Murder at Canary Wharf (The Ralph Chalmers Mysteries Book 8) Read online

  So now it seemed that flattery and appealing to his finer nature was the new approach. This would be difficult to wriggle out of.

  “I can see your dilemma,” Ralph said cautiously. “But surely it’s a job for central admin or the student records department. They have all the data at their disposal.”

  “I thought I had explained all of that, Ralph. This is more sensitive than just pulling up the records. The VC wants someone to go through the list of students who have taken their gap year and are likely to be potential candidates for recruitment by ISIS or some other militant group. If it were a straightforward compilation job it would be done by now. The authorities want the list narrowed down. They’ve asked us to prioritise students who might be suspect. You know, ones who’ve performed badly during their course or been seen by their year course tutors as being particularly radical in the way they’ve behaved, or even written about things of that nature in their assignments.”

  “If you’re saying that we’re meant to finger these students on the basis of national origin or race, then I can only believe that our government is no different from the East German Stasi or some other secret police state.”

  Ralph felt the anger rise up in his throat. In some ways he felt sorry for Granger. He had obviously walked into this without thinking it through. Granger was a creature of the system. He had got the job by doing what he was told and supporting the people above him. Answering back or getting labelled a maverick or troublemaker was a sure way of getting a black mark against your name. Ralph knew first-hand how the system worked.

  “As usual Ralph, you’re getting on your high horse; always stating the obvious and taking the easy way out.”

  Now Granger had started to get annoyed and Ralph needed to find some way of defusing the situation and giving him a way out without losing face. But there was no way that he was going to get involved in any sort of subterfuge against his students, and if he could nip it in the bud, it was worth a try.

  “I can see your point, Rupert. There might be a way to give the VC what he wants without compromising the University’s integrity or jeopardizing your reputation among the staff and the student body.” Granger looked expectantly at him. He had obviously touched the right nerve.

  “I’m listening,” Granger said.

  “We could send a letter out to all students who are on their gap year and ask them to complete a registration form to secure a place on their program of choice when they return. You could set a date by which they must reply in order to keep their place open. They could also be asked to respond if they do not intend to return to the University.”

  Granger thought about Ralph’s suggestion for a few minutes before he responded.

  “That might work. I suppose it might appease the authorities without infringing the confidential nature of the student records. At least it would narrow down the list of people they might want to investigate. And you’re right. If we probe too far it could backfire on us. But the VC and the other Deans are going to take a lot of persuading. Most of them are already compiling lists.”

  “Then you might be the one who saves the University from the backlash if the Student Union or the Staff Union officials got a whiff of what was going on. I can see the papers having a field day if the press got hold of it. And no doubt it would have a detrimental impact on enrolments from overseas students.”

  “I’ll have to think about this some more, Ralph. But as I said, this is all at an early stage and there is still time to make changes. I don’t need to remind you that this is all confidential.”

  Ralph made his excuses and left Granger to plot his next move. For the time being at least, he had evaded the snare. What worried him most was the fact that such a sensitive area as individual rights and politics could be subjected to a covert investigation that was driven by their own government and abetted by public Universities. People entrusted with helping students to prepare for adult life and a place in society were being asked to betray that trust and he was not prepared to be a party to it.

  He reflected back to some of the horrific incidents that had been raised at the Greenwich conference and how Brandt Kessler must spend every day wrestling with these very issues. In some ways he felt slightly guilty of his own position. He tended to take things at face value and held the rather naïve view that people in power and those able to influence policies acted in the best interests of the people they represented. On another level he suspected that many were in fact self-serving. He recalled someone telling him many years earlier that self-interest was the best and probably the only true motivator.

  What he needed now was to clear his head. It would be light until eight or so. He would have time for a run in Richmond Park. There was a back gate to the Park just across the road from the Gypsy Hill campus. The Park was deserted at this time of day and the gates to road traffic closed at dusk. So apart from herds of the Queen’s deer and the occasional rutting male stag, he would be able to run free and enjoy being in control of his environment. It was probably no different to the way those youths who joined ISIS thought as they headed off to Syria and Iraq. But hopefully the results would prove more benign.

