“Why did you decide that your husband is missing?” I asked, surprised.
“Of course he could have gone off with friends—for example.”
“No!” the woman objected. “He couldn’t… He always called me and warned me.”
“Sorry, Anya, but that’s not evidence.”
“At that moment, I almost decided not to take the case.”
“Do you have any stronger proof?”
“Well, I don’t know… My husband… Do you understand? He was preparing for this business trip almost a week in advance. His things were packed beforehand in a suitcase, documents he planned to take were placed in plain sight. And now he’s gone—and all of it is still on the table! Today, just recently—” the woman glanced at her wristwatch, “—Mikhail Valeryevich called. He’s the editor of the newspaper. It turns out Valya was supposed to come by for the tickets last night, get his travel expenses— but he didn’t, which is extremely strange, since the trip is important for Valentin—for the newspaper.”
“On Sunday?” I was surprised.
“Yes, yes. They have a very intense job there. They work without days off,” the woman explained.
I slowly sipped my coffee and smoked, trying to figure out for myself whether I should take this case. I considered the information, barely hearing the woman as she babbled hysterically, insisting that everything was serious, that I simply had to get involved, that she knew my rates, that she would pay all necessary expenses. And in her eyes there was an ocean of despair. Only the swirls of smoke kept me from feeling Anya’s pain…