do? I was just a customer. If I’d not left he’d have been suspicious.’
‘And why should a health inspector care?’ she asked.
‘Oh, come on! You really think he was from the Department of Sanitary Engineering?’
She paused, her lips pressed tight together. ‘Probably not,’ she conceded.
Mihail stepped into the living quarters. Bogdanovich was pacing nervously; Kibalchich and Frolenko stood still. Kibalchich looked like he needed to smoke, but was succeeding in obeying his own rules. The entrance to the tunnel was in plain view. ‘What happened after I’d gone?’ Mihail asked.
‘He chatted a bit more,’ explained Bogdanovich, ‘mostly about the cat. Then they just left. We’d passed the inspection.’
‘But Mihail’s right,’ growled Sofia. ‘It stinks to high heaven.’
‘I’m not sure,’ said Bogdanovich. ‘If they know what’s going on, why leave us be?’
‘So that we’ll incriminate ourselves a little further?’ suggested Sofia. ‘So that they can humiliate us in our failure?’
Mihail shrugged. ‘Maybe so, but I’m prepared to gamble a little humiliation, even for the tiniest chance of success.’
‘Hear! Hear!’ said Bogdanovich quietly.
‘Possibly,’ said Sofia. ‘Anyway, it’s too late now. We’re heading off. Anna will close up at the last minute. You make sure everything’s ready for Frolenko.’
‘Where are you going?’
Her nostrils pinched. The stress of command was clearly affecting her, but she managed to remain calm. ‘Someone’s got to keep an eye on which route he takes.’
With that she and Bogdanovich left, leaving Mihail, Frolenko and Kibalchich alone. Mihail crouched down to peer into the tunnel. The switch and its trailing wires sat there just where he had left them.
‘You came back,’ said Kibalchich.
It was an odd thing to say, but Mihail took it in his stride. ‘Of course.’
‘Let’s get ready then.’
Frolenko clambered up on to the table. His eyes were just level with the street as he peeped through the window.
‘Won’t it be suspicious if they spot you?’ Mihail asked.
‘Maybe, but how else am I going to see the coach? Anyway, I’ll keep down until I hear it coming.’
Mihail nodded. He bent forward and picked up the switch and its wires from the tunnel mouth, then handed it to Frolenko.
‘You know what to do?’ asked Kibalchich.
‘I’ve practised a dozen times.’ He held the little wooden box in his hand, then pressed the small lever on the side to horizontal. His lips silently counted to four, then he released it, allowing it to spring back to the vertical. Mihail and Kibalchich both glared at him. ‘Don’t worry,’ he said. ‘I know it’s not connected.’
Kibalchich took out a small length of wire and touched its ends against the switch’s terminals to short out any charge that remained from Frolenko’s action. Then he connected the second long wire to the spare terminal.
‘It is now,’ he said grimly.
‘One final check?’ suggested Mihail.
‘I’ll do it,’ replied Kibalchich.
He crawled out along the tunnel, out under the street, and soon returned. ‘All OK there,’ he said.
‘Good,’ said Mihail.
‘What are my chances?’ asked Frolenko.
‘We’ve shored up the area around the explosives to force the blast upwards,’ explained Kibalchich, ‘so you won’t get anything back through the tunnel. The bigger problem will be through the window, so I suggest you duck. I can’t make any promises though.’
‘I wouldn’t hold you to them if you did.’
‘That’s about it, then,’ said Mihail.
Kibalchich and Frolenko embraced, then Mihail and Kibalchich went through to the shop. Anna Vasilyevna was waiting, ready to close up. Hugged to her chest she held the pregnant cat.
‘She can’t stay here,’ Anna explained. ‘Even if she survives the blast, no one’s coming back to feed her.’ She opened the door and gently placed the cat about halfway up the steps, giving it a brief shoo to get rid of it. Then she closed the door. ‘All ready?’ she asked.
Mihail nodded. He and Kibalchich in turn kissed Anna on the cheek, then faced each other. Kibalchich offered his hand and smiled. ‘I wouldn’t bet on us seeing one another again – but I hope we do. Good luck in … in whatever you need luck with.’
Mihail grasped his hand. ‘You too,’ he said.
Kibalchich climbed the steps up to the street and was gone. Anna followed him. At the top of the stairs the cat waited, peering down. Anna bent over and picked up a pebble from the ground, then hurled it at the cat. The creature squealed and ran. Anna turned back to Mihail, a look of irritation on her face.
‘It’s for her own good,’ she said. ‘It’s just a shame she can’t understand that.’