The Red King of Helsinki

by Helena Halme

‘Let’s go home, Pia,’ she said, touching Pia’s arm, and turned on her heels. Pia stood motionless for a moment, her eyes on Heikki. She nodded to him and eventually followed Maija into the lift.

  17

  Iain stood in the reception for a while listening to Mrs Cooper’s apologies. ‘I’m so sorry, Sir, I didn’t hear you come in and she was just about to go.’ She was speaking in her perfectly accented English. Iain looked at Mrs Cooper’s well made-up face. She treated her job at the Council with the utmost professionalism. ‘Serious people, these Finns, even those we work with,’ the Colonel had remarked about her. Iain wondered how much she knew about Kovtun.

  ‘Not to worry, Mrs Cooper.’ He pulled on his coat. He needed first to talk to the Colonel and then he must make sure Maija and Pia were safely at home.

  ‘I’m off,’ Heikki said. He stood next to the lift with his hands in his pockets.

  Iain had forgotten about the boy. ‘Hold on,’ he said. He turned back to Mrs Cooper and asked for a piece of paper. He wrote: ‘Make sure the boy is followed until safely at home, phone the Colonel if need be,’ and handed the note to Mrs Cooper. She read it, nodded and smiled.

  ‘Heikki, I want you to wait here until Mrs Cooper has made a phone call. Can you do that for me?’

  ‘Yeah, sure, but can’t I come with you? I’m really good at following people, and I can undo locks, remember?’ The young man’s face lit up.

  Iain glanced at Mrs Cooper. ‘No. I’m not, I mean, sorry, that’s not possible. Stay here until Mrs Cooper tells you otherwise, and go straight home. OK?’

  Heikki hung his head, but nodded in agreement. He walked slowly to a chair in the lobby and sat down with a flourish. He looked like a bag of bones settling into an empty basket. At least the boy is well out of the mess now, Iain thought.

  The walk down the Esplanade seemed to be getting colder each time. The afternoon light was just starting to fade. Iain looked at the grey sky above him. At least it wasn’t snowing.

  * * *

  ‘Well, well,’ the Colonel said after Iain had run through what the youngsters had told him at the Council.

  Iain waited as long as he could, while the Colonel stared at the carpet of his cabin.

  ‘Kovtun is getting very close to these youngsters, don’t you think, Sir?’

  ‘Hmm.’

  ‘I think I should…’

  ‘No, Collins.’ The Colonel gave Iain a stern look. It was a warning. Iain dropped his gaze.

  The Colonel spoke, ‘The ship’s company are preparing for the Open Day tomorrow. The Finnish public will be admitted between the hours of 15.00–19.00. Kovtun will arrive, with the crypto card, a few minutes before seven o’clock. We will sail at 21.00.’

  ‘Of course Sir, I understand.’

  The Colonel looked at Iain for a long time. He got up and went to fetch something out of a drawer. He came back and gave Iain a heavy black case. Iain looked at the Colonel and lifted the lid.

  ‘You did pass your firearms training?’ the Colonel said.

  ‘Yes, Sir,’ Iain said. He tried not to show that his hands were trembling as he placed the gun carefully into the inside pocket of his coat. The Colonel nodded towards a set of cartridges and Iain placed them inside another pocket. The Colonel gave him a set of car keys. ‘It’s a moss green Opel Kadett parked in bay 229 in the car park underneath Erottaja. You know the air shelter?’

  ‘Yes, Sir.’ Iain thought how much easier his task would have been if he’d had a car all along but said nothing.

  ‘Now, what you need to do is to make sure both Pia and Maija are safely at home.’ The Colonel gave Iain a consoling smile, ‘And then go home, have a beer or two and watch the ice hockey on television. There’s bound to be a match on!’ The Colonel laughed. A short, efficient barking sound that came out of his mouth and made his eyes briefly crease in the corners. ‘Take the night off; tomorrow could be a long day.’

  The coat felt heavy on him as he walked out of the ship and into the cold Helsinki night. He scanned the dark jetty and wondered why he felt no fear. He pulled his coat tighter around him and decided the person who would know most about Kovtun was Leena Joutila.

  * * *

  Maija sat with her hands on the kitchen table, thinking. Pia’s make-up was smudged and her hair a mess. Maija could hardly believe what the girl had been through on her own.

