Despite the unfathomable darkness of their predicament, Galina learned pretty quickly how to do mental gymnastics in order to maintain a sense of normalcy for herself and the family. Routine was of the essence. Keeping busy and running things to the best of her ability was a continual reminder that nothing really had changed or needed to be different.

After all, it wasn't like the mafia's usage of her freezer was the cause of these horrific crimes. Galina reminded herself every morning when she woke up and every night before she went to bed that these deaths had been occurring in her neighbourhood all along, and her new insight did not make her responsible for them. She hadn't killed anyone, but refusing to cooperate would undoubtedly bring down a rain of violence upon herself and her loved ones. Guilt was for people who had choices, which was certainly not the case here anymore.

This perspective made it easier for Galina to turn a blind eye whenever Ganya's cronies made their regular visits to the shop to remove and deliver, usually well after dark. Dmitri would usher them in and out with an efficiency and professionalism she would have never thought him capable. It was a relief to see them carting out their "packages" but they were nearly always replaced with another shipment Galina forced herself to try and ignore.

She didn't want to think about how many victims had passed through her store or the reasons why these terrible things kept happening. Ganya must have a lot of enemies and the indifference with which they were disposed of, as though they were nothing more than spoiled produce, reaffirmed over-and-over again just what a dangerous man he was. He was not somebody Galina would ever be foolish enough to anger again, and she trained herself to not even look at the shelves in the freezer he now utilized so that so could push these troubling thoughts to the far back recesses of her mind. She'd learned a hard lesson and knew now that some secrets were really best kept that way.

As autumn turned into winter and preparations for Christmas served as another blissful distraction, Galina could find herself feeling happy again. Like she did every year, the day after Thanksgiving, Galina threw herself into the holiday festivities. She decorated her store in Christmas colours of red, green, and gold and two weeks before the big day, the entire family went to pick out their tree. Although they were getting older, the boys still loved hanging their personalized ornaments with their mother. Of course, baking and feasting were always a large component of their family Christmas and Galina always somehow managed to afford to get each son something he really wanted to open on the day.

All the important stuff had remained the same and some things had even improved. The store was operating smoothly, while her husband continued to slowly chip away at their debt through the more complicated factions of Neptune's Produce. Dmitri worked long hours to assist with operations and had even started to be included in Ganya's business planning discussions. His value to the man was increasing and the Reznikovs' had earned Ganya's respect with their silence. Things seemed to be going their way, but both Dmitri and Galina still held out hope that they'd someday be able to return to their safe and simple life.

XXX

It was a few days after Christmas and before she reopened the store from the holidays, Galina always did a serious deep clean of the place. The boys, still on their school break, were always recruited to help and with the four of them working together the job never took more than a day. As Vasily worked at taking everything off the shelves so they could be wiped down and replaced, Yuri was at his side counting up all the inventory so that Galina could make sure her numbers added up. Maxim had been assigned the task of taking down all their festive decorations and packing them away for next year, and when that was completed he began repairing a wobbly table and polishing the furniture. Galina had spent half of the day on her hands and knees, cleaning out the stove and other appliances with a homemade cleaner that made the entire place smell like green apples, and then she started on the windows.

Outside was a winter wonderland, with the bright sunlight gleaming on the snow making things even more appealing. The boys could hardly wait to get out and enjoy it, so they worked efficiently but without rushing. They knew they had to complete their chores before the day could be theirs and part of that required doing them to meet their mother's high, but not unreasonable, standards.

All three of them had received much coveted snowboards from their parents. There was a steep hill in the park that would be perfect to fly down on such a day, and Maxim and Vasily were going to head there together as soon as they were allowed. Yuri had opted out, instead planning to go pick up Anna and take her skating. He had been seeing her regularly ever since the school dance.

"There's your father," Galina announced, pausing mid-spritz, she gave her husband a sympathetic smile through the glass window as he walked with his head down towards the shop. She set her spray bottle and cloth down, and hurried towards the door to open it for him.

