The Circassian. "Wrong Side"

by Bob Bidecant

6.5

  ‘Ouch.’ Josh was startled as the inmate slapped him across the chest. He had been in Bethnal Green for some months and no one had been aggressive towards him like Hanwell. He held his hand up to his chest and rubbed the sore part. He picked his book up and carried on towards the gardens

  ‘Hi Josh, how are you today? Levi smiled at him. Then saw the anxious look on his face. ‘What’s the matter, are you all right?’

  ‘No somebody just punched me and knocked me over and when I looked up they were gone.’

  ‘You got a new book?’ he picked it up and read the title. ‘When did you get that?’ Josh looked sad as he replied.

  ‘The Sergeant Major gave it to me for my birthday last week.’

  ‘I didn’t know it was your birthday. What’s the book about?’

  ‘I don’t know, I haven’t read it yet. I haven’t dared to open it yet, I think it’s going to be about Zulus.’ Levi changed the subject and they carried on talking until the bell went. He walked back to the steps with Josh and watched him walk inside.

  ‘See you Tomorrow Josh.’ He called after him. He walked towards Whitechapel High Street. Levi stopped outside the pub and re-read the note. He looked up at the sign above the door, “The Blind Beggar”, and then around the street. There was nobody around.

  ‘Oh well so much for that theory.’ He thought to himself.

  ‘What, you looking for boss?’ Levi turned towards the voice; he looked at a young boy. He was olive skinned and dressed in black trousers and a white shirt, a vest and small Scottish style bonnet completed his dress. He dressed like an adult, too clean and smart to be one of the normal street urchins that ran around without shoes and their arses hanging out of hand me down clothes that were too big for them. Levi couldn’t decide if he was looking at a young kid or a midget.

  ‘I’m looking for a blind flower seller.’ Levi answered.

  ‘She’s not here but I can take you to her for tuppence.’ He said cheekily. Levi laughed. He may not look like a street kid but he was as street wise as any of them. He had an Italian accent. ‘All right, but a penny, I’ll be buggered if I’m giving you two, you saucy sod.’ He said jokingly.

  ‘Penny it is then. He held out his hand. Levi placed a penny in it. He noticed his hand was clean too.

  ‘Follow me, Boss.’ He grabbed Levi’s sleeve and walked ten yards, then turned the corner to the left and stopped. There sitting on a makeshift wooden bench was an old woman. On her lap was a tray of flowers. The boy skipped away laughing. Levi called out after him.

  ‘You could have just told me she was around the corner.’

  ‘Yea, I could have,’ He laughed and held up the penny. ‘Welcome to the East End.’ Levi smiled at the boy’s cheek. He sat down on his haunches next to the old lady.

  ‘How are you today madam?’ he asked her.

  ‘Me, darling? I’m fine.’ She had a soft Irish accent that didn’t match her rough looks and dirty clothes. She had an old grey blanket draped across her shoulders and a faded blue one across her knees, the tray resting there. She wore a black bonnet wrapped around her old face and tied under her chin.

  ‘Buy a lucky heather from me, darling.’ She asked him. Levi reached for her hand and placed a penny in it.

  ‘God bless you, darling,’ She handed him the heather. ‘Was there something else you wanted?’

  ‘Do you have anything from the Circassian?’ Levi asked.

  ‘I do darling, I do.’

  She waited, her hand held open. Levi dropped shillings into her palm, one at a time, each coin clinking on the others as she counted. He stopped at ten and waited; she closed her hand and dropped the coins into her side pocket. She pulled a thin envelope out from inside her blanket and gave it to him.

  ‘Don’t forget, darling its ten bob to pick it up and ten bob to drop one off, when you come back with an answer.’ She said quietly. As Levi placed his fingers on the envelope to take it from her, she grabbed his hand, her long, bony fingers were cold, too cold for the warm autumn day. She leaned forward and held his hand under her nose. She sniffed in deeply twice and then asked him.

  ‘How long have you been sick?’ Levi was shocked and he pulled his hand back.

  ‘What do you mean, sick?’ He asked angrily. She looked towards his face; her colourless eyes stared at his.

  ‘I may be blind but, I still see more than most. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, then go see a doctor. Not much good that will do you though. If you do know what I’m talking about then, come back to me and I will give you something better than them bloody quack doctors can give you.’ Levi stood up. He was speechless. How did she know?

