could. He almost bumped into the hotel manager on the stairs, but the man was so flustered that he did not even notice. At the exit the concierge held the door for him and tipped his hat with a conspiratorial wink. Mihail felt sure the man wouldn’t reveal that he had witnessed Mihail’s departure, though it would matter little if he did.
Now he was safely back at his own hotel on the other side of the city centre, the bag of loot sitting on the table, tempting him to delve inside and discover its secrets. But he restrained himself; there would be plenty of time for it later. One simple thought possessed him: Iuda was free. It shouldn’t have been too much of a surprise. Mihail recalled everything he had seen in Geok Tepe that had been designed to restrain Iuda. There would be nothing like that at the fortress – the troops were unlikely even to know what Iuda was. It might be worth scouring the newspapers for news of the mysterious, bloody deaths of fortress guards, but that would most likely be covered up. No one escaped the Peter and Paul Fortress; a record like that could only be maintained by the occasional editing of the facts.
On the other hand Iuda’s liberty did present new possibilities. In the fortress he had been invulnerable. Mihail would have had no chance of getting in there. Now there would be opportunities to creep up on him; to catch him alone. Mihail even knew where to find him, though it was unlikely he would stay much longer now at the Hôtel d’Europe. But perhaps there was some clue as to where he might go in the papers Mihail had taken. He went over to the table.
As he moved, he heard a sound – a light tap against the window pane; then another. He opened the curtain, but could see nothing. The sound came again and this time he caught a glimpse of some tiny fragment ricocheting off the glass. He pulled up the sash and looked down. A figure stood below. In the darkness he couldn’t make out a face, but from the build he felt sure it was female.
‘Mihail?’ The voice was hushed.
‘Who is it?’ he hissed back.
‘It’s Dusya. Come down.’
‘Why?’
‘Please.’
He pulled his head back inside and closed the window. Then he dumped the knapsack in his trunk and hid it under a pile of clothes. He slipped on his coat and went downstairs. Dusya had been at the back of the building – Mihail did not care to pay for a room with a view – but when he emerged from the hotel she was waiting for him.
‘How did you know where to find me?’ he asked.
‘You gave Luka your address, didn’t you? You think he wouldn’t tell me?’
It was conceivable, but when would he have had the chance? More likely she, or one of them, read it on the card they’d found on Luka’s body before they dumped it in the river.
‘What happened to him?’
She breathed deeply, as if about to speak, but then her eyes filled with tears and she flung herself forward, burying her face in Mihail’s chest. Mihail could do nothing but reciprocate. He put his arms around her and held her. They stood like that for half a minute and then she lifted her head to look up at him, her eyes still glistening. The look suited her.
‘I don’t know,’ she said, her voice choked. ‘It must have been the Ohrana.’
It was a convincing show, but it still seemed unlikely. ‘Wouldn’t they have just arrested him?’ Mihail asked.
‘You understand what we do. He’d have run rather than be caught. And they’d prefer him dead than free. Punishment is more important to them than justice.’
‘So what is it you do?’ Mihail had guessed, but he needed to know more.
‘Come with me,’ she said.
‘Can’t you tell me here?’
‘Please.’
She walked away without looking over her shoulder to verify that he was with her. He had no option but to follow. She led him away from the river and from the centre of town into an area he was not familiar with. He quickly caught up and walked alongside her.
‘Where are we going?’ he asked.
‘Somewhere safe.’
‘Why weren’t we safe before?’
‘They’re always watching.’
‘Watching me, or watching you?’
‘We both spoke to Luka, so they’re watching us both.’
She walked quickly for someone of her stature, her eyes fixed on the ground ahead of her. Mihail grabbed her by the arm, forcing her