"Maestro!" "Got it?" "Vladimir Visotskiy as Zheglov" "Halt!" "Hey, listen!" "What is all this shooting about, brother?" "As though we are on the front line." " Have you got a gun?" " I have." "It's my war reward..." "Vladimir Konkin as Sharapov" "Good morning, sir." "Junior sergeant Synychkina reports." "It's a false alarm." "The infant is alive." "He's a foundling." "MEETING PLACE SHOULD NOT BE CHANGED" " What sort of nonsense is this?" "What gun?" " This one." "What?" "How should I know?" "Maybe it was you who killed the woman and put her bracelet on?" "Valka the Smoked gave it to me yesterday!" " Be quick, tell me where you got the bracelet." " I don't know what you are talking about." "I'm talking about a silver snake bracelet with one emerald eye." " You gave it to Manka!" " I didn't give her a thing!" "You will tell me about one thing, when and where you got it." "This one." "Last week we gathered to play in the house of Verka the Modiste, ...and I won it from Fox." " Is it you, Kolya?" " Yes, yes!" "Open the door!" "Oh!" "Who are you?" "Well, Vera!" "From now on our men will stay at your place." " Clear?" " Why?" "Because we lay an ambush here." "Until Fox turns up!" "Grandpa!" "Excuse me, citizen." "Listen, Gleb, why do they do this?" "This Black cat can help us to find them." "It's evidence, isn't it?" "Yes, it is." "God knows why they do it." "Maybe it's their stupid insolence that makes them to show off." "Moscow Criminal Police has not taught them a good lesson yet." "But it might be worse:" "They may understand it all and still they take the risk." "They want to scare people." "They want to say:" "If the Black Cat comes to you you should throw in the towel and never fight!" "Part 3" "The modus operandi is the same!" "The ear of the lock seems to be cut through." "It is not sawn but cut." "He was struck with an axe from behind." "It was an instant death." "You know, this is a very long grocery store." "While you are going around the building, the burglars can find a dozen places to enter it." " Please..." "You mean the killer was a short person?" "It seems so." "A short man should have small feet." "Were there any small footprints?" "We did not find any." "But he managed to deliver a very strong blow." "An ordinary man can deliver it at some angle here." "But the blow was struck from above." "Did you notice it?" "Yes..." "Very interesting." "Let's write it in the report." "We'll have to think about it later." " Listen, Gleb!" " It happened when I was in Poland." "We camped in some village..." "And my landlord was a hunchback, right?" "He was incredibly strong." "We had cart horses." "They pulled 76mm cannons." "Once he crept under one of those horses and lifted it." "Really!" "It's true!" "Well done, Sharapov." "It's a great idea, scout." "It will help us a lot." "Right?" "A hunchback is easier to look for." "My compliments, Volodya." "Get on with the examination." "You are getting old, brother." "I can't see any of your celebrated tenacity anymore." "Just pompous rhetoric and the criminal lexicon, but no progress." "We expect something else from you." "Thanks for your trust." "Thanks for expecting anything from me." "What is going on?" "Moscow is full of gossip." "There is some Black cat gang." "And no one can survive it." "Intensify your work, Zheglov!" "Put everything else aside and do this Black cat gang." "If I find some free people, you will have all of them." "Dismissed!" "This is a casual dress." "It's designed in 2 kinds of fabric of different colours." "The silhouette is smooth and fitting." "This season a yoke is in." "There is a pattern on the fabric." "These are light silk dresses with prints." "They are cut along the waistline." "The drapery on the shoulder and on the front accentuates the smoothness of the bodice." "This year hats should be a little smaller." "They should match the dress." "A stylish suit is made of dense silk." "An elongated jacket is cut along the waistline." "It's decorated with lace." "The skirt is decorated with small folds, stitched up to the thigh." "The suit is embellished with a blouse having a soft silk bow for a collar." "Hello." "Excuse me." " May I?" " Yes, you may!" "Excuse me." "I am from the Criminal Police." "What?" " From the Criminal Police?" " Yes, we'd like to ask you some questions." "Are you Sobolevskaya?" " Good bye." " Good bye." "What's the matter?" "What's up?" "Well, nothing in particular." "But..." " I am listening to you." " We take some interest in one of your friends." " Which one?" " I am sorry." "Good bye." " Good bye." " Good bye." " Well, which one?" " Fox!" " Oh yes." " Did you know him