Chapter XI
New York City, New York
When Concorde flight 117 arrived at New York's JFK International airport, the snow had already been falling for most of the day, covering everything but the runways in an increasingly thick white blanket.
"What is more beautiful than a white December in New York?" the pilot asked his passengers over the PA. "On behalf of myself and the crew of British Airways flight 117 we wish you all a wonderful stay in New York City."
Alex had slept through the entire flight and missed the pilot's sentimental announcement. In fact, one of the flight attendants had to wake her up, as she was still asleep after most passengers had already left the plane's cabin.
The ride from Wales to London in Charlotte's jet had been rough and turbulent and had drained her of the little energy she had.
After getting off the plane, she slowly made her way to the rental car agency. It was pointless for her to have a vehicle in Manhattan, she thought, because she would barely use it. But Charlotte wanted all her agents to have their own means of transportation on hand in the event that they needed a quick getaway.
"I'd like to change that to a Lincoln Town Car," Alex told the rental agent, as he was about to hand her the keys to some type of Ford. Wasting Charlotte's finances gave her only a minimal sense of satisfaction, but satisfaction nonetheless.
The rental agent looked at her with barely masked disdain. Alex tried to picture what it was that he saw when he looked at her. An elegantly dressed woman, in a simple black turtleneck and expensive black cotton coat. She knew she was pale and feverish, and now holding on to the counter for support. Except he would probably think she was high on something, rather than ill. Lots of rich people were.
"You realize of course, that the rate will be considerably higher," he told her, still looking at her with thinly veiled contempt. 'Please don't let him think I'm too high or inebriated to drive or something…' She let go of the counter and straightened her spine, looking him straight in the eyes. "That's fine. Where can I sign?"
He handed her the new set of keys, "Here you are. It's the white Lincoln. Spot number 32. Drive safely."
"Thank you," Alex took the keys and walked to the car. The snow was still falling as Alex made her way out into the parking lot. She got inside and shivered in the cold while waiting for the vehicle to warm up. She was about to pull away when suddenly her vision blurred and she stopped herself.
'I shouldn't drive like this, I may end up killing more people than I have to.' The thought brought a morbid smile to her face.
She leaned her head against the steering wheel, still exhausted and cold. Her head was throbbing and she didn't think she could keep her eyes open much longer. 'I'll just rest a few minutes.'
Alex was not sure how much time had passed when one the same disdainful rental attendants came by knocking loudly on the window of the car. "Ma'am you can't just sit here and idle the engine!"
She gave him an apologetic glance, "Sorry, I'm just leaving." She raced away before he got a chance to change his mind.
Alex thought about her latest assignment as she made her way into the city. This time her target was yet another Russian scientist. Dr. Ivan Ivanisewich. He was a chemical engineer working on a highly lethal and portable form of anthrax to be used in chemical warfare. Some of the documents Charlotte had given her suggested he had already experimented it on Kurds in Iraq.
The method Alex was to use to kill him, ironically enough, was a slow working poison, that she needed to drop into any liquid substance that the doctor would consume at the World Biochemical Symposium at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center over the next eight days. A convention which she too was slated to attend. By the time, Ivanisevich became fatally ill; Alex would already be back in the United Kingdom. All she had to do was turn on the charm and get close enough to him to administer the poison.
'A nice, cozy, post-symposium dinner for two at a local restaurant…'
In spite of the cold, Alex opened her window and turned the radio on high volume, so she would not fall asleep. 'Focus. Think of Max,' she told herself and began to speed up and pass the car in front of her.
Andrassy Foundation Headquarters, Manhattan
The rescheduled Board of Directors meeting was about to conclude and Dimitri Marick rose from his chair.
"We have spent the last three hours discussing budget issues, research advancements, pharmaceutical distribution plans and two very exciting projects commencing this spring in Madrid and London. Now allow me to take this time to extend my heartfelt appreciation to the twelve people in this room who have made this a very exciting year for the Andrassy Foundation. Each and every one of you is here because you truly believe in the ideals of this Foundation. I know I can't compete with global pharmaceutical giants in terms of offering you the financial compensation you're deserving of, however I would like to offer you a personal thank you for he upcoming holidays."