Dmitri hadn't come home at all last night, nor had he called to say where he was. Such behaviour had become typical fare for him and Galina never complained because she strongly suspected waiting at home was less burdensome than being with Ganya, doing whatever it was they were doing. Buried beneath a heavy black coat and grey hat and scarf, the only part of Dmitri visible was his face, which was turned red from the cold.

"Hello," Galina greeted him softly. She wrapped her arm around his back and leaned forward to kiss his cool lips in greeting. They lingered for a long pause. Dmitri placing both his gloved hands around her waist as he kissed her back. Galina waited for him to pull back first.

"Tired?" Galina, asked, reaching up to pluck the hat from his balding head. She then slipped the scarf off of his neck and held her hand out so he could pass her his coat once he shrugged out of it.

"You can't even imagine," Dmitri replied, stomping on the mat hard to shake the excess snow from his boots. He then trudged over to the first chair at the table and sank down heavily into it.

Galina refrained from commenting as she quietly hung up his stuff for him and then went back to carry his boots over to rack where they wouldn't create anymore puddles on the floor. Her feelings towards her husband had never been more complicated than they were right now. Dmitri still took her for granted and was incapable of considering the feelings of anyone other than himself for very long, but Galina couldn't call him lazy or say he was useless to her anymore. She was dependent on him right now, a fact she was frustrated and grateful about. She really didn't know what she would have done these past few months without her husband. All that Dmitri lacked for her, suddenly was overlooked by what he was doing. So, Galina swallowed her annoyance about all the things he did that irritated her and demonstrated her appreciation through little acts of caring whenever they were together. Although they didn't know the reasons, their sons saw the different in their parents' marriage and were thankful for it.

"Why didn't you come home last night, Pop?" Maxim asked, as he paused in polishing the seat of the chair across from him.

"Yeah, where were you?" Yuri demanded, coming closer to the table with his arms crossed.

"Shush," Galina hushed them. "Your father was at work all night, you know that, and he just sat down. Are you finished doing the counts, Yuri?"

"Nearly," Yuri mumbled.

"Well hurry it up, and then you can go meet your girlfriend," Galina told him sternly.

"I haven't asked her to be my girlfriend yet," Yuri replied, rolling his eyes as he walked back over to the shelves. "We're just hanging out."

"Well, I don't know why anyone would take a girl to a skating rink, just the two of them, if they weren't dating," Galina replied. "You've seen her every single day this week."

As the three boys returned to their tasks, Dmitri leaned back in his chair and pulled a thick folded envelope from his pants pocket. Glancing over his shoulder at their sons first, Dmitri then reached forward to tuck it into the pocket of his wife's apron. She glanced down in surprise when she felt its weight and then back at her husband with questioning eyes.

"Put that in the safe, Galya," Dmitri instructed her in a hushed tone. "And don't let them see."

Galina slipped her hand into the pocket of her apron and frowned at the thick bundle inside. She did as he said though, walking into the back room as inconspicuous as possible. The room had once served as a small makeshift nap and playroom when her children had been little, but in recent years she had turned it into an office for herself. It was certainly more peaceful to do her bookkeeping and orders at a desk in a quiet room off the shop, instead of in the chaotic apartment with three lively boys always around. The safe was kept in the office too, beside the desk. Galina knelt down and turned the combination to unlock it. She pulled Dmitri's envelope out of her apron but before she put it inside she couldn't resist sneaking a peak at its contents.

It was cash. Crisp bills of twenty- and fifty-dollar increments that she imagined rounded up to approximately two or three thousand dollars. Not a fortune to some perhaps, but to Galina Reznikov that was a lot of money. She was confused as to why Dmitri would have this on him. She hardly doubted Ganya would have been so generous as to give Dmitri a Christmas bonus. He wasn't supposed to be earning anything for his work. It was all to go to paying Ganya back.

"Galina, is there coffee?" Dmitri called in Russian from the next room. Refraining from rolling her eyes, Galina placed the envelope in the back of the safe and then locked it up. She reached a hand up to use the edge of her desk to support herself as she slowly stood up. Then she walked back into the main room.