well?" "How shall I put it?" "I wish I knew him better." "Unfortunately, I did not manage to do it." "He is my ex-lover." "We met each other a year and a half ago." "It seemed to me that..." "Well, we could not work it out." "And we parted." "Fox." "It's his name." "Well, his first name is Evgeniy." "But he always wanted me to call him by his surname." "I don't know what he did and why you are looking for him but I did not believe him." "I always thought that he would come to a bad end." "And why?" "I don't know if you will understand me." "He..." "How shall I put it?" "He is not a common man." "I don't mean his face." "Though he's rather handsome." "But it's another thing." "He is capable of performing a real deed." "He is bold, brave and strong." " Unlike the rest of your male brotherhood." " Sorry." "Why would he come to a bad end?" "Because he's got too much of everything." "Such people find it hard to stay within limits." "When did you part?" "3 months ago." "And we haven't met since then." "Where does he live?" "Is it really that serious, if you can tell me?" "You know, ...he looks like one of the men, who persistently refuse to pay alimony." "He's deserted two kids and enjoys himself now." "Well..." "Could you please describe him?" "What does he look like?" "Please." "Yes, you chose a most unpleasant role for me to play." "But for the sake of two abandoned kids I'll do it." "He's tall, slender, broad-shouldered." "He's got straight hair, he combs it back." "His eyes are gray." "The face is... a little oblong." "The lips are too thin but it's not that bad." "There is a dimple on his chin." "He is resolute and smart." "But it's not interesting for you, is it?" "And what award has he got?" "The First Degree Patriotic War Award, I think." "And you don't know where he lives, do you?" "Why?" "I do." "Three months ago I brought him to my modiste." " Does she live in Maryina Rosha?" " Yes, that's right." "But Vera said, he rarely comes there." "I talked with him over the phone." "He said that he stayed at Pyotr's place." " Pyotr?" "Which one?" " He came here once." "I think, his name is Ruchnikov." "He said that he worked in Military Secret Police." " Military Secret Service." " Maybe." "I don't know." " Pyotr?" " Ruchnikov, I think." "Pyotr Ruchnikov." "Look, Gleb." " I can't forget that gangster." " Which one?" "I let him go at the warehouse." "He wore a Patriotic War Award." " And so?" " He matches Fox's description according to Sobolevskaya." "I think, you are too zealous, Volodya." "How long did you see that officer?" " About a minute." " But I'll remember him till my death." "No." "Gruzdev can not be a member of this gang." "He can be connected with some gangster, bur not with the gang." "He has no guts to do it." "Great." "Hello, comrade Sharapov!" "Do you recognize me?" "My name is Synychkina." "We brought the foundling to the maternity hospital together." "Did you forget me?" "I did not." "I've been thinking about you since then." "Do you think about me even at work?" "No, I do not." "This damn work..." "It's like a never-ending examination." "All these rules and regulations overload me." "You'll learn them." "At first I could hardly stand it all as well." "And then I got used to it." "They even put me in the guardhouse." " In the guardhouse?" "!" "It's interesting." " It was my second month on service." "And my friend was getting married." "Her bridegroom came back from the frontline, and I had to stay on duty till evening." "I could not make it to the barber's." "And I wanted to have a perm so much." "Well, I took the rifle and went to the barber's shop." "Suddenly the inspector came to my post." "And I got 5 days in the guardhouse." " What is your name?" " My name is Vladimir." "And I am Varvara." "Let's go." "We have got only one wing to fly." "And the danger is dire and the plane is on fire." "We have got only one wing to fly." "It's so dark all around" "All the targets were bombed to the ground." "And the people are bound and the plane is still sound" "We have got only one wing to fly." "I do all the missions unarmed." "Gangsters are afraid of me." "I can deliver a blow of 95 kg with my right hand." "Even Sigalovich, Boxing Champion of the Soviet Union, refused to fight me." "Grisha, will you marry me?" "I won't let anyone hurt you." "Especially some Sigalovich." "It's so dark all around." "All the targets were bombed to the ground." "And the danger is dire and the plane is on fire" "We have got only one wing to fly." "Varechka, Varechka!" "What are you going to do this Sunday?" " I don't know." " Shall we go for a walk in the park?" "I don't know." "Hey, Sharapov