"I'm sure I'm not. I don't believe Natasha was destined to have a long life, but I will say this: she experienced more in her thirty-six years than some people have in a lifetime. I hope I gave her some happiness, because she was not just beautiful on the outside—she had heart and fire and spirit. The Russia House was richer for her being in it. Back then, the club was mostly Russians. It was a home away from home, and Natasha thrived in that environment. She'd become very Americanized, because that's the way the movie executives wanted everyone to see her, but when she was here, she would let down her hair. She would speak in Russian, she would tell dirty jokes, and laugh." Emotion filled his gaze. "I wish I could have saved her." Constantine sipped his drink. "I'm sorry. I can't speak of her anymore."
"I really appreciate everything you've told me. You've brought her alive for me in ways no one else has."
"I'd like to think I was her truest love, but I'm sure Phillip and Wallace would disagree with me."
"Have you and Wallace always been friends?"
"I would never call us friends."
"Is it awkward that he's a member here?"
"No. He has been here since the beginning. We rarely speak. He mostly plays chess. That was always his game. He taught Natasha how to play. She was good, too. She would enter some of the tournaments, and everyone thought she was just in it for fun, until she beat them. She was able to see maneuvers and moves far into the future. I think she outplayed Wallace on most occasions, even though he fancies himself an expert player. Do you play?"
"No, I don't know anything about chess. What about you?"
"Not my game. I like to control all the moves on the board, not just some of them."
"What do you think of this new club that your nephew has built?"
"It's nothing like the Russia House. He and Sylvia have made it more than I would have imagined they could. It's hard to believe they once ran around here as kids. Now they run it."
"I didn't realize Sylvia came here as a kid. I thought she started working here when she was a teenager."
"That's correct, but her father, Edward Coleman, was one of the original investors. She grew up here, just as Alexander did, and Ryland and some of the others. It is their time now, and I will happily sit back and collect my cut." He paused. "Did Natasha say I broke her heart?"
"She said she hadn't expected to like you at all, but then she fell in love with you. She wasn't surprised that you didn't love her the way she loved you, but she wished you did."
Pain ran through his eyes. "She was wrong. I wish she could know that. When are you going to make this movie?"
"As soon as I put it all together."
"Are you going to leave her death as an overdose, accidental or otherwise?"
"There are other theories, too, that I'm exploring."
"I've heard the names of many potential murderers, myself included," he said.
"And you don’t think any of those names had merit?"
He gave her an odd smile. "Natasha loved men and men loved her. Women…they were different. Her friendship with Anne stands out in my mind, because there were always so many bitter rivalries with other women. They were jealous of her, including my wife, Louisa."
"Louisa knew Natasha?"
His gaze narrowed. "Yes. Louisa was a waitress here at that time. She was a beautiful red flame, only twenty-two years old when I met her. She liked Natasha very much. She was starstruck by her."
"Were they friends?"
"No. There was a thirteen-year age difference between them."
"When did you and Louisa get together?"
"A few years after Natasha died. Louisa brought me back to life." He paused. "She and Natasha were not rivals, if that's what you're thinking. When I was with Natasha, Louisa was with her young boyfriend."
"Who were Natasha's rivals then?"
"Sally Trent, for one. She lost several parts to Natasha. They started about the same time in acting, but she never got beyond character roles. She was always in Natasha's shadow and after a while she went from being a friend to an enemy."
"She mentioned Sally in her journal. She said that she felt bad for her, because she was never quite what the producers wanted."
"No, they wanted Natasha, and Sally was not Natasha. There were other women who didn't care for her, wives