Chapter 27
CHAPTER 27
TITUS
T he stench greets me as I enter the room, and I stare at the vomit coating the floor. My attention falls to the bouquet set before the mirror, the note propped up against it.
You’re mine, and this gift is to remind you of that.
My gaze lowers to the floor where the black box fell and I note the severed finger caked in dried blood, the engagement ring just below the knuckle.
I’ve seen enough and as I leave the room, I address Vladimir. “Clean this shit up and preserve the evidence. Stick around and question the staff, study the cameras, and make sure nobody leaves until you have taken their statements.”
Simeon speaks rapidly into his phone, organizing some back up for Vladimir and I’m reassured that this place will be locked down until they have everything they need.
“Tia.” I extend my hand and the relief I experience surprises me as her small hand clasps mine and I say gently, “Come. Let me take care of you.”
I remove my jacket and place it across her shivering shoulders and we ignore the curious gazes of the dancers who are standing in the doorways of their dressing room, wondering what is happening and peering at Tia with concern.
Simeon stops to speak with Rodion and I guide Tia to my car, where the driver is standing with a solemn expression.
As I help Tia into the car, my anger is immeasurable because anything could have happened to her, and I blame myself for that.
As I join her and the door slams behind me, it may as well be the gate to her prison closing behind her because what happened today will never be repeated. From now on, Tia will receive my full protection, and that is not open for negotiation.
I wrap my arm around her shoulder and pull her tightly against me, my breathing even but my blood boiling inside.
“Nadia?” she whispers and I say gently, “We will find her.”
“But she may be–”
She can’t finish the sentence and I stroke her lovely face and whisper, “I will discover who did this and they will pay.”
Her eyes widen and, rather than be fearful of my ominous tone, a defiant glint in hers accompanies her words as she whispers, “Make them pay, Titus. Do it for Nadia.”
She pulls away and sets her head on my shoulder, and a strange emotion tugs on my heart. When did I begin to care and why did that call tear a hole through my heart when I heard the fear in her voice?
We reach my apartment and head straight for the bedroom. I intend on caring for Tia. She is in shock and needs a gentle hand right now.
The earlier shock has been replaced with fear and as I run the water in the tub, she watches me as if she’s a statue.
“Who could it be?” She whispers, almost to herself, and I shake my head.
“You may have never met them. That’s the problem with being in the public eye. Strangers think they know you and have a right to your soul.”
“I guess.”
I head over to her and say softly, “You are in shock. Take the bath and relax. I’ll ask the chef to prepare something light to be served here in your room.”
“My room?”
Her eyes are wide and questioning and I say firmly. “Yes, Tia. This is your room, your sanctuary, and nothing or nobody will harm you here.”
She nods, as if she has finally understood the situation she is in, and I say gruffly, “I am here if you want me to stay. If you prefer to be alone, I will respect your wishes.”
“Stay,” she falters and then whispers huskily, “Please, Titus.”
I can refuse her nothing. If she asked me to tear apart the entire country, I would arrange it. The idea of anything happening to her—what could have happened—has alarmed me. It’s as if she is my family now, although I’m only kidding myself because she is way more than that to me.
I leave her to soak in the tub, no matter how much I want to stay. It’s a wrench leaving her behind and I wonder about that. She is business. Nothing else. A means of getting what I want. A star to dazzle my enemies and yet it’s strange how when I stand before her, the one who is dazzled the most is me.
On my way back from telling Suzannah to make sure Tia has everything and to instruct the chef to prepare a light meal for her, I run into Simeon.
He jerks his head in the direction of my den and as we step inside, he exhales sharply.
“We never saw that coming.”
“Which is a problem.” I reply and he raises his eyes as I add, “It means that somebody is one step ahead of us and lost in the crowd. Until we discover their identity, we will be scrambling in the dark.”
“It’s thrown up a few questions for sure.”
He shakes his head. “I ran a check on Nadia Solomin and it turns out she’s a failed dancer herself. She auditioned for the Bolshoi, but never made the grade.”
“So, she settled for a lesser role just to be included.”
I rub my chin and think hard and Simeon adds, “There’s more.”
My eyes snap to his and from the grave expression on his face, I doubt I’m going to like what he tells me.
“Her employment dates back seven years. She began as a lowly assistant to the chorus and worked her way up to chief assistant of the prima ballerina. The records show that during that time, six dancers have defected from the Bolshoi. Many were overseas at the time and never showed up for the performance. Two went missing here in Moscow.”
“And you believe Nadia had something to do with that?”
He nods. “I do.”
“Because?”
“Dancers love to gossip and during my investigations, an ex dancer who was assisted by Nadia had a lot to say about her.”
“I’m listening.”
He leans forward. “It appears that she was close to Leonardo Raikin, inseparable even.”
His eyes flash and I prepare myself for the golden nugget of information that will unravel this mystery.
“It was supposed to be a secret because Rodion would have been appalled. He likes his dancers’ attention focused solely on the Bolshoi and not each other, so they kept it a secret.”
“But she’s much older.” I’m confused because Nadia must be ten years older than him and isn’t wearing well.
“Not in a sexual way, apparently. The dancer couldn’t place their relationship but said they were always huddled together speaking in corners as if they held a big secret that only they knew about.”
“And the missing dancers, you believe it was because of Leo and Nadia?”
Simeon nods. “It appears that Leo pays the dancer attention and then shuts it down. They are distressed and leave, never to return.”
“Or seen again?”
He shakes his head.
“I’ve asked around and heard a whisper that confirms my original suspicions.”
This time I lean forward and he hisses, “My source tells me that Nadia has an arrangement with a wealthy man who pays her a huge amount of money for a ballerina. One every year, it seems.”
“What proof is there?”
“I carried out my investigations and gained access to her computer where I found several accounts in the name of Maria Chechenko. On closer investigation, it appears that was her mother’s maiden name and I’m guessing her contact arranged for false documents, allowing her to gain access to it when she needs it. She has thirty million US dollars stashed inside those accounts. Five million dollars in each, transferred from an offshore untraceable account dated the week after the dancers ‘defected’ from the Bolshoi ballet.”
Now I know why Simeon is so invaluable to me. He could extract blood out of a stone and he has smashed this one wide open.
He adds. “The finger has thrown me a little because if it is Nadia, carrying on where Leo left off, why would she cut off her own finger?”
“If it’s hers, of course.”
He nods, a thoughtful gleam in his eye. “I’ll run some tests.”
“Simeon–” As he makes to leave, I stop him in his tracks.
“The damage to Leo’s legs. That doesn’t make sense to me.”
“I thought the same. When we threw him into the gutter, they were broken, but not irreparable. Bad enough to take away his career, but not his mobility.”
“The car?”
“It’s a possibility that he was hit by a driver as he crawled into the road.” Simeon shrugs.
“I’ll check that out, too. Consider it done.”
He leaves me with a thousand thoughts racing around in my head, and now I’m more determined than ever to protect Tia with everything I’ve got.