is glaring at me." "He'd stab anyone." " Kolya!" " Hey, guys, come on." "Why should I care?" "I see that you don't, Like a Gypsy does not care about a horse." "She's a great girl though Taraskin doesn't deserve her." "He's too fidgety, like some fireworks." "But she doesn't need a sissy either." "Show her your character." "Here is my window." " Are you tired?" " No." "I'd better be going." "Good bye!" "Toporkov, stand behind the door." "Verka, open it." "Why are you so sad today, Vera?" "Hello!" " Your ID, comrade!" " My ID?" "No problem." "My ID is all right, citizens..." "Hit the floor!" "Hit the floor!" "It's open." "Let's go!" "Someone attacked the ambush in Maryina Rosha!" "Toporkov is heavily wounded." "Solovyev is all right." "That's all I know." "Come on!" "Stop pacing about and sit down." "Well, tell me what happened." "All right!" "It was quiet all day long." "At 22:50 someone knocked on the door." "I told Vera to let the man in." "It was so horrible!" "Stop wailing like a woman." "I need details." "I'm telling you, Gleb." "Well." "Toporkov stood behind the door." "And I sat down at the table." " You were in charge, right?" " Gleb, why put it this way?" "As if I am to blame he shot Toporkov but not me." "Well, he came in, looked around." "I asked for his ID." "He looked back, smiled and reached for the inside pocket of his coat." "And suddenly..." "Bang!" "It all happened so fast." "Well the shot was muffled." "I didn't get it." "And he hit me with the gun." "I fainted." "I fell down and he fled away." "It's a lie." "He didn't faint." " You!" " Shut up!" "You'll speak when I tell you so." "Vera, tell me what happened here." "He cowered, when Fox shot." "And he forgot about his own gun." "And Fox told him: "Don't move, if you want to survive!"" "And he told me: "If I learn that you gave me up to the cops, I'll slit you open."" " Right." "And what about him?" " What about him?" "He lay down for a while and then ran away to call you." "I came up to the wounded." "He was shot in the chest..." "Gleb, you..." "What's up with you?" "Guys!" "Do you believe this thief?" "Right..." "You don't believe me your comrade, do you?" " You're no comrade of mine." "You're a foul coward." " You've got no right to say so." "He wounded me." " It would be better if he killed you." "Corpses bear less responsibility." "And we would suffer less disgrace." "Why?" "Why, Gleb!" "I was not scared." "I lost my consciousness!" "It was your conscience you lost!" "When he aimed his gun at you, you did not think about your duty, ...about your shot comrades." "You thought about 50000 rubles you won, ...about your house in Zhavoronki village, about your cow and your hog." "Yes!" "Yes!" "I thought about my kids." "If he killed me would you support them?" "Would you raise them?" "I have known it long ago." "Since I won that lottery, ...you have hated me and changed your attitude towards me." "You have been treating me like a stranger!" "As if I stole the money." "But the state gave it to me." "You hated me for not guzzling away and wasting my own money with you!" "The state gave me the money..." "I should have guzzled it away with you..." "The cognac..." "He told Fox that it was him you wanted to bust here." " What did you say?" " You heard what I said." "Fox aimed his gun at him and said:" ""Tell me, red-feathered Who are you waiting for?" "Or I'll send you to kingdom come."" "Your man answered that he did not know exactly." "Someone by the name of Fox should come here." "Then Fox smiled and went away." "Is she telling the truth?" "Damn you, bastard!" "You sold out all of us, including those who died but never got scared of the gangster's bullet." "You sold us out!" "Now the gangsters will think that they can scare a man from Moscow Criminal Police." "Your gun!" "Give up your gun!" "He scared you so much!" "You didn't pull the safety lock, did you?" "Come back!" "Your ID." "Come on!" "Get out!" " It's too late, Mikhail Mikhailovich." " Don't go." "Please." "I can't fall asleep with all these notes." "Well, let's drink again then." "Did some of your comrades die?" "Gangsters shot one of them." "And the other croaked for all of us, bastard." "You didn't get it." " Come on, let's drink." " Come in!" " May I?" " Ah!" "Shurochka!" " I brought you some boiled potatoes." " Shura, sit down, let's drink." " Sit down!" " Eat." "I won't drink." "You got tired, did you?" "You are on your feet all day long." "You do the washing." "Well, Mikhail Mikhailovich, if there is a devil in the world, ...he is no horned billy goat, ...but a three-headed dragon." "And his heads are:" "...slyness, greed and betrayal." "If