The Half Truth(53)

‘But it was you the other times?’

‘Yes.’

‘Part of me wishes I never found all this out. But now I know, I can’t undo it,’ said Tina. ‘I don’t understand why you were creeping around. What were you looking for? What else has Pavel done?’

Sasha shifted position. His jaw tightened and a pulse thumped in his neck. He shook his head. ‘He has done what needed to be done.’

‘The Russian at the dock.’ It was a statement, not a question. Sasha didn’t need to answer. His silence told her everything.

They sat side by side for a few minutes, looking out to sea, as if admiring the view. Tina watched the waves roll back and forth, scrambling over the pebbles. A couple walked along the water’s edge, hand in hand, laughing together, sharing a moment. On the outside the world was a sunny and bright place, on the inside, Tina knew life was much darker.

‘You didn’t answer me. Why you were in the house. Why you faked your own death,’ she said, hoping her voice would hold and not break with emotion.

‘Can we walk?’ Sasha asked. ‘I do not want to sit here for too long.’ His eyes swept the pier, checking the faces that came their way.

‘Who are you hiding from?’ she said, suddenly feeling unsettled. Memories of the attack back in the café resurfacing.

‘No one. I just do not like sitting in one place for too long.’

‘The truth, Sasha! Tell me the whole truth,’ said Tina. She wasn’t going to be lied to any more, no matter how big or small the untruth.

He took her upper arm in his hand and hoisted her to her feet.

‘Tina, please?’

She considered refusing but didn’t know what that would achieve, apart from drawing attention to them. Despite everything, her natural instinct to protect Sasha kicked in. She fell into step as they made their way off the pier. Tina and her un-dead husband.





Chapter 27


The sun’s rays danced and bounced off the sea. It looked so blue today, so still. The beach itself was busy with visitors and locals alike, enjoying the warmth of the late-September weather. Tina walked along the promenade, Sasha at her side. They milled in and out families with pushchairs, roller-bladers, dogs and cyclists. Tina thought they probably looked like any other couple that day, taking a stroll along the seafront.

Even though Sasha had put his sunglasses on, she could see from her side-on view that his eyes were alert. This was not a leisurely stroll for him, where he absently took in the views around him. No, his eyes were darting back and forth, checking for what, she wasn’t sure, but she knew there was an anxiety there. As they walked further along the seafront, the crowds began to thin out and Tina sensed Sasha begin to relax.

They found an empty bench and sat down. Sasha fiddled with his black leather watchstrap. Another one of his tell-tale stress habits.

‘Pavel got more heavily involved with armed robberies. The last job they did went wrong. Badly wrong. A policeman was shot and killed. Another was injured. It was all over the newspapers and TV.’

‘Yes, I know,’ said Tina.

‘Pavel was there. They had robbed a small private bank.’

‘They never caught who did it,’ said Tina. She knew all this from John, of course.

‘This time, though, I was involved,’ said Sasha. ‘Their lookout was sick and Pavel asked me to step in at the last minute. He said I did not have to do anything, only watch the street.’

Tina felt sick. Her stomach churned. John had lied to her. She looked at her husband. He had lied. Two betrayals. ‘You and Pavel, you went to home to Russia afterwards.’

‘Yes. He had some money he had saved over the time. I had a little of mine…’

‘What? Wait a minute.’ Her voice was louder than she had intended and gained her a curious look from a passing couple. Tina modified her volume. ‘You took money? You had a cut? How did that work?’

‘Call it commission, but I got paid to launder the money.’ His reply was matter-of-fact.

‘What did you do with the money?’ She knew they were comfortably off at the time but they certainly hadn’t been living a life of luxury. The feeling of sickness returned – they might have been out enjoying ourselves on what she believed to be their hard-earned cash, when, in fact, it was the proceeds from criminal activity.

‘I saved the money. We never spent it.’

‘That’s something, I suppose,’ she said. ‘I still don’t understand why you faked your own death. You still haven’t told me.’

‘The heat was on all around. The police were getting closer and closer. They had already taken an interest in the deli. They had been watching my every move.’