by Val McDermid
Carol raised her eyebrows. ‘They think you’ve replaced Katerina with a lookalike?’
He shrugged. ‘I guess.’
‘How long ago did you two break up?’
He cleared his throat. She could see the pain in his face, but she couldn’t afford to indicate that she knew why he deserved sympathy. So she waited. ‘We didn’t break up,’ he eventually said. He reached for his wine glass and emptied the contents in one long gulp. ‘She died, Caroline.’
Carol had known this moment would come, and she had thought long and hard about how to play it. Shock, obviously. She’d have to act astonished. Appalled, even. Affronted would have to come into the equation somewhere along the line too. She let her face go slack, her mouth falling open.
That was the moment the waiter chose to appear, asking what they wanted to drink. Distracted, Tadeusz spread his hands in a gesture of confusion.
‘Scotch,’ Carol said decisively. ‘Large, on the rocks.’
‘Cognac,’ Tadeusz said, waving the waiter away.
Carol concentrated on keeping the look of pitying horror on her face. ‘She died?’
He nodded, eyes downcast again. ‘A couple of months ago. A road accident. A stupid, stupid road accident.’
‘God, I’m so sorry,’ she said. It wasn’t an act this time. She’d have needed a harder heart not to have been moved by his obvious grief.
He shook his head. ‘It is I who should apologize. I didn’t mean to impose this on you.’
Impulsively, she reached out and covered his hand with hers. ‘It’s not an imposition. I’m glad you told me. I was beginning to feel paranoid. But, Tadzio, that’s terrible for you. I can’t imagine how I’d feel if that happened to someone I loved.’
‘No. It’s not imaginable.’ He looked at her with a pained smile. ‘I think everyone who truly loves another person has terrible guilty fantasies about how they would feel if their lover died. I think that’s common, probably even natural. But there is nothing that prepares you for the reality. All your certainties disappear. If this can happen to you, anything can. It’s like you lose your anchor to reality.’
‘I’m so sorry,’ she said. ‘And you say I look like Katerina?’
He squeezed his eyes shut. ‘Yes. You could be her sister.’
‘No wonder you freaked out when you saw me last night,’ Carol said, her voice soft. ‘I had no idea, Tadzio. You must believe me, I had no idea.’
‘Why would you? You had no way of knowing. Colin never met Katerina, he couldn’t have told you.’ He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. ‘I’m sorry. When I suggested we get to know each other better, this wasn’t what I had in mind.’
‘No, I can see that.’
Before she could say more, the waiter arrived with their drinks. Carol wasn’t in the habit of drinking Scotch in the middle of the day, but Caroline Jackson would need a stiff pick-me-up after Tadeusz’s bombshell, so she took a healthy mouthful right away.
Tadeusz sipped his brandy and gave her a tired smile. ‘So, now you know probably the most important thing about me right now. Why don’t you tell me something about yourself?’
Carol shrugged. ‘I’ve nothing to say that comes close.’
‘I don’t want this to be some solemn, grim meeting,’ he said. ‘As I said, I think we can maybe do business, but I need to have more of a sense of you before I’m prepared to make any kind of commitment. So, tell me about yourself.’ He raised one finger. ‘But before you do, let’s order some food.’
They scrutinized the menus, Carol asking for his recommendations. She settled on a traditional German fish dish, while Tadeusz ordered steak. By the time the waiter left, he was back in total command of himself. ‘OK,’ he said. ‘Tell me about Caroline Jackson.’
She raised her glass and clinked it against the rim of his. ‘Once upon a time …’ she said, a quirky smile lifting one corner of her mouth. After all, she was telling a story. And she needed to make it very convincing indeed.
24
Petra walked into the health club, gym bag over her shoulder. Setting this place up as a meeting point had been one of her best ideas. The minimum membership period was three months, and she was determined to make the most of it. She had already spent an hour working out in the well-equipped gym first thing that morning. She’d told Plesch she’d dropped by to book the private sauna for that afternoon’s debrief, but she’d left herself enough time to take full advantage of the facilities. This liaison job was certainly giving her a taste for the good life. The opera last night, lunch in a restaurant that was well outside her salary bracket, and access to one of the best leisure clubs in the city. All this and the best possible chance to nail Radecki.