Dmitri hadn't moved. Still seated at the table, while Yuri and Vasily finished restocking the shelves together and Maxim had moved on to finish cleaning the windows his mother had started. Galina walked around the counter and picked up the half full coffee pot from this morning. She dumped its contents down the sink so that she could make Dmitri a fresh pot.

"What's for lunch?" Dmitri asked.

"We already ate," Galina replied, turning around to face him while she waited for the coffee to be made. "I didn't know if or when to expect you." She met his eyes and then sighed, relenting. "What would you like?"

"A sandwich?" Dmitri suggested. Then he frowned and held up a hand. "On second thought, would you make me an omelette?"

"An omelette?" Galina questioned.

"A western omelette," Dmitri nodded assertively. "I haven't been home for breakfast in awhile. And can you put some cheese in there too?"

Galina didn't answer him. She just went to the fridge to pull out the carton of eggs and the other ingredients that she would need. As she cooked on the stove, Galina's mind drifted back to wondering just why Dmitri had come home with so much cash. Such a thing had never happened before and anything out of the ordinary was a threat to her contentment, just as soon as she began to relax in their current situation. As soon as the western omelette was prepared and set in front of her husband, along with the cup of coffee fixed with the exact amount of cream and sugar he preferred, Galina turned to her sons.

"I think you boys have done enough," she told them.

"Mama, I'm not quite finished with the bottom shelf...ow!" Vasily yelped, just as Yuri stepped on his foot to shut him up.

"That's alright," Galina told him, while she fixed Yuri with a stern look. "I can take over from here. Why don't you three go out and enjoy the snow for the rest of the afternoon?"

"Alright!" Vasily cheered. He tossed the damp rag he'd been using to wipe down the shelves up onto the counter and then turned to Maxim, who had wiped off a final smudge before stepping back from the window. "Let's go, Max."

"So, you two are going to be at the hill?" Galina confirmed, as Vasily and Maxim made for the door. She knew the exact hill they were going to well. It was only a couple of minutes from their street, steep enough to appeal to teenagers, and when they were younger she had gone tobogganing with them there.

"Yeah, we just have to run upstairs and get our boards," Maxim replied.

"Will you grab my skates for me?" Yuri asked him. "I need to make a call."

"Make sure you dress warmly," Galina reminded them. "Your snow pants, gloves, scarves-don't you dare let me see either of you trying to head out without a hat on."

"We know, Mama," Vasily replied, walking over to give her a hug. Galina squeezed Vasily tightly in her arms as she looked over the top of his head at Maxim.

"Watch out for your little brother," she told him. "Don't let him do any foolish stunts. I don't want any injuries."

"I know, Ma," Maxim sighed. "Can we go now?"

Galina nodded, releasing Vasily so that he could head out the door with his brother. Yuri had gone into the office to call Anna on the telephone and now he came out ready to go as well.

"I'm going to meet Anna at the rink," he told his parents, slipping a black toque on his hand. He then reached into the pockets of his winter jacket to come out with his gloves.

"Whose Anna?" Dmitri asked, through a mouthful of egg.

"Girl from the neighbourhood," Galina rolled her eyes. "She and Yuri have been in the same class since kindergarten." She turned back to her son. "What time will you be back?"

"Not late," Yuri replied. "But is it okay if I don't come home for supper? We'll just grab something after the rink, I've got enough to buy for us both."

"That's fine," Galina replied, with a small smile. As she looked him up and down. "You need a scarf though."

"Ma…." Yuri sighed, though he knew it was hopeless. He watched his mother retrieve his father's grey scarf from the hook and he allowed her to tie it carefully around his throat.

"That's better," she told him, patting his shoulder affectionately before stepping back. Yuri bid both of his parents' goodbye and then walked out of the store, just as his brothers were coming down the stairs from their upstairs apartment. Galina could see they had followed her instructions and dressed appropriately for play in the snow. They were each brandishing their new boards under an arm and Maxim handed Yuri his skates when they reached the bottom.

