East of the Sun

by Janet Rogers

  ‘What can you tell me about the latest news of Prism selling its stake in the joint venture with Sibraz?’

  Her words had their effect. She saw him stiffen slightly. He probably thought she didn’t know about it, that she was just a naive widow who had no interest in or knowledge of the latest developments in the business world.

  ‘Yes,’ he said, pulling at his cufflinks, ‘after all that work, it seems ironic, doesn’t it? Yes,’ he said again, ‘we had to sell.’

  ‘Why?’

  Bruce Jennings hesitated, but then answered smoothly. ‘Well, as you know, we are an exploration company, and while we thought and hoped we would go all the way with this one, we couldn’t raise enough money to stay in. And so, to our great disappointment, and after all the upheaval, we’ve had to sell.’

  ‘It must be upsetting for you after everything you did last year to save the whole thing from disintegration.’

  He pressed his lips together briefly, then looked straight at her. ‘It is, yes. But it isn’t uncommon for exploration companies to stop their involvement at this stage. Sadly we’re not quite in the same league as the mining giants.’

  ‘You must have lost a great deal of money,’ Amelia said, watching him closely for a reaction.

  Again her words found their mark. He became very still as he peered into his empty cup, as if its emptiness was of great annoyance to him.

  After a moment he turned towards her. There was no mistake, all the warmth was gone from his eyes now, even if his voice remained neutral. ‘Mrs Preston, you know I cannot comment on confidential company matters like those. I would really like to help you “find closure” as you put it, but my company’s records and activities must still enjoy privacy.’

  Amelia didn’t answer, but fired her next shot immediately, hoping she would hit the target again while he was at even the slightest disadvantage. ‘I’ve heard that the diamond deposit is actually significantly less valuable than what it was touted to be at the beginning of all this.’

  His hand thrust into the space between them in a sudden, awkward movement that combined anger and restraint. ‘Where did you hear this?’

  ‘Is it true?’ Amelia demanded.

  ‘It’s a rumour. A nasty one at that, but just a rumour.’ He shook his head. ‘I’m just surprised that it reached even you.’

  Even you. He must be feeling the pressure if he was trying to get in a subtly demeaning dig at her so quickly. Amelia felt her heart pound as she contemplated her next words. There was no pretence anymore. She had shown her hand, so she might as well go all the way.

  ‘I’ve thought about this a lot, Mr Jennings,’ she said as she stood up and walked over to look out of the large windows overlooking the busy street below before turning to face him again. ‘If it’s more than a rumour, if it is indeed true, and Robert had discovered some or all of what was going on, he would have been in a perilous position.’

  Jennings almost sneered, but she had to admire the man’s composure.

  ‘How so?’ he asked from where he remained on the sofa. ‘Let’s assume for a moment it’s true. If it were true, and if he had found out, we would have been delighted to learn of it at the time. Robert was on our side, in case you’ve forgotten. He would have warned us.’

  ‘That’s what I thought at first, too.’ Amelia replied, ‘But if you’d found out too, or known the truth already—’

  ‘We would have let the Russians cancel the deal and let things be!’ Jennings interrupted.

  ‘You know, on the surface that seems to make sense, but I don’t think so, because that would have meant that you would’ve been unable to recoup at least some of your losses. No, Mr Jennings, I think you would’ve wanted to sell your stake without loss, and in that case, it follows that you would’ve wanted the truth about the deposit to remain hidden.’

  Jennings started shaking his head, but Amelia pressed on. ‘Robert was an honourable man and I know – know – that he would have wanted the truth to come out. Maybe he was endangering your millions with the truth?’

  Jennings laughed softly, as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He stood up and joined her at the window. At first he didn’t look at her, but gazed down at the street for a few moments before he turned to her.

  ‘Mrs Preston, or Amelia, if I may, I think I understand why you need a story, such as this one, to move on, to make sense of Robert’s death, but it’s simply not true.’ He was standing very close to her now, his eyes level with hers. ‘And even if it were true, why would we sully our reputation by eliminating one of our own?’

