The Charm School

you know the answer?”
    “I’ll think about it.”
    The telephone rang, and Hollis said, “That might be for me.”
    Alevy waved his hand toward the phone, and Hollis picked it up. “Hollis.”
    Captain O’Shea said, “Burov.”
    “Put him through.” Hollis said to Alevy, “The phantom of the Mozhaisk morgue.”
    Alevy advised, “Be nice.” He stuck a plug tap in his ear and listened.
    Burov’s voice came on the line. “Colonel Hollis?”
    “Speaking.”
    Burov’s tone was cordial. “How are you this evening?”
    “Real good. How are you?”
    “I meant to call earlier during business hours. But I’m still involved with that messy double murder I told you about. Am I interrupting your dinner?”
    “No, we dine at eight here in little America. I was just watching a spy satellite tape of the Soviet Union.”
    Burov laughed. “What a coincidence. I was just listening to some taped conversations emanating from your embassy.”
    “Small electronic world. When can I see Major Dodson at the Trade Center?”
    “Well, I spoke to him, and he’s very reluctant to meet anyone from your embassy.”
    “
His
embassy. Why is he reluctant?”
    “He sees no point in it.”
    “The point is to see if he’s alive and well and wants to remain in the Soviet Union.”
    “That’s affirmative on all counts,” Burov replied.
    Hollis was somewhat surprised at Burov’s American military jargon. He said, “It’s not that I don’t trust a colonel of the KGB, but how about the photo with the
Pravda
?”
    “That I can show you.”
    “Unretouched. I want the photograph and the negative.”
    “I can’t do that. For your eyes only.”
    “Then keep it.”
    “I don’t know what more I can say, Colonel Hollis.”
    “You can say yes.”
    “I’ll talk to Major Dodson again.”
    “Will you? What if I told you that Major Dodson is here, in this embassy, and that he has told us a most incredible story?”
    Alevy whispered to Hollis, “Don’t push it.”
    Burov skipped a beat, then replied, “That’s not possible, Colonel. I just spoke to the man twenty minutes ago.”
    “I don’t think so.”
    “Well, if he’s there, put him on the phone.”
    Hollis replied, “I may put him on TV in a few days.”
    Burov’s tone was controlled but anxious. “I’ll get back to you on the whole question of Major Dodson.”
    “Swell. Where can I contact
you
, Colonel Burov?”
    “You may call Lefortovo and leave a message.”
    “Do you have a home number where I can reach you on weekends?”
    “I’m afraid not. Just call Lefortovo. We’re open day and night.”
    “Not Mozhaisk or Borodino?”
    “No, I work here.”
    “In what directorate?”
    “That’s not important for you to know.”
    “Do you have a first name?”
    “Petr.”
    “Very Christian. I’ll bet your parents were Christians.”
    Burov replied stiffly, “None of that concerns you.”
    “All right, Petr.”
    “Don’t try to bait me, Hollis. I already owe you one.”
    “That’s my old Burov. How’s the jaw today?”
    Alevy smiled.
    “A constant reminder,” Burov replied. “You know, Sam, from what I know of you, you’ve led a charmed life. But your luck may run out.”
    “Is that a threat?”
    “No, a prophecy. I wouldn’t make a threat over the phone. You people record everything.”
    “Well, let’s record your answer to my next question. Where is Mr. Fisher’s car?”
    “That’s a question for the Moscow police.”
    “They claim they don’t have it. A team of forensic experts has arrived from America to examine the car. Where is it, Colonel Burov?”
    “I’ll look into it.”
    “Please do. And try to be more helpful than you’ve been with other things I’ve asked you for. Well, Colonel, I have to get back to the spy satellite photos, if you have nothing further. The new solid-fuel rocket plant outside of Kaliningrad is coming along nicely, but I see a lot of loose material lying around. Tell someone to get it squared away out there.”
    Burov ignored this and said, “By the way, a friend of mine in London told me your wife spends half her days in Bond Street. I hope she doesn’t have your credit cards. Or perhaps the man she’s with is paying. He looks prosperous from what I’m told.”
    Alevy whispered, “Drop it, Sam. You can’t win that game.”
    Hollis nodded. “Okay, Burov, I’ll keep you informed about Major Dodson.”
    “I’ll do the same for you. Incidentally, another friend of mine, from the Foreign