Quantum

43

The speakerphone on Orlov’s desk buzzed quietly.

‘Da, Irena,’ he answered.

‘I have Dmitri Leskov on line one. He says that it’s urgent.’

‘Put him through.’

Orlov heard the line click.

‘Dmitri, what do you have to report?’

‘The two people working with Sandstrom, Kilkenny and Newton, may have identified where Wolff hid the key to his notebooks.’

‘Do they have it?’

‘Not yet. We intercepted a telephone conversation between Newton and Kilkenny. Newton believes that Wolff had the key to his cipher engraved on a ring that was given to his fiancée. This woman is currently staying at Newton’s home in Ann Arbor. Newton has not spoken with the woman about it yet — it’s still quite early in the morning here.’

Orlov glanced at his watch and subtracted the eight-hour time difference. ‘What do you think of Newton’s theory?’

‘It makes sense. No one creates a cipher without putting the key for it someplace safe. What is Zoshchenko’s opinion of the notebooks? Are they important to the project?’

‘She believes so. She has a very high opinion of this physicist Wolff.’

‘Then I think we have an opportunity here, if we act quickly.’

‘What are you proposing, Dmitri?’

‘From our current position, I can deploy my team at Newton’s residence in fifteen minutes. I’ve already had Newton’s phone line disrupted.’

‘Do you know if the ring is actually there?’

‘No. If Wolff’s fiancée is sentimental, I suspect she would have the ring with her. If not, she knows where it is. In either case, we’ll deal with it.’

‘Very well, Dmitri. Proceed.’