"We're lucky they get along as well as they do," Galina said, coming away from the window once the boys had walked out of her line of vision. "They're friends as well as brothers."

"Uh huh," Dmitri murmured. He held out his mug up and shook it slightly. "Will you get me some more coffee?"

"Will you tell me why you came home with three thousand dollars?" Galina retorted, turning her back to go retrieve the pot of coffee from the burner.

"It's twenty-five hundred," Dmitri replied, as if that made a difference.

"Whatever," Galina replied. "What are you doing with it?" She raised her eyebrows expectantly as she refilled his cup for him. Then she passed him the sugar and cream that was set on the counter.

"It's no big deal," Dmitri said, adding a heaping teaspoon of sugar to his coffee. "Ganya just needs us to hang on to it for a little while."

"Why?" asked Galina, frowning as she felt a shiver crawl up her spine. Her hand holding the coffee pot shook dangerously, so she went to set it back down on the burner before she dropped it.

"It's just temporary," Dmitri replied, when she'd returned from putting the coffee away, and sat down in the chair beside him. "On Monday, when you go to the bank to make our usual deposit for the store, you're going to mix Ganya's money in with our own-if anyone asks you why it's a couple thousand more than we usually make, you tell them that we did exceptionally well business over Christmas."

Galina bit her tongue as she considered what he was going to have her do. Of course, it was fraudulent but her primary concern was drawing attention to herself by claiming to have earned more than twice what she usually made in a week. She didn't care where or how Ganya had accumulated this cash, she just didn't want to get involved in a scheme that could get her into trouble. So far, her involvement in Ganya's business had been that of a silent accessory. This would be the first time she would actually be lying and carrying out a crime directly.

"Is this a one-time thing?" she asked, already guessing the correct answer.

"I doubt it," Dmitri replied, giving her a piercing stare.

"I'm uncomfortable with this," she admitted, reaching back to tighten the ponytail her long red hair was pulled back in, just to give her hands something to do. "It seems too risky. What if I get caught?"

"You won't," Dmitri replied confidently. "Nobody is going to look twice at you unless you give them a reason to. Just act natural."

Galina swallowed a lump in her throat, looking worried. However, it wasn't the illicit transaction itself that bothered her. If she'd managed to block out thoughts of the bodies hidden in the walk-in, then money fraud was hardly on her radar. She didn't really care how Ganya amassed his fortune, or even about playing a role in the deception so that she could pay off her debt more quickly. The only thing about the whole criminal element that concerned her was getting caught. She had no moral dilemma on her mind aside from the consequences.

"There's no real choice in the matter, Galya," Dmitri reminded her gently. "So, don't overthink it."

Galina squinted at him as the ramification of his words hit her. "Well…" she said after a moment's pause. "I am going to have to overthink it a little bit. I mean, somebody has to."

Dmitri frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Galina said slowly. "That there's no doubt in my mind that the bank will get suspicious if we start doubling our income with no concrete explanation as to why. They're trained to sniff out unusual transactions all the time. Do you think Ganya is the first person who has tried to get something like this past them?"

"Ganya does get around them," Dmitri replied. "He does this sort of thing all the time."

"But he hasn't with us," Galina retorted. "It just seems common sense to me that a tiny shop that nearly closes every week, suddenly can't double their sales without arousing suspicion. Ganya's never seen our books, so how is he to know unless we tell him?"

"You want me to tell Ganya he's overreaching?" Dmitri said incredulously, his eyes popping out in astonishment. "That my wife knows business better than he does?"

"Well, perhaps work on your delivery a little bit first," Galina replied, scratching the palm of her left hand with the nails on her right. "I'm not claiming to be an expert at criminal interactions, but if Ganya is going to turn our store into a cover-up for fraud, well then I'd at least prefer to take every precaution."

