The Half Truth(83)

‘How have you been?’ said John.

‘It doesn’t really matter does it? What was it you wanted to speak to me about?’ She wasn’t going to let him think that everything was okay between them. That would be far too convenient for him.

‘It matters to me.’

She swallowed hard, straightening up. She did wonder who she was trying to kid more with her act of indifference. ‘Well, it shouldn’t. Can we get to the point?’

‘The coroner’s report has been completed, which means, as Sasha’s next of kin, you get to decide what to do with the body.’

‘I have actually thought about this.’ Tina paused to maintain her composure. ‘Sasha wasn’t my husband. He hadn’t been for a long time. My husband died five years ago. He needs to go back to Russia so his family, his mother, his wife can all grieve for him. They can bury him and have a grave to go to. It’s how it should be.’

She heard the wobble in her voice. It had been a hard decision, but she knew it was the right one.

‘Would you like us to arrange that for you? Only, without a passport it’s not so straightforward. We can liaise with the Russian embassy and make all the necessary arrangements.’

‘Thank you. I’d appreciate that. As I’m sure the Bolotnikovs will.’ Tina drew a deep breath. ‘Does Rozalina know about me?’

‘She will need to be informed.’

‘I thought about asking you not to tell her, but then I decided she should know. Not because I want to even the score and upset her or get some sort of revenge kick from it, but because her son, Nikolay, has a half-brother. They should know about each other.’

John nodded. ‘I understand. For what it’s worth, I agree with you.’ John took a small brown envelope from his pocket. ‘I thought you might like to keep this. To show Dimitri one day.’

Tina took the envelope and, looking inside, slipped out a small photograph. It was of Nikolay. It was the one Sasha had kept in his wallet.

‘Thank you. I can’t bear the thought that this is the only picture Dimitri will have.’

‘There’s every chance there will be more.’

‘How is there?’ The spark of anger ignited itself once more. ‘You saw to that.’

‘I’m trying to convince my bosses to honour the deal, even though Sasha’s dead.’

‘What?’

‘I’m putting as much pressure as I can on my boss to arrange for Sasha’s son to be treated in Switzerland.’

‘You are?’ She could barely believe it. She watched John nod. ‘When will you know?’

‘I’m not sure. In the next week or two, I hope.’

Tears blurred her vision and she blinked hard to stop them falling. ‘Thank you.’

‘See, I’m not such a cold-hearted bastard,’ said John.

She had misjudged him and, for once, she was glad she had got it wrong. ‘I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.’

‘Don’t worry. I’ve been called worse.’ John shifted on his feet.

‘Would you like a cup of coffee?’ Tina was relieved. The olive branch had been accepted.

‘Can I ask you something?’ said John as he sat down at the table.

‘Depends what it is,’ said Tina. The disquiet that had receded over the past week was back, small ripples of anxiety reaching out to her, lapping at her heels.

‘Why did Sasha put the money in the safe deposit? He went to a lot of trouble, laying the way. He gave you that key a long time before he had to disappear. He must have been planning something.’

‘I don’t know all the details, he briefly told me at St Paul’s that day. The money in the safe deposit, he had been gradually laundering it through the business. It wasn’t his money. It was the Porboski money and it was coming to him via Pavel. Sasha didn’t know this at first and by the time he did, it was too late. He was already implicated. Pavel never told him the truth.’

‘And he couldn’t exactly report his brother, I suppose,’ said John.

‘No, he couldn’t. If he did, then Pavel would be in danger as Sasha would himself. Pavel made it clear to him that the danger would extend to me as well.’

‘Nice brother.’

‘You could say that,’ said Tina. ‘Sasha was a man who got dragged into all of this by his brother. It wasn’t until he had been in Russia a few days that Pavel told him Neil had died. Up until then Sasha always thought there was a way back.’ Tina could feel the tears building up again. She looked at John. He had gone quite pale.

He stood up and made for the back door. ‘Need some fresh air,’ he muttered as he grappled with the door handle.