Part 10 (2/2)
She was thoroughly worked up now. ”It's not true, I swear it.”
”And then there's the safe, I'm sure he showed that off to you, stuffed with thousands of pounds sent to fund covert GRU operations. I would imagine you purchased your underwear at Harrods.”
”d.a.m.n you to h.e.l.l,” she screamed.
”No, h.e.l.l is where you are going.” Lermov took a folded doc.u.ment from his breast pocket and opened it on the desk. ”You are dismissed from the GRU with disgrace and sentenced to life imprisonment in Station Gorky.”
If ever there was horror on a human face, it was on hers. ”You can't do that.” She broke down, sobbing uncontrollably. ”What can I do to stop this dreadful thing happening?”
”Admit everything, and not just what we've been talking about but anything else that you overheard in the past.”
She tried to compose herself. ”But I wasn't always acting as his secretary. All right, there were some other strange things that happened. He was crazy in a way, and a great drunk, but most of the time I was in the code room.”
”Start by telling us what happened on Monday morning. You weren't in the code room then. Tell me exactly what you did.”
”The second transcript that came from Paris, the phone with the information about the Garden of Eden Garden of Eden and Chelsea, came in when I was still on duty.” and Chelsea, came in when I was still on duty.”
”You've told us that you called Luzhkov and Bounine answered, and you didn't see them again. I presume that wasn't true.”
”I was curious about the whole business, there was no way I could have gone to sleep. There was no sign of the Mercedes in the car park. It's not against regulations to take a restroom break, which I did, and had a shower while I was in there to liven myself up, and I had my alarm which would alert me if anything came through. I returned to the code room, looked out at the car park, and saw the Mercedes was there again. It was just before my six a.m. relief, and another transcript came through from Paris.”
”And what was that?”
”A confirmation that the Garden of Eden Garden of Eden would host a party for a hundred people and would slip its moorings at one-thirty for the trip to Westminster.” would host a party for a hundred people and would slip its moorings at one-thirty for the trip to Westminster.”
”And you, of course, pa.s.sed it straight on to him?”
”I wasn't sure if he might have gone to his quarters down the road, but, when I tried the office, he was there and told me to read the transcript over the phone.”
”So what did you do after that?”
”As I told you, I was intrigued about the whole business, so I went and got a tray at the canteen, coffee, and so on, an excuse to go to the office.”
”And?”
”I saw Major Bounine approaching. He was in a robe, a towel round his neck and his hair damp as if he'd been in the shower, and he looked angry. He totally ignored me and went straight into the outer office.”
”And you, of course, followed?”
”Yes.”
”And you operated one of the recording devices in the outer office that enabled you to eavesdrop. What was being said?”
”I can't remember everything, but the Colonel told Bounine about the time the Garden of Eden Garden of Eden was leaving, and Bounine said, 'Have you informed Ali Selim about that?' Luzhkov said he had, and that Selim was very happy about it. A hunter scenting his prey.” was leaving, and Bounine said, 'Have you informed Ali Selim about that?' Luzhkov said he had, and that Selim was very happy about it. A hunter scenting his prey.”
Lermov glanced at Ivanov. ”What do you think, Peter?”
”That, incredible as it sounds, Luzhkov was planning some sort of a hit.” He turned to Greta. ”How did Bounine react to all this?”
”He brushed it aside and said he had something more important to discuss.” She shook her head. ”Look, I wasn't making notes, so I can only recall the gist of it.”
”Go on,” Lermov said. ”Just do your best.”
”Well, it seemed to concern Alexander Kurbsky.”
”It what?” Ivanov was astounded.
”Major Bounine asked the Colonel if he was aware that Tania Kurbsky had died of typhoid in Station Gorky in 2000. The Colonel said that was nonsense, and Bounine told him the Putin files and the DVD were all fake. The Colonel sounded upset and said something about Kurbsky having done everything for nothing.”
Ivanov was looking stunned by now, and Lermov said to her gently, ”My dear Greta, Station Gorky recedes already. Now, carry on. Did anything else strike you about that conversation?”
She frowned, trying to think back, and then nodded. ”I remember now. Bounine said to the Colonel that the man in the black hood who saved Blake Johnson wasn't Dillon at all, it was Kurbsky, who couldn't stand the idea of someone else ending up in Station Gorky like his sister.”
”And that was all.”
She frowned, trying her best, and then smiled in a kind of triumph. ”Bounine said that Ferguson and Roper had probably found out that Kurbsky's defection was false.”
”Incredible,” Ivanov said.
”And what happened then?” Lermov asked.
”Bounine walked out, ignoring me, so I took the coffee in to Luzhkov. He was drinking vodka, as usual, and thanked me for the coffee. The fact that I was still there didn't seem to surprise him. I went back in the office, busied myself with some filing, and then he got another call, and I checked it out.”
”And who was it?”
”General Ferguson. It was a shouting match, and he called Colonel Luzhkov a b.a.s.t.a.r.d.” She shook her head. ”I only remember bits. He threatened to have a lot of GRU people packed off to Moscow. He said he knew all about Kurbsky and intended to help him in any way he could. He said Kurbsky had already done the United States a big favor by saving this Blake Johnson.”
”And afterwards?”
”He was sitting in there drinking vodka for ages and then he sent for Bounine.”
”And you listened again?”
”He said to Bounine that in view of what had happened, that maybe it would be a good idea to cancel Ali Selim, and gave Bounine fifty thousand pounds to give Selim for his time.”
”And Bounine went?”
”Yes, I was at my desk. He left without a word, carrying a holdall with a shoulder strap.” She was obviously uncomfortable again. ”I need a rest, Colonel, please.”
”We're coming to the end. You've been very good. Bounine returned, did he?”
”Yes, the morning had flown, it was certainly past noon. He came straight through my office and went in to the Colonel.”
”And once again you listened?”
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