? Do I have to come and get it tomorrow?’
‘No, I mean, we’re not going to give it to you. At all.’
Sheremetev stared at him.
‘See, the way I look at it – excuse me for putting it bluntly, Nikolai Ilyich – half a million dollars isn’t a puff of air, and even if one can afford to give it, if one doesn’t have to, why should one? What are you going to do? Are you going to go to someone and say, I did a deal with these people to let them steal all of Vladimir Vladimirovich’s watches, but then they didn’t give me my cut? I don’t think you’re going to do that. Believe me, if you do, you’ll be in prison longer than me. I’ll buy my way out of the charges. What will you do?’
Sheremetev’s mind reeled. He turned to Rostkhenkovskaya. ‘You never even brought it, did you?’
She didn’t reply.
Sheremetev searched for something to say. All he could think of was what Stepanin had done. ‘I’ll get someone to firebomb you,’ he muttered.
Rostkhenkovskaya smiled.
‘Come on, Nikolai Ilyich,’ said Belkin, ‘you’re not that kind of guy. You know, I really do believe you’re an honest fellow. A rarity – and a conundrum! An honest man stealing watches. What has Russia come to when we see such a thing?’ He laughed. ‘You should be thankful to us for relieving you of the temptation. Don’t eat yourself up about it. What have you lost? How many years did you say you worked here? Six? For six years, you didn’t touch these watches. You were never going to. Here they stayed – now I’ve got them. They weren’t yours before, they’re not yours now. You’ve lost nothing.’
‘But Pasha…’
‘Ah, yes, the nephew. That really is what this is all about, isn’t it? Tell me, how much do you really need for him?’
‘Three hundred thousand dollars.’
Belkin tutted. ‘So you lied as well. Shame on you, Nikolai Ilyich.’
‘He needs some money to leave the country.’
‘Two hundred thousand?’
‘Forget that. Give me three hundred thousand. Just let me get him out of jail.’
Belkin laughed.
‘Please,’ he begged. ‘Three hundred, that’s all.’
‘Or what?’
Sheremetev had no reply to that. He turned his gaze on Vasya. ‘Are you going to let them do this?’
‘Papa…’
‘Are you?’
‘It’s business, Papa. What do you want me to do? They’re the client, not you.’
‘But they lied to me!’
‘You lied to them too.’
‘It’s not the same.’
Vasya shrugged.
‘And your cousin?’
‘He’s an idiot. How many times do I have to tell you that? I’m not responsible. Let him write what he wants and let him take the consequences.’
‘But this is wrong!’ cried Sheremetev. ‘Vasya! These two people promised me half a million in return for the millions and millions they’ve got in those bags. You heard them! And now, nothing? Is that right? Is that just? Go! Go outside and get your thugs. They’ll do anything you say.’
‘Papa… listen… I can’t do that. I’m a businessman. It’s a cutthroat world, you have no idea. I have nothing but my reputation. I told you, I have a good business with the jewellery people. One talks to the other. Do you know what would happen if I did what you say? No one would trust me. I’d never get another client.’
Belkin nodded gravely. ‘The relationship with the client is sacred, Nikolai Ilyich. You should understand, you’re a nurse. It’s like you and your patients.’
Sheremetev shook his head, stunned and horrified by the analogy.
‘That’s how it is, Papa. You can ask them yourself for the money. I can’t do anything. If they say no, it’s no.’
Swallowing his loathing for the other man, Sheremetev turned again to Belkin. ‘Please,’ he said. ‘Please give me the money to get my nephew Pasha out of jail.’
Belkin glanced at Rostkhenkovskaya, then gestured towards her, as if leaving the decision in her hands.
A flame of hope came alight in Sheremetev’s heart.
‘No,’ she said.
‘But Anna Mikhailovna—’
‘No.’
‘Aleksandr Semyonovich?’ cried Sheremetev in desperation.
‘You heard her.’
The two watch thieves headed out of the dressing room.
‘Wait!’ said Sheremetev, running after them.
‘What now?’ demanded Belkin irritably.
‘You’ve taken everything!’
‘So?’
‘You have to leave something. People are used to seeing a watch on his wrist. One day one watch, one day another. If they don’t, they’ll start to wonder what’s happened. Someone will investigate. And people saw you come in today, even if you gave a false identity. There are cameras here also.’
‘He’s got a point, Sasha,’ said Rostkhenkovskaya.
‘You think so?’ said Belkin. ‘I think it’s a trick to make us leave him something. If anyone does investigate, how much will it take to buy them off?’
‘In the case of the ex-president’s watches,’ said Rostkhenkovskaya, ‘who knows?’
She gazed at him pointedly. Eventually Belkin sighed and shook his head. He put his briefcase down on Vladimir’s bed and opened it, looked over the tangled mass of watches, selected half a dozen and put them on Vladimir’s bedside table. As he went to close the case, he stopped and fished another one out.