one of them gets a man, ...the others will eat him all." "Let's take an oath, Sharapov, ...to cut these damned heads until our sabres get blunt." "And then let the bosses retire us." "And this is all!" "The gangsters may shoot me like Toporkov." "But they have no guts to scare Zheglov." "I have always crushed those worms, and I shall keep on doing it." "It's OK." "We don't sit down at one table very often." "I will outlive them all to drive in a stake in their filthy grave." "Vasya Vekshin had two sisters." "And the gangster who killed him, is still out there enjoying himself." "Boldness requires a little wit." "What else do you need?" "We survived a horrible war." "It may have been the cruelest war in the history of mankind." "It will take years or even decades to heal the wounds." "To smooth it all over." "How long do you need?" "20 years?" "30?" " I can't wait." " I don't suggest waiting." "I don't!" "This is not the point!" "But I..." "I am absolutely sure that the punitive agencies will not defeat the crime in this country." "But a natural course of our life will do it." "We need more philanthropy, mercy." " "Mercy" is a religious word." " No, Mikhail Mikhailovich, ...we shall do away with the gangs." "The punitive agencies will do it." "You are wrong, young people." "Mercy, kindness and wisdom are the basis of the lifestyle that I dream of and all of us long for." "The present time of poverty, misery, sufferings may give rise to a new period." "It will be not a period but an age of mercy." "Yes, the Age of Mercy." "I got off earlier." "I thought I would have to wait for you." "I felt it and also came a little earlier." " You look wonderful, Varenka." " Volodya, let's skip all the formalities." "But it's been so long since we met." " I've got some great news." " What is it?" " Policewomen shall soon be demobilized." " I heard about it." " They passed the decision on it." " I'll have to catch up with the rest of the students." "Last 2 years I forgot nearly everything." " Don't look at me like that!" " I wonder how this infant is doing?" "He brought us together." "You know I also thought about him." "If it were not for that foundling..." " Look, let's go and see him." " Let's do it!" "I wish we busted this Pickpen tonight." "It would be really great." "Or else we'll have to watch all the plays of the Bolshoi Theater." " Gleb, why did he get this nick - Pickpen?" " It's a funny story." "We thought it's a reminder of his previous occupation." "He knocked pens out." " But how?" " It's very easy." "He runs across some gentleman." "This man had better be a foreigner, or, say, even you." "And so he starts clapping and tapping him, shouting "Hello, my dear!"" ""I haven't seen you for ages!" "How are you?"" "Then he sees his mistake." "He says he's sorry, blushes and leaves." " And why?" " Your pen." "He claps and taps on all the pockets." "He knocks the pen out." "If he's lucky, he can get even a wallet." "By the way, a good golden "Parker" costs 1000 rubles." "And then, when we caught him red-handed, we learnt that his surname suited his business." " Ruchnikov." " Do you know him by sight?" "It doesn't matter." "He should not know us." "That's the main thing." "The French are right:" ""Cherchez la femme!"" "When you see the most beautiful woman in the theater, ...be sure, the Pickpen is hanging around here." " Why?" "He chooses beautiful women to work with." "They come to some restaurant or to the theater and start looking for a couple wearing expensive fur-coats." "When Ruchnikov has a chance he fishes the tally out of the man's pocket." "She gets a fur-coat in the cloakroom and off she goes." "That's it." "Any woman can get a fur-coat, even if she is not that beautiful." "Oh no." "A beautiful woman catches your eye." "You want to do her a favour, right?" "And he takes more pleasure in sharing profits with a beautiful one, right?" "It's his filthy method." "He uses a woman as some picklock or a forcer." "Pity!" "A beautiful woman can make a man happy for all his life." " What?" " She could make a man happy." "Yes, she could..." "Well, it's time to go, Volodya!" "Come on." "We're sold out!" "The pass will be without a seat!" "Come on, citizen..." "Comrades, I'm telling you." "Comrades, we are sold out today!" "Well, comrades..." " We are sold out." " Hello, they called you about us." "Wait a minute, comrades." "Please, wait outside." "A little later." "You can come a little later." "We are sold out today." "There are no tickets." "Comrade, I am asking you." "No, there are no tickets." "Please, come on." "Come on!" " I'm listening to you, comrades!" " We need 2 tickets