Červenà

Chapter
Thirteen


AN HOUR later I spoke to my solicitor. Although I did my best to stay calm during the phone call, my desperation must have been audible in my voice. By the time I made it past the man’s secretary, who initially insisted he was unavailable until the next day, my tension had ratcheted up another notch.

I used the recent death of my mother to hurry things along, explaining that I was needed back home and that my family were struggling financially. I wanted to leave by the end of the week.

Eventually, a meeting was agreed to in the solicitor’s office for the following afternoon and I made a second call to Vincenc. This time I only spoke to the woman who answered the phone, but she told me she was expecting me to call back with an appointment time and address. I gave them to her and she repeated the information back to me before hanging up abruptly. I left my office and went into the bar to help myself to a large whiskey while I waited for the staff to arrive. It would be a few hours yet, but I didn’t want to go back to the apartment and deal with the police. I had no intention of telling them the name of the man who’d taken Sasha, at least not until all of this was over. Every decision I’d made so far seemed to have made things worse, and maybe if I’d kept my mouth shut and not called the cops in the first place, Sasha wouldn’t have been hurt, only held. I wanted him safe in my arms before I told them Piotr Kowalski was responsible for Sasha’s kidnap and Karel’s death.

By the time the club staff began to arrive, I struggled to contain my emotions. The club had been such a big part of my life for so long, and I’d grown fond of each and every one of my employees. When I’d spoken to Vincenc, I’d known it was the only thing I could do, but I hadn’t realized quite how bad I’d feel when it came to telling them.

When Ralph, the bar staff, and the security guys had all arrived, I called the boys down from their studios and had them gather in the bar. A few looked anxious, but most simply curious.

“What’s going on, boss?” Kris asked, and I cringed at his form of address.

“I have to tell you all something and it’s going to come as a big surprise, or more likely a shock.” I glanced around their faces, meeting each pair of eyes for a second before I moved on to the next. I paused and licked my lips, and Tomáš broke the silence.

“Where’s Sasha?”

I swallowed hard. Should I tell them, or not?

“Did something happen? I mean… you, um….” Marek looked at some of the others and shut his mouth.

“It’s all right. Most of you know Sasha and I are seeing each other.” I took a deep breath. “This is about the club. I’m afraid that I, um… I have to sell it.”

“What?”

“Sell? Why?”

“Is this because of what Karel did?”

Some of the comments were impossible to make out, as most of them spoke at once. Again I looked around the group, their expressions more worried now than curious.

“Will we lose our jobs?” Gabriel ventured when everyone else fell silent again.

“I hope not. Look, this is what the situation is. You know what happened to Karel. He was in a lot of debt, much worse than I thought. The only way I can fix things is to sell the club. The man I’m selling to will come in tomorrow to meet you all, and hopefully he’ll be able to keep all of you on. He wants the club as a going concern. I mean, he’s not going to change it into something else as far as I know. He’s tough, but a good businessman from what I know. He’s wanted the club for a while.”

“Who is it?”

“Can you tell us?”

I looked at Kris and Marek who’d spoken, and fixed my eyes on Tomáš’s shoulder as I answered. They’d probably all be horrified.

“His name’s Vincenc Jankovic.”

“The gangster?” Tomáš’s jaw dropped and his eyes widened. Muttered exclamations came from several of the others.

“He’s the son. Vincenc himself─”

“He’s been in jail.” Ralph interrupted me.

“He went down for his father.” I ran a hand through my hair. “He seems decent enough, from the brief conversation I’ve had with him. We’re meeting tomorrow.”

“Why would you sell to him?” Tomáš asked.

“Because he offered and I need to….” I cleared my throat as the lump in it threatened to choke me. “I need to sort everything out quickly.”

“Has something happened to Sasha?” Tomáš narrowed his eyes and bit his lip. “Where is he? Have the Jankovic family got him?”

“No!” I rubbed at the back of my neck, sweat dampening my fingers. I didn’t want to tell them all the details. I feared the more people that knew and talked, the less likely I’d be to get Sasha back. “Sasha’s okay. But the man who’s responsible for Karel’s death is threatening me for the rest of the money he owed. I know it’s not my responsibility, but these people don’t see it like that. The police do know the situation and they’re in my apartment right now recording my phone calls. The phone here is tapped too. But things are dragging on, and quite frankly this whole thing has made me want to move on.

“You all know I recently lost my mother, and my sister wants me closer to home. I want to be closer to home. Both things together made me decide that selling is the best thing for me. I’m only sorry this will have an effect on all of you, even if it’s only having a new boss.”

