The lost symphony, p.16
The Lost Symphony, page 16
Aubert was talking to guests in the Bar Hemingway when the barman tapped him on the shoulder. ‘Call for you, sir,’ said the barman and pointed to the house phone. Aubert excused himself and took the call. ‘Aubert, how may I help you?’
‘You helped a lady in distress once already, Monsieur Aubert. Last week, with a table in L’Espadon ...’ said Anielka, her voice husky and mysterious.
‘Ah, the mannequin, I remember. How did it go?’
‘The lunch was a great success, thanks to you. So much so in fact, that I would like to ask you for another favour. You did say ...’
‘Yes, of course. What kind of favour?’
‘It would be best if we could perhaps discuss this in person?’
‘Sure. When?’
‘Would later tonight be possible? It’s quite urgent.’
‘No problem. I’m here until at least three in the morning.’
‘I’ll be there within the hour.’
‘Ask for me at the desk.’
‘I will do that. Thank you, Monsieur Aubert. Until then ...’
Aubert put down the phone and smiled as he remembered the stunning young woman with the sexy voice, the dreamy eyes and those long legs reaching for heaven.
I wonder what she wants, he thought. And what she may be prepared to do in return? Aubert had been in situations like this many times and recognised all the signs. He signalled to the barman and ordered another Scotch. God, I love this job, he thought, as a ripple of excitement made the hairs on the back of his neck tingle.
Anielka arrived by taxi an hour later. Heads turned as she confidently crossed the crowded lobby wearing her short fur jacket, walked up to reception and asked to see Aubert. Smiling, Aubert appeared moments later, and gallantly kissed Anielka’s hand. ‘What a pleasant surprise,’ he said. ‘Let’s go to the Bar Hemingway. We can talk there in private. It’s my favourite place, I’m sure you’ll like it; come.’
Named after the famous American journalist and Nobel Prize-winning author who had been a regular, this tiny bar, which only seated twenty-five, was arguably one of the most famous bars in Paris. Intimate, exclusive, with the atmosphere of a gentleman’s club full of curiosities like hunting trophies, a collection of American police badges, books, a gramophone and even an old-fashioned typewriter, the iconic bar oozed masculine charm and excitement.
‘According to our head barman, a cocktail is drunk three times: once with the eyes, once with the nose, and finally with the palate,’ said Aubert. ‘Let’s see if he’s right. I can strongly recommend the Serendipity, one of Colin Field’s famous creations. Would you like one?’
‘Absolutely,’ said Anielka. ‘As long as you will have one too.’
Aubert ordered two.
‘Have you heard of Colin Field?’
Anielka shook her head.
‘According to Forbes magazine, he’s ranked the best bartender in the world. He invented several iconic drinks such as the Clean Dirty Martini, Highland Cream, the Picasso Martini and, of course, Serendipity, his signature drink. He prepared it for the first time right here in the bar on thirty-one December 1994, for Jean-Louis Constanza. As for the name, as soon as Jean-Louis tasted it, he looked at Colin and exclaimed “Serendipity”,’ Aubert prattled on.
‘Fascinating,’ said Anielka, crossing her legs and making sure she looked interested. Listening attentively to men when they talked about themselves or tried to impress, was an important part of her strategy. ‘What’s in it; do you know?’ she asked.
‘Eight fresh mint leaves, one and a half shots of Calvados, one and a half shots of pressed apple juice, and a quarter-shot of sugar syrup. First you shake these ingredients with ice, then strain into an old-fashioned, ice-filled glass and finally top with champagne.’
‘Sounds amazing.’
‘Tastes even better. So, how’s the career going?’ said Aubert, changing the subject.
‘It’s not easy breaking into modelling here in Paris, especially for someone like me. You need connections. As you know, I come from Poland.’
‘You told me. Your accent ...’
‘But that lunch last week – L’Espadon – turned into a bit of a breakthrough, thanks to you.’
‘Oh? In what way?’
‘The contact I was meeting here – an agent – was quite impressed ...’
‘Impressed? Impressed by what?’
