She heard the girl’s voice in her head. ‘Matryoshka dolls. Mother has child inside and child has child inside. Many. All fit together. It is life.’
Riva stared at the largest doll – the woman holding a black rooster beneath her arm, the yellow and pink looking a little faded – and she felt sick.
‘I understand you are interested in the enquiry into these shocking allegations of human trafficking in the newspapers,’ Lucas was saying, but all Riva could think was that she needed to get out of there and fast. She took a sharp breath and struggled to reply.
‘Of course,’ she said, hearing the tremor in her own voice. ‘They’re absolutely dreadful if they’re true.’
‘And naturally you’d like to find that out. However, it is of the utmost importance to all of us here in Malta andto the British Government in England that this matter is dealt with as swiftly and fairly as possible.’
‘Of course.’ Her heart was racing as she spoke.
‘Under the circumstances it would be wise for you to step back and not attempt to delay things.’
‘Wise?’ she managed to say.
‘Well, you’re a pretty girl. And you know …’
In the stuffy smoky room, her skin began to crawl, but still she stood her ground. ‘I don’t respond to threats, Mr Lucas.’
‘Not a threat. Think of me as a well-wisher. There are shady characters mixed up in this. I wouldn’t want to see you hurt. Leave it to the police. They’ll do a good job. I understand the enquiry is due to report in February. Not long now.’
‘What’s your role in this?’ she asked, finding enough strength to stand up to him. Despite her fear, she knew this might be her only chance.
He frowned, raised his hands and shrugged in an open gesture of surprise. ‘I have no role, but I do have an enterprise. We are building a chain of hotels. Top notch, you see. Restaurants, casinos, tennis courts, swimming pools. You get my drift. Tourism will be our future once the military leave. We all want to wipe out this current blot on Malta’s reputation.’
He was dangerous but still she couldn’t hide her disdain. ‘And you’re the man to do it.’
‘If you had known poverty, real poverty, you would understand. I will not permit you to destroy what I have built up.’
‘Poverty? What are you talking about?’
Clearly rattled, he shook his head. ‘I am originally Hungarian. My parents were poor and died from the Spanish flu … I became a homeless orphan.’
For a moment she almost felt sorry for him. ‘You sound British.’
He gave her a cold smile. ‘You do what you have to do.’
Riva narrowed her eyes. ‘But your name?’
‘Was Lukác. Zoltán Lukác.’
‘So, you’re not Stanley Lucas. Why are you telling me now?’
‘Your friend at theTimesalready knows. But I am not the only person using an assumed name, am I? Take good care, Miss Janvier.’
‘I’m free to leave?’
He smiled. ‘Naturally. I wish you well.’
As she walked away Riva’s heart was racing.
Back in Mdina, she roughed out an article for Otto in which she refuted the English newspaper claims that English girls were being abused but said the problem for foreign girls still existed. And at least the police were now interviewing all the girls working in Strait Street and beyond. Her next stop would be the Church authorities whom she knew were anxious to stamp out immorality on the island. She was not going to let the likes of Stanley Lucas win. He could threaten her all he liked; she wasn’t backing down.
CHAPTER 38
Riva sat with Addison on his balcony. Thick cloud blocked the moon and stars and she complained bitterly about the Church authorities. When she’d spoken to them, they refused to countenance any issues of exploitation and took the stance that the problem was the immoral character of the women. In their view women needed to be subjugated, kept docile and deferential, or the social fabric would fall apart. At least that was the attitude of one religious leader she spoke to.
‘He didn’t actually say if you keep them ignorant then the evil within them will not rear up, but he might as well have done,’ she said.