Dmitri didn't have a response to that, but it was obvious he found the idea of suggesting his boss was making a mistake to be intimidating. Galina, on the other hand, leaned back in her chair feeling at least a little more in control of the situation than she had when Dmitri had first handed her the large sum of money. There was no getting out of what Ganya and Dmitri had instructed her to do, and she had every intention of following through with a trip to the bank. She was just going to be smart about it.

"How is this going to help Ganya out anyway?" Galina asked quietly. "He's having me pass it off as our own proceeds. How is he going to get it back?"

"Oh, he said he'll just bill us a lot more on our next produce order," Dmitri replied simply.

"What?" Galina asked, looking confused.

"Well," Dmitri shrugged. "If we're going to make it look like our sales have increased, then it makes sense we'd need to place a larger standing order from Neptune's. We just have to tweak the books so we have the paperwork to support that."

"You mean I have to," Galina snapped. "When have you ever seen our cheque book?"

She sighed. What Ganya was really conspiring to turn their store into was a front for money laundering. By mixing profits from his underground economy through legitimate businesses like Dmitri's Russian Market and Neptune's Produce, Ganya would be able to appear to make an honest living. Galina wondered if he had made other small companies handle his corrupt business for him, or if she was the first to be stupid enough to end up in this situation. She sniffled slightly as she glanced wistfully around her small store. She had worked so hard and been so proud to make it what it was, especially with the complications of being a new immigrant and a young mother. Never in a million years would she have imagined it becoming a front for the Russian mafia.

"Remember when we first opened this place?" she asked, reaching her hand across the table to grasp her husband's. "Who would have guessed that it would come to this…"

"We made our bed," Dmitri reminded her, leaning over to kiss her temple while she nodded her head in complacency. There was no backing out now or wishing they could change things that couldn't be fixed. There were corpses on the premises and illegal money stowed away in the safe. They certainly had made their bed and now the only way forward was to cooperate.

XXX

When Monday arrived, Galina woke up bright and early to begin the same routine she always followed. She roused her sleeping boys and then began making breakfast, while they got dressed for school and then staggered into the kitchen to join her one-by-one. They were out the door in plenty of time to make it to school on time, and then Galina hurried to get herself ready and then rush downstairs to open up the store.

Intent on keeping her mind occupied, Galina was grateful that her first morning reopening after the Christmas holidays was a flurry of customers and a mounting to-do list to distract herself with. However, it passed all too soon and, before she knew it, it was time to close up for her lunch break and head over to the bank like she always did.

It was snowing that afternoon. Galina kept her head down against the chill and concentrated on the markings her boots made as she walked through the fresh powder. The air was crisp but felt healthy and fresh in her lungs. It was a beautiful day, and under different circumstances she knew she would have appreciated it more. Being Russian, she was no stranger to the cold and dressed smartly in a heavy red coat, with matching gloves, hat, and a scarf, she was well protected against the elements anyway.

Nonetheless, it was pleasant to enter the warmth of the bank and feel the indoor temperature's contrasting burn against her frigid cheeks. Galina pressed her purse more tightly against her side, as she waited in line for her turn. Her heart started beating with rapid intensity the moment she'd stepped indoors, and she was surprised its pounding couldn't be heard through the multiple layers of clothing she was wearing. She rubbed her fist over the hammering muscle, doing her best to appear inconspicuous while she waited in line, for the bank teller to call her over by name.

Galina raised her eyes and was relieved to see that it was a teller, Isobel, who had become something of a familiar acquaintance over the years. It certainly simplified things from her end. Galina passed Isobel her bank card and inquired about the woman's two daughters as she handed her the cash that was to be deposited into her account. Isobel chatted animatedly with her while she processed the transaction without even blinking at the larger than usual amount.

Mrs. Reznikov had been a respected figure in the community for several years. Always polite, if on the more serious side, she had been coming into the bank to do business since the days she'd been pushing a stroller and carrying a third child on her hip. A smart woman who worked hard and seemed completely focused on her sons, anyone who looked at her larger deposit would just assume that Christmas had been especially profitable that year. There was no reason to suspect anything different, which was exactly what Ganya had been counting on.

