Sunstroke

by Madge Swindells

  The guests were screaming and pushing away, jostling each other like sheep as they tried to get out. I heard the shot and saw Borovoi’s face explode, just as Brigit’s had.

  David was hurtling towards him, hands pointing straight out as he fired three more shots, which spun Borovoi around and propelled him backwards against the wall. He twisted towards me, spraying blood, and fell down, jerking. I gathered Nicky in my arms and scrambled away from the twitching body. David was leaning over us, his face twisted with outrage.

  ‘He was using his own son as a shield to get away.’

  I was sitting on the floor, rocking Nicky, my back turned to the corpse, sheltering my baby from the sight of the blood, repeating over and over again, ‘I never meant him to be killed. That wasn’t the plan. I never meant that at all. I swear it.’

  I would probably be saying that for the rest of my life, I realized.

  ‘It’s all right, Nicky darling. It’s all right. There, there, don’t be scared.’ I held him close and rocked him gently as we sat on the floor. ‘You’re safe. Mummy’s got you.’ Nicky hid his face in my dress and hung on hard. He was so silent. Too silent. Too shocked to cry.

  A man with a gun was leaning over Borovoi’s body. He felt his pulse and called to a waiter to fetch a tablecloth to cover him.

  ‘Are you Nina Ogilvie, the mother of this child?’ He had a strong American accent.

  ‘Yes,’ I whispered.

  ‘And is this man the father of your child?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘The man you knew as Wolf Moller?’

  ‘Yes!’

  ‘Can you formally identify him for us?’

  ‘I know him only as Wolf Moller. Of course that’s not his real name. It’s him. He kidnapped my son,’ I muttered. ‘Thank God Nicky’s all right.’

  The CIA agent helped to cover the corpse and lead the guests away.

  ‘I guess you’ll do,’ I heard an old familiar voice say. ‘You’ll do just fine for Nicky.’

  Nicky looked up. ‘Daddy,’ he yelled.

  ‘Go!’ I shrieked to Wolf. ‘For God’s sake, go.’

  Where was David? I glanced round cautiously and saw him standing right behind me. His eyes and cheeks had turned bright red, which was as close as he ever came to crying, I guessed.

  ‘Is that your official statement, Nina? Are you telling us that this dead man on the floor is Wolf Moller, the father of your child?’

  ‘Yes.’

  He knelt beside the corpse and flicked the cloth down and then up again.

  ‘You’d best get Nicky out of here,’ he ground out, through lips taut with fury. ‘He’s as shocked as hell and no wonder. Take him to our room. I’ll call a doctor. You go ahead. I’ll be right there.’

  I hung around, gripping Nicky to me. I had to know what he would say.

  David called one of his colleagues over. ‘Get everyone out of here and down to the ballroom, Hank. Every last one. They can carry on there. Lock the door. Round up the local police. They’re somewhere around. They should have heard the shots. Tell them we nailed the bastard. He fell into our trap.’

  He sighed and bent over the corpse again. ‘His name tab says Baron Peter Podnieks – one of the delegates?’ He looked up and saw me standing there, still rocking Nicky. ‘What do you think, Nina?’

  David was staring at me so coldly. He looked so hurt. I felt for him, but this was no time for weakness.

  ‘Are you asking me? You set this up.’

  ‘Did I? It seems to me I’m just an amateur round here.’

  ‘You set a trap for Wolf Moller and you caught him. Justice has been seen to be done and I have my son. Well done! Now, let it go, for God’s sake, David,’ I murmured. Then I scrambled to my feet, hugging Nicky in my arms, and carried him up to our room.

  Mr Bear was sitting on the pillows.

  ‘This is your bear, Nicky. I bought him in Moscow for your last birthday. I was still looking for you then. I love you, Nicky. I hope you’re not too big for bears.’

  Nicky was shivering violently.

  ‘Where’s Daddy? I want my daddy.’ His voice came out in a whimper.

  ‘Hush, Nicky. Daddy’s coming soon. We’re all going to Scotland for a holiday, and Daddy will visit us there. Didn’t he promise you?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘And he’ll come to see you often. He promised you that, didn’t he? It’s our secret.’

  I scrambled into bed and held him in my arms. He held me tightly, just as he used to do when he had nightmares. His shuddering gradually subsided. By the time the doctor came Nicky seemed much better, so he gave him a light tranquillizer and left a few more, in case we needed them.

  He wanted to chat. ‘I’ve heard the story going the rounds. You’re a brave woman, Miss Ogilvie. No one seems to know much about this Baron Peter Podnieks. Evidently he spent most of his time in Switzerland. He was a sick man, I’ve heard. So what are your plans now?’

  ‘We’re flying to Scotland first thing in the morning to spend a few weeks with my father. After that I’ll play it by ear.’

  David arrived and stood pointedly holding the door open. The doctor got the message and left.

  ‘You let Moller off the hook,’ he said coldly. ‘You planned this, didn’t you? You got hold of one of the delegates’ badges for Borovoi. You’ll be found out when they check the real owner of the name.’

  ‘No, David. The real Podnieks died in a car accident in Switzerland a couple of decades back. There are no living relatives. I think I might just get away with it.’

  ‘Why, Nina? We’ve been working for months to put Wolf behind bars.’

  ‘You, perhaps. I wanted only my son.’

  ‘You have to tell me the truth. Do you still love Wolf Moller?’

  ‘No, but I no longer hate him, David. Do you know why? I’m grateful for the way he’s brought up Nicky. At least he was able to love one person in his life. Look how peacefully Nicky’s sleeping. It’s strange, David, but for years I thought I wanted to take revenge. I used to dream about it, and write about it, but then I met you and I fell in love and the hatred in me disappeared. Suddenly I could love again. Are we still together, David?’

  ‘Do you care?’

  ‘More than you’ll ever know. God, I’m so tired all of a sudden. I seem to be falling asleep as I sit here.’

  ‘I love you, but it’s not going to be as simple as you think. There’s something you don’t know. After you fled to Namibia and were arrested there, the CIA broke into your home and found some fingerprints, mainly from Wolf’s office. They won’t match up. This could be a problem for us.’

  Us! With that simple word David had answered all my questions.

  I looked at my thumb, which was scarred for ever, and I remembered the way Brigit died, and Borovoi’s butcher’s hands around my neck, squeezing, hurting. He had searched the office, touching everything, leaving his prints.

  ‘He was destined for the role, David.’

  I began to smile. The smile became a giggle and then was laughing. I couldn’t stop.

  ‘Shock,’ I heard David mutter.

  He didn’t get the joke, but I did.

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