Layers – Chapter 1 Page 10
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Vladimir Fedorov’s Brighton Beach home was much like Paula’s automobile. Modest when viewed from street level, majestic and palatial the second one entered the front door.
Vladimir himself was an elder, jovial gentleman. When the maid led them into the room he used as an office, his face lit up when he encountered the two. Strangely enough, he initially greeted Greg. The bald, short, round faced man walked over to him and gave him a great big bear hug.
“Hello, good to see you, my new American friend”, he exclaimed in his broken English.
He then proceeded to give Paula a fatherly kiss on both sides of her cheeks. They said something to each other in Russian. He then motioned for them to sit down on a sofa, and Vladimir seemed to give the maid some sort of order.
Greg was ill prepared for what he was about to experience. Paula’s demeanor began to change. Gone was the easy smile, the gentleness in her voice. To Greg, looking at her now sitting beside him, she seemed a stranger. She was still this exotic beauty, but he barely recognized her. She seemed emotionless, as cold as ice.
She conversed with Vladimir in Russian for quite a while. As the maid returned with pots of coffee and tea, along with a tray full of pastries, Paula took out a pad and pen from the purse she had hidden in her car. She began to take notes, and from what Greg could make out, made a list of names. When they apparently wrapped up their conversation, Vladimir turned his attention to Greg.
“It was a good party last night, no Greg?”
“Yes, a very good party”, he responded.
“Paula tells me you don’t remember much. This is true?”
“I had too much to drink, I guess”.
Vladimir let out a great big laugh. He then began to speak to Greg in a quite serious manner.
“You were very wild for a time last night. But that no big deal. I was drinking a lot of vodka with you. We spoke a lot. I like you. But I was not with you the whole time”.
There was a momentary silence, as Vladimir gathered his thoughts together.
“You listen to Paula. If she say you are in danger, you believe her. What Boris Reznik said to her is very bad. I told her everyone I saw you with last night. And some others that, although I did not see you speaking with, could be the source of the problem”.
Vladimir, who was sitting on a chair by a coffee table that seperated him from the couple on the sofa, arose and sat himself down between Greg and Paula. He proceeded to put his left hand out, holding Greg by the back of his neck. He leaned in very close to him, their faces almost touching. He began to talk to Greg as if Paula was not present in the room.
“She has feelings for you. Deep feelings. Do you understand what I am saying?”
Greg nodded his head slowly, although he hadn’t a clue of where Vladimir was going with this.
“I know her since she was little girl. No mother, only father. You might hear things about her you not like. You no listen to anything. You believe and trust her. She is putting herself in much danger to help you”.
With those words, Vladimir got up from the sofa, and now smiling, gave Paula and Greg good bye kisses on both sides of their respective cheeks.
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