Still, it was a relief to wish the bank teller good day and get back outside without the illicit funds in her handbag. With the wind at her back, instead of in her face, Galina walked with her chin up and a confidence she'd sorely been lacking a few minutes ago. All had gone as smoothly as one could have hoped, and she had to admit that the act had given her something of a daring thrill which she hadn't experienced in a very long time. She walked home with a bounce in her step that hadn't been there before, thinking about the Vatrushka she was craving and would have to bake a batch of just as soon as she got inside.

Yet, when she got to the door she saw through the glass that the space was already occupied. Dmitri had come home and accompanying him was a group of other men who were all crowded around the round table. As she slowly turned her key in the door, Galina did a headcount and saw that Ganya was seated at the table too. All eyes were focused completely on him, as he addressed his men, and Galina slowly opened the door and hoped to slip past them undetected. As soon as she entered the room, however, Ganya turned his sharp gaze onto her. She stared back unblinkingly at him, but when Ganya's face broke out into a smile she forgot for a second that she was supposed to be nervous.

"Hello," she greeted all the men, as she gazed back into Ganya's eyes. She hadn't seen him in person since the night she'd watched him overseeing the bodies being laid in her freezer. He hadn't spoken anything to her at that time, although he'd looked at her in the same peculiar way he was now, which made her feel like she was being x-rayed. Despite the promising smile etched on his lips, Galina had no idea what the man was really thinking.

"I'm very glad to see you," Ganya told her, his eyes twinkling. "Your husband said you'd gone to the bank?"

"Yes," Galina nodded. She slipped off one of her gloves and reached up for the collar of her jacket, but made no other movement to unbutton it. Ganya was still staring at her expectantly and she had no idea what she was supposed to say next.

"And?" Ganya pressed, shaking his head in a jerk of impatience as he folded his hands together. "Are you going to tell me how it went?"

"It was fine," Galina stammered, a flush spreading across her cheeks which made her grateful for the rouging from the cold. "No problems."

Ganya nodded his head approvingly. "I knew there wouldn't be," he said knowingly, as he suddenly leaped up from his chair with the agility of a much younger man. He dropped his hand heavily down on Dmitri's shoulder as he passed him. Dmitri involuntarily flinched at the touch as he remained stooped over the table, resembling something of a stout gargoyle.

"Your husband didn't believe you could handle this sort of thing," Ganya told her in Russian, a flicker of amusement in his tone. "But I told him you were probably a much more capable woman than he wants to give you credit for. And I was right? Wasn't I? You went to the bank for me with no issues."

He glared down at Dmitri, while still gripping his shoulder tightly in his pale hand. "Do you see now, Reznikov?" he asked him sharply. "Sometimes women can be trusted to do important jobs like this. Women are very clever creatures. Sometimes they even have better ideas than us men. Do you believe that, Galina?"

Galina shrugged her shoulders hesitantly, having no idea where the man was going with his speech. "I don't know what I'm supposed to say," she replied honestly.

"No?" Ganya blinked, looking astonished. "But you had a lot to say the other day to your husband, didn't you? About how the transaction was too risky."

"I deposited the full sum in its entirety," Galina informed him, focusing on keeping her voice level and even as she spoke. "My only concern was that if I tried to do that again, without the excuse of Christmas, the bank might ask awkward questions about why the amount was suddenly so high. I'm happy to continue...helping. I just think we should increase the number a bit more gradually."

Ganya nodded. "Slow and steady. That's very smart." Her stared down at Dmitri. "See? I told you that you had a smart wife. Sometimes that's better than marrying them for looks-it lasts longer." Her turned back to Galina, who had quietly begun unbuttoning her coat despite feeling more chilled to the bone than ever.

"Why don't you take me into your office?" Ganya asked, although Galina knew it was obviously an order and not a suggestion. "I want to show you what we're going to do next. You're going to have a very important role."

"Okay," Galina nodded. She hung her coat up on the rack by the door and then stepped slowly forward, motioning with her arm towards the back. "It's through here."

