The Half Truth(56)

A few minutes later she came into the room.

‘He’s asleep now. I think Dad must have worn him out. They’ve been gardening, so Dimitri tells me.’

John smiled. He loved the way she looked so relaxed when she spoke about her father and Dimitri. For a while it was as if she had no troubles whatsoever. He wished he could keep it that way.

He passed her a glass of wine.

‘How are you feeling?’

Tina took the glass and sat in the chair by the side of the fireplace. ‘Confused. Happy. Sad. Ecstatic. Heartbroken. And everything in between. I’ve been duped.’ She took a large gulp of wine. ‘By both of you.’

John crouched in front of her. ‘I couldn’t tell you before. I wanted to. But I couldn’t compromise the operation.’ He took the wine glass from her, placing it on the table, then held both her hands in his. ‘I’m sorry. I truly am.’

She didn’t reply for a while as she looked at him, studying his face.

‘I suppose I understand,’ she said. ‘It’s not a nice thought, but I do get it.’

‘It goes with the job, unfortunately.’

‘There’s something else, though,’ she said, leaving her hands within his. ‘I can tell there’s something you’re not telling me. And don’t say it’s confidential or you can’t disclose that information. I’m not buying it. I want the truth.’

He looked at her. There was no easy way to do this, he’d simply have to tell her. Could he tell her everything, though?

‘Sasha was my informant. He passed information onto me about the Porboski gang which meant he passed information onto me about his brother too.’

Her eyes widened. ‘It was you who was blackmailing him.’ He could hear the shock in her voice.

‘He was there when Neil Edwards was shot. No, it’s okay, he didn’t shoot Neil.’ John fought his customary mental battle, dispelling the images, regaining control. ‘But he was involved with hiding the money from the job. All I want is to arrest Pavel and get the money back.’

‘What about Sasha?’

‘If he agrees to talk to me again, I can arrange immunity for him. I can get him on the Witness Protection Scheme. He can walk away from all this. From the Porboski gang too.’

‘And from me, again,’ said Tina, her voice was bleak.

He chose his next words carefully.

‘I don’t know if he was coming back for you in the first place.’ He felt a complete bastard saying it, but he was certain Sasha hadn’t come back for her. Not with Pavel in tow. No, there was a completely different agenda.

She nodded. ‘In my heart of hearts, I know you’re right.’

‘Did he say why he was back?’ John asked.

‘No. It was him and Pavel who were in the house though.’

‘What did he say they were looking for?’

‘He didn’t. We never got that far. He suddenly said he had to go and that he would contact me again. I don’t know how or when.’

He stroked the top of her hands with this thumbs. ‘I think he’s back for the money. There’s no other logical reason. That’s why Pavel is with him and that’s why the Russians are after him. And after you.’

‘What? I don’t understand.’

‘You are the link to the missing money, whether you know it or not. And all the time it remains hidden, you are in danger.’ He wasn’t sure he was getting through to her. ‘Tina, the Russians think you know exactly where the money is and they want you to share this information with them. They will use every method to persuade you to co-operate. People close to you.’

He watched as realisation dawned on her. ‘Dimitri?’ she whispered. ‘Oh, God, this is a nightmare. I don’t know where the money is. What if they don’t believe me? What if they do something to Dimitri?’

‘Hey, hey, calm down, it’s okay,’ said John. ‘We can sort this. I’ve got it worked out.’

Monday morning finally limped its way round. They had spent Sunday playing happy families for Dimitri’s sake: football in the garden, a walk along the seafront, helping John wash the car and all the time Tina acutely aware that the wrong father figure was there.

Tina waved Dimitri off at the school gates and drove back home with John.

‘Are you going to tell Dimitri about Sasha?’ asked John.

‘Tell him what, exactly?’ Tina fiddled with the wedding ring on her right hand. ‘That his father walked away from him and made a new life. No, what would the point be? It wouldn’t achieve anything.’

‘So you’re going to continue the lie?’