The press were waiting, with their usual questions, and Mikael duly ignored them. His mouth was dry and he wanted the cool darkness of his office, where the heavy drapes would be closed and he could sit in silence and make notes on all that had been said today.
‘Don’t ask!’ Mikael warned his clerk as he stepped in.
Both knew that it was not going well, and that he would be here all night working on the final details before delivering his closing speech tomorrow.
‘I don’t know how to tell you this—’ Wendy started.
Mikael turned and saw that his very efficient clerk for once looked a touch ruffled.
‘There’s a lady here to see you.’
‘I haven’t got time to see anyone now.’
‘Mikael, I’ve tried to get rid of her…’ Wendy let out a nervous laugh. ‘I’ve never met anyone like her before—you simply can’t say no. I even ended up paying for her taxi because she didn’t have any money—the driver was about to call the police!’
‘Wendy?’ Mikael frowned, because he had never seen his clerk like this. Mikael dealt with the lowest of the low, and had only the best of staff around him—staff that were able to deal with the most difficult of people. ‘Where is she?’ he asked, glancing into the small waiting room.
‘She’s waiting in your office.’
‘What?’ She’d got past Wendy? This Mikael had to see. ‘What’s her name?’
‘She won’t tell me,’ Wendy said, ‘and she won’t tell me what she’s here for either. She refuses to discuss it with anyone but you.’
‘Okay.’ Mikael nodded. ‘Don’t worry. I shall sort it out.’
Mikael walked into his office and completely ignored his uninvited guest, who was standing by the window, looking out through a chink in the heavy curtains and watching the world go by.
Yet as much as he ignored her somehow Mikael was reminded of the rare beauty of the first glimpse of a new moon. Perhaps it was the way the light caught her silver robe or because she was so slender, but as he opened the bar fridge it was that image that was on his mind.
‘Mr Romanov!’
Her voice demanded that he acknowledge her.
‘Oh, sorry…’ Mikael’s voice was wry as, his back to her, he added a slice of lime and ice to a glass and then poured sparkling water. ‘Weren’t you getting enough attention?’
‘I expect to be greeted.’
‘Well, had you made an appointment then you would have been.’
He turned and looked at her, a golden ray of sun from the chink in the curtains serving as his spotlight. Her beauty was now possibly the biggest challenge of his day, for Mikael was momentarily sideswiped. Her black eyes were huge in her exquisite face, her hair thick and glossy, and her complexion quite simply flawless. His eyes roamed her face—as far as Mikael could tell she wasn’t even wearing make-up. She was the first woman to actually stun him—so much so that when she held out her hand Mikael handed her his drink.
How did that happen? Mikael wondered as he turned again and made another drink—for himself this time.