She led the way, listening the stomp of Ganya's boots on the floorboards as he followed her. She was highly sensitive to the weight of his eyes on her back. They went into the office, and Galina caught a last glance of Dmitri sitting silently at the table with the other men, before the door was closed tight behind them. Ganya gave her another peculiar smile as he stepped behind the desk and sat down in her chair with purposeful authority.

"So, slow and steady," he murmured. Glancing back up at Galina with twinkling eyes, as she stood still with her hands held together. "Is that how you like it?"

"I think it makes sense in this situation," Galina replied quietly. Goosebumps pricked her skin and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up with flight. The smoothness of the way Ganya was talking, so in control and so powerful. It was both terrifying and a little enticing. She couldn't imagine what it would feel like to be that commanding and formidable, able to intimidate others with nothing more than a look or a couple of carefully placed words. Were people born like that or were they made? She never could envision herself being that fierce.

"It will take longer, obviously," Ganya replied, as he began opening the doors of her desk and perusing the contents inside without shame. "But so long as there's progress then I am okay with that. Are you?"

"I don't want to take any unnecessary risks," Galina replied quietly. And then as a bid to appeal to his more human side, she added. "I have three sons that need me. I'll do what I have to do but I want to be careful…"

"Nothing in this life is guaranteed," Ganya told her coyly. "And when a person allows themselves to be ruled by their emotions and do reckless things...well, then they can find themselves in all kinds of trouble. It surprises me now, to be honest, that I'm speaking with you. You seem too clever to get yourself into such unnecessary predicaments. Too bad you weren't thinking of your sons back when you lost me a whole lot of money."

He was thumbing through a drawer of files before he found the one he had apparently been searching for. Under "N" he'd found the meticulous paperwork Galina had maintained for transactions with his own business. It was Dmitri who had enticed her to use them as their produce supplier. Stressing the importance of making this connection and how good it would be for them. Now, Galina stared down at that folder and felt a gulp of bile rise up in her throat.

"Don't be nervous," Ganya chuckled, motioning her closer with a wave of his hand. "Come over here so that I can show you what we're going to do. Do I make you nervous? You don't have to be. I know your husband is scared of me but something tells me that you're made tougher than he is."

"What are we going to do?" Galina asked, walking over to stand by his side. A smirk was teasing over her lips at Ganya's taunting of Dmitri. Although she wouldn't insult her husband under these circumstances, when she really should be trying to build him up, it was sort of nice to be acknowledged.

"So, you have my money," Ganya told her, "And now you need to give it back. Legitimately. It's all about the books."

"Okay," Galina nodded. Squinting at the print as he opened up the folder to thumb through the pages of receipts his company had billed her over the years. Not for the first time, she was struck with the notion that she really should see about getting herself a pair of glasses. Trying to read anything up close was like trying to pull letters out of a cloudy blur.

"You can decide how much you want to do at a time," Ganya replied. "I'll be patient. Just when you do your weekly order with me, you're going to multiply the amount of what you really want so that I can charge you for your produce order and get a little bit of my money back. When I get my 1500 dollars, we'll repeat the process. Sound easy enough?"

"Yes," Galina affirmed, feeling her stomach tangle into a tightly clenched knot. "And I suppose I should just add a few extra transactions to the end of day sales totals, so the money you give me to deposit will add up? I can't meddle much with the store inventory, but I can show an increase in food and drink sales."

"See, I knew you were smart," Ganya praised her. "I'm tired of sitting around with all those men out there, including your husband. They never have good ideas and they always want to just go along with my business plans without even thinking critically about them, like you did. I appreciate your conscientiousness, Galina."

"Thank you," Galina said softly.

"No, thank you," Ganya replied, standing up and brushing his hand over her shoulder, much more gently than the way he had gripped Dmitri before. "I'll be around, so you can ask me anything you're unclear of."

"Okay," Galina nodded, mindlessly rubbing her hand against her belly in a bid to unknot her anxious stomach.

"And don't be a stranger," Ganya added, with a wink. "I like hearing what you have to say."

Thank you for reading.