  6.6

  Josh waved goodbye to Levi and watched him walk away. He turned and ran back to his room, sat in his chair with his arms wrapped around his knees; it made him feel safer somehow. He fell asleep clutching the book to his chest. The bell rang six times before he lurched awake. He looked down at his hand; it was empty. He stood up and looked around the chair. The book had gone. He felt himself panic as he dropped to the floor and looked under the chair, and then he heard someone laugh. He stood up slowly and turned to see one of the patients he shared a room with, holding up his book. The same man who had slapped him earlier. He waved it in the air. Josh walked across to him and held his hand out.

  ‘That’s mine,’ he said firmly. ‘Give it back to me.’

  ‘It’s mine now.’ The other said. Josh looked up at him; he was at least a head taller than Josh and a stone heavier. He pushed Josh roughly in the chest. Josh stood and looked at him.

  ‘Give me my book back.’ Josh repeated. He walked forward to take it back. The bigger man slapped him in the face with a downward stroke. Josh panicked again and stepped back, mentally, running back to the safe room inside his head and slamming the door shut. He sat in the chair, afraid. The larger man started to tear a corner of the first page. Josh stood up; he wanted to run somewhere, anywhere. The larger man tore another piece from the book and laughed, taunting Josh to come and take the book from him. Josh unlocked the door in his head and stepped outside, for the first time since he had returned to England.

  He took three steps towards the bigger man who was grinning at him, slowly tearing a strip down the edge of the page. The man stopped smiling and angrily raised his hand to strike Josh in the face again. He swung his arm down aimed at Josh’s head. Josh ducked his head to the left and swung back with a perfect left hook into his jaw. He leaned into his right leg and followed up with two right jabs to his face, then leant on his left leg and threw another left jab. Stood straight, aimed at his nose and tried to punch the wall directly behind him. The big man staggered back shocked at the speed and accuracy that Josh hit him. He fell backwards over a chair and landed on the floor. Josh leant over him with both his fists closed. He glared at him.

  ‘Do you want some fucking more?’ He said angrily.

  ‘You said you don’t like fighting.’ The man sniffled, holding his face.

  ‘I said I didn’t like to fight, I didn’t say that I can’t fight.’ Josh retorted. He pulled his right fist back. The big man held the book up. Josh snatched it from him, walked purposely to his bed and sprang onto it. Josh looked at the man still sitting on the floor holding his face. Blood trickled out of his nose from Josh’s punch and he whimpered like a baby. Josh lay back on his bed and fluffed his pillow up behind his head.

  He opened the book and started to read.

  6.7

  Levi mopped up the gravy with a slice of bread. He pushed the empty plain white plate away and sat back. The owner picked up the plate and placed a cup of tea down.

  ‘Blimey Levi, you must have been hungry, there was a pattern on that plate when I gave it to you.’ He joked as he handed him an envelope. Levi laughed with him as he put the envelope inside his pocket. He finished his tea, paid his bill and left the café. A short walk back onto Whitechapel High Street and turned left towards the Blin
d Beggar pub. The old blind flower lady was sitting in the same place and he stood before her reaching for the envelope.

  ‘Hello darling. You got something for me have you?’ Levi handed her a small package without speaking. She put it inside her blanket and held her hand out. Levi dropped ten coins into her hand, she dropped it into her pocket and held her hand back out.

  ‘You said ten bob.’ Levi scolded her. She laughed and held a large bottle up in her other hand.

  ‘This is Ten bob too, darling,’ she said. ‘One spoonful every night before you sleep and you’ll be right as rain in no time.’ Levi gave her another ten shillings and took the bottle. He went to walk away.

  ‘You forgot this, darling,’ she held up lucky heather as she called to him, laughing. ‘It’s on the house today.’

  6.8

  Mikhailovich handed Evdokimoff the envelope.

  Evdokimoff read the name on the note. “Feliks Vetrov”

  He sat silently and thought for a few minutes.

  ‘Who else has seen the name on this note?’

  ‘Only me and Gurin.’ Mikhailovich answered.

  ‘You sure, what about Putchin?’

  ‘No, he gave it to me unopened. Why?’

