The Hunters

38

Papineau and Borovsky set off side by side, with Anna just behind them. Ivanov trailed behind her, ready to translate anything if it became necessary.

The effect of their casual, new ‘police escort’ was immediate. The rest of the well-wishers parted for them like the Red Sea for Moses.

‘Be assured that we are not looking to delay your departure in any way,’ Borovsky said, giving the impression of two old friends on a leisurely stroll. ‘We are simply trying to locate a man named Andrei Dobrev.’

Borovsky let that statement hang in the air, carefully gauging the Frenchman’s reaction. Papineau didn’t display one… physically. But mentally, he was doing gymnastics.

‘Dobrev?’ he echoed, deciding that the more truth he could include, the better. ‘I seem to remember someone by that name at the inaugural reception.’

‘Do you? Did you take note of every name?’ Borovsky asked.

‘In fact, I did,’ Papineau said, buying time. ‘It is a habit.’

‘What other names do you recall?’

Papineau rattled off several, effortlessly. In his brain he was thanking Garcia: the IT man had been eavesdropping on the entire conversation, and with the time Papineau had bought, he had brought up the guest list and was reciting it into Papineau’s ear.

‘Impressive,’ Borovsky said. ‘Very, very impressive. Do you also remember what he looks like, then?’

Papineau smiled softly. ‘There, I’m not sure I could help you.’

Borovsky held his hand up to about Dobrev’s height. ‘Stocky, with a square-ish head, short gray hair standing straight up, probably wearing a tan suit?’

Papineau laughed quietly. ‘Colonel, that describes about a million Muscovites.’

Borovsky’s mild smile widened as if it was their inside joke. ‘Only a million? I’d say more than that. So, you didn’t talk to him then.’

Papineau stopped a few feet from the smoking locomotive as the other minor dignitaries made their way onto the walkways behind him. ‘Colonel, to be honest, I’m just not sure.’

‘Let me put it another way,’ Borovsky said. ‘He would have been the only one you may have spoken to who possessed an encyclopedic knowledge of the train system. I believe he is involved as a consultant.’

Papineau was stuck. It would seem odd if he had not been introduced to someone who was, in fact, a key member of the survey planning team.

‘The man who knew about the trains,’ Papineau said generally. ‘Yes, yes — I believe we exchanged a few words.’

‘A few cocktail party platitudes?’

‘Something like that,’ Papineau smiled. ‘You know how it is.’ He gestured at the crowd behind them. ‘You’ve seen how it is.’

‘Indeed,’ Borovsky assured him. ‘Well, that was all I wished to know.’

Papineau looked at the woman. He knew she would probably say nothing, having deferred to her superior, but he wanted to give the appearance of cooperating.

‘You, Sergeant? Is there anything you’d like to ask?’

She seemed surprised by the attention. ‘Not at present.’

‘When, then?’ Papineau joked. ‘At the Bering Strait?’

Borovsky stared at him. ‘If need be, yes. We will be there.’

The laughter stopped, and Papineau no longer felt like joking.

This man was not only a veteran; he was hard-core.

Borovsky clicked his heels together — actually clicked his heels, his own salute to an apparently worthy opponent in something that clearly was not finished — and put his arm out, giving his grateful permission for Papineau to join the others on the front of the engine. The Frenchman noted that Sergeant Rusinko did not look at all happy about her own performance.

Papineau took two steps up the platform before he turned and looked back. ‘Colonel?’

The officer was still standing there, watching. ‘Sir?’

‘We’ll have real-time video journals posted on our survey website,’ he shouted over the growing noise of the train engine. ‘You can text me anytime.’

‘I am not comfortable with that technology,’ he replied.

Papineau smiled. The colonel had let down his guard for an instant and allowed the Frenchman to know he was strictly old school. It wasn’t much, but it was something.

Borovsky nodded his head, surrendering that point. He waved expansively and stepped back to where Anna was waiting for him.

‘Sir, is that it?’ she said, confused. ‘Let me go aboard. I can get off at—’

‘No, Sergeant,’ he said. ‘There is no need.’

He waved and smiled until the train began to leave the station amid the cheering crowd. Borovsky remained in place long after the last of the well-wishers ran past him, cheering.

‘Colonel,’ she said, ‘forgive me, but I am mystified. They were never introduced at the reception. We have seen the video.’

‘Exactly.’

She stood straight up, gaining at least two inches. ‘Sir?’

‘The Frenchman does not speak Russian. Dobrev does not speak English. They could not have chatted about anything. He lied — but why?’

Anna considered this and failed to reach any conclusions.

‘Mr Papineau had a translator at the reception,’ Borovsky said. ‘She spoke at length to Dobrev. She had to have told Mr Papineau about him.’

‘Yes,’ Anna said, still trying to get ahead of her superior.

‘She and Mr Papineau were on somewhat familiar terms, laughing, talking, conferring,’ Borovsky went on.

‘Again, true—’

Borovsky shrugged. ‘She has not left the country. Why, then, was someone so trusted and apparently close to him not here, translating? And what about the other members of his staff — those with whom his interpreter occasionally interacted at the party? Where are they? Not one of them was here for the start of the survey.’

Understanding came quickly. ‘They are somewhere else.’

‘Exactly,’ he said with a smile. ‘Come. We must find them.’