  Amelia could feel tremors in her chest, but kept her eyes on his. ‘From what I’ve heard, your reputation isn’t as clean as you would have me believe.’

  Again Jennings shook his head and ran his hand lightly through his hair. He stepped back from her. ‘I’m sorry, Amelia, for everything you’ve gone through, but your theories are wild and I fail to see why I should subject myself, or my company, to these insinuations. Robert was appreciated by everyone here and I believe he was always treated with respect and gratitude.’ Jennings started moving away. ‘I have a very busy day ahead. I don’t mean to be unsympathetic, but I think you should leave now. If I can help you in a more constructive way, I’m willing to try, but this, an attack like this, is preposterous.’

  To signal that the subject was closed, that there would be no more discussion, he moved to his desk and lifted the phone.

  ‘Marina, we’ll be finished here in about a minute. Would you escort Mrs Preston out?’ When he’d replaced the receiver, he looked at her, his eyes blank.

  Amelia picked up her bag and coat and moved towards the door. With her hand on the door handle, she turned to him again. ‘How do you know that Robert is dead?’

  Jennings frowned and then started smiling, ready to mock her again, but she cut him off. ‘I think your choice of word reveals much about what you know. You might have forgotten that you used the phrase “to make sense of Robert’s death”, but the one that struck me most, Mr Jennings, was “eliminate” . . .’

  She couldn’t stop herself from watching him for even a minute longer, couldn’t help but feel a sense of vindication as the smile on his face froze and his gaze fell from hers wordlessly. She didn’t wait for the girl, but turned the handle and left the office without another glance at the guilty face of Bruce Jennings.

  12

  ‘You’re a saviour, Mara,’ Amelia said as she sat down on the sofa in the small reception room that was starting to become very familiar. By now it felt like a combination of confessional and war room.

  ‘Hardly. But I am relieved to hear that you’re not all that angry with me anymore.’

  ‘Yes, well, I know you meant well. Just please don’t do it again.’

  ‘I hope I won’t have to, Amelia,’ Mara replied evenly.

  Amelia smiled lightly. She was no longer finding it quite so difficult to accept suggestions, mainly because the size of the obstacles she’d encountered so far had outweighed her reservations. She knew now that she would need every last bit of help that came her way.

  ‘I’m serious, this is really helpful,’ she said, waving the piece of paper in her hand. ‘Thank you.’

  ‘It’s a pleasure, my dear,’ Mara replied with her usual grace. ‘The group normally visits the institution once a week and I was able to find out that they were going again in a few days’ time. It’s a long shot, but one never knows. That detective did say that Robert’s driver was found in Krasnogorsk and they may very well have sent the poor man to the closest institution.’

  ‘You’re right, one never knows, and I’m certainly willing to take the long shots. There’s just one thing I’m concerned about.’ Amelia hesitated, not wanting to appear unappreciative, but she had to consider everything. ‘I worry that I’ll be too conspicuous or that someone might recognise me.’ Willingness to take long shots aside, what if she risked too much for such a sketchy lead? She could ill afford being at the centre of w
hat could very well become a diplomatic incident.

  ‘I thought of that too and I’ve asked what I believe to be all the pertinent questions. The international women’s club do all sorts of charity work and the majority of those who visit the institutions are foreigners. I’m told that one or two new faces won’t attract any attention. Apparently this group never has the exact same women in it, so you wouldn’t stand out.’ Mara had clearly also thought about the risks involved. ‘The group’s coordinator is someone I’ve known for a while, so she will cover for you if a tricky situation should arise.’

  In truth it had surprised Amelia that Mara had come up with the suggestion that she should try to track down the driver who was on duty the night of Robert’s disappearance. While Amelia had not fully trusted detective Kiriyenko’s diagnosis of the driver as ‘crazy’, aware of how easy it had been in the past to classify dissidents and others who didn’t fit into the government’s idea of society as crazy or dangerous, she hadn’t considered it a viable option to try to see the driver herself. Until Mara had presented her with the number she now held in her hand and, even better, a rough plan. At least this time she knew about the plan.