  ‘C’mon darling, let’s get you cleaned up.’ Maija pulled Pia up and together they went into the little bathroom. ‘Why didn’t you tell me all of this before?’ Maija handed Pia a clean towel.

  The girl sniffled and said, ‘Iain told me I shouldn’t. Anni is still missing, and he said as few people as possible must know in case that put her in danger.’ Her face, now scrubbed clean of make-up looked like a frightened child’s.

  ‘But I’m your mother!’ Maija said. She felt a surge of anger towards Iain. He had most certainly used her, but more importantly he had used her daughter. He had lied to both of them and all for what? Maija still couldn’t believe that the unassuming Englishman she knew was some kind of a spy. Was his job at the British Council just a cover? And was his story of his failed marriage to a Finn a lie? How had he learned Finnish? What about the recent increase in his feelings for Maija, were they false and made up for the sake of his other secret life too? The intense kisses, the loving words - all lies? Maija pushed her own disappointment aside and looked at her daughter, tearful and obviously in shock. She stood shivering in front of the mirror, not even looking at her sad face. Maija would not let any man do this to Pia! From now on she would be more vigilant and protect her daughter, as she had protected her from her father’s absence.

  ‘I’ll make us some coffee,’ she said and put her arm around Pia, leading her back to the kitchen. Her daughter was already a little taller than her, but Maija felt stronger. She would sort this mess out. She would speak to the police, to Mrs Härmänmaa, she would take Pia out of school, she would take leave, unpaid if need be, and they would go and stay with her mother in Lappeenranta. A few days skiing by the lake, eating home-made rye bread fresh from the oven and drinking hot berry cordial would do them both good. Iain and this Heikki boy could go to hell as far as Maija was concerned!

  The doorbell rang.

  Pia and Maija looked at each other. Pia glanced towards the door and said, ‘Don’t open it, it could be the KGB!’

  ‘Nonsense!’ Maija said. A doubt registered fleetingly in her mind, but she brushed it away. It was 1979, not 1939 and they lived in a free country, not behind the iron curtain! Maija looked through the spy hole. ‘It’s Anni!’ she said and opened the door.

  The two girls hugged each other as soon as Anni was inside the flat. Maija placed the chain on the door. At least now Pia wouldn’t have to worry about Anni anymore. She was glad she didn’t have to tell Pia how she knew the Linnonmaas were safe.

  ‘Mrs Mäkelä,’ Anni said when Maija walked into the kitchen. ‘I am so sorry about all the trouble you’ve had. My father sends his regards and says not to worry, everything will be sorted soon.’

  Maija smiled, but regarded Anni carefully. It didn’t seem as if she knew about Maija and her father’s shared past. She looked even thinner than she had last time Maija had seen her. She was wearing a tight pair of white jeans, with boots and a loose woollen jumper.

  ‘I would like to talk to your father,’ Maija said.

  Anni was quiet. She regarded Maija, as if judging if she could trust her.

  ‘I think we’ve got a right to know what’s really going on, don’t you?’ Maija said, trying to control her anger.

  ‘It’s not Anni’s fault, none of it is!’ Pia said.

  Anni touched Pia’s arm. ‘It’s OK, your mum’s right. It’s a bloody mess and innocent people are getting caught up in it.’

  ‘I wouldn’t call being held, threatened and followed by the KGB, as being “caught up”!’ Maija said.

  ‘Anni’s eyes flashed, ‘Followed? What do you mean, followed?’

&n
bsp; ‘Oh, Anni, Iain told me everything about Kovtun. That he’s about to defect, and that you might be in danger.’ Pia said.

  ‘You mean the Admiral? You know he works for the British Intelligence?’

  ‘Yes, of course we do,’ Maija said and continued, ‘Do your parents really know you’re here?’

  ‘Not exactly.’

  Maija sat down. She felt tired. The coffee-maker was making gurgling noises and she got up again, mechanically, to get three cups out. She poured the hot coffee and said, ‘Right, Anni, now it’s your turn to tell us what you – or your father – thinks is going on. Perhaps then we can get back to normal. Agreed?’

  ‘Of course, though I don’t have much time,’ Anni replied.

  ‘Are you back in your flat?’ Pia asked.

  ‘No, we are kept in a Finnish SAPO safe house in Kirkkonummi. I’ve to get the bus from the station at 18.30, otherwise they’ll notice I’m gone. I was only supposed to go out for a walk.’

