I can make coffee. Zhanna suggested.
Perfect! Arthur said with enthusiasm. Zhanna, you are the best!
And I want coffee too. Vera signed.
Coffee and cigarettes. Lida condemned them. At night!
Whats wrong, darling? Angelica asked. If you dont want, dont drink! And I do with pleasure! And by the way you are alone again!
Does anybody else want coffee? Ivan looked at them. They all kept silence. It means seven cups of coffee. Zhanna, can I help you?
No, I shall try. and the girl rose from the armchair.
So, lets have the break.
Ivan also rose and said.
I will go out for ten minutes to the cabinet as you are not against.
And he went out the same time as Zhanna who moved to the kitchen. Angelica followed them then Vera and Lida, Sergey was with Arthur. Seva stayed alone.
Alone at the coast: Sergey
In his childhood he needed love greatly. He was small, proud and lonely. He wanted to be hugged but he jumped aside from everybody who tried to do it. It seemed to him that all these people faked. So he grew up thinking that nobody loved him. And when he became an adult he began to feel absence of love in himself. Still proud and lonely, he avoided hugs as well as kisses and any open emothins. In childhood he had learned to laugh at everybody who kissed in public. He was shy about the aunt, she seemed old and very ugly and mum had been almost always busy, worked a lot with her private lessons and got tired much earlier than there came time of love. He was lack of the fairy tales at night, a parent kiss in a cheek and tender words good night, dear". He was dreaming about it lying in bed with the open eyes waiting for his mother. He was thinking.
And finally he had had an idea that the most sensitive people were idlers. They had no problems at all. He understood that himself when he started to work all night long. In the underground watching people passing by with the indifferent faces he thought that people had blamed the century of cruelty in vain and soon it would be worse. People were stressful from unemployment. No free time and no will to earn money. They used the feelings of the others. The TV, show business, the Internet All these were developing so quickly and at the same time the feelings were gone. They had no time for growing. His own feelings were as green as the wild apples. They had grown on a tree which was not taken cared of well and thats why their taste was bitter.
In the childhood he wanted the creature so much, small creature to take care of and love. He thought as he was not loved, he would love himself. He wanted it greatly. It would be good to have the younger brother or the little sister but he could only dream about it. He wanted a cat or a dog. He was shy to feel the desire to patronize, protect and once asked.
Mum, lets have a dog.
Mother refused. And she was right. The dog was a problem, very noisy. You needed to feed it, to walk with. Lets buy you small fishes, Sergey. she offered and put her arm on his shoulder.
He didnt want fishes. They were cold and silly. They looked very silly. But he agreed because they were alive. And they could somehow color his loneliness. He couldnt like them but he felt it wont be boring to have them. He could sit near the aquarium for hours watching fishes and trying to understand where they were swimming in the clear water. The water in the aquarium always was clear as he took care of that. And he was glad.
Then it began to seem that he had known everything about these fishes. Where they were swimming in pair seconds as well as they quickly rushed in and in some time fell asleep caught by his attentive sight. He liked himself to be the small Lord of the World who had created an inhabitancy of these creatures and supported their lives comfortable. Only on him they depended when they would be fed in the water and how they would be warmed by the light. Finally he could fry all of them. And stop their stupid fish existence.
Once mum was worried by his motionless sitting at the aquarium and asked.
Sergey, is everything all right with you?
Yes, absolutely.
Is it really interested you to sit always close? Watching?
Yes.
You are a strange child.
What is strange that I study fishes?
To study means to read about them. I have not seen on your table any books about them. Do you know what exactly they are from? What kind are they? Why have they got such color?
I know what they think. It does not depend on color and where they are from. They think about food.
Sergey! These are only fishes! They cant think! They only swim!
All of them are swimming to that part where there can be food. Look at that little one. I bought him as he was the smallest. The rest I do not want to know. That is a pretty fish, Mum! Look, Mum! He is waiting when I shall throw food in water! Because his food is over! And he is still hungry! How beautiful he is but he is not quick. It seems he could not survive.
You will help him, wont you?