  ‘You’ve thought of everything.’

  ‘An old woman has to keep busy.’

  It almost looked like Mara was enjoying the cloak and dagger stuff.

  ‘What do you know about the institution?’

  ‘Not that much, but Sally, who will look after you, has told me a little. It’s state-run, like almost every other health facility in Russia. As you might expect, that means that there is very little money and a constant shortage of staff. The people who are hospitalised there are supposedly mentally disabled, but often that doesn’t mean full psychosis or other mental disorders, but rather depression, alcohol or trauma that has destroyed either their minds or their ability to function in society.’

  Amelia was thoughtful. If it hadn’t been Mara who’d come up with the plan, she wouldn’t have believed it was possible to go into one of these hospitals.

  ‘I appreciate the support. I know you’re not fond of the idea of me being back here.’

  ‘Since you’re set on pursuing this, I’d rather you have some help.’

  ‘There may not be much to be gained from trying to see the driver, but I’ll certainly go in the hope that something will come out of it. At this stage every lead is worth pursuing.’

  Mara poured coffee into the cups waiting on the coffee table between them. ‘How are things progressing otherwise?’

  Amelia sighed, shrugging. ‘I don’t know, my head’s in such a muddle.’

  ‘Why? I mean, I can imagine why, but is there something else?’ Mara handed her a cup and pushed the milk and sugar towards her.

  Amelia considered the thin embassy and police files on Robert’s disappearance, the scant leads, the gut feeling that Bruce Jennings was involved, but above all the lack of proof.

  ‘Nothing specific. It’s just that there are so many little pieces of information, but they don’t seem to have conclusive meaning and there is nothing that connects them. It’s as if the number of pieces of arbitrary information increases daily, but the meaning, the significance behind those pieces of information diminishes. I lie awake trying to find a logical picture in there somewhere.’ Amelia stirred her coffee and sat back, meeting Mara’s gaze.

  ‘So you’re not sleeping,’ the older woman said.

  Amelia couldn’t help but smile at Mara’s perceptiveness and motherly concern. ‘It’s not important. I think if I hadn’t suffered from at least some measure of sleeplessness, I would’ve been more worried.’

  Mara sat forward abruptly, her coffee spilling into the saucer. ‘Has anything happened, Amelia?’

  ‘Like what? What do you mean?’

  ‘I mean something that’s made you feel afraid.’

  Amelia looked away from Mara’s scrutiny, her thoughts returning to the notes. It is too late. Go home. No, she wasn’t about to add another burden to Mara’s life.

  ‘Stop fretting.’

  ‘You’re avoiding the question.’

  Amelia shrugged, keeping her tone as light as possible. ‘I’m bound to feel a little jittery. Robert’s murderer is out there somewhere, after all.’

  Her flippant words belied the harsh significance of her statement. She’d never fully or publicly acknowledged her belief that Robert was no longer alive. This was the first time she was admitting that awful, but likely truth. They were both silent, and she knew Mara would also be thinking of Robert and his fate.

  She looked up and met Mara’s eyes. ‘His birthday is in a couple of weeks.’

  ‘I remember.’

  ‘Maybe by the time his birthday comes, I’ll have the answers. Maybe it’ll be easier this year – if I have an idea of what happened to him, I mean.’

  ‘I hope so, Amelia. I believe Robert would have wanted you to do what you feel you have to do and then, once you’ve put it behind you, I’m quite sure he would have liked you to continue with a very happy life.’

  Mara’s words were gentle, but they nevertheless struck Amelia in a way she didn’t want to acknowledge. She knew Mara meant that she should find a way to live her life without constantly looking backwards, find a way to live her life without Robert. She even agreed with Mara, but had no idea if she could or wanted to do that. Wouldn’t it mean letting Robert go? It felt too final.

  ‘What did you think of Nick?’ Mara asked in an obvious attempt to change the delicate subject. ‘I regret going behind your back. I realise I was over-eager and I should have spoken to you before I bullied you both into that dinner party, Amelia.’