‘I exaggerated a little, I’m afraid,’ said Anielka, smiling. ‘I did say that I knew the general manager here at the Ritz, and that’s how I was able to arrange a table without having made a reservation weeks in advance. And it all went from there.’
Aubert laughed. ‘Was that all? I’m glad I was able to help.’
‘You certainly did. But as often happens with little fibs, they can easily get out of hand.’
‘In what way?’
‘As it turned out, the agency I was hoping to impress has tried in vain for some time to get permission for a photoshoot here at the Ritz ...’
‘Oh? I see. We get many requests like that.’
‘Then I’m sure you can also see where this is heading,’ said Anielka, and placed a hand on Aubert’s arm, her touch sending shivers of excitement tingling down his spine.
‘To cut a long story short, it was made quite clear to me that should I be able to get permission for a fashion photoshoot here in the Ritz, doors would open for my career.’
‘Ah. So, that’s the favour?’
‘It is, but there’s more.’
Just then the barman came over and served two Serendipities.
‘Well, let’s drink to that then, shall we?’ said Aubert, enjoying himself, and handed a glass to Anielka. ‘To serendipity.’
‘You mean to the unfolding of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way?’ said Anielka, a coquettish look in her eyes.
‘Something like that. Let’s see where this takes us, shall we?’
‘Absolutely. A votre santé!’
‘A votre santé,’ said Aubert as they touched glasses.
‘This is delicious,’ said Anielka. ‘The barman is a genius.’
‘You said there was more.’
‘There is, I’m afraid,’ said Anielka with a sigh, looking dejected. She realised that Aubert was watching her carefully and made sure she looked vulnerable. ‘Somehow, there’s always more.’
‘Tell me.’
‘Apparently, there is a very special place somewhere here in the Ritz. According to the agent I met here, it’s mysterious and quite famous, with a long history dating back to the war.’
‘Oh? What kind of place?’ asked Aubert, feigning ignorance.
Anielka took another sip and looked at Aubert with those dreamy eyes full of promise. Well aware of the effect she had on men, Anielka knew exactly how to play her cards. It was always what wasn’t said, but perhaps implied, that counted.
‘The Amber Safe?’ she said softly.
Aubert looked at Anielka, momentarily taken aback. ‘Not many people know about that,’ he said, suddenly alert.
‘I had never heard of it myself, and I don’t really know what it is, but the agent seemed to know a great deal about it. She said if a photoshoot could be arranged featuring the Amber Safe, well ...’
Aubert nodded but said nothing, the request having taken him completely by surprise.
Anielka took another sip. ‘Does this Amber Safe exist?’ she asked.
‘It does.’
Anielka put her hand on Aubert’s knee and looked at him intently. ‘If I buy us another one of these delicious Serendipities, could I see it?’
‘Perhaps.’ Aubert put his hand on Anielka’s knee and squeezed it gently, the gesture obvious.
‘In that case, why don’t we see if we can make these events unfold in a happy and beneficial way?’ said Anielka seductively.
‘An excellent suggestion, but the drinks are definitely on me.’
‘You’re on.’
Aubert ordered two more Serendipities and stood up. ‘I’ll be back in a moment. The keys to the safe are in my office,’ he added. ‘Don’t go anywhere.’
‘I wouldn’t dream of it. How exciting! Don’t be too long.’
As they approached the Amber Safe in the deserted basement – strolling arm in arm – Anielka could see a small table with an ice bucket, champagne and two glasses at the end of the dimly lit corridor.
‘Here we are,’ said Aubert, and began to play with the keys. ‘No-one really comes down here much anymore. It’s a forgotten corner of the hotel.’
‘You are obviously a man of influence,’ joked Anielka and pointed to the champagne.
‘If I can’t arrange something like this in my hotel, I shouldn’t be in the job,’ said Aubert and inserted a key into the lock. ‘You are in for a big surprise,’ he said, turning the key. ‘Close your eyes.’
Anielka did as she was told. Aubert opened the heavy door, turned on the lights and stepped away.