Dimitri took out twelve thick envelopes and handed them to the men in the room. They contained a variety of bonuses, dinner certificates for Manhattans finest restaurant, tickets to Broadway musical and sporting events, as well as hand written notes of appreciation from Dimitri himself.
"Thank you for your patience, your hard work and dedication and, lastly, Merry Christmas."
The surprised men gave him a small round of applause and one of them, a kindly, devout old doctor, stood up, "May God give us more men like you. Merry Christmas, Mr.Marick."
He shook their hands, one by one, until they left the room and he found himself alone in the silence of the boardroom.
'What is it about Christmas that takes all the joy and sadness you feel, and magnifies it a hundred times?' he wondered.
He stood up and looked out the window. The streets were filled with masses of humanity, dressed warmly against the cold, most of them laden with parcels and shopping bags.
'I should really get something for Bianca and Sam and Maddie,' he decided, realized only now he'd barely begun his own Christmas shopping. 'And of course, Erica. But what do I buy for the woman that has everything?'
He heard Alex's voice, mocking him, laughing, 'Ah…you'll think of something. After all, you're almost as brilliant as me.'
"Almost," he glanced upward and smiled. It was strange to hear the sound of his voice in the silence of the room. He turned off the lights before leaving the room and closed the door behind him.
One day later
Plaza Hotel, New York City
When Alex woke up in her hotel room, she momentarily forgot how she had gotten there. She had fallen asleep fully dressed, still wearing the forest green Balenciaga blouse that she had bought on whim because it complemented her long, chestnut colored hair perfectly.
It was only when she sat up and looked in the mirror that she realized it was exactly what she had worn the night before at the Biochemical Symposium at Javits Center. She also vaguely remembered sitting next to Dr. Ivanisevich and pouring the poison into his wine with one swift movement. The transfer of the poison been surprisingly simple and didn't even require a dinner for two. She did it as she sat next to him during a heated conversation with seven other scientists debating the feasibility of Savorini's cloning projects.
'In a few days he will be dead because I killed him.'
The thought brought back her headache with a new intensity. 'Does it matter that he's killed dozens, maybe hundreds, of people with his poisons? Or that, if he is given the chance to continue his research, he'll likely kill dozens, or hundreds, more?'
'Does that justify it?'
'Does anything in my life make sense anymore?' She was on the verge of tears but stopped herself angrily, 'So many tears over the last three years, and what for? They haven't changed anything.' She sat up and stared into the room's gilded mirror, 'Is that what you would do, Anna?' she asked her reflection. 'Cry? I doubt it.'
She made herself get up and a wave of dizziness almost overwhelmed her. The blood loss she suffered only days ago had left her weaker than she had ever been.
"But it was worth it," she told herself, "Charlotte brought back Max the following day and she'll never dare to take him again. Now all I have to do is explain things to Heidi." She had decided she would no longer keep Heidi in the dark about Charlotte. After she told her everything, maybe Heidi would change her mind about leaving. Alex had always believed that keeping Heidi ignorant of Charlotte's machinations was necessary to keep her safe. But now, for the first time in three years, she decided it was time to do something selfish, if it meant she might not lose the one friend she still had in the world.
'I have to eat something,' she realized, not remembering when she last had a full meal. She's been too focused on poisoning Ivanisevich last night to think of eating during their dinner. She was about to dial room service but then decided against it. Instead, she grabbed her coat and left her room, walking towards Fifth Avenue after exiting the Plaza.
She had dinner at a nearby steakhouse and took a couple of the iron tablets Lewellyn had given her. The two combined made her feel considerably better and she walked into FAO Schwarz to find something for Max. An hour later she came out with a huge stuffed turtle and several sets of Lego. Heidi was next, she decided and headed to a specialty boutique that carried only large sizes, to find some exquisite clothing for her only friend. Deciding that she wasn't above blackmail, if that helped her make a decision that didn't involve leaving Wales for Switzerland.
When she left the store it dawned on her that she had just completed all of her Christmas shopping.
'Things are simple when you only have two people to shop for.'
Alex wondered if any of the harried shoppers that surrounded her would envy the simplicity of her shopping list.
On the way back to the Plaza, she passed by the Cartier boutique and its opulent window display caught her eye. She went inside, partly out of curiosity but mostly to flee the cold.
