A Negotiable Instrument

Chapter Five - Saturday

Tursunov was startled by a knock on his office door.

'Who is it?' he shouted, irritated by the interruption.

'Forgive me for intruding upon you, Vasilii Alexandrovich,' Superintendent Radostev said as he entered the room. 'I have with me un vieil ami who would like to pay his respects.' Radostev performed an immaculate three-quarter pirouette and ushered his guest into the room.

'Kolya,' Tursunov said as he struggled to get up from behind his desk.

'Hello, Vaska. You look surprised to see me.'

'I wasn't expecting you.'

'Why should you be? I thought I should take the opportunity to pay my respects. We've both been so busy recently, and it's been too long since we last saw each other.'

'Naturellement, I was aware you had worked together on l'affaire Manasevich-Manuilov,' Radostev broke in. The two old friends turned to stare at him, each having forgotten Radostev was still in the room. 'I wasn't aware, however, until Nikolai Sergeivich was so kind as to inform me, that you were old school friends. You should have told me Vasilii Alexandrovich. It is hardly one of les sept péchés capitaux to have such a connection, and it is always useful to know who one's friends are. Nikolai Sergeivich is now acting as the Special Section's liaison with the various other branches of St. Petersburg's law enforcement apparatus. I have no doubt the arrangement will prove beneficial for all concerned.'

'I wouldn't say that we worked together on the investigation, sir,' Tursunov said.

'Has your friend always insisted on parading his gaucherie?' Radostev asked, turning towards his guest.

'It's just our childish banter, Grigorii Afanasievich.' Nikolai Sergeivich Ovcharenko was a tall, angular man. He used his height to draw people in towards him, making them feel included, confided in. 'I understand that you are a very busy man and I have imposed on your hospitality for far too long. I am sure that Vasilii Alexandrovich will take care to see that I have everything I need.' Radostev nodded in acknowledgement and closed the door behind him. The two men turned back to look at one another. 

'It's not like you to allow yourself to become such a visible presence, Kolya,' Tursunov said to break the silence.

'Yes, you are quite right, Vaska. But, then, times change and we all have to change with them. It is that, or get left behind.'

'Did Radostev bring you in here to lecture me?'

'No, of course not. I apologise. It's an unfortunate consequence of attending such meetings, I'm afraid.'

'But I take it there are other, compensating, consequences. Or you wouldn't attend them, would you?'

'It's reassuring to know that you haven't changed, Vaska.'

'Reassuring that I will get left behind, you mean?'

'You know that's not what I meant. How many times have I asked you to come and work with us? We can always make use of a man such as you. It's your choice whether you are left behind, not mine, or anybody else's.' Ovcharenko stared down at Tursunov, the steel that lay concealed behind his customary urbanity momentarily unsheathed. 'I asked Superintendent Radostev to allow me to intrude upon you simply because it's been far too long since we last saw each other,' he added, affability restored. 'I'm not here on official business. I just wanted to see how you are.'

'Not on official business?' Tursunov failed to keep the scepticism out of his voice. 'How is the Tsar's security business these days? I've lost track of who is keeping who secure and what they are keeping them secure from.'