  ***

  The run had done Ralph a world of good. Later that evening back at his apartment, he picked up a message on his answerphone.

  “Hello Ralph, it’s Alex Shevchenko. We spoke at the Greenwich conference. I tried to get you at the office but you had left for the day. I hope you don’t mind that I’m phoning your home. You mentioned that you might want to visit Ukraine, and in spite of what the papers say, we are not all killing each other. At least not yet.” There was a laugh. “If you’re still interested, I’d be happy to show you around and you can see what’s happening at Chernobyl with the EBRD Project. You’re most welcome to bring your partner as well. Treat it as a bit of a holiday. Well give me a ring or send an email. I think you have my card, but if not, my details are on the conference material. By the way, Marian Watts from Exeter University wants to come over as well, so you might want to link up with her and you could all come out together. I’ll look forward to hearing from you.”

  Ralph sat back in his comfortable leather chair and looked around at his Art Deco apartment. All that talk with Granger about ISIS and his students being potential terrorists; Brandt Kessler fighting for the rights of people in Bangladesh that he had never even seen; Alex’s excitement over Chernobyl radiation victims at last getting compensation. And certainly not least, nearly becoming a casualty on the tube station platform. It had been an eventful few days. He forced himself to get up and have a long shower before he settled back down with a stiff whisky. He really did have it pretty cushy. Maybe too cushy. He relaxed as Beethoven’s fifth worked its magic. Tomorrow he would think seriously about upping his game.

  _____________________

  Chapter 4

  The British Airways flight landed smoothly at Kiev’s Boryspil airport after their early morning 3 hour flight from Heathrow. As they emerged from the immigration area, of Terminal F, they were met by Alex Shevchenko. Ralph and Katie had travelled with Marian Watts from Exeter University and during the flight she and Katie had become friends.

  “I hope you had a good flight,” said Alex as he hugged Marian and Katie, then shook Ralph’s hand vigorously. Katie had gathered from their conversation during the flight that Marian and Alex had been more than simply delegates at the Greenwich conference. She saw all the signs of an early romance and wondered if Alex would find his way to Exeter or Marian to Ukraine. She would have bet on the former. Ralph introduced Katie and Alex admitted that she was the first Australian that he had seen in Kiev.

  “Look, my car is just over there. I’ll drive you into the city to your hotel. Then tomorrow we can make plans for our visit to Chernobyl. Perhaps we can attend the Opera on your final night in our city. We will see. Okay?” He smiled enthusiastically and Katie could see why Marian had fallen for this tall blond Ukrainian. He was not her type but he was good looking and
he seemed a really nice man. She had mixed feelings about going to Chernobyl but Ralph had persuaded her that they needed to see for themselves what impact a manmade disaster could have on a local community of people. She had noticed a change in Ralph’s moods since the incident on the London Underground. He had mentioned that Granger had tried to enlist his help in some political shenanigans, but he had said it was all a nonsense and not worth talking about. She also knew that he was a bit wound up about getting his latest book through the publishing process and that he had used Chernobyl as one of the cases that figured in the book. Hopefully having Marian and Alex around would distract him from all of the other things he had on his mind just now. When around other people he tended to be more gregarious than when on their own.

  “The traffic’s just as bad here as in London,” Alex shouted as he drove down the long wide avenue that led into the city. “It still looks a bit like Moscow, but that’s no surprise. It’s more than twenty years now since we gained our independence, but many of the people here knew of nothing except life under the Soviets until then and the culture is still everywhere you look.”