  ‘Because, Feliks Vetrov, the name on this note is the one the Jews want killed, but he is not on my list. If I hesitate and delay it by waiting for Moscow to approve the hit then we could scare the Jews away and lose their confidence. ‘He lowered his voice.

  ‘We will carry out this hit to get to the Jews, but I cannot stress enough that Moscow must never discover I have approved it. Keep Putchin out of this one I don’t know how much he can be trusted to stay quiet. Tell Gurin to go with the Circassian himself this time.’ Mikhailovich was pensive as he received his cloak and hat and climbed into the cab.

  Evdokimoff had put his entire career on the line approving the killing of a high-ranking Russian. He could and probably would be executed if the Okhrana found out, so would he and Gurin, but on the other hand he had information on the Count that he could use in the future to advance his career. As soon as Evdokimoff left for Paris, he would arrange for someone to kill Gurin, or even better, he would do the job himself.

  6.9

  Levi signed his name in the visitor’s book and leaned against the whitewashed wall while he waited for Josh. Normally he smoked a cigarette outside but today he had a different plan. Josh appeared in the distance and waved his hand to Levi. Levi nodded to Josh and waited for the receptionist to turn her back. He slipped around the corner and walked quickly to Josh.

  ‘Are you sure you are ready?’ Levi asked him, Josh was shaking with excitement.

  ‘Yes. Come on I will show you where he is. They walked quietly along several corridors. Josh stopped by a set of double doors. Levi read the sign above them.

  “Red House. Authorised entry only.”

  ‘That’s us then Josh.’ Levi joked. Josh laughed nervously, but he was determined to keep going. He pushed open the doors and they went through. The first thing Levi noticed was the smell. It smelled of rotten eggs. They continued down two more corridors and Josh suddenly stopped.

  ‘I can’t remember if it was left or right here.’ He said.

  ‘Which way do you want to go?’ Levi asked simply.

  ‘This way.’ Josh pointed to the left corridor. They were so deep inside the Sanatorium that there was no natural lighting; dimmed gas lamps lit the way. Levi heard screaming, a woman. Then a man shouting for help. The noise stopped as suddenly as it began. A door handle creaked and Levi pushed Josh behind him and stood back in a deep doorway. He waited, holding his breath. Josh held onto Levi’s jacket with one hand, his eyes shut tight. Levi heard the door shut and footsteps leading away. He waited until the sound faded and stepped back into the main corridor.

  ‘That’s the room, I remember now.’ Josh whispered, pointing to Jaak’s room.

  ‘Stay here Josh,’ Levi patted him on the chest gently. ‘I will be back in two minutes.’ Levi crept slowly towards the door and turned the handle slowly. It creaked, and he froze. After a few seconds, he turned it a bit more and opened the door enough to peer inside with one eye. The room was dark with one lamp burning on the back wall, but there was enough light for him to make out a man lying on a bed on his back. Levi pushed the door further open and stepped into the room. It was bare except for the bed, a small table with two stools and a wooden hat and cloak stand. On the table were a pair of white gentleman’s gloves, neatly folded and a pair of dark glasses. He held them up to the lamp; they were tinted blue. Hanging neatly on the stand was a white shirt, trousers and long cape. A top hat was perched above. Levi moved closer to the man on the bed, he looked at the padded restraints on his arms and legs vomit entangled in his thick beard and dried into the pillow. The man was flicking his head back and forth, his eyes rolled in his head and he whispered in a strange language. Levi couldn’t make out what language he was speaking; he lowered his ear closer to the man’s head. Levi turned his head to get a clearer look at his face. He watched the man cursing; his teeth clenched and spit forming around his mouth. Suddenly he lunged up from the bed, his teeth an inch from Levis face, withheld from reaching him by the restraints. Levi jumped back, shocked at the speed of the man. He walked back to the door and left the room. The corridor was clear; he grabbed Josh and walked him back to Jaak. He pushed him to the bed, Josh held back scared.‘Josh, I have no time to play games. Is this the man you saw in Africa?’ Josh stared at his face and nodded.

  ‘Yes I’m sure. This is the same man.’

  They walked quickly back to the main reception in the West Wing, his heart was still pounding when Levi said goodbye to Josh and walked out into the fresh air. He walked quickly until he was out of sight of the Sanatorium. Then he stopped and lit a cigarette, he slowed his pace and strolled thoughtfully to Vallance Road.

