The Hidden Man - Charles Cumming [98]
Ben smiled - though it looked to Mark more like a grimace - and did his best to keep up the charade.
‘Oh, that’s OK,’ he said. ‘One dance is enough for me. Besides, I’m married, Vladimir, and that American girl tookme a bit by surprise.’
‘Yes,’ Tamarov said, washing his hands at the sink. ‘By surprise. Perhaps this is what you were talking about when I came in.’
There was a dreadful silence, the sound of taps and muffled music, and they left the bathroom together. Mark allowed Ben to walkahead of them and tried to gather his composure. They were at a set of double doors leading backinto the club when Tamarov took hold of his arm.
‘Come with me to the bar,’ he said. ‘I want to speakto you in private.’
‘Sure,’ Mark replied coolly. He desperately wanted water, ice, something to take the dryness from the roof of his mouth. They were moving through the darkened VIP area, Ben up ahead and girls on all sides dancing in the laps of half-hidden men.
‘What will you have?’ Tamarov asked him at the bar.
‘Just something soft,’ Mark replied. He was still irritatedby Ben. ‘I have to be up early in the morning.’
Tamarov ordered two Cokes and jerked his head contemptuously in Macklin’s direction.
‘Thomas must also be awake early tomorrow,’ he said, looking across at the table. ‘We have important series of meetings on Saturday, no? But I thinkhe does not care.’
‘Oh, Tom’s all right,’ Mark said, thinking that a display of loyalty would play in his favour. ‘He just likes a drink from time to time. Likes to let his hair down.’
The barman set down two Cokes on the bar and Tamarov paid him with a stiff fifty-pound note. Then he trained his eyes on Mark, saying, ‘What has he told you about me? About who I am?’
Mark didn’t flinch.
‘That you’re a lawyer.’
‘But by now you understand how business works in my country? You understand that in order for your operation to succeed it has been necessary for Thomas and Sebastian to make certain arrangements?’
‘Sure,’ Mark said casually. ‘I understand that.’
Tamarov moved his mouth slowly from side to side, like a man tasting expensive wine.
‘So I want to speakto you privately today because we have not met before tonight and there are matters on my conscience that I need to discuss with you.’
‘On your conscience,’ Mark repeated.
‘Let me be clear.’ Tamarov straightened his back and swallowed a mouthful of Coke. ‘Your father was working for Sebastian at the time of his death. I am aware of this. We were all aware of it. This is how business is done.’
‘I’m not sure I’m following you.’
‘What I want to say is this.’ Now he reached out and put his hand on the shoulder of Mark’s jacket. It was like being touched by a priest. ‘When I heard about your father’s murder, I was shocked. It came to me as a surprise. It came to all of us as a surprise. Do you understand what I am telling you?’
For a time there was nothing between them but pop music and distant, idle chatter. Girls in peripheral vision and Mark calculating all the time. Under pressure, he made a decision.
‘Vladimir, if you’re trying to tell me that you work for Viktor Kukushkin, that you’re one of his lawyers, then that doesn’t surprise me.I’m a big boy. My father told me about Kukushkin’s organization and, to be honest with you, on my trips to Moscow with Tom, I put two and two together.’
Tamarov flattened down the dried curls at the back of his neckand seemed relieved to have cleared the air.
‘I appreciate your frankness,’ he said. ‘But I am trying to tell you something more than this.’
Now Mark did not respond. It was something Quinn had talked about at the safe house. Page One, Rule One: If you don’t know what’s going on, keep your fucking mouth shut.
Tamarov leaned forward.
‘I must askyou a personal question,’ he said. ‘I hope that you will not be offended by it.’
‘Go on.’
‘It is only that I hope you do not feel that my client was in any way involved in what happened…’
‘Jesus, no.’ Mark could not tell if the lie rang hollow. ‘Christ, that thought never occurred to me. You think I’d still be working for Libra if I thought