for the show today." "Shame on you!" "They called me from the Criminal Police." "And you also want some tickets." "I've got war heroes." "And I can't give them neither tickets, nor passes." "Comrade, do you understand who we are?" "I am the Chief of Gangsters Fighting Department." "Gangsters, do you get it?" "So you will give us not only passes, but the tickets with the seats that we need." "Take off your coat, Sharapov." " This opera glass is a nuisance." " If you told me, I could take my binoculars." "You would bring a telescope if you could." "Yes, it's an excellent optical device." " I wish he weren't late for it." " Why?" "I haven't been here for ages." "I would like to watch "Swan Lake"." "Right!" " And here is our dandy." " Where is he?" "You should look some other way." "He's at that aisle." "He wears a gray suit." "There's a beautiful lady by his side." " Is he lame?" " You should race him." "He's got a stick to seem more respectable." "Excuse me!" "I'm sorry." "Let's go." " You watch him!" "Watch him!" " He's buying a playbill." " OK." "He's going upstairs." " Right!" "Comrades, I am sorry." "It's some misunderstanding." "We've got double tickets for these seats." "Would you go to the center?" "There are some free seats in the center." "Please, sit there." " Please, go!" " Thank you." "Sorry, comrades." "There he is." "The second row of the first box." " I wish we had better seats." " Why?" "I can see him pretty well." "To watch the play." "OK." "I'd like to watch the show." "When shall we come here again?" " Oh you, theater-lover!" " Comrade, I can't hear a thing." "All right, citizen!" "You are number 16, watch the client." "I enjoy the show." "He'll stay at his place till the intermission, won't he?" "Sharapov, do you think he hung around the Englishman in the lobby all for nothing?" "I'm sure he's got the tally." "Pickpen has got it." "Intercept her at the door." "But first let her put the fur-coat on!" "Well, come on!" "Wait a minute, citizen!" "I'd like to talk to you." " I don't talk with strangers." " I'm a stranger from the Criminal Police." "So you'll have to talk with me." "And no tricks!" "I don't want to force you." " Who are you?" "What's going on?" " Comrades!" " Whom are you taking me for?" " This woman has just got a fur-coat, using the tally of another man." " I'll pick it up." "You'll be our witnesses." "And you follow me." "What are you doing?" "Why did you give her this fur-coat?" " Come in!" " We'll clear it up in a minute." "Come in!" " What a shame!" "He is a foreigner." " Yes, all right!" " I'll write it down." " Unauthorized people shall leave the room." " And who is unauthorized here?" " For a few minutes." " Listen, my dear..." " When did you..." " Just for a few minutes." " My dearest, look, you..." "Please, come on." "Come on!" " When did you..." " You made a mess out of this theater." "Here you are." "Put the fur-coat on." "It's cold in here." "Give me your handbag, please." "We are sorry!" " I think we shall clear it all up." " No doubt!" " Hello, hello!" " Officer on duty Piskunov speaking." "Look, brother, get me the address of Volokushina Svetlana Petrovna." "Born in 1912." "Give it to Taraskin and tell him to come here." "Well, ...dear criminal citizens, let's talk business now." "First of all, my words will concern you, ...dear citizen Volokushina or whatever you real name is." "Pity!" "I wish I were an artist." "I would surely draw her." "Well, God did not give me the talent of an artist." "But I can discover some secrets." "And I am ready to tell you one of these secrets from your past." "I know how a good guy, Pyotr Ruchnikov talked you into the this operation." "At first you were afraid like any other woman." "You cried and said that you had never done anything like this." "And he told you that nobody had ever done anything like this." "Once you tried it, you'd see that it's so easy." "Because you won't have to do a thing." "And everything would depend on his skills to fish a tally out of the pocket of some openmouthed fool." " Do you remember it, Volokushina?" "You do." " Nonsense." "But still you didn't believe him." "And he showed you the Criminal Code." "And he said that you would get maximum 3 years in jail for the theft..." "But it would never happen because he's too skilled and you are too beautiful!" "And once he talked you into it." "You should not paint, you should write novels, chief." "And so you established a criminal association, ordinary people call a gang." "And you started robbing openmouthed fools in various cultural institutions:" "...ln "Hermitage" mirror theater, in the Tretyakov gallery, ...in the