The Silent Sisters (Charles Jenkins #3)(14)

“Ty segodnya Stanislava ne vyvodil?” Did you not get Stanislav out today? She smelled urine and found a puddle in the corner.

“U menya net vremeni gulyat’ s etoy proklyatoy tselymi dnyami.” I don’t have time to be taking the damn dog for a walk all day.

“If you don’t get him out, he piddles on the wood.”

“You bought him. You clean up after him.” He picked up his glass, taking a long drink.

She set Stanislav down and stepped to the back of Helge’s chair, placing a hand on his shoulder. “I bought him for you, Helge. To keep you company in your retirement.”

Helge ignored the hand. “Yes. At least the dog is home once in a while.”

She sighed and went to the kitchen to grab paper towels, then opened a cabinet and removed a glass vase. She filled the vase with tap water. “You know my job requires long hours, Helge. It is a sacrifice for both of us, but it provides us this apartment, and other things.”

“I am fully aware that you secured the apartment, as well as the other things.” He threw a glance in her direction, which she ignored.

She arranged the flowers in the vase. In the living room she pulled open a balcony door to place the flowers on the small table there. Like the check mark on the bus stop, the flowers signified her desire to meet her handler.

When she turned, Helge watched her. “You have not bought flowers in months. What is the occasion? Or were those bought for you?”

She stepped past him, knelt, and cleaned up Stanislav’s urine. “I felt like flowers to cheer me up.”

“Are you depressed? Welcome to the club.”

She fought the urge to fight. “I was hoping we could have a nice evening.” She wasn’t. She had hoped to find him passed out in his chair, so she could slip away. His failure to take Stanislav on a walk, however, had solved that dilemma for her.

“A nice evening . . . I don’t recall one. Did we once share nice evenings?”

“Never mind,” she said. “Watch your football. I will take Stanislav for his walk.”

She went into the kitchen and deposited the paper towels in the garbage, which overflowed. She pulled out the liner and tied the top in a knot. As she did, she heard the phone ring in the living room. This would be in response to the check mark, the flowers, or both. She stepped into the living room but not quickly enough. Helge had moved to answer the call, smiling at her as he did. She turned back toward the kitchen but listened intently.

“Allo.” Silence before Helge spoke. “Nyet. Zdes’ takih net. Vy oshiblis’ nomerom.” No. There is no one here by that name. You have the wrong number.

Maria tried to appear disinterested and busy.

“Da.” She heard Helge hang up the phone.

“A wrong number again?” she said. “I will speak to the phone company. Perhaps our line is crossed with someone else’s, or we have their telephone number.”

“Perhaps.” Helge leaned against the wall leading from the dining room to the kitchen. “Except he never asks for the same person.”

“Who did he ask for this time?”

“Anna.”

“Anna?”

“Last time it was Tatiana. The time before that it was Sasha.”

“Odd,” she said.

“Yes,” he said. “Odd.”

“I’m going to take out the garbage and take Stanislav for a walk. Do you want to come with me?” She hoped the lure of his vodka and football would dissuade him.

“No. I do not.”

“Do you want me to stop at Teremok and pick you up anything to eat?”

“I have eaten.”

“I won’t be long.”

“Take your time,” he said. “It’s not like you’re here even when you’re home.”

Again she sighed. “What would you have me do, Helge? Quit my job? What would we do for money? How would we live? Drink your vodka. Watch your football. I will take care of Stanislav.”

Helge raised his glass of vodka as if to salute her. “Priyatnoy progulki.”

She shook her head and left the room. At the front door she put back on her jacket, grabbed the leash, and clipped it to Stanislav’s collar. The little dog was giddy with joy, shaking so violently Kulikova had trouble snapping the leash to the metal ring. “Idi syuda, malen’kiy. My s toboy kak sleduet pogulyaem.” Come. Come, little one. We will take a good long walk.



Helge heard the front door to the apartment latch closed and hurried to the kitchen, dumping the remains of his glass of water down the sink. He removed the bottle of vodka from the cabinet and poured a small amount in the glass, swirling it, then hurried to the living room and again set the glass on the side table. He opened the window to the small balcony and looked over the side. Maria exited the building beneath the two light sconces and turned east, Stanislav leading the way.

Helge rushed to the hallway and pulled open the closet, removing the plastic shopping bag with the jacket and driver’s cap he had purchased earlier that day at a charity shop. He slipped them on as he hurried out the door to the elevator.

When the doors opened on the ground floor, he strode across the lobby, acknowledging the doorman’s greetings. “Dobryy vecher, Helge. Smotreli segodnyashniy match?” the doorman said. Good evening, Helge. Did you see that game today?