An entire display case near the entrance was devoted to diamonds.
Dimitri always had a particular fondness for diamonds. "They're clear, pure and unbreakable. Not a lot of things in this world can fit that description," Alex remembered him telling her one night.
Alex glanced at her diamond and gold wedding band. It was an exquisite and priceless work of art; consisting of thick white and yellow gold and dozens of tiny, perfect diamonds that ran across it in a diagonal pattern. It was meant to be a wedding and engagement ring, all in one. "Because we never had time to become engaged," Dimitri had reasoned, when she had nearly chocked when she'd first seen it.
'Should I ever decide to sell it I could probably buy a fair size house, Max's college education, and maybe even a thoroughbred horse on the side.' The thought made her grin, knowing she would sooner die than part with it. That, and the Omega watch he had given her, was all she had left of her husband.
"Your ring is absolutely incredible, " an immaculately dressed saleslady remarked, pointing to Alex's wedding band.
"Thank you. So is my husband."
"He must be." The words were half flattery, half envy. "Is there anything I can interest you in?"
"I'm just browsing…"
That didn't deter the saleslady. "Let me show you our latest collection. It's a been a fantastic hit this season." She held up a pair of spectacular light blue diamond earrings. "They're Marick Diamonds, from Canada's Arctic circle. They say all Marick diamonds have an unusual blue hue that you can only see under certain light. Apparently local folklore says that the blue shade is a reminder that they came from an eternally frozen ground."
" Maybe they're blue because they're sad," Alex suggested. She had followed the progress of Marick Industries on the Internet over the last three years, and knew about most of Dimitri's business ventures, including the Ekati Diamond mine, but to see her husband's diamonds for sale in front her was still startling.
The saleslady gave her a strange look, as if unsure what to make of her remark.
"It's a…I'm just kidding," Alex retracted. The last thing she needed was to attract attention for bizarre musings.
The saleslady laughed politely, "Of course."
"Actually…do you have men's model of this watch?" she asked pointing to her own Omega.
"Let me see…it's a few years old, isn't it? I'm not sure if we still carry that specific model." She went to the rear of the counter and started searching, "It looks like you're in luck. I have exactly one men's version left."
"Is it possible to engrave a single Marick diamond onto the watch face?"
"Yes, of course, that's a splendid idea. In fact, it would match the blue hue of the watch."
Alex took off her own watch, "And on the back I'd like you to put the same inscription as I have on mine, 'A love for all time. D.' but replace the D with an A."
The saleslady smiled, "What a wonderfully romantic Christmas gift. I'm sure your husband will adore it."
Alex nodded, "I'm sure he will. There is only one thing, I have to leave New York tomorrow evening. Are you able to have it ready by tomorrow afternoon? I will gladly pay you any extra charges involved."
"But of course," the saleslady told her, as though it was a silly question. This was Cartier on Fifth Avenue after all.
That evening Alex decided to head out one last time, to Rockefeller Center. 'I should probably stay in and rest,' she thought, knowing she would never let one of her own patients walk around if they were in her condition, 'I guess it's true, doctors really are the worst patients. Or maybe, after coping with months of 24-hour residency shifts, we begin to think we're invincible.'
However, she also knew if she were to stay in her room she would only think of Ivanisewich and his impending death. That sleep wouldn't be an option anyway.
Rockefeller Center was full of skaters, tourists, and lovers. Christmas carols played over the entire square with the help of four large speakers. In the middle stood the enormous Christmas tree, which was probably the most photographed object in Manhattan at this time of year.
"One day I'll take Max here, and we'll go skating together and drink hot chocolate…" she looked up towards the tree's top and suddenly felt lightheaded again.
She barely felt herself falling to the ground, until she was on the ground and a large black man helped her back up. "Ma'am, are you ok? Let me call an ambulance." One of his arms was around Alex and with the other; he began dialing on his cell phone.
Alex grabbed his hand and stopped him. Charlotte would never let her hear the end of it if she had to be admitted to a hospital in New York with all her false identification. "No, that's not necessary. I'm fine."
"Ma'am, I hate to say this but you don't look fine. You just fainted."
"Really, I am fine. I just haven't eaten…and I've had the flu, that's all it is."
