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And take your shoes off.”
    Snow looked down, first at his trainers and then at a bowl of Borsch that had been awaiting his arrival.   “Thanks and sorry.”
    She sat opposite him and held her hands together tightly. “Aidan I’m scared.”
    “Katya, I think I know why they have Brian, well sort of.”
    “I don’t understand. What do you mean?”
    “Well we both know that Brian wouldn’t sexually assault anyone so what are they holding him for? A bribe. Think about it. He’s got his own company, Ok he lives here but I know he’s worth a bit. Or at least he used to be.”
    “What’s wrong with my flat?”
    “It’s very nice.”
    “Aidan I know it’s shit so don’t try and put spaghetti on my ears.” She pushed a plastic pot towards him. “Smetana?”
    “Thanks.” Snow ladled the sour cream into his soup. “So someone has been watching and has decided that Brian needs to pay to operate here.”
    “Then they have chosen the wrong person. Brian has never once paid for a Krisha, and he won’t start now.”
    Snow ate his soup and thought in silence. The Krisha Katya referred to was the ‘roof’ the protection offered by one mafia gang against attacks or threats by others and in some cases the Militia and tax police. “Well this is the most logical answer, unless of course it’s a misunderstanding or a case of mistaken identity.”
    “Or he’s guilty.” Katya managed a smile. “Which he’s not. So what can we do now?”
    “We have until Monday for official channels to do anything but I think that we’ll be contacted before that with a demand.”
    Katya frowned and shook her head. “Doesn’t this mean he’s been kidnapped?”
    Snow hadn’t thought about it like that. “That’s one way of looking at it.” He finished his borsch and pushed the plate away.
    “More?”
    “No, I’m full.”
    Katya stood, collected her cigarettes and moved onto the balcony. Snow washed his plate and spoon in the sink then joined her. The view of the city was quite something and worth more than the flat it’self. It was one of only a few flats in the complex that still retained an unobstructed sightline to the river and the distant city beyond. As the summer evening gently lost its light the air seemed to glow with both the heat of the day and the myriad of windows.
    “Screw me.”
    “What?”
    “Aidan, I want you to screw me.” She reached for his belt.
    “Katya stop.” He placed his hands over hers.
    “Don’t you want to?”
    “How can I answer that?”
    “Don’t you fancy me?”
    “Of course I do, I always have.”
    “But?”
    “You are the wife of one of my closest friends.”
    “Just because I want to have sex with you does not mean that I don’t love Brian. And besides he’ll never know.”
    “But I will.” He looked into her eyes, she raised her eyebrow suggestively. “No. I’m sorry and believe me I’m regretting turning you down already.”
    “You really are a Knight in Shining armour coming to the rescue?”
    “Yes and my lance is staying locked up.”
    She laughed and pulled her hands away. “Tart.”
    “What?”
    “I have some tart, would you like some?” Before Snow could answer the doorbell rang and then there was the sound of heavy banging. “It’s them.”
    “OK talk to them through the peep-hole, I’ll stand by your side. Then we’ll decide what to do. Agreed?”
    “Agreed.”
    They moved towards the front door as the ringing and banging continued, now joined by the sound of; “Militia open the door”.
    “What do you want?” Katya asked.
    “Open the door. We have some questions that you need to answer. It will help your husband.” It was Oliver Hardy. “You surely don’t want us to conduct our business on the doorstep? Do you want your neighbours to know what you husband had done?”
    Snow touched Katya’s arm. “Let them in. I’ll wait behind the door in the kitchen. I’ll be ready if you need me.”
    “But Aidan they may hurt me.”
    “If they