Read Online The Rocket Man by Maggie Hamand - Free Book Online

actually querying the inspection report? If you’re thinking that Müller made some mistake or had taken false readings, anything like that, well that’s just not possible. We checked everything together on the site you know… That’s how it’s done.’
    â€˜Yes,’ said Dmitry quietly, ‘I know how it’s done.’
    â€˜Well,’ said Cruz, ‘If I think of anything, I will put it in my letter. Maybe then you will get to hear of it later on.’
    Dmitry mumbled ‘Yes of course. Thank you,’ and hung up. He sat in silence, twirling his pen. He knew in the instant that he put the receiver down that he had made a bad mistake; as soon as he implied any suspicion about Müller, it implied suspicion about Cruz too. Of course the man had sounded hostile. And supposing something really was going on, he had simply tipped Cruz off. No, he supposed the letter from the DDG would have tipped him off. But then, the DDG would have worded things rather differently. He would have been far more subtle. He would have known how to put it so as not to cause any imaginable offence.
    He did not notice Hilde come in; she stood attentively in front of him, a sheaf of papers in her hand, waiting for him to look up. He did so eventually; his eyes gradually focused on her. She said, in Russian, ‘Your half hour is up.’
    He met her amused smile with one of his own.

    The Belvedere Palace was like a hall of mirrors. It was all white and gold and Katie’s shoes rang out loudly on the wooden floor as if asking everyone to turn and stare at her. Wherever she looked she saw images of herself and her Russian lover. Katie, having arranged to meet somewhere public, to give Bob an excuse – ‘Just going to look at the Klimts, darling’ – and to protect herself from Dmitry – was now afraid that someone she knew would see them together. And anyway, it was no use. As soon as she saw him she was trembling with desire for him; she wanted only to be alone with him.
    She moved away and looked out of the window, at the view of stone roofs and the formal gardens laid out in squares with paths running between the box hedges. Everything was covered with a fine layer of frost and snow.
    Dmitry came up to stand behind her. He said, ‘I don’t want to see any more paintings. Let’s go back to my apartment.’
    She said, ‘I’ll have to call Bob.’
    She rang Bob from a call-box and said she had bumped into a friend and would be late. Was that all right? She was going somewhere for coffee with her; it was Marianne. Dmitry stood next to her and watched her tell this string of lies without any trace of expression on his face. Then they caught the tram and went back to his apartment. All the way there she was pierced with desire for him, almost in pain, not knowing how she could bear waiting, and yet almost enjoying the pain of anticipation. They almost ran up the road together and the moment the door closed behind them they were stripping off their clothes.
    As she lay down on the rug on the floor to receive him, he hesitated; despite his urgency, he reached back to his discarded coat and withdrew a condom from the pocket. Then he rolled her over, put his arm round her waist and puller her towards him, entering her from behind. In this position he seemed to go in deep, so deep, the sensation was so exquisite that she begged him to go on, but he, too, must have been very aroused, and came quickly, crying out loudly, as if in pain. He curled over her, stroking her, covering her back with kisses. Then they went to the bedroom and made love again, this time more slowly and tenderly. She did things with him that she would never have considered doing with Bob; she confessed to him every secret desire. When they were finally lying quietly with their arms around each other, Katie asked, ‘Has it been like this for you with anyone else?’ and he said, ‘No, of