  Ralph had been surprised that Alex, a lecturer in his mid-career, could afford to drive a Mercedes SUV. He had recognised the ‘M’ Class ML 4MATIC gleaming amongst the other vehicles in the airport car-park. In the UK he knew that the cheaper diesel models went for around £50,000 and the petrol ones for £80,000. He must have family money, Ralph mused, or even be the front man for some organised crime syndicate. He smiled to himself. The English tendency to assume that anyone who has money is either a crook, a tax dodger or has inherited wealth had not bypassed Ralph altogether, for all of his worldliness. In his view, anyone who earned a straight salary always struggled to pay the bills.

  “I have booked you all in at the Premier Palace Hotel. I know how you English like hotels with character, but this one also has all of the modern conveniences. The University holds most of its conferences there and the manager is happy to give us a little break on the costs. The discounts amount to fifty percent for our foreign guests. Of course we want to get into the EU, so this is just one way to make our European visitors feel more welcome,” he laughed.

  When the Mercedes swept down Tarasha Shevchenka Boulevard, the name caught Marian’s eye.

  “Don’t tell me that you own the streets as well, Alex.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “The name. All these places seem to have your name. Even the University.”

  “Oh I see,” laughed Alex.” I was hoping that you would notice as I am trying to impress. If you think that I am famous or rich you might want to stay.” They all laughed as Alex pulled up in front of an imposing hotel. An attendant stepped forward and having taken their bags, a second man took Alex’s keys and went to park the vehicle. Inside Ralph was struck by the splendour of the foyer. High vaulted ceilings and marble walls and flooring in blue and beige, and large chandeliers along the corridors. It oozed that quiet calm that appealed to Ralph. He wondered what Alex must have made of the second rate hotel that he had been allocated at Greenwich.

  The manager and staff at the hotel seemed to know Alex and treated him as though he owned the place.

  “I will leave you to settle in after your flight,” he said. “And you may want to chill out in the spa, or knowing how you like to keep fit, Ralph there’s a pool so you can do your fifty laps. It’s not Olympic size, but it should be sufficient to let you practise for your Tin Man swim.”

  “Thanks. I thought I might have to do my miles in the river I saw when we flew over the city,” Ralph quipped.

  “It is still unsafe to swim in the Dnieper. Apart from being freezing, even in summer, there is always the fear of contamination from Chernobyl. It’s just up the river from here. It is quite a few kilometres to the Pripyat River, but that stuff travels.” He gave a half smile. “I will come to take you to lunch at three.” With that he gave Marian another hug and waved as the attendant ran forward to open the door for him. That University must bring in a lot of trade, Ralph mused as they made their way to their suite. Marian had a room just along the corridor and they agreed to rendezvous in the lobby at three to meet with Alex.

  “This is not exactly slumming it,” Katie said as she studied the room list on the back of the door. “This room normally goes for £500 a night. You’d never get anything this grand in London for twice that. I think I’ll put on one of those white towelling robes and saunter down to the spa.”

  “Don’t forget to put your costume on first.”

  “No, I thought I’d try it naturist style. Of course I’ll have my bathing costume on under it. We Australians may not be as civilized as you Limies, but we have learned to wear clothes to cover our nakedness. Are you coming too, or are you just going to sit and read that brochure all day?”

  “I’m coming,” he said as he tossed the leaflet onto the bedside table and rummaged around in his bag for his swimming trunks.

  “What do you make of Marian and Alex?” Katie asked as they went down in the dedicated lift that took them to the spa area. “That seemed more than just a colleague hug he gave her when he met us at the airport.”

  “You know I don’t know anything about that sort of thing,” Ralph replied, in his prim ‘this is not my favourite topic’ voice.

  “She seems to like him as well. Although I suspect she’s weighing things up. I think she was a bit surprized that he seems to be so well off,” said Katie.

  “I suppose that might be a bit of an enticement,” Ralph offered.”

  “You men always think that women are just after a man for his money,” Katie retorted. “In this case, if he tries too hard he just might scare her off.”

  “Why do women have to make things so complicated? Either they’ll get along or they won’t.”