Ralph nodded. “That’s fair enough, mate. I hope everything works out for you.”

“Thanks, Ralph.”

A number of the others added their agreement, much to my relief, but a couple of the dancers and bar staff continued to eye me with disappointment. I hated doing this to them after so long, but it seemed the only option. I could only hope Vincenc would be good to them and not change things too much, if at all.

When I left the club, I wandered idly for a while. A light drizzle fell, turning the gray streets darker and the footpaths slick. My leg throbbed, but it registered only in a corner of my mind. All I could think of was Sasha, scared and hurt, and I prayed he’d be all right until I got the money.

I returned to the condo and told the police I’d been at the club doing the books. I shut myself away in my bedroom to avoid them and tried to rest for the remainder of the afternoon, but it was impossible to relax. My heart and my head ached, and my stomach knotted into an uncomfortable ball of anxiety. I longed for the next twenty-four hours to be over, for the sale contracts to be signed and the money to be in my account so I could get Sasha back to safety.

After an hour or so the officers interrupted me to let me know they were leaving. Their equipment would remain in place to monitor my calls at both my home and the club, and should I receive any contact from Sasha’s kidnappers on my cell phone, I should get in touch with them immediately. Of course I agreed, but there were no calls to report or otherwise. My phone remained stubbornly silent until I left to go back to Červenà.

The atmosphere in the club was subdued amongst the staff. For the most part the patrons wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference. Ralph played his usual eclectic mix of dance music, ranging from the fast hard beat of the rave tunes to pop music, with a few slow sensual numbers thrown in later in the evening. The boys danced the same as always, but Tomáš’s face was a tense mask as he stared up at the ceiling during his numbers, and Gabriel glanced at me several times, his eyes hopeful as if he thought I might be about to announce my decision to sell had been reversed.

When the night came to an end and the last clubber had been ushered into the street, I locked up as usual, gazing around with a heavy heart at the club I’d built up from nothing. This was likely the last time I would do this. In twenty-four hours’ time, the keys would be in Vincenc Jankovic’s hands, and I would say good-bye.

For once I walked home. A full moon lit the city and my breath steamed in the crisp air as I strode along with only a slight limp. I’d spent almost a third of my life in Prague, and I hadn’t imagined I’d ever leave. It had quickly become home to me all those years ago, but now I couldn’t wait to turn my back on it and return to London. I’d still have my income from the condos and the money left over from the sale of the club, but as yet I had no idea what I’d do. I wouldn’t be able to afford to buy an established business in or near London, and I didn’t want to work for somebody else.

Up until now, my thoughts had been too filled with Sasha to even consider it, but I had plenty of time to worry about what my future held. The most important thing was to get my lover back. I pictured him hurt and scared, perhaps restrained by that bastard who’d taken him. My worst fear of him being beaten and raped flooded my mind, and I clenched my teeth, struggling to control my emotions. My leg throbbed as I knocked my foot on an uneven paving slab, and I lurched sideways, bumping the glass front of a coffee shop. I paused to steady myself, listening to the faint sounds of the night around me. My cell phone jingled in my pocket and I fumbled it to my ear.

“Yes?”

“You have the money? Your boy won’t wait forever, you know.”

“Please don’t hurt him.” I hated begging, but the words spilled from my lips without thought. “I’m getting the money. Tomorrow or the next day.”

“That’s two more days of interest.”

“I know that! I’ll have it all. Can I talk to Sasha?”

“No. I will call tomorrow evening.” The line went dead, and I cursed in frustration and fear. For all I knew, they might have done something awful to Sasha. He might have met the same fate as Karel.

Tears stung my eyes as I walked on, clenching my fists in my pockets. How could this be happening? The one person I’d truly loved was hurt, maybe gone, and I was about to lose my cherished club, all because Karel played cards.

I expected the time to crawl by prior to the meeting with Vincenc, but the hands on my living room clock marched on, and almost before I knew it, I’d donned one of my suits and taken a cab to my solicitor’s office. I arrived fifteen minutes early and had only just taken a seat in the reception area when Vincenc arrived. I recognized him from his picture in the news when he’d gone to jail. I stood quickly.

“Mr. Jankovic?”

“Vincenc, please. And you are Joel?”

“Yes. It’s good to meet you.” Pleasantly surprised, I offered him my hand, and he shook with a firm grip. At least the man seemed amenable, and I hoped this was a sign that he’d be good to my soon-to-be ex-staff.

“Likewise.” Vincenc released my hand and sat down. “Everything is in place?”