Of course, it wasn’t all fun and games. When Carol had e-mailed her to pass on the details of her lunch date with Radecki, Petra had had to use all her charms to get a last-minute table somewhere so fashionable. Even worse, she’d had to take The Shark along with her for camouflage. He’d been the only member of the team who wasn’t too busy to come out to lunch. It really was a pity that Marijke wasn’t a Berlin cop, she’d thought regretfully, and not for the first time. The Shark had bored her stupid with tales of his attempts at digging up information on Marlene Krebs and her missing daughter, but at least she’d been able to tune him out and keep an eye on Carol. And when he’d suggested he accompany her that afternoon, she’d sent him off to chase his tail again. She reckoned that there weren’t many people Darko Krasic would trust to look after Marlene’s kid, so she told The Shark to abandon Marlene for now and concentrate on finding out who Krasic might have dumped Tanja with. He wouldn’t get anywhere, of course, but at least it would keep him out from under her feet.
Petra collected the sauna key from the front desk and went through to the changing rooms. Carol wasn’t due for another twenty minutes, so she reckoned she had time for a quick swim. She ploughed up and down the pool for a dozen lengths, thinking about the serial killer case. There was still nothing from Europol, but, realistically, she couldn’t expect anything before tomorrow at the earliest. At least Bremen hadn’t questioned her request for copies of their case material. Sometimes there were distinct advantages to working for Criminal Intelligence. It might piss off local officers, but she could always pull the ‘need to know’ line when she really wanted access. She hoped Tony had found it useful. A profile would give them a head start, she knew.
By the time she returned to the changing rooms, Carol was sitting on a bench, wearing nothing but a bath sheet. There were a couple of other women getting changed, so the two police officers ignored each other. But under cover of opening her locker and heading for the showers, Petra unobtrusively dropped the sauna key in Carol’s lap.
Five minutes later, they were side by side on the wooden bench, naked save for the sheen of sweat on their skin. Petra couldn’t help admiring the sleek lines of Carol’s body, the well-defined shoulders and thighs and the flat stomach. Not that she was tempted, but it would have been perverse not to notice, she told herself. ‘Did anyone follow you from the restaurant?’ she asked.
‘I don’t think so,’ Carol said. ‘I was expecting a tail, but I didn’t spot one. You came out behind me, didn’t you? Did you see anyone?’
‘No. And that surprised me too. I felt sure he’d have you under surveillance by now. He’s normally so circumspect, I can’t believe he’s leaving you alone.’
‘Maybe he’s still dazzled by my resemblance to Katerina.’
Petra wiped her damp forehead. ‘Even if Radecki is walking around in a daze, I can’t believe Darko Krasic isn’t on the ball.’
Carol shrugged. ‘Maybe he hasn’t told Krasic about me yet.’
Petra looked sceptical. ‘I don’t see it. And I don’t think Radecki is completely blinded by your looks. I spoke to your man Gandle earlier this afternoon, and he told me that one of your undercover colleagues in the UK got a call from Radecki himself last night. Apparently he claimed he was Krasic, but from the report o
f how good the guy’s English was, it sounds as though it was Radecki himself.’
‘That must have been when he left the box at the second interval.’ Carol leaned forward and ladled more water on the hot coals. Steam hissed and the temperature shot up, making her a little light-headed.
Petra nodded. ‘Radecki was looking for someone who could vouch for you personally. He was told you were very good at what you do, but that you’re also a loner and very cautious about who you work with. I must say, your people have calculated exactly what will appeal to Radecki.’
‘We couldn’t have done it without help from you, Petra.’
She smirked, pleased at the compliment. ‘So, how was lunch?’
Carol told her about Tadeusz’s admission that he recognized her resemblance to Katerina. ‘I almost felt sorry for him,’ she said. ‘It’s obvious that he absolutely adored her.’
‘Even if that’s true, it still doesn’t stop him dealing in the sort of racket that robs other people of the ones they love.’
‘Oh, I know. It’s not that I think it excuses anything, just that it’s hard not to be touched by someone who’s in that much pain. Even if you think almost everything else about them is repellent.’
