Page 37 of Poisoned Roses

I don’t like the tone of his voice and he says softly, “The police are here wanting to speak to Miss Pavlov about Leonardo Raikin.”

“Do you know why?”

I’m curious and he replies in his dark whisper, “They wouldn’t say, and said they would wait.”

“We will be thirty minutes. Offer them refreshment and ask them to wait in the reception area.”

He cuts the call and I settle back in my seat, my mind racing. They asked for Tia, not me, so it is something other than what happened the night I ‘interviewed’ him.

My instincts tell me they hold information, not accusations, and I’m merely curious.

It doesn’t take long to reach the mall and as I text Tia to meet me, my driver pulls up at the entrance and parks. As he exits, he stands by the passenger door and glares at anyone who would attempt to move us on. It’s one of the perks of driving a car with the exclusive registration of a government vehicle. Many of the preferred top five businessmen in Russia are offered the honor and are treated as kings due to the money they bring to the economy. Russian billionaires, Oligarchs if you like, are many, but there are only a select few who supersede them in every way and flood the Kremlin’s coffers with enough money to keep the rulers in the style they have become accustomed to.

For now my revenge must be placed on hold while we navigate this latest setback and I am impatient to return to the apartment for information.

I notice Tia heading out with Clarissa, several designer bags in their hands, and it brings a rare smile to my face. They are laughing. Tia appears excited, and I don’t miss the easycamaraderie they already share. I make a mental note to arrange a token of my appreciation to be sent to Clarissa later today.

They kiss one another goodbye and the chauffeur opens the door after depositing the bags in the trunk and as Tia slides in beside me, Clarissa pokes her head inside the car.

“Do you need a ride?” I ask, and she shakes her head.

“No, I’m good. I’ll finish up here and then I’m meeting mama for afternoon tea.”

She turns to Tia and smiles. “I had fun today. Remember to call me regarding Thursday.”

I say nothing but make a mental note to ask Tia what they arranged because there is nothing in her diary that I don’t want to know about.

Clarissa steps back and as the door closes, she turns and heads back inside the mall and the driver takes up his position behind the wheel and we set off back to the apartment.

“I had so much fun today, Titus.”

Tia interrupts my thoughts with a soft giggle. “I never appreciated what having a friend was like.”

“You have never shopped with a friend before?” I’m astonished because I thought every female did that as standard.

“I’ve never had any friends.”

I take a moment to digest this and I am sad for her.

She adds, “My only friend was dance and when I became good at it, the other ballerinas shunned me.”

“Why?”

“Because I was competition. You see, to rise to the top you must tread on feet and I stamped on many.”

I smile, knowing exactly how to do that.

I lace my fingers with hers and nod my approval. “I understand that. I am luckier because of my brothers and sister who are the same as me.”

“The same!” She shakes her head. “I doubt that. If there is anybody like you in the world, I will simply not believe it.”

Once again, I smile and I wonder when this became a habit because nothing amuses me anymore. Not since my father died, anyway. It’s as if I’ve been carrying the burden of responsibility for that ever since and my family looks to me to solve his murder.

Now Tatiana is in my life, I am discovering new emotions. A shared conversation other than business is deliciously distracting. It is something I rarely experience and I wonder if it’s because she is much like me. Lonely, focused solely on business and living in a bubble that keeps everyone out.

I’m aware she no longer has her engagement ring and vow to change that as my next priority. It won’t be difficult to trace the previous one. Simeon is already looking into that. The tracking device we install in every one of our pieces of value has malfunctioned which throws up many questions. Is it a fault or intentional leaving me questioning the morals of Nadia Solomin? Simeon is working through her file to determine if there is anything we should know about her and it is only a matter of time before we discover everything we need.

“What happens now?” Tia asks and surprises me by resting her head on my shoulder and my heart shifts inside as I experience a moment of pleasure.

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