goods by some thieving murderer and ended up getting impaled by that hidden spear.”
“But why not simply kill the victims where they were found?”
Lourds finished swallowing and picked up the thread of the tale. “Possibly the thieving murderer, to use Boris’s term, was an old person.”
“Or a young one, or possibly even a woman.” Boris shrugged. “We don’t know, but changing the sex and age makes the tale much more interesting, doesn’t it?”
Layla frowned. “Whoever did this was very bloodthirsty.”
“But very thorough as well. And that person could only prey on those who were greedy.” Lourds picked up another kofta. “You can’t con an honest man. Using the passageway was a much easier way to dispose of the bodies. That way, the con could be done again and again.”
“You think all of those people in that cave were killed by this person?”
“Or persons?” Lourds shook his head. “No, Boris and I have theorized that whoever came up with this scenario found an actual ossuary used by the Zoroastrians. We’ve dug up evidence of habitation here, some of it Zoroastrian, so that’s no stretch of the imagination. This was just a case of need meeting a fortuitous circumstance. At least, that’s how we’re going to write up our findings.”
“Would you mind going public with your story first?”
“What do you mean?”
“There is a young woman who has impressed me with her work.” Layla nodded at Boris and at Dmitry. “A fellow countrywoman to the two of you. Her name is Anna Cherkshan.”
Boris shook his head. “I’m afraid I haven’t had the pleasure.”
Layla picked at the palao on her plate, isolating a fried raisin with her fork. “It will be a pleasure. She is a very bright young woman. Very diligent about her duties, and she loves what she does. You can see it in her eyes.”
Dmitry cocked his head to one side. “Did you say Cherkshan?”
“I did. Do you know her?”
After a brief pause, Dmitry shook his head. “No, I don’t. No Anna Cherkshan.”
Layla switched her attention back to Lourds and Boris. “She would like it very much if the two of you would grant her an interview. She’s a journalist with The Moscow Times.”
Lourds stretched his legs under the table. “That’s impressive. The Moscow Times only publishes the best writers in the country, and the articles have to be in English.”
“Exactly. I believe this would be a good experience for her, and it wouldn’t hurt to embellish your careers, and mine. Perhaps it would help if the two of you found the Holy Grail or a lost Russian ikon that somehow found its way out here–”
“Given the trade through this area, that’s not as impossible as you might think.” Boris smiled.
“—but your story, especially with the added trappings of the deadly con game, will probably seize the attention of her readers. As well as armchair archeologists throughout the world.”
“Only for a brief time.” Lourds sipped his wine. “Fame is very fleeting.”
She looked at him. “Not always fleeting, Professor Lourds. Bedroom Pursuits continues to hit the international bestseller lists.”
Lourds met her gaze for a moment and didn’t say anything.
Dmitry nodded, and it was apparent the vodka was affecting him as well. “Yes, my wife has this book. She hides it from me, but I know where it is.”
Boris looked at the SVR major and smiled. “Because you are a spy.”
“This is true. Because I am a spy. A very good one. Just not so discreet about it when I am among friends.”
Lourds flicked his attention to Dmitry. “So, why were you spying on Boris?”
Dmitry shrugged. “Is orders. I am given orders, I follow them. It is what I always do. I am called back to Moscow already. There I will get new orders.”
“They know you’ve been caught out?”
“Of course. I told them. I am no longer effective to spy on you. If they wish you spied upon further, they will have to send another spy.”
Boris shook his head. “But I’ve done nothing to draw the attention of spies or spymasters.”
Chuckling, Dmitry patted Boris’s hand on the table. “Is Russia. You don’t have to do anything wrong. Sometimes we spy on you just as practice. Sometimes we spy on you to let you know we will spy on you whenever we wish. To keep you from doing anything wrong.”
Lourds stared at the man in disbelief. “But that doesn’t make any sense.”
Dmitry shrugged magnanimously. “Is Russian way.”
And that settled the matter.
9
The Moscow Kremlin
Moscow
Russian Federation
June 26, 2012
With his hat under his arm, General Anton Cherkshan