He helped her walk to a nearby bench, as others looked on. "At least let me call a cab for you."
Alex shook her head, "No, really, it's fine. I just need to sit down for a while. Thank you for your kindness."
His eyes lingered on hers, as if debating whether to respect her wishes or do what he thought was the right thing to do. "Don't thank me. Just get yourself home safe. And have a merry Christmas."
Alex nodded, "I will." When he left, and when the crowd lost their interest in what had just passed, Alex buried her face in her hands and cried out of sheer exhaustion.
"Oh Dimitri…I'm not strong enough for this anymore. For just one night I want to feel your arms around me, telling me you'll be strong for me. Telling me things will be all right. Just one damn night…"
Lying on the ground next to her, Alex spotted a quarter. It beckoned to her like a sign. There was a payphone adjacent to the bench she was sitting on and, without thinking; she did the one thing she had never done during her three years in Wales.
She began to dial Dimitri's number.
It was a cell phone number that he gave to less than a dozen people in the world. It was the one number where he could be reached at all times.
'I won't say anything, he'll never know it's me. If I can just hear his voice…for a moment. That's all. Just his voice.'
Meanwhile, several blocks from her, Dimitri Marick was trying to decide between a burgundy and a mauve Chanel suit for Erica at Sack's Fifth Avenue. He had felt dizzy since entering the store and he wanted to go back outside, maybe even watch the skaters at Rockefeller Center, but he reminded himself of his need to finish some Christmas shopping.
Then he heard his phone ring.
He picked it up after the second ring, "Hello?"
He heard the distant sounds of Christmas carols and noisy chatter on the other end.
"Hello…is anybody there?"
"Dimitri?"
Alex had told herself she wouldn't say a word. But this one had slipped out, against her will.
Was it possible to convey three years of unspoken love in one word? In one name?
As soon as the word left her lips, she thought back to Charlotte's threat, 'Whether you try to flee tomorrow, or next month or next year. You do, he dies.'
You do, he dies.
The words echoed in her mind, terrifying her. Alex covered her mouth with her hand, not trusting herself to remain silent. She couldn't remember ever wanting something as much as she wanted to answer him.
At Saks Fifth Avenue, Dimitri almost dropped the phone at the sound of her voice. "Alex…is that you? Alex!"
There was silence again on the other end.
You do, he dies.
Alex forced herself to hang up the phone and she felt the burning warmth of her tears falling down her cheeks.
Meanwhile, Dimitri's chest tightened and he struggled to breathe. "Darling if this is you, you have to talk to me! Alex, where are you? Are you all right?"
He heard the click of the receiver on the other end and then silence. In vain, he shouted her name into the phone once more, "Alex!"
A salesman came up to him, irritated, "Sir, I'm afraid your conversation is disturbing some of our other clients…"
Dimitri was frantic. "Damn your other clients!"
He dropped the Chanel suits he was holding and ran out of the department store onto crowded Fifth Avenue, thinking, against all logic and reason, that he would somehow find her there, outside. Waiting. Looking for him.
"Alexandra!"
He lost track of how many times he called out her name on the street.
A police officer observed him, "Sir, did you lose your child?"
Dimitri shook his head.
"Sir, you're obviously upset about something, maybe you want to take this over to the side."
He started leading him away from the pedestrian crowd but Dimitri brushed him off. "Let go of me, I have to find her."
He half ran, half walked up and down Fifth Avenue for hours until he sat down, exhausted, on a bench near Rockefeller Center. He sat there for an eternity, until his limbs were numb and frozen from the cold. Long after the shops and restaurants had closed, he began to walk towards his hotel wondering if he had imagined the phone, while praying that he hadn't.
The next day Alex left the Plaza, picked up Dimitri's watch on the way to the airport and flew back to London
That same day, Dimitri traced the call on his cell phone, only to find, it came from a payphone mere blocks from where he'd been shopping last night.
"I'm sorry Mr.Marick, short of a miracle, there is absolutely no way of determining who made that call, or why anyone would play such a cruel joke on you and imitate your dead wife's voice," was the only consolation he received from the local telecommunications network supervisor.
He drove to LaGuardia that same afternoon, and returned to Pine Valley.
Alone.