Secret Target

Petelina glanced at the voice recorder and mechanically asked her next question:

«Where did you aim your shot?»

«At her head. I fired and she fell.»

«She?!»

12

Captain Valeyev put some clothes in a bag and explained what he was doing to the janitor.

«These constitute material evidence, which I am hereby confiscating.»

«Completely?»

«Completely completely.»

The Tajik janitor nodded enthusiastically and suggested the boss take some more things. He understood now that his date with his motherland had been put on hold and was grateful to the kind boss for his wise decision. Valeyev handed the bag to Mayorov and the two operatives left the basement.

In the courtyard, the captain noticed Dmitry Maltsev hurrying by.

«What a welcome surprise!» Valeyev exclaimed. «It’s good to see you back in the free world!»

Maltsev twitched as if he had stumbled against an invisible barrier.

«I was released,» he muttered.

«Verily, the drunk tank overfloweth. Thy return shall be most welcome.»

«Well I don’t normally drink so much… That was kind of an accident.» Maltsev waved his hand in resignation and asked, «What about Inna, my wife? Where is she? She isn’t answering her phone.»

«Kindly direct all your inquiries to the detective.»

«Is she under arrest?»

«Are you deaf? Ask the detective!»

«Yes, of course,» Maltsev checked himself and pointed at the driveway uncertainly. «May I go up? To my apartment?»

«If you’ve got your keys, go for it.»

«But isn’t the… well.. you know, in there…?»

«They’re doing the autopsy at the morgue. It’s more comfy there. I’m sure you understand. In fact, I know you do because I heard that you’ve dealt with this kind of thing before – like when you went hunting that one time.»

Maltsev’s eyes flashed with a spark of rage. The man deflated and turned away. His stooping figure, its sour face, dragged off toward the front entrance.

«And where are we off to?» asked Mayorov.

«To the car, Vanya, to the car.» Valeyev gave his partner a soft push, weighing whether he should tell Petelina about his meeting with the janitor in person or by phone.

Detective Petelina’s head was running in circles. What was Maltseva talking about? Where was she getting this stuff? A gunshot instead of a blow? A handgun instead of a cleaver? A she instead of a he? Drivel – plain and simple. Everything had happened completely differently.

«Go on,» Dr. Krasin whispered to Elena. His expression, however, lacked its former conviction.

Elena discarded all tact and stated directly

«Mrs. Maltseva, last night you did not shoot anyone.» Elena discarded all tact and asserted directly. «Instead, you struck a man with a cleaver!»

«No. I shot a woman with a gun.»

«What woman?»

«The woman in the red car.»

«What car?»

«A red Volvo.»

«You were at home last night.»

«I was in Aprelevka, waiting for her.»

«In Aprelevka?» Elena shook her head helplessly. «Okay, let’s say you really were there. Where then exactly?»

«At 24 Dorozhnaya Street.»

«Are you sure?»

«Yes. There was a sign on the fence that said „24.“»

«And who was it that you shot?»

«The blonde, but she dyes her hair.»

«A bleached blonde? How fascinating! Tell me, how did it all happen?»

«She drove up and got out of her red car. She began to open the green gates. I walked right up to her and shot her in the head. Then, she fell.»

«Where did you get the gun?»

«It’s my dad’s gun. He was in the army.»

«And where is the gun now?»

«I dropped it back there. I didn’t need it anymore.»

«At what time did all this happen?»