  Mara looked so genuinely contrite that Amelia found herself smiling. ‘I can’t believe I’m saying this, but so far he’s actually been a great help and he seems to know the industry very well.’

  ‘I’m glad to hear it. He’s a good man.’ She paused, clearly weighing her next words. ‘I think he should go with you to the institution.’ It was a careful suggestion, one that Mara obviously anticipated Amelia would resist.

  ‘Why?’ Amelia asked, immediately distrustful of the idea.

  ‘Several reasons. Safety, for one.’

  ‘I think I can, and should, do this on my own. It’s not that I don’t appreciate his help, but this involves only me after all.’

  ‘I have no doubt you can do this on your own, but Nick already knows the truth about your quest and he speaks Russian like a native.’

  Surprise prevented further objections from Amelia. ‘Really? I didn’t realise.’

  When she’d been in the sushi restaurant with Nick, they’d both ordered in Russian, of course, but she’d assumed it was just that – restaurant Russian. It wasn’t too often that one met a foreigner who had actually mastered Russian. Most who hadn’t studied Russian in their youth made valiant efforts to learn it, but the complicated language was often spoken only with limited command.

  ‘His mother is Russian,’ Mara explained. ‘His father American. Theirs was a true love story. You should ask him about his background sometime. It’s rather fascinating.’

  ‘Hmm,’ Amelia nodded, but offered no reply, unsure of the significance if this new detail. ‘Nonetheless, I really think this is something I should do on my own. Besides, this is a women’s group who’ll be going to the institution.’ She glanced at her watch and stood up. ‘Ugh, I wish I didn’t have to, but I really have to go.’

  ‘Why so soon?’

  ‘I promised to attend some Canadian women’s do.’

  ‘You don’t want to go?’

  ‘Not really. It feels like such a waste of time considering why I’m here, but I promised to go and it reassures people that I’m simply here to pack up last things and say a final goodbye.’

  ‘The last thing you should worry about is reassuring people. Anyone with a little bit of intelligence would be able to imagine how hard it must be.’

  ‘I just meant that it keeps people off my case and that means I’m able
to get away with superficial explanations.’

  ‘Do you really need to resort to that?’

  ‘It’s a whole lot easier. I’m finding it a little difficult to read people’s motivations these days.’ Amelia hesitated, weighed up matters in her mind and then told Mara of how shocked she’d been to discover that Patrick had withheld information from her. ‘I was, in fact still am, pretty upset about it. I mean, he knows me, why would he have felt it was the right thing to do?’

  ‘What does he say?’

  ‘He says he was trying to protect me from further upheaval.’

  ‘Is that so unreasonable?’

  Amelia shot her a look, miffed that Mara wasn’t siding with her automatically.

  Mara met her look with amusement. ‘Come one, Amelia, think about it. All of us who love you could see the toll things had taken on you by the time you left last year. I think we all breathed a collective sigh of relief when you finally listened to reason and left. It must have been the hardest thing in the world to leave Robert behind, but it was the best option given the circumstances.’ Mara stepped closer and put her hands on Amelia’s arms. ‘Patrick undoubtedly meant well. He was just concerned about your well-being.’

  Amelia sighed and stepped away. ‘It’s just that I felt so undermined, so patronised. Am I being unfair? I don’t know, but it’s absolutely crucial that I have access to all the information and I’m not sure I’m getting it.’

  ‘What do you mean? Is there something else bothering you?’

  Amelia fiddled with the strap of her bag before she decided to ask the question anyway. ‘What do you know about Jean Legault?’

  ‘The man who replaced Robert? Well, he’s not Robert, but I believe he’s a good ambassador. I briefly met him at one of these endless functions and he seemed extremely courteous. I’ve heard that people like him, that he’s doing a good job.’

  ‘You don’t think he is being too polite?’

  Mara seemed surprised by Amelia’s question. ‘I really can’t say, Amelia. I don’t know him well enough.’