Shall I put him in a separate aquarium? May be But it is boring. I will think whether its worth or not. he said it absolutely as an adult.
You are a strange child. repeated his Mum. But you study well and I havent got any problems with you. Teachers praise you, they do not complain about. I think you are all right. What do you think?
She looked at him attentively. He nodded.
Yes. I feel well. I am healthy.
Okay. Mum smiled. Very soon you will become an adult and you will be excited by something else. Girls, for example. And you will forget about your fishes.
She was not right. He of course was excited about girls. But they were not so much different from fishes. He almost always guessed their thoughts. They were attractive. He got them as the best fishes, the girl-friends and the rest he didnt want to know. The one who feeds and changes water in an aquarium was special. Finally he could just fry them all. If he boiled the water all of them would be dead. Or he can block oxygen there and to watch them dying. It was amusing.
Oh, Mum, Mum! You would better to buy me a dog! he thought looking at people sitting in armchairs. All of them were fishes. They were floating where he wanted. They did not guess at all what will happen to them. And they believed in his "confession".
If you wanted people believe you it would be better to tell the truth. But truth was like an iceberg the most dangerous part of which always stayed under water as well as your secret dreams. On a surface there stayed only one part. THEY were guilty. Their truth was hidden under water. He didnt want to risk, to sympathize, to give an advice. In fact you couldnt realize the sizes of the iceberg under the water.
They thought he was truthful. They knew nothing about the iceberg
Storm
Angelica was waiting for Sergey and Arthur in the dark corridor.
Dont you mind to join my company? she asked looking straight to Arthur. Lets go to the balcony.
But you know I do not smoke. he smiled.
Will you breathe fresh air with me?
I want to look at the wall-papers in the next apartment and the ceiling. I began to repair my own flat I had from the grandmother in an old house but I had some problems. There is such a big choice of the wall-papers I cant imagine what to choose. Its expensive. And the owner boasted that he had found wonderful wall-papers. The ceiling the masters had made excellent. It was cheap because everything they brought from work. I have to look at. And the door is open. I shall go.
Why is it open? Angelica was surprised.
You may dont know. Arthur looked at Sergey. He made a sign and Arthur said. The owner bought all the apartments at the floor. Four apartments are in this section. There is no need to lock them. What for?
Great! Angelica whistled. The whole floor! I think its a big deal. Is he crazy?
May be he loves loneliness. Sergey shrugged his shoulders.
Or he is going to marry. Arthur grinned. And have a lot of kids. Are we alone here? Angelica asked.
Absolutely!
Wow, lets go to smoke. the woman shook her platinum curls. And with an obvious hint she said. I know that you smoke, Sergey.
Yes, I smoke.
Will you join us?
In five minutes. I want to speak.
What about? Are you good friends? the woman asked suspiciously. And she looked at them firmly.
We have got the same business.
To say truthfully we work together. Arthur added.
Aha, here you are! Angelica connected them by her sight. It seems very interesting! Open your cards. The comedy is over. I also want to speak to Sergey. That is a good time.
I dont understand. Arthur was surprised.
What dont you understand? Not only you have secrets. Thats my turn.
Well. Sergey answered. I shall be in two minutes.
I am waiting for you. Angelica sang like an actress and opened the door close to the lifts.
When she disappeared Arthur asked seriously.
What have you got with such a woman?
Nothing. Sergey answered.
But you have invited her here! Am I right?
I repeat nothing.
Nothing serious? Arthur asked with irony. Will you explain then?
Later. Thats not the time. Okay, what do you think about all these? Sergey asked after a small pause. Have you got any thoughts about it?
No, nothing. Only guesses.
I think youre clever! Well, watch, think. And Sergey again made a small pause. Take on a note. It can be useful to you.
Do you want to add it to my debt?
Lets not speak about it.
No, wait. I want to know what to wait?
Later.
Today, Sergey. Now.
Do you really want to look at the repairing works? Sergey changed the theme.
Why not? I told the truth about my apartment. I repair it really.
I believe you, one drop of the truth! Sergey burst out laughing. I have already got confused!
