looked like they should be playing the piano. Fingernails clipped short. There was no wedding band or even a sign that he had ever worn a ring on his finger. She wondered briefly if there was a girlfriend on the scene.
‘Okay, I’ll be honest with you,’ he said.
‘Good. I don’t like being taken for a fool and not told everything.’
‘Pavel was involved in an organised money-laundering ring.’
‘Money-laundering.’ Tina couldn’t help giving a small laugh. The serious look on John’s face killed her laughter. ‘That’s a serious offence. Is there anything else?’
‘Organised crime. Armed robbery and money-laundering. Yeah, you could say they are serious offences.’
‘I knew he was involved with the Porboski gang, but I didn’t think it was anything as serious as armed robbery and money-laundering,’ said Tina. ‘I thought it was more petty crime, a bit of smuggling in vodka or passing on stolen items – that sort of thing.’
‘Much more serious,’ said John. ‘Murder.’
Tina balked. Murder? Pavel? No, that was way off.
‘Are you sure?’ she said. ‘You think Pavel is involved with a murder? Who?’
‘A police officer.’
‘Oh God, that’s serious.’ Tina rested her head in her hands.
‘All murder is serious,’ said John.
There was an uneasy silence whilst Tina took in what she had just been told. Much as she disliked Pavel, she had never had him down as a hardened criminal – a murderer.
‘I’m sorry,’ she said at last. ‘I’m finding this really hard to take in. Sasha never said a word. He couldn’t have known.’
‘Do you recognise this man?’ said John. The change in direction was welcomed. Tina looked at the photograph John placed on the table in front of her.
‘Is he dead?’ She leaned back in her chair, averting her eyes from the image.
‘Yes, he is,’ said John. ‘Found at some docks in London in the last few days. We believe he was looking for Pavel.’
‘Pavel’s very popular.’ Her voice was dry. ‘And no, I don’t recognise him.’
‘Are you sure? Perhaps he came into the deli your husband ran?’
Tina’s eyes flipped to him. ‘How did you know Sasha ran a deli?’ She never referred to it as a deli, it was always ‘the shop’.
‘It’s on record,’ said John. He moved position in his seat. ‘Intelligence-gathering.’
‘Surveillance? Were you watching the shop? Have you been spying on us?’
‘Gathering information on suspected criminals goes with the job. It says here that Pavel frequented a deli. You mentioned the shop before. I put two and two together. It’s what I do. I’m a detective.’ He gave a smile.
‘Sorry, of course,’ said Tina. ‘I’m just a bit on edge, that’s all.’
‘It’s okay,’ said John. He picked the photo up of Ivan Gromov and slipped it back into his inside pocket. ‘Did Sasha ever give you anything to look after? Did he ever say anything about what Pavel was up to?’
Tina thought back and shook her head. ‘As I said before, we didn’t talk about Pavel and as for giving me anything of significance, then, no. He didn’t.’
‘Okay, well thanks for your time again,’ said John. He stood up. ‘If you think of anything, let me know. In the meantime, we’re going to keep a discreet eye out for Pavel. Surveillance. Don’t look alarmed. There’s nothing for you to worry about.’
‘You think he will try and contact me?’
‘It’s one of our theories. We’ll be parked up overnight, in case he does show.’ He passed Tina his card. ‘Here’s my number, put it in your phone. If you think of anything, call me. If you’re worried about anything, call me.’
‘Thank you,’ said Tina. She couldn’t help feeling slightly unnerved again and that John was keeping something from her. ‘Is there anything I should know?’
‘Please don’t worry,’ said John. ‘If there are any developments, I’ll contact you straight away.’
‘What did you tell her?’ said Martin as John
‘Okay, I’ll be honest with you,’ he said.
‘Good. I don’t like being taken for a fool and not told everything.’
‘Pavel was involved in an organised money-laundering ring.’
‘Money-laundering.’ Tina couldn’t help giving a small laugh. The serious look on John’s face killed her laughter. ‘That’s a serious offence. Is there anything else?’
‘Organised crime. Armed robbery and money-laundering. Yeah, you could say they are serious offences.’
‘I knew he was involved with the Porboski gang, but I didn’t think it was anything as serious as armed robbery and money-laundering,’ said Tina. ‘I thought it was more petty crime, a bit of smuggling in vodka or passing on stolen items – that sort of thing.’
‘Much more serious,’ said John. ‘Murder.’
Tina balked. Murder? Pavel? No, that was way off.
‘Are you sure?’ she said. ‘You think Pavel is involved with a murder? Who?’
‘A police officer.’
‘Oh God, that’s serious.’ Tina rested her head in her hands.
‘All murder is serious,’ said John.
There was an uneasy silence whilst Tina took in what she had just been told. Much as she disliked Pavel, she had never had him down as a hardened criminal – a murderer.
‘I’m sorry,’ she said at last. ‘I’m finding this really hard to take in. Sasha never said a word. He couldn’t have known.’
‘Do you recognise this man?’ said John. The change in direction was welcomed. Tina looked at the photograph John placed on the table in front of her.
‘Is he dead?’ She leaned back in her chair, averting her eyes from the image.
‘Yes, he is,’ said John. ‘Found at some docks in London in the last few days. We believe he was looking for Pavel.’
‘Pavel’s very popular.’ Her voice was dry. ‘And no, I don’t recognise him.’
‘Are you sure? Perhaps he came into the deli your husband ran?’
Tina’s eyes flipped to him. ‘How did you know Sasha ran a deli?’ She never referred to it as a deli, it was always ‘the shop’.
‘It’s on record,’ said John. He moved position in his seat. ‘Intelligence-gathering.’
‘Surveillance? Were you watching the shop? Have you been spying on us?’
‘Gathering information on suspected criminals goes with the job. It says here that Pavel frequented a deli. You mentioned the shop before. I put two and two together. It’s what I do. I’m a detective.’ He gave a smile.
‘Sorry, of course,’ said Tina. ‘I’m just a bit on edge, that’s all.’
‘It’s okay,’ said John. He picked the photo up of Ivan Gromov and slipped it back into his inside pocket. ‘Did Sasha ever give you anything to look after? Did he ever say anything about what Pavel was up to?’
Tina thought back and shook her head. ‘As I said before, we didn’t talk about Pavel and as for giving me anything of significance, then, no. He didn’t.’
‘Okay, well thanks for your time again,’ said John. He stood up. ‘If you think of anything, let me know. In the meantime, we’re going to keep a discreet eye out for Pavel. Surveillance. Don’t look alarmed. There’s nothing for you to worry about.’
‘You think he will try and contact me?’
‘It’s one of our theories. We’ll be parked up overnight, in case he does show.’ He passed Tina his card. ‘Here’s my number, put it in your phone. If you think of anything, call me. If you’re worried about anything, call me.’
‘Thank you,’ said Tina. She couldn’t help feeling slightly unnerved again and that John was keeping something from her. ‘Is there anything I should know?’
‘Please don’t worry,’ said John. ‘If there are any developments, I’ll contact you straight away.’
‘What did you tell her?’ said Martin as John
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