The man froze, his jaw twitching and his eyes on the dog. Another man stepped in behind him and then moved to the side, speaking to the dog. "Hello, friend," he said. "There is nothing to worry about here."
As tall as her own husband, the second man had none of the fear in his voice that was playing over the first man's face. Nor was he threatening, which Gilgamesh seemed to recognize, and to Marlene's complete shock, he sat down wagging his tail and gave what she thought of as his happy bark.
"May I," the second man said to Marlene, indicating that he wanted to approach the dog.
"Sure," she said. "You two seem to be old friends."
When the second man approached Gilgamesh and knelt to scratch beneath his collar and accept the obligatory lick, Marlene had a chance to study the scarring she'd noticed on his face; her eyes were drawn, of course, to the black patch he wore over his right socket. He'd obviously been burned. She glanced down at his right hand, which did not flex or change positions as he tickled the dog. Extensively. But he's still a hunk, she thought as he stood up and faced her so that she could see what he must have looked like before the accident.
"A magnificent animal," he said. "I may need to visit your farm someday on Long Island and find myself a similar companion."
"We could probably work something out," she said, wondering why it was that every stranger in town today seemed to know her and her business but deciding not to give him the satisfaction of asking. "But this one's been acting strange all day. He wouldn't have attacked you or your friend over there-who, by the way, can pull his hand out of his coat-without the command from me, but he acts like you two came from the same litter."
The man laughed and motioned the other man to take his hand off his gun, which he did but couldn't stop looking at the dog. The laugh was a pleasant one, not forced, but at the same time she got the impression that he didn't laugh often.
"Dogs are just so much better than we are at instantly knowing who is a friend and who is a foe," he said. "If he thought I was a danger to his lovely mistress, he would have torn my throat out when I came in the door. Although, getting older, I sometimes think there is something to reincarnation, so perhaps we were once brothers in arms. Yes, yes, I believe I see in his eyes an old sergeant who served with me in Afghanistan. The one who saved me so that I could spend the rest of my life half blinded and looking like this."
As he said that his crippled right hand went up to his face. "But then I see that we share a similar fate regarding our right eyes." He turned back to the dog. "May I know his name?"
"Gilgamesh," Marlene replied, thinking that if this man was this attractive after he had been burned, he must have been a god before.
The man arched his eyebrows. "Ah, the ancient Sumerian warrior," he said. "Very appropriate." He looked over his shoulder at the first man. "It's okay, Milan, the big puppy dog won't bite you so long as you are well behaved." The man nodded but still kept his eyes on Gilgamesh.
"Now do we get to know your name?" Marlene asked. But the answer came from behind her.
"His name is Yvgeny Karchovski," Alexis said without enthusiasm. "He is a…what is the word, a gangster, a criminal. Unfortunately, he is also my half brother, though it has been many years since we've seen each other, which has been fine with me."
Looking at Yvgeny, Marlene thought she saw something akin to pain cross his face at Alexis's words. But he inclined his head to her and said, "I would argue with some of the semantics-I consider myself a businessman who operates within certain gray areas of law-but generally what he says is true."
"Yvgeny," Alexis continued, "this is Marlene-"
"Ciampi," Yvgeny finished. "The beautiful, adventurous wife of the district attorney of New York, Butch Karp. I know of your husband."
"Yeah? Not in a professional capacity, I hope," Marlene said.
Yvgeny smiled. "No, I know better than to conduct my business in Manhattan and thus have never had to worry about your husband. No, let us say we have some history and people in common, but is best that I leave this discussion for another day."
Yvgeny turned to Helena, who had backed up against a wall in fear when the first man came through the door, then remained there looking befuddled by the conversation that followed. "And this must be the lovely Helena, my sister-in-law," he said, embracing her and kissing her on both cheeks. "Is it the name that creates such a face as to launch a thousand ships?"
Helena smiled shyly. "You are kind, sir."
"You've never met?" Marlene asked.
Yvgeny exchanged a look with Alexis, then shook his head. "Regrettably, my brother and I were raised in separate households and we've, um, lost touch over the years. I was already living here in the United States when they became engaged, and apparently my invitation to the wedding was lost in the mail."
"It was so far to travel, brother," Alexis said. "And I would not have wanted to distract you from your business."
Yvgeny gave Marlene an apologetic look. "My brother does not approve of the family business-"
"Not my family," Alexis retorted.
"Yes, yes…he wants nothing to do with me," Yvgeny said. "But come, brother, there is no need to burden these lovely women with our estrangement." He turned and gave a little bow to Helena and Marlene. "However, I was wondering if I might speak privately to my brother for a few minutes."
"I have no desire to listen to what you say," Alexis said.
"No, but I will say it to you anyway if…"
Marlene decided to intercede. The appearance of Yvgeny had not, of course, healed the rift between Alexis and Helena. But she wanted to talk to Helena privately herself and said to the younger woman, "Why don't you and I and Gilgamesh go for a walk and give these two a chance to chat?"
"I don't need a chat with him," Alexis said.
"No, Alexis," Helena replied. "But I need the fresh air…and time. So you talk to your brother and Marlene and I will walk the dog."
Defeated, Alexis nodded. "Do you also wish for me to be gone before you come back?"
The tears rushed back into Helena's eyes, but she shook her head. "Nyet. I may wish it later, but I am thinking now that we need to have our own little chat after I've had time to consider this."
After the women left with the dog, Alexis angrily faced his brother. "How dare you come to my home uninvited," he said. "I have told you that I want nothing to do with you. I had hoped that you did not even know I was in this country."
Yvgeny motioned for Milan to leave the room. "Even if I did not know before, I could hardly have missed it in the newspapers of late-the Russian Casanova case, I believe they call it," he said. "But I've come to offer my help."
"I don't want it," Alexis said.
"No, no, of course not," Yvgeny said. "It would be like accepting tainted money. But tainted by what? Do you even know what I do for a living?"
"Other than break the law, including murder?"
"Your definition of murder in this case might be called self-defense by others," Yvgeny said. "It's a hard world, populated by evil men who we have sometimes had to defend ourselves against. But I ask again, do you know what I do for a living? I do not make a living killing, that is just an unfortunate and regrettable part of doing business."
Alexis shrugged. "Not that I care, but smuggling…black market."
"All right," Yvgeny said, "that is partly true. But what do we smuggle?"
Again the question met with a shrug. "What does it matter? It is illegal. You are a common criminal."
Yvgeny surprised him with his next question. "Do you and Helena wish to remain in the United States…perhaps become citizens?"
Alexis scowled but nodded. "Da…yes."