You may go to watch. and Arthur nodded to the door behind which Angelica disappeared.
I repeat for the third time thats not you think about.
Then what is it?
I shall tell. Later.
All right. I shall wait. How much?
About three hours. Sergey said indifferently. And he opened the door to go out to the staircase. He hesitated. Then he turned back.
Arthur went to the door to the next apartment. He also turned and they changed the glances
The break came to an end when from the corridor they heard the female shout. The woman shouted so desperately that even Angelica who was at the balcony that moment heard it and rushed back. Very strange that she was the first to react to these shouts. She ran into the corridor and saw the body on the floor. She stupidly looked at it and asked.
What happens?
And you you dont you see? said Vera stopped shouting. He is dead! Sergey! Sergey is dead!
Angelica bent and stared at the body on the floor.
And really he did not move. May be, the heart?
What?! Vera cried. Thats the murder! Blood! The blood is on the floor!
Why are you so nervous? Why are you shouting so loudly?
And you you arent you afraid of?
I have seen a lot.
And Angelica removed her boot from a pool of blood. Then she complained.
It is so dark here!
At that moment the door of the next apartment opened and Arthur came in asking.
What happens? Who shouted?
Sergey He is dead!
What? then he added. I cant believe.
Are you both mad? He is dead! Vera shouted.
Why could I feel sorry? Angelica said.I have not even known him!
Stop lying. Arthur said angrily. Have ever known!
At that time Zhanna and Lida came from the other room. Lida began to cry. Zhanna tried to calm her. Seva came to them and finally Ivan went out from the room where he put the box with the letters.
Whats the matter? Ivan asked watching people around the body as he could not see it.
They moved back and Seva said.
Well. Thats
May be, he is alive! Lida fell down on her knees and tried to find Sergeys pulse.
Stop! Ivan stopped her. I shall do. I am the doctor. Step apart.
Vera moved strangely to close the body but then stood up. Ivan came close and bent down above Sergey. After the pause Ivan said.
Sorry. He is dead.
Oh, my God! Lida signed.
But how did it happen? Angelica asked.
He is wounded in the back from the left side. Wait it is dark here. There are two wounds. One above another. By a sharp object. Murder was about five minutes ago, blood still goes. Who has found the body?
I did. said Vera. Why are you looking at me so strange?
Call the police. Zhanna said suddenly. I am curious how he was killed.
There. Have a look. and Ivan pointed to a basket with an oil paint with the chisel sticking out. Somebody hit him in the back twice. And the instrument of murder that chisel the murderer had thrown in the basket with paint. Watch: only the edge sticks out. Its dark here but I am sure there is blood on it.
Yes, blood. Lida whispered. I see. But why is it in paint?
It means that all prints of fingers are destroyed. Ivan explained. Great trick! To hide it in the basket with an oil paint! Its impossible to identify them!
You must call the police. Seva said. They will decide.
Yes. Ivan agreed. I think our session is over. On the background of this murder everything else is not important.
Wow! Arthur said suddenly. We both left for the corridor! Now you can say that I killed him!
The best defense is the attack, isnt it? Angelica blinked her eyes. And in fact you are right! I have left you together and went to the balcony to smoke. I think it is clear.
But you invited him there. Arthur answered angrily. Do you remember?
By the way, I was waiting him in vain.
Who will prove it?
I shall go to call the police. Zhanna said. Dont touch anything here and better to dismiss.
Dismiss? Lida screamed. But one of us is the murderer!
She is nervous. Ivan said.Not to dismiss but to go away from here.
Meantime Zhanna went to the door. Nobody stopped her.
As for the murderer. Arthur crookedly grinned. He is among us. I am sure it will be better to call the police.
Yes! Angelica exclaimed. I need the protection! I wont stay alone now!
Lets call immediately. Vera said. I am she added.I feel terrible.
We should wait for them here. Lida sobbed. Close to the body! Oh, I am afraid!
I also feel bad. complained Seva.
I dont know what to say about myself. Ivan reminded. My private practice will be closed then. Could you imagine the murder happens during the session of psychotherapy! Thats a scandal!