  ‘I don’t understand. Is the Finnish secret police involved in the defection of this Kovtun type?’ Maija asked.

  ‘Yes, they want to get rid of him. That’s what my father told me. He was joking that the Brits don’t know what kind of paskiainen they’re getting.’

  Maija was quiet. They agreed on that score. The man could easily be described as a bastard, though she herself would not have used such language. Then she had a thought.

  ‘But isn’t it dangerous for the Finnish state to be involved in a defection? I thought we were neutral. Certainly we can’t help the West, can we? Doesn’t Big Brother mind?’

  Anni looked coy. She gave a sideways smile and said, ‘Of course the Finns don’t know anything about it – officially!’

  ‘I see,’ Maija said. She tried not to panic. It was obvious the girl didn’t understand the severity of the situation. How foolish Jukka Linnonmaa was to tell her such secrets!

  ‘And your father doesn’t know you’re here?’

  Anni didn’t answer. She looked at Maija with her clear blue eyes, but Maija could not tell from her expression what she was thinking. Maija saw the time was approaching six o’clock. Anni too looked at her watch.

  ‘Do you have to go back?’ Pia said. She looked miserable.

  ‘Listen, both of you. The reason I came was to warn you. We think, or at least Dad does, that Kovtun is planning something involving one of the girls in the team.’ Anni was silent for a moment.

  Maija sat back down, ‘Why do the Finns want to get rid of Kovtun so much? Surely all the Soviet Embassy staff are the same? They’re all Russians and Communists, aren’t they?’ she asked.

  Anni looked very serious. ‘My father says this Kovtun is worse than the others.’ Anni paused for a moment and looked down at her hands. ‘He thinks he’s the King of Helsinki! But he’s been present at Kekkonen’s talks with the Soviets, even with Brezhnev. You know their secret talks?’ Anni looked at Maija and Pia in turn. Maija had no idea what the girl was talking about, but nodded. She wanted to hear all that Anni had to say. ‘Kovtun has been present at these talks as the only other person. He’s been acting as interpreter. He knows what Kekkonen has promised the Russians on our behalf. If Kovtun gets to the West, he will tell all, and then everyone will know what Kekkonen is really up to!’

  Maija stared at Anni. This was far more serious than she had thought. This is what Linnonmaa was involved in – treason! Although Maija didn’t support Kekkonen, and had never voted for him as she regarded him as far too soft on Russia, he was still the elected President of the Republic! Maija also believed that without Kekkonen, Finland could now be part of the Eastern Bloc. It was his diplomacy that had kept Finland independent when other European countries such as Hungary and Czechoslovakia were time and time again pulled back behind the iron curtain. And unlike many right-wing people in Finland, Maija didn’t believe that the West would come to Finland’s aid if Russia decided to invade. Finland was simply not important enough.

  Maija regarded Anni. Her eyes were wide. Pia was staring at her friend too. ‘So it’s really important to let the Brits have him! Important for Finland!’ Anni said.

  ‘But what if this Kovtun does speak about Kekkonen and the Finns vote Kekkonen out and replace him with a right-wing politician? Will that not force the Russians to invade?’ Maija said. She gave the girl a stern look. ‘Besides, this is not something any of us should be involved in. What your father does is up to him and his conscience…’

  ‘What do you mean?’ Anni’s eyes flashed at Maija.

  ‘Perhaps I’ve misunderstood,’ Maija said.

  ‘Yes, I think you have. My fat her is a Finnish diplomat and he always acts in the best interest of the fatherland.’

  Maija thought that sounded like a phrase this girl had heard often. ‘Well, I’m not sure I understand any of it,’ Maija put her hand on Anni’s arm, ‘but what is it we can do to keep ourselves out of all this? That is why you’ve come, isn’t it?’

  ‘Yes,’ the girl said keenly, ‘Pia, you must keep your ears and eyes open at the Tournament, and keep an eye on the little girls. I just wanted to warn you that something is going to happen at the competition tomorrow. I couldn’t let you go without warning you.’ Anni looked at Pia, and squeezed her hand.

  ‘Shouldn’t she stay away from the Tournament, if it’s dangerous?’ Maija said. She had crossed her arms over her chest. Anni said nothing.

  Pia ignored her too. ‘I’m so glad you’re alright!’ she said with tears in her eyes, hugging Anni again.