  Levi opened the door of the pie and mash shop and sat down out of breath.

  ‘Here he is, my best customer.’ the owner joked. Then he looked at Levi’s face and stopped smiling. He walked over to him and sat down

  ‘What’s up, you look like you have seen a ghost?’

  ‘Do you have a pen and paper; I need to get a note to Jacobson quickly.’

  ‘Of course,’ he set down a pen and paper and asked. ‘Do you want some grub?’‘No, I’m not hungry. Just a cup of tea thanks.’ He brought back the tea and gave the note to a boy who ran outside and cycled to Jacobson’s house where he rang the bell.

  ‘A message for Lord Jacobson, It’s urgent,’ he said. ‘I was told to wait here for an answer.’

  ‘What is it? Asked Julia as the servant entered the dining room and handed over the note.

  ‘It arrived for Lord Jacobson, Miss, there is a boy waiting for an answer outside.’ Julia took the note and dismissed the servant. She recognised the handwriting and opened it

  “Mikael’s brother is in Asylum?????”

  Julia called the servant.

  ‘Fetch my cloak, ask Edward to bring the cab and give this note to the boy outside.’ Levi waited in the pub as the note had instructed him to. He sipped a small beer. Julia walked in and every head turned. She called for two pots of beer and sat down.‘You are sure it is Mikael’s brother?’

  ‘Obviously I’m not, I had never met either brother until today, but the boy, Josh is sure. I took him with me to identify him.’ Julia looked sad. She spoke purposefully.

  ‘Levi, there are two people who must never find out that Mikael’s brother is in a sanatorium. Lord Jacobson and Mikael.’ Levi waited for her to continue.

  ‘If Lord Jacobson finds out…’ She hesitated. Levi spoke instead.

  ‘If Lord Jacobson finds out that there is insanity in Mikael’s family, he will not permit you to marry.’ Julia nodded.

  ‘And if Mikael finds out, he will not keep it a secret.’ Julia nodded again. Levi knew where this was going. He didn’t like it but this family had employed b
oth he and his father for many years.

  ‘What do you want me to do?’ he asked. Julia did not answer. Levi knew she could not utter the dreadful words she needed to speak. He decided to make it easier for her; he leant forward to reach for his and said quietly.

  ‘Do you want me to get rid of him?’ He lit a cigarette and sipped his beer. He looked at Julia. She nodded, ashamed to look him in the face.

  ‘Leave it with me; I will let you know when it is done.’

  ‘Thank you.’ She said. Julia stood up and left. Levi watched her go then picked up his pot of ale.

  ‘Damn, I thought my killing days were over and done with, he said to himself. ‘This will be the last one I ever do for the Jacobson family.’

  6.10

  Gurin and Jaak left by the back door and stepped directly into the cab that Mikhailovich had sent for them. They sat without speaking for the twenty minutes ride. The cab stopped in a quiet tree lined avenue. Gurin peered out of the window and looked at the large mansion standing apart from the remaining houses. He stepped out of the cab and looked around before beckoning Jaak to join him. They walked silently to the side gate that had been left unlocked for them and continued until they reached the back of the house. Gurin looked through the kitchen window; a small light threw enough light to see it was empty. Gurin turned the handle and silently opened the door. They walked through the large kitchen and stopped before entering the main vestibule, which led to several rooms. Gurin scanned them until he saw one door with a black umbrella hanging from the door handle. That was the sign. He removed the umbrella and turned the handle slowly. The door was heavy but opened silently. There sitting alone was the man they had come for, Feliks Vetrov. He was sitting with his back to the door fast asleep. Facing a large fire his head had dropped onto his chest and the book he had been reading had slipped onto the side of his leg. Gurin tapped Jaak on the shoulder and pointed to the sleeping man. He then went back to the door and stood looking out into the hallway. Jaak was quick with his work. He cut the man’s throat before he awoke. The windpipe so cleanly severed it was impossible for the man to make a noise. He sat holding his neck for several seconds and then looking at Jaak he slipped to one side and died. Jaak was bored; he carved his initials in the man’s cheeks. After all, they had carved their names on him in the Russian prison. Gurin looked around.

  ‘Jaak stop,’ he whispered. ‘We go now. Come on.’