‘Now look. Welcome to the Amber Safe. One of the many secrets of the Paris Ritz.’
‘My goodness, this is amazing!’ said Anielka, barely trusting her eyes. ‘This feels like stepping into a dream, not a safe.’
She pointed to the sparkling ceiling. ‘And all this is amber?’
‘It is,’ said Aubert. Smiling, he carried the ice bucket and the two glasses into the room and placed them on the small table in front of the mirror.
Anielka looked at herself in the mirror and pirouetted slowly, her reflection almost surreal in the yellow-gold light. ‘A photoshoot in here would be incredible ...’
Aubert realised the right moment had arrived to make a move. Experienced in matters like this, he knew it would be a mistake to let the opportunity pass. What he couldn’t have known was that Anielka was thinking the same, but for entirely different reasons. Instead of being seduced, it was she who was calling the shots.
‘What’s incredible in here, right now, is you,’ said Aubert and put his arms around Anielka’s waist, pulled her towards him and kissed her gently on the mouth.
‘I can feel that matters are unfolding in a happy and beneficial way,’ said Anielka, pressing herself against Aubert. ‘Serendipity. We are both rising to the occasion, don’t you think?’ she added, licking her lips with the tip of her tongue.
‘And I don’t even know your name,’ whispered Aubert, kissing Anielka’s neck.
‘I’ll tell you, but only if you don’t stop.’
‘I won’t; promise.’
‘It’s Celine. Yours?’
‘Louis.’
‘Louis, do you think a photoshoot in here would be possible to give a budding Polish mannequin a start in the ferocious Paris fashion jungle?’ whispered Anielka, and put her tongue into Aubert’s ear.
‘I would have to talk to my superiors about this and obtain their permission. The hotel’s reputation, you understand ...’
‘Completely. I’m sure you can be very persuasive.’
‘I will do my best.’
‘I’m sure you will, but let me harden your resolve, just in case ...’
‘And how exactly are you planning to do this, Celine?’ said Aubert, putting his hand up Anielka’s skirt.
‘I have my ways.’
‘Care to show me?’
‘Could be dangerous.’
‘I’m prepared to take that chance.’
‘Be careful what you wish for,’ said Anielka and began to loosen Aubert’s belt.
27
Frieda Malenkova’s study: 5 February 2017
‘Extraordinary,’ said Malenkova and pointed to the whiteboard in front of her. ‘And she did all that last night? By herself?’
‘She did. All her initiative,’ said Zuzanna. ‘This girl can think on her feet. The photos were particularly clever, don’t you think? All taken by Aubert on her phone! She said it was a game, a private photoshoot.’
‘Private, all right.’ Malenkova pointed to a series of photos pinned to the whiteboard showing a partially naked Anielka posing provocatively in front of the strong boxes. One in particular – a close-up of Anielka kneeling next to box thirty-three and wearing only a G-string – stood out.
‘I have already shown this one to Emile,’ said Zuzanna.
‘And?’
‘He said it told him everything he needed to know about the lock and how it operates. Provided he is given access to the safe, he said he could open the box easily within minutes, using only a few basic hand tools.’
‘Just like the good old days, eh?’ said Malenkova, clearly enjoying herself. ‘I told you he wouldn’t be a problem. I had a chat with him; he’s ready to go. No doubt the money I promised him helped. I think he’s almost broke.’
‘That only leaves two things: permission for a photoshoot in the Amber Safe, and access to the safe for Emile,’ said Zuzanna. ‘Unless he can get in there, the job can’t be done.’
‘Quite.’
‘Anielka came up with a few ideas already.’
‘Oh? In what way?’ said Malenkova.
‘She’s meeting Aubert again tomorrow.’
‘A rendezvous in the Amber Safe?’
‘Something like that. They’ve made it their secret love nest, would you believe? Kinky sex in the Amber Safe; her idea. Clever, eh?’
‘Very.’
‘Apparently, Aubert’s on fire and ready to do almost anything to see her again. Hardly surprising. Just look at that body!’