  Maija got up. ‘I’m going to phone the police. I’m sure they can sort this out. There must be a procedure…’ she was on her way to the telephone in the hall.

  Anni got up too and blocked her way. She looked Maija in the eyes and said, ‘The police will not be able to do anything. Besides, they won’t believe you!’

  Maija regarded Anni. Again she seemed so authoritative. ‘Please, Mrs Mäkelä, phone my father, if you like. He’ll say the same as me!’ Anni scribbled a number on a piece of paper and handed it to Maija, ‘Ask for Mr Laine.’

  Maija took the piece of paper and stared at it for a moment. ‘Please Mrs Mäkelä. My father really does know what he’s doing, and this is for the best. For Finland!’

  Anni glanced at her wrist watch. ‘I need to get back.’

  ‘I’ll take the tram with you into town and then we can talk on the way,’ Pia said.

  ‘No way, girls. Anni, I’m afraid you are going to have to make your own way back. I cannot let Pia get into more danger.’ Maija thought, if need be, she would physically detain Pia.

  ‘Mum!’ Pia protested, keeping hold of Anni’s arm.

  Anni freed herself from Pia’s grip and said, ‘Your mum’s right, Pia. I’ll be OK, nobody knows I’m here. I’ll give you a ring when we’re back in Helsinki.’ She picked up her down coat, and hugged Pia hard. Then she was out of the door. Maija and Pia went back into the kitchen. They peered out of the window out into the darkened street, lit only by the faint glow of the street lamps. After a short while, they saw Anni step onto the street. They watched in silence as Anni’s long blonde hair disappeared around the corner.

  ‘Mum, is she going to be alright? What if the Russian follows her, and…?’ Pia burst into tears and Maija took her daughter into her arms once more. She looked at the number Anni had written on the piece of paper in her hand. Would speaking with Jukka again plunge her and her daughter deeper into the world of intrigue and danger? Maija needed time to think before she spoke to anyone.

  18

  Leena was waiting for Vadi. He was over an hour late. The rage that she had started to feel after the first half hour was now subsiding. Instead she was worried. What if something had happened to him? Perhaps it had something to do with the Englishman. Leena hadn’t yet tried to contact him. She didn’t really know how. But Vadi had been in such a rage, she hadn’t told him that at the school that morning. Leena decided not to think the worst; the man was probably just working late. She looked
at the small table she had set with two plates and two glasses. The lace tablecloth she had bought from a large Gypsy woman who had called at her door. She should never have bought anything; now the same woman was there almost weekly, though Leena did not open the door when she spotted her wide black skirt through the spy hole.

  Now she was going up to the spy hole every time she heard the lift move in the hallway. But there was no one outside her door. No sign of Vadi. Leena looked at her watch; it was past seven o’clock and he’d promised to be there by six.

  Leena had been quite upset about Vadi shouting at her. Luckily no one had been around, but even so, right in her office at school.

  After she had left the Rixi Bar, she felt exhilarated at her ability to bluff the Englishman. Back in her office, before Vadi’s unannounced appearance, she guessed it was because some of what she’d told him was the truth. She did want to win the Tournament. It was important for her as well as the Lyceum. And Pia. Though she couldn’t understand why Vadi wanted the Finns to win. How did that further his cause? The way he was behaving towards her lately, she’d decided it wasn’t any sort of reward for her either. If Vadi was worried about keeping Leena on his side, he was going about it in a strange way. But by now Leena had learned that Vadi was not one to explain things in too much detail.

  Leena heard the lift move again. She pressed her eye to the spy hole and waited. It stopped somewhere further up. Leena could hear a woman laughing, and then the lift descended and stopped at the ground floor.

  Where was Vadi? It was nearing half past seven. The cabbage rolls she’d bought from the corner shop would be stone cold now. She’d need to reheat them. At least the Koskenkorva was chilled.

  Just then her telephone rang.

  ‘Hello, can I speak with Leena Joutila?’

  ‘Speaking’ Leena was disappointed. It wasn’t Vadi.

  ‘Hello, it’s Iain Collins. We met yesterday.’

  ‘Hello’ was all Leena could think to say. How had the man found her number? She wasn’t in the book, mainly to stop the students finding out where she lived. Besides, the man had been in a hurry to leave Leena, so much so, that he’d left his coffee untouched.