philharmonic hall." "We'll talk about it later." "But you made an awful mistake today, citizens." " The point is not that we caught you." " Is it a fasting day today?" "No, it's an ordinary day." "But you got the wrong tally." "You took a fur-coat of a wife of an English envoy." "According to the international agreements the Bolshoi Theater shall have to pay for a mink fur-coat worth 100000 rubles." "And the Bolshoi Theater is a public institution." " Do you follow me, Ruchnikov?" " You want to get a 7.8 Decree on me, Chief?" "Do I?" "I've got nothing to do with it." "If you were me, Ruchnikov, you would see that the August 7 Decree that you call 7.8 Decree is stamped on your forehead." "And on the forehead of your accomplice as well!" "So you'll get 10 years in jail, ...my dear!" "10 years each." " Why would you care for us?" "I was sincere with you." "Now I want you to tell me about this friend of yours" " Fox!" " I don't give a damn about your sincerity." " You are so ill mannered, Ruchnikov." "Behave yourself in the presence of this lady or I'll distress you extremely." " Why should I be frank with you?" " It's obvious." "A frank confession mitigates the punishment." " Article 38 of the Criminal Code." " I won't tell you a thing." "I won't fall for this bullshit." "Silence keeps you sound and healthy." "You won't be healthy!" "You'll take your foreign suit off, ...put a quilted jacket on, and go to a sawmill or to sunny Magadan!" "Maybe." "But I'd better be on a sawmill or in the camp then under Fox's knife wearing my suit." "Well." "What are you staring at?" "I am a crowned thief." "And I have never given up my fellow thieves." "It's because you are more scared of your friends than of the law." "That is why I think it would be better to let you go." " Why is that?" " Why?" "Nobody saw you fishing a tally out of the Englishman's pocket." "And it was Volokushina we caught with the fur-coat." "So we shall charge her and you may go." "And what about me?" "And you, my dearest, will answer in full accordance with the law." "As for your friend Ruchnikov we shall let him go." " Why?" "But..." " You may go, Ruchnikov." "Get out of here." "But it's not my fault." "I thought that..." "What else can I do for you, citizen?" "Get out, Pickpen." "You embarrass us." "See him off, Sharapov." "To our bus." " It's impossible." "You work in the Bolshoi Theater." " Who could have thought it may happen?" " That's all right." "I'll find the way." " It would be better if I see you off." " He's a priceless species." " What shall I do with him?" "Take him to the "Ferdinand" and wait for us." "I was set free!" " Your superior officer has let me go." " Come on!" " No, your superior officer set me free." " OK." "You should wait in the bar." "Come on." "Svetlana Petrovna, I like you." "And this is the only reason I am talking to you right now." " I should just send you to jail." " No." "Your case will be brought to court in 20 days." "You are no child." "You have to understand, Ruchnikov gave you up." "He betrayed you!" "We don't have to prove anything." "We caught you wearing a fur-coat, we've got witnesses." "So stand up, court is in session!" " What do you want from me?" " What do I want?" "I want you to help yourself." "Having made a frank confession and having told us about your past you'll clear the way to a new better life." " Yes, I'll tell you." "I'll tell you everything." " I believe you!" " We took things from other people." " I believe you!" "I do believe you!" "I know that you are on your way to a new life." "And you will remember this period of time as a nightmare!" "But first of all I've got some question to ask." "Just to check up your frankness." "Yes, do ask me, please." "Pickpen and you often met Fox, didn't you?" "When did you meet him last time?" " It was 5 or 6 days ago." " Where?" " In the "Astoria" restaurant." " Was he alone?" "Yes, he was alone." " Do they do business with Ruchnikov?" " No, no way." "Ruchnikov is always on his own." "He said that he's got a finest profession." " And that he doesn't need any assistants." " Great." "And now, Svetlana Petrovna, do your best to remember one thing." "Because all your future life may depend on it." "Try to remember the details." "How did they get in touch with each other?" "Ruchnikov and Fox." "Ruchnikov and Fox..." "Ruchnikov, ...Ruchnikov called some Fox's friend." " Anya, I think." " Who is she?" "Where does she work?" "I don't know." "Petya said something about a dining car." " She may be a waiter or a cook." " And you have never seen her, right?" " No, I haven't." " Got it, Sharapov?" "Of course!" "They brought the food