‘I bet. The girl’s a genius and totally without inhibitions. While he’s thinking with his you-know-what, she’s thinking with her head and running rings around him.’
‘Aubert said he’ll have an answer for her regarding the photoshoot tomorrow,’ said Zuzanna.
‘We’ll have to move quickly, then. The problem will be how to give Emile access to the safe so he can open the box. There’s no way he can break into the safe without complicated power tools and oxy torches, which in this case just wouldn’t be possible.’
Zuzanna smiled. ‘Anielka has a few suggestions about that too ...’
‘She does? Amazing! What kind of suggestions?’
‘Leave that to me. Let’s get permission for a photoshoot first. Everything hinges on that.’
‘You’re right. Anielka has done an outstanding job. I will call her.’
‘Please do that. It would mean a lot to her. Do you know what she’s doing right now?’
‘Tell me.’
‘Working out what to wear to tomorrow’s meeting with Aubert. She’s crazy about clothes. I think the clothes actually transform her personality. She becomes someone else, a different persona. I have seen nothing quite like it.’
‘A complex character, for sure, but let’s not forget she’s a psychopath and therefore unpredictable, dangerous and capable of anything—’
‘But very useful, and perfect for this assignment,’ interjected Zuzanna.
‘She’s that, but only if you control her. In many ways, she’s even better than Celine; far more ruthless.’
‘You really think so?’
Malenkova nodded. ‘I do. Just you wait and see.’
28
Mauve boudoir, Alexander Palace: Easter 1917
The end of the Romanov monarchy was swift and brutal and began on 8 March 1917 with mass demonstrations in St Petersburg against food rationing. The violent protests lasted for eight days and had an unstoppable momentum of their own. Armed confrontations with police and gendarmes further inflamed an already explosive situation, and on 12 March, mutinous forces in the Russian army sided with the revolutionaries, which accelerated the end of Romanov rule.
On 17 March, Tsar Nicholas II abdicated. This brought the Russian Empire and three hundred years of Romanov dynastic rule to an abrupt end and the former tsar – now referred to as Nicholas Romanov – and his family were placed under house arrest in the Alexander Palace at Tsarskoye Selo, just outside St Petersburg.
In a strange way, the abdication brought some temporary peace into the turbulent life of the former tsar, who had been incapable of dealing with the unprecedented challenges facing his rule and the cataclysmic changes overwhelming Russia.
Nicholas settled into family life and an uncertain future in the palace he loved and called home, with the wife he adored and the children he treasured. Wearing a simple military-style shirt and trousers, boots and his favourite forage cap, he went for long walks with his daughters in the grounds surrounding the palace, collected firewood and worked in the vegetable gardens, enjoying for the first time in his life a carefree existence without the heavy responsibilities of politics and state he had found so difficult to cope with.
Of course, this was but an illusion because Colonel Romanov, as the former tsar was now called, and his family were prisoners facing an uncertain future as Russia tried to deal with revolutionary changes affecting every corner of the vast country and threatening to tear apart the very fabric that had held Russia together for centuries.
In many ways, Alexandra found it far more difficult to accept the new reality that now ruled the lives of her family than Nicholas did. The abdication of her husband had affected her deeply and she blamed this catastrophe on his weaknesses and inadequacies of dealing with his God-given rights. She was also far more realistic as far as their new position and future were concerned, and could sense the dangers and uncertainties ahead.
Easter – Pascha as it was called in Russia – was the major religious celebration of the year and to many, it was far more important than Christmas. Based on powerful traditions deeply entrenched in the Russian psyche, Pascha was not only the celebration of the Resurrection of Christ, but a time of reflection that would cleanse the soul and bring peace, joy and hope for the future.
At Easter in 1917, dark storm clouds hovered over Russia and instead of hope and joy, hardship and fear dominated the lives of the masses trying to deal with unprecedented changes facing their country. The certainties of the past had been torn away and destroyed, leaving behind uncharted waters and the relentless forces of social change. Millions had died during the devastating war and the tsar had abdicated. Russia would never be the same.