“Yes. My solicitor said he would have the documents prepared for us.”

“Afterward, you will take me to the club and show me around, yes?”

“Certainly. I’ll introduce you to the staff too. I can call them in early. The dancers live on the premises, in the studios above the club. I hope you’ll be able to continue to accommodate them.”

“I plan to change nothing, Joel. Červenà is very popular. I trust all your staff are reliable?”

“Very. The DJ is an Englishman. He’s been there since the club first opened. Kris, my bar manager, is new as a manager, but he’s worked the bar for several years. The dancers—”

“Are all extremely entertaining.” Vincenc grinned. “I’ve seen them.”

“You’re…?” I hesitated to ask if he was gay.

“No, I’m not gay.” He laughed softly. “But I can appreciate what is attractive and sexy. The club patrons love your boys. That’s good enough for me.”

I heaved a sigh of relief. At least something good would come out of this terrible situation. The club would continue without change and the staff would keep their jobs. As fucked up as everything was, I felt that at least in this aspect I’d made the right decision. Vincenc had the wherewithal to pay me in cash, and it sounded as if he’d be a decent boss.

“I plan to appoint a club manager.” He interrupted my thoughts. “I don’t have the time to be on the premises every day like yourself. I’ll go in perhaps one day a week, but someone like you will run things for me.” He raised an eyebrow. “Not looking for a job, I suppose?”

“Um, no.” I surprised myself by chuckling. “Thanks all the same. I’m leaving Prague. My family is in London.”

“Yes. Of course.”

We continued making small talk until my solicitor’s secretary rose from her desk and showed us into his office. The meeting went smoothly, and when the paperwork had been signed and sealed and the deeds were in Vincenc’s hands, we left the office. We took a cab on the short journey to Červenà, and Vincenc sat prodding at a smartphone, announcing after a couple of minutes that he’d transferred the money for the sale into my account. He felt it would be quicker and easier than to wait for my office computer to be fired up. I heaved a sigh of relief, which he didn’t miss.

“I’m sorry you were forced to sell by that mongrel.”

“Maybe it was time. I’ve lived in Prague a long time, but as much as I’ve been happy here, I’d like to be closer to my family.”

“I understand that. What about your lover?”

“I’m taking him with me. If… if he’s still….”

Vincenc sucked in his cheeks and frowned down at the phone still in his hand. He said nothing as the car pulled up outside the club, and I paid the driver. As I unlocked the door, Vincenc selected a number from his contacts and held the phone to his ear. I walked on ahead, not wanting to pry into the conversation. But when he followed me, I realized he was speaking in Russian. Sasha had taught me a few words, but not enough to understand anything besides da and nyet, the words for yes and no. I held my breath when I heard the name Piotr Kowalski.

Vincenc ended the call and glanced at me with a shrug. “Mutual enemy. Perhaps I can help in some way.”

“You speak Russian?”

Another shrug. “I speak several languages.” His answer was in perfect, almost unaccented English.

“Who did you call?” My heart thumped. Could he really help me? He must have some unsavory connections—perhaps the type who’d be useful in the situation I was in.

“An acquaintance.”

“Sasha might not even be in the country. I was told they could travel a long way in twelve hours.”

Vincenc smiled. “I doubt they’ve taken him far. Probably a bluff.”

“But they know I called the police.”

“The police won’t find them if they don’t want to be found. They have a large network of associates. Not as large as my family’s, however. Now… perhaps you could show me around my new business?”

I did so, showing him the offices and where the accounts and monies were kept, the equipment and the private rooms. As we walked around, I sent texts to Ralph, Kris, and my head security guy, asking them to round up everyone else and have them come to the club. Finally I gave Tomáš a call and asked him and the other boys to come down. They were the first to meet us in the bar, all clad similarly in jeans and T-shirts and all looking wary as they faced Vincenc for the first time.

Considering the man’s reputation, his treatment of me had been surprising, but the more time I spent with him the more sympathetic I found him. He quickly put the boys at ease by telling them nothing regarding their jobs or homes would change, and that he would appoint a manager to oversee everything. As soon as the other staff arrived, Vincenc repeated most of what he’d already said to the dancers and let them know that just because of his name, it didn’t mean he would be anything other than a fair and approachable employer.

The lump in my throat threatened to choke me as I shook hands with some and hugged the remainder of the crowd of men in front of me. When they dispersed and I locked up for the last time, I surreptitiously brushed a hand across my eyes before I placed the keys in Vincenc’s hand. A Chapter
of my life was over, and I was about to walk away from Červenà for the last time.