from the stores and shops there..." "Can you imagine how much staff they could sell in the dining car?" "It's Klondike, El Dorado." "Can you tell me what Fox usually wears?" " Fox?" "I'll tell you." " Sharapov, go to our headquarters." "Interrogate Pickpen and get Anya's phone number out of him!" "Do what you want but we need to know her phone number." "Usually he wears a uniform without shoulder straps." "But the uniform is very expensive." "Senior officers wear something like that." "And he's got a Patriotic War Award." "Give me this phone book." " Vanya." "What an interesting phone book it is." " Why?" "There are only phone numbers here!" "But where are the names?" "Just phone numbers and some ticks!" "Let's have a look at the letter "A"." " Anya." " There are just phone numbers here." " Look, Vanya, would you like to call one pretty girl?" "If she likes you, she'll take you for a ride in her dining car." " And feed you well." " Why not?" "Tell me her number." "And the number is the following:" "...K- 4-16-32." "Well?" "What shall we tell Anya?" "Best regards for Fox?" "If I could manage without women, I'd never talk to them." "They can never hold their tongue!" "Pests!" "Kopytin!" "Let's go to Petrovka." " Well, my dear friend, I see you are lucky." " We've got Anya's phone number." "We shall get her address, go and have a look." " What?" "Why not?" " We may get the address but it's too early to go there." "First we shall carry out an operative check-up there." "You don't get it?" "It's most likely that Anya doesn't live and even come there." " And who comes there then?" " I don't know." "Probably no one." "Hello!" "Get me K-5-12-84." "It's a liaison." "I have seen something like this before." "Kireyev?" "Zheglov speaking." "Is the opera over?" "Well, the ballet, OK." "So." "When the Englishman turns up, bring him to the manager's office." "Let him identify the fur-coat and draw up the report." "It's the first thing you should do." "Then, make him write a receipt that the fur-coat he received is safe and sound." "That's it." "And what is here to talk about?" "And then you tell him that there are many thieves in his England as well." "Yes, and it's not the presence of the thieves but the ability of the authorities to fight them, that characterizes law and order in a country." "Yes." "OK." "And then go to the on-duty department and record a theft exposure to out team." "Right?" "Deal!" " Well, explain it to me and don't show off." " I am not showing off, Volodya." "I get tired this couple of days." "And this is what I think about this phone number." "Some good-for-nothing man, some parrot is on duty there." "He asks who is calling." "And then Anya or Fox call him to know who wanted to talk to them." "Got it now?" " But still..." "We shall try to check it up." "We shall do it, Volodya." "Because now we desperately need to find this Anya." "If we find her, we shall surely bust Fox." "She is no Sobolevskaya." "This lover is of great interest to him." "Here is his den." "Gleb, I looked through the letters we took from Larisa Gruzdeva." "One of them is sort of interesting." "Some girl by the name of Ira writes that she parted with her boy friend." "And in the end of the letter she warns Larisa:" "..."If he ever comes into your life, be on the lookout, my dear!"" "This is love." "But you know..." " You should visit her." "What's her address?" " Bozhedomka street." " Bozhedomka street?" " Bozhedomka street." " Ira at the Bozhedomka street?" " Ira." "Listen, eagle." "Is it Sobolevskaya, by any chance?" "You, detective." "Damn you!" "So Sobolevskaya knew the deceased, didn't she?" "Ouch!" "Sorry!" "Come in!" " Sit down." " Thanks." "I knew you would come again." "Why didn't you tell me that your great friend Fox was involved in the murder of Larisa Gruzdeva?" " I thought about it when you came to me!" " It's not true." " You warned Larisa in your letter long ago." " Well, no." " I meant something else." " What exactly?" "What did you mean, writing "Be on the lookout, my dear!"