The waiter arrives and places two more cocktails on our table. As he departs, Ekaterina says, ‘As a species, we look to recreate the past. Constantly. Unthinkingly. And, as you know, history inevitably repeats itself. These two truths are a powerful universal driver.’
It’s my turn to prod her along. ‘Go on.’
‘My ancestor, Mikhail Romanov, was proclaimed the first Romanov Tzar in March, 1613, by the Zemsky Sobor. Essentially the Russian Assembly. Do you know where that epoch-defining event took place?’
‘No. Enlighten me.’
‘The Ipatiev Monastery. It was the start of a royal reign that continued for over three centuries. A golden age for Mother Russia! In 1917, the monastery was disbanded. Less than a year later, the Romanov dynasty was interrupted by the massacre in Ipatiev House.’ She sips her cocktail. ‘Ipatiev to Ipatiev. The names are only a quirk of what I mentioned earlier, of course. History repeating itself.’
Finally, I understand her mad plan. Her lunatic ambition.
‘Ekaterina . . . You really think you can rule Russia?’
‘My country’s current leader is a man. All men are mortal. When he goes, there will be a power vacuum. There are no figures who are obvious successors. I’ve seen to that. I believe my people will look to their past. They will seek to replicate that past. Once again, history will repeat itself. I will be proclaimed the rightful successor in my Ipatiev House. The Romanov line will be restored to its predestined position of power.’
I let that sink in for a moment. ‘I think I need this drink.’
‘Is my ambition really so unbelievable?’
‘Nepotism. Nostalgia. Brute force and bloodshed. It’s got it all. I’m already looking forward to the movie. But . . .’ I hesitate.
‘You see it now!’ She actually claps her hands in delight. ‘You understand the significance of the Romanov Code!’
‘The book! Of course! The encapsulation of all your family’s ideals. A credo you hope to exploit. And so the book becomes more than a symbol of the Romanovs’ code. It becomes a right to them! A proof of accession!’
‘Brilliant!’
She’s talking about herself, of course. There remains something charming about Ekaterina Romanova. I could genuinely like her, if it wasn’t for her psychotic compulsions and complete disregard for any human other than herself.
‘Brilliant, yes. But you forgot one thing.’
‘What’s that?’
‘Me.’ I raise my glass to her. ‘I’m going to stop you.’
‘Don’t bother!’ She leans forward. ‘You can help me! I can make you rich. Powerful. Significant.’
‘Yeah. I’m taking a diamond-tipped hard pass on that one, thanks.’
‘Why?’
‘Not because you want to rule Russia, Miss Romanova. And you think some little book and all your preening politicking is going to help you achieve that. No. That’s just mad. And I quite like mad. Empathy, I imagine. And it’s not because you’ve lied and manipulated me. I can even admire some of your artwork.’
‘Then why?’
‘Because of the boy you hung in Italy, just because he’d glimpsed a book. Because of all the people you’ve destroyed in your quest. And mostly because of what you tried to do to Julia Grant. She has a daughter, you know. Willow.’
Ekaterina nods deeply, as if acknowledging applause. ‘You guessed!’
‘Not at first. Although when Julia told me she thought Bulatov was trying to kill her simply for meeting me, I thought something was off. Like I said to her, the Colonel is cold and ruthless, but he’s not psychotic.’
‘When did you realise that was my work?’
‘Much later. I finally grasped you had two men try to kill her because you knew it would look like Bulatov’s call. That’s why you had to murder the two assassins I injured at Julia’s place. You couldn’t afford to have them reveal the truth. As it stood, the whole incident would have had the bigwigs in Moscow doubting his reasoning and calling his stability into question. It was just a petty attempt to discredit him. Even fractionally. All because you see him as a possible contender for the top chair in Russia when it finally becomes available.’
Ekaterina holds up a finger. ‘There was another reason.’
‘Go on.’
‘I didn’t like her. She thought she could escape. She thought she could do something I could never do.’
I smile. ‘But she did, Miss Romanova. Julia escaped. Along with Willow and her partner.’
‘I’m afraid not. I would have killed her, of course. But Bulatov really did get there first. Took her from a service station. Never seen again.’
‘I made that lady a promise. That I’d make sure she got through the ordeal. You still don’t get it! Bulatov didn’t take her. I did!’
She looks shocked. ‘What?’
‘I had my man Sebby Hughes attached to the detail guarding her. He faked her abduction at the service station. It was all hastily pre-planned by me, but the pieces fell into place all right. Sebby actually handed Julia over to a friend, who drove her to a private airfield where she was reunited with her daughter and partner. I couldn’t even risk British Intelligence knowing about it at that point, so it was all very hush-hush and I feigned alarm when I was told about Julia’s so-called disappearance. Sebby’s contacts ensured that she and her family were secretly flown out of the country to safety. You see, I like to keep my promises.’
‘What you did was dangerous and duplicitous.’
‘I know! Worthy of your own machinations, Miss Romanova.’
‘Now you’re flattering me.’
‘So, back to where we currently stand. The Court knows you have the Romanov Code. They’ll ensure everyone knows the truth.’
She shrugs. ‘Maybe it’s time the truth was in the open.’
‘That’s great in principle, but in reality, one of the agencies searching for the Romanov Code is going to find you.’ I pause. ‘Actually, find us. They will send scary-looking men holding syringes. They will inject us. Render us unconscious and then . . . Well, that’s all I can tell you.’
I finish my Vesperanta with a single gulp.
‘And how could you know that, Mr Novak?’
I reach across the table. Take Ekaterina’s cocktail and drain it in one shot.
‘Ekaterina.’
‘Yes?’
‘Look behind you.’