‘So, did you manage to get him to talk about business?’
Carol wiped sweat from her face. ‘No. And I didn’t push it. He kept saying he wanted to get to know me better before he would consider any professional liaison. That’s obviously why he chose such a public place. Nobody in their right mind would try to have a private conversation there. Besides, if he’s been briefed that I’m the sort who takes care, he must have known I wouldn’t broach anything as sensitive as business arrangements where we could be overheard.’
‘You gave him your cover story?’
‘I made him work for it. But yes, I made sure he has enough information to check me out. Morgan’s people set up a load of false records and planted stuff where it can be found without too much difficulty. If he follows up what I gave him today, Caroline Jackson will check out all over town.’
‘Did you arrange to meet him again?’
‘He found out that I like messing around on boats. So tomorrow he’s taking me out on the Spree. He has a little launch, he says. That probably means a forty-foot gin palace.’
‘No, I know his boat. It’s quite a fast little motor boat with a small cabin. He’ll probably take you round the city ring of the river and canals. We should be able to keep an eye on you from land, because there’s a speed limit and a few locks to slow you down.’ Petra groaned. ‘I bet I have to spend the afternoon on a bike.’
Carol pushed herself off the bench. ‘Exercise is good for you. I’ve got to shower,’ she added. ‘I’m dying here. Are you coming?’
Petra followed her out of the sauna into the cold showers on the wall opposite. Both women gasped as the stream of freezing water needled their skin, snapping the open pores shut in shock. Carol chickened out first, jumping clear and running back into the sauna, and Petra joined her moments later. ‘Bloody hell, that was cold,’ Carol said, more in admiration than complaint.
‘It’s good for the heart.’
‘Kill or cure. There’s one thing about being on a boat with Tadeusz,’ she said, getting straight back to business. ‘We’ll be private. He’ll feel able to talk.’
‘It’s a pity we can’t wire you up,’ Petra said.
Carol gave her an odd look. Had she finally found a chink in the German detective’s briefing? ‘I don’t need to be wired.’
‘Oh, I know, it’s a risk we can’t afford to take.’
‘No, I mean, there’s no need.’ Carol took in the puzzlement on Petra’s face. ‘They didn’t tell you, did they?’
‘Tell me what?’
Carol rubbed her towel over her damp shoulders and leaned back against the hot wooden wall. ‘I have an eidetic memory for speech.’
‘I don’t understand this word, eidetic’
‘I have total recall of whatever I hear. I can transcribe a conversation verbatim, as long as I do it within a few days of it taking place. I don’t need to be wired, because I can remember everything.’ Seeing Petra’s dubious look, Carol continued. ‘It’s been scientifically tested. This is no party trick, it’s for real.’ She closed her eyes. ‘“You know, they told me you looked like Basler,”’ she said in an approximation of Petra’s accent, ‘“and it’s true, your photograph does resemble her. But in the flesh, it’s uncanny. You could be her twin sister. You are going to blow Radecki away. I swear to God, he is going to be freaked out when he sees you.”
‘“Let’s hope it’s in a good way,”’ she continued in her own voice. Then back to Petra’s tones. ‘“Oh, I think so. I don’t see how he could resist.”’
Petra wiped clear the sweat that threatened to overflow the dam of her eyebrows and frowned. ‘How can this be possible?’
Carol shrugged. ‘There’s some quirk in my brain that lets me replay conversations word for word. I don’t know why. No one else in the family can do it. Just me.’
‘That’s an amazing gift for a cop,’ Petra said.
‘It does come in handy,’ Carol admitted. ‘So you see, there’s never any fear that I’m going to be exposed wearing a wire. Because I don’t need one.’
‘I thought your written report was very comprehensive,’ Petra said.
‘Only trouble is, it takes forever to transcribe.’ Carol rolled over on to her stomach. ‘Thanks for sorting out an apartment for Tony in my building.’
‘It was the least I could do after you arranged for him to come over and help us. He doesn’t waste any time, does he?’
Carol smiled. ‘He’s very driven. When he commits to something, he sleeps, eats and breathes it.’
