Death of a Tyrant by Christopher Nicole

Author:Christopher Nicole [Nicole, Christopher]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Endeavour Media
Published: 2016-05-10T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven: The Quest

“She’s going to be a looker, just like her mother,” Alex said.

Elaine looked down at the tiny scrap of humanity cradled in her arm. This should have been the most joyous occasion of her life. Instead, she could only think: just like her grandmother. “Nothing?” she asked.

Alex’s shoulders sagged, and then squared again. Elaine knew that even after several months he had not yet fully recovered from the effects of the two bullets slashing into his body; he had not yet been able to resume his practice. But he could move, and he would improve, they had been promised. He was more fortunate than his stepfather. Joseph might have survived the assassination attempt, just, but it was not anticipated he would ever walk again. “I’m afraid they’ve closed the case,” Alex said. “There is simply no trace. They reckon it was a kidnapping that went wrong, that Mom fought them until she died, and they were left with a corpse on their hands which had to be disposed of.”

“But… Asimov’s body…”

“Had two bullet holes in it, remember? That would figure if Mom managed to get hold of a gun.”

“So they disposed of her body, but left his lying by the roadside?”

“The FBI figure maybe they panicked. They’ve checked Asimov out with the Soviets. Gregory Asimov opted out right after the War, emigrated without permission, and disappeared. Had he been slightly more important it would have been hailed as a defection. He clearly entered this country illegally. The Russians have even been apologetic, that one of their nationals should have been engaged in kidnapping one of our citizens. They say he must have got in with the mob when he arrived here.”

“And you believe that?”

“Of course I don’t, Elaine. But the fact is that Mom has disappeared without trace and has been gone over six months now. We just have to face facts.”

“You think she’s dead.”

Alex hunched his shoulders. “Yes, dearest. I don’t want to, but there comes a time when you have to face facts. She’s dead, and we shall probably never find out where she’s buried.”

The baby began to cry, as Elaine’s muscles tensed. A nurse hurried in, and she willingly handed over the child. She had never less wanted to be inhibited by the responsibilities of motherhood. “Okay, so the FBI have closed the case. What about the State Department?”

“I told you,” Alex said patiently. “They’ve checked with the Soviets, and been given a full account of Gregory’s background. It’s all there, the Pripet, war hero…then a job as a schoolmaster or something…”

Elaine snorted. “What was he supposed to teach? The art of blowing up trains?”

“I don’t know. But the fact is, there is no reason for the State Department to take it any further, even supposing they could. Anyway, they don’t want to create any additional tensions with this Berlin thing coming to the boil.”

“Are we going to go to war over that?”

“Of course we aren’t. But we aren’t going to abandon Berlin either. We’re going to keep it supplied by air.

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