  “Because it is more complicated than that. Especially with him here in Ukraine and her at Exeter. But who knows, maybe he’ll get a job at Exeter and they’ll get married and before we know it they’ll have a couple of kids and a dog and live happily ever after in marital bliss.”

  “Hmmph,” was Ralph’s response to her attempt at levity. He knew she was just trying to ruffle his feathers for being so ‘English’. Well, that’s what he was, after all, although he did try to lighten up, it certainly did not come naturally.

  “Is that what you want Katie?”

  “I’m joking. Let’s get down to that spa and check out the pool.”

  *****

  Alex arrived right at three o’clock as promised and took them to the IKRA restaurant near the river. It was a sea-food and oyster bar and on the way they passed the Beserabskiy market which Marian said she would like to visit after their meal.

  “We passed a large building on the way here, I think it was The Tchaikovsky National Academy of Music. I recognized it from one of the brochures in our room,” Ralph commented once they were seated and waiting for the waiter to come and take their order.

  “Yes. It’s a bit short of funds at the moment, but it still attracts students from all over the world. I could take you there to have a look around, but I doubt we will have time on this trip. As you know, we have a fairly tight schedule.”

  They were hungry after their journey and the swim. Katie opted to order two starters in lieu of a main course. Ralph was not at all surprized when she asked for the oysters and the caviar. Marian joined Alex and had the blue-fin tuna with noodles. Ralph took the safe option and chose the grilled chicken with herbs.

  “This is a favourite with celebrities and politicians,” Alex said as he glanced around at the slick nouvelle style restaurant that would not have been out of place in New York or London. “I expect that a lot of deals are made over a pot of caviar and a glass of champagne. Perhaps right at this very table.” The others nodded in agreement as they sipped their coffees and took in the opulence.

  “Alex, would you mind if Ralph and I just stroll around while you show Marian that market she wanted to see?” Katie asked. “I still feel
a bit cramped from the flight and I’m sure Ralph must be too. He finds flying uncomfortable at the best of times with those long legs of his.”

  “By all means. I am most happy to be Marian’s guide while you two stretch your legs. Then perhaps we can meet back up at your hotel for dinner at around eight. I hope that isn’t too late. We Ukrainians tend to eat late. We can discuss our plans over dinner,” Alex replied.

  Ralph and Katie spent the afternoon sight-seeing. They took the tour of the Mariinsky Palace and then strolled over to the University building where Alex worked. They finished up sitting by the river eating an ice cream.

  “Alex mentioned the Pripyat River, Ralph. That must be near the town where all those people were evacuated from when Chernobyl blew up.”

  “I think it must be, although a lot of these places seem to have the same names. I’m sure we’ll find out all about it tomorrow. I must say that I’m a bit apprehensive.”

  “It’s probably all cleaned up by now. After all, that was almost thirty years ago. I read that they regularly take parties around now.”

  “That sounds a bit morbid. A bit like those tourists who go to Krakow just to see the concentration camp at Auschwitz,” Ralph said as he finished his ice cream.

  “I see your point, Ralph. But if people don’t see these things, in a few generations people forget and it all starts over.”

  “You’re right. I’ve heard that you can even spend the night at Chernobyl. They’ve probably got a Marriot or a Hilton just down the road,” Ralph joked. But neither of them were looking forward to the trip, apart from Ralph’s determination to confirm some of the ideas he had used in his latest business case study.

  ****

  They were up early and had breakfasted and were on the road before the city had begun to wake up. The Mercedes soon covered the 110 kilometres to the abandoned city of Pripyat some 4 kilometres from the site of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor. A military checkpoint at Dytyaky seemed but a token gesture. Ralph noticed that the guards saluted Alex as he handed them an envelope before they waved them through. The two dispirited youths who looked more like kids playing at being soldiers than real military men gave a half-hearted salute as they passed through the checkpoint.