‘I just hope that together we can come up with something before he kills again.’ Petra clenched her hands into fists. ‘I’m starting to take this very personally.’
Krasic walked into the Einstein Café just off Unter den Linden and scanned the room. He saw Tadeusz sitting alone in one of the wooden booths beyond the bar counter. He shouldered his way past staff and customers and slid in opposite his boss. Tadeusz looked up and gave him a preoccupied smile. ‘Hi, Darko,’ he said. ‘How was the trip?’
The noise level in the café was high enough to make their booth as private as Tadeusz’s sitting room. Krasic shrugged out of his overcoat and made a circle with the thumb and forefinger of his right hand. ‘Sweet,’ he said. ‘I don’t know, you’d think every fucker in the Balkans who wanted a gun would have half a dozen by now, but their appetite’s endless.’ The waiter approached and Krasic ordered a black coffee and a large Jack Daniels. ‘There are a couple of nutters looking for something more serious. I said I’d see what we could do.’
‘We’ve got that shipment coming in from our friends in the east next week. There should be something there to satisfy them,’ Tadeusz said. ‘Nice work, Darko.’
‘Oh, and I checked with my cousin – Marlene’s kid is still tucked up tight. No sign of anyone looking for her out there. Everything quiet at this end?’ the Serb asked, wondering what was on his boss’s mind, hoping nothing else had gone up in smoke in his absence.
‘Yes, no problems at all.’ Tadeusz stirred his hot chocolate, the lines between his eyebrows deepening. ‘But something very strange happened to me last night.’
Krasic was suddenly on the alert, like a guard dog who senses the air has changed. ‘What’s that?’
‘I was at the opera. And a woman came to my box at the first interval.’
‘Most blokes would see that as a welcome distraction from all that screaming.’
‘I don’t think this is grounds for humour, Darko,’ Tadeusz chided him. ‘This woman was English. Her name is Caroline Jackson. She claims to have known Colin Osborne. She says she was about to do some business with him when he was killed. She also says she can step into his shoes and do a better job of dealing with our illegals at that end.’
‘Sounds
like good news to me, if she is who she says she is. Did you get enough details to check her out?’
‘I made a couple of calls last night, and she seems to be on the level. And I met her again today and got a lot more out of her. But I want her turned over top to bottom before we even think about doing any business with her.’
‘You don’t trust her?’ Krasic scowled.
‘I trust her far too much, Darko. That’s the dangerous thing.’
Krasic looked bemused. ‘I don’t get it.’
Tadeusz opened the silver case sitting in front of him and drew out a cigar. He took his time clipping and lighting it. Krasic waited, the years having taught him that his boss couldn’t be budged until he was good and ready. An unreadable expression crossed Tadeusz’s face, then he said, ‘She’s Katerina’s double.’
The waiter arrived with Krasic’s order, temporarily silencing him. He took a mouthful of Jack Daniels while he wondered how to react. Had his boss finally lost it? ‘What do you mean?’ he stalled.
‘Exactly what I say. She could be Katerina’s twin. I nearly had a heart attack when she walked into my box last night. I thought I was seeing a ghost till she opened her mouth and this English voice came out. So you see, Darko, I can’t be responsible for making any decisions about whether we trust this woman or not. Because every time I look at her, my heart stops.’
‘Shit.’ Krasic poured the rest of his drink into his coffee and drained half of it in one. ‘You sure you’re not suffering from some kind of delusion?’
‘No. That’s why I arranged to see her again today, to confirm that I wasn’t dreaming. But it’s not just me she freaks out. I saw the way people’s heads were turning last night outside the Staatsoper and today at lunch. Like they couldn’t believe their eyes. It’s a complete mind fuck, Darko.’
‘So you want me to check her out?’
‘Till the pips squeak.’ Tadeusz reached into his inside pocket and drew out an envelope. ‘Inside here, there’s an Italian passport she gave me as proof that she can do the business. Also, her address in Berlin. I got the car to take her home last night. And I’ve made a note of everything I can remember that she told me about herself. I want you to find out all you can about her. Either this is the weirdest fucking coincidence or else there’s something very dangerous going on here. Find out which one it is, Darko.’
