Heads You Win

“Perhaps it might be wiser if we were to discuss this inside, councilor,” she said, glancing across at an elderly lady who was peeping through the lace curtain next door.

“All right,” he said reluctantly, and led her through to his study.

“So what’s this all about?” he demanded once he’d closed the door.

“Your son tried to rape my daughter,” she said.

“I know all about this,” said the man, “and you’ve got the wrong lad. I think you’ll find that the police have already arrested the culprit.”

“I think you’ll find that they’ve already released him without charge.”

“So what makes you think my son was involved?”

Mrs. Allen opened her handbag, took out a gray sock, and handed it to the councilor.

“This could be anyone’s,” he said, passing the sock, back to her.

“But it isn’t anyone’s. A conscientious mother has taken the trouble to sew a Cash’s name tape on the inside. Perhaps you’d like to have another look?”

He reluctantly took the sock back and checked the inside, where he found the name TREMLETT neatly sewn in red on a thin piece of white tape.

“I presume you’ve got the other one.”

“Of course I have. But I can’t make up my mind if I should hand it over to the police, or—”

“One sock isn’t proof.”

“Perhaps not. But if your son is innocent, my daughter won’t be able to pick him out in an identity parade, will she? Unless, of course, all the others have red hair.”

“How much?” said Tremlett.

11

ALEX

Brooklyn

A knock on the door at that time of night meant only one thing to Elena.

“Who can that be?” said Dimitri, getting up from his seat.

Alex didn’t take his eyes off the television screen as Dimitri left the room, so neither of them noticed that Elena was trembling.

Dimitri peered through the spyglass in the front door to see two smartly dressed men wearing identical gray suits, white buttoned-down shirts, and blue ties, each carrying a hat. He unbolted the door, opened it, and said, “Good evening. How can I help you?”

“Good evening, sir,” said the older of the two men. “My name is Hammond, and I’m with the US Border Patrol. This is my colleague Ross Travis.” He took out his identity card and held it up for Dimitri to see. Dimitri said nothing. “We understand that a Mrs. Karpenko is living at this address?”

“She’s registered here,” said Dimitri, standing his ground.

“We’re aware of that,” said Travis. “We believe she might have some information that could prove useful to us.”

“Then you’d better come in,” said Dimitri. He led them through to the front room, walked across to the television, and switched it off.

Alex scowled at the intruders. He’d been looking forward to finding out if James Cagney would escape from the house with the help of his mother without being arrested by the FBI. Why didn’t he have a mother like that?

“These gentlemen are with the US Border Patrol,” said Dimitri to Elena in Russian. “You don’t have to speak English if you don’t want to.”

“I have nothing to hide,” said Elena. “What do you want?” she asked, turning to face the two men, and hoping she sounded relaxed.