?" "You know there are things any woman finds it hard to discuss." "I would never tell you the words that I shall say now." "But Larisa's death makes everything else senseless..." "Well, Fox deserted me to flirt with Larisa." "She is 10 years younger than me." "I wasn't angry." "I was sorry for her." "I told her, I warned her that it would come to a bad end." " But I could not predict this one." " And now?" "And now?" "And now I know everything there is to know." "Ivan Sergeyevich is charged with Larisa's murder." "And you are looking for Fox." "I'm afraid you don't know the circumstances quite well." "You think that Gruzdev killed his wife out of jealousy?" "I don't believe it." "It's too simple." "They remained friends." "Ivan Sergeyevich moved to his new wife." "I am afraid that Fox played some incredible dirty trick." "He's a real evil genius!" " And what if we assume something else?" " For example?" "He and Gruzdev could unite against Larisa." "It's hardly possible." "They did not know each other." "How can you explain then that we found some Larisa's belongings in the Fox's suitcase?" " So you found him, didn't you?" " Unfortunately, just his luggage." "You know, sometimes Larisa was sincere with me." "Not long before her death she told me that Fox proposed to her, ...persuaded her to leave damp and dirty Moscow to leave for his native Crimea." "He found a very nice and not very expensive house there." "The manager of the local theater is his friend." "He owes Fox a lot." "So Larisa will build her career." " It's much better." " I didn't talk her out of it." "You know, she could think I was still jealous." "She must have thought so, because she listened to me." " And that was all." " Yes." "Fox and Gruzdev must be connected with each other." "But what unites them?" "We can't answer this question." "There is only one man who can help us." "Fox!" " Where can we find him if you don't know his address?" " In the restaurants." " What restaurants?" " I don't know." "He doesn't visit museums or libraries." "Where else can he go?" "What restaurants did you visit together?" " It was only twice." " Where?" "In "Astoria"." "You'll have to go to "Astoria" with us to identify him." " Who do you think I am?" " You know the man we suspect of a murder." "The murder of your friend, by the way." "I will never inform on my intimate friend, ...even if he turned out to be a scoundrel!" "Can you imagine, what these bastards do?" "A girl was walking in the yard." "Her mother was at work." "Some military man came up to her and asked: "What is your name?"" "No." "He asked for my first name." "I said: "Lidochka"." "And the surname?" "Vorobyeva." "Her father died in the war." "But the relatives never told the girl about it." "Why should the girl know?" "And this bastard said: "Lidochka Vorobyeva?" "Great."" ""And where is your father?" "In the front?" "No, he is not."" ""Your father is in the hospital." "He's getting better and soon he'll be home."" ""I came here first to know how the relatives were getting ready to meet the hero."" "They talked a little, then went to the apartment." "He gave 30 rubles to the girl and asked her to go and buy some ice cream." "When she came back, he was gone." "He took everything they got." "Her mother was hysterical." "She cried over their father but not their clothes." "Don't cry!" "I'll get this bastard at any cost." "I'll do my best and find him!" " Kolya, did you see the folder on my table?" " Why?" "I was out." "Hello, Sharapov." "What is the news home and abroad?" "Stop crying, little girl." "And you calm down." "Gleb, I have to work with the case and you took the folder." "What folder?" "I left the folder with the Gruzdev's case on my table." "We'll try to find him..." "The Gruzdev's case?" "You left it on the table." "And where is it now?" "I don't know." "I thought you took it." "What are talking about, Sharapov?" "Are you out of your mind?" "You left a folder with a criminal case on your table." "When?" "When I read Sobolevskaya's letter to you, ...and when I went to her place, the folder stayed here." "Look, Taraskin, take the people and go to some other room." "So that we don't bother you." "Go, citizen." "And don't worry." "I'll do my best to find him." " Did you look in the safe box?" " Where is it, Gleb?" "I could not even imagine that a criminal case can disappear from a locked room of Moscow Criminal Police." "Where is it?" "Did you see this poster?" "Comrade!" "Watch out..." "And a case is more important than a gun." "Have you ever seen it on my table?" "Have you seen the case on the table when I am not here?" "You have never taken it." "Taraskin and I work with it." " Right." "But do I work with the papers?" " Yes." "So what?" "Have you ever read some paper on my table?" "No." "You always turn it over when someone comes up to you." "Right." "Did you think why I do it?" "I'll tell you." "Many criminals are ready to give away half of their lives for a paper from my or your table." "I've got no secrets from you, of course." "But it's my habit, get it?" "An old habit." "No one can see any paper." "And you lost the case." "It's very bad." "A tribunal is quite possible." " What shall I do, Gleb?" " I don't know!" "Think yourself!" "End of part 3."