Free Rosa and the Veil of Gold by Kim Wilkins Page A

puzzled. “What is it?”
    “Your Russian’s much better than mine.” She reached over to the glove box and pulled out the rental papers for the car. “Can you phone the car rental company back in St Pete and ask them if they have a service outlet in Vologda?”
    Daniel took the papers. “Certainly. But why?”
    She tried to sound light, almost dismissive. “It’s probably nothing, but the steering has felt a bit soft since we had our little incident in the ditch. I’d prefer to exchange the car if we could.”
    Daniel nodded vigorously. “Yes, that would be safer. What do you mean, soft? It’s not going to fail is it? You just mean it feels wobbly? It’s still working though?”
    “Oh, yes, of course. Nothing to worry about.” She pointed to the phone booth outside the convenience store. “Tell them we’ll want to change cars tomorrow morning, around eight. If we can get away from Vologda before nine, we can be in Arkhangelsk at a reasonable hour. We’re due to start shooting first thing the following morning.”
    Em locked the car and walked across the car park to the toilet block. The washrooms were filthy, but it would be hours before they reached Vologda and the comfort of a clean hotel room. So she endured it, and also accepted that the convenience store only made two kinds of sandwiches, both with meat that was obviously not fresh. She took her sandwiches and juice back to the car and watched Daniel at the phone booth in his grey pullover and slightly-too-large jeans. His dark curls caught the sunlight which was spearing between the spruce peaks. She couldn’t hear what he was saying, but the length of time the call was taking indicated that he was being bounced between one operator and another, explaining his story over and over. Bureaucracy was generally an inconvenience; Russian bureaucracy was a nightmare.
    A breeze moved gently in the treetops, and there was no traffic around to break the lazy quiet. Em finished her lunch and rested her head on the back of the seat to close her eyes for a few moments. Sunlight made patterns on her eyelids. She felt calm and positive.
    “Em!”
    She opened her eyes. Daniel was calling to her from across the car park. He’d finished his phone call.
    “What’s up?” she shouted back, leaning out of the car.
    “I’m just going to buy something to eat.”
    “Take your time.” Em was growing used to Daniel and his nervous nature, even growing to like him. She leaned back, hereyes flicking to the rear-view mirror which, at this angle, reflected the back seat.
    The bear was staring at her.
    A liquid jolt to her heart. She turned.
    The bear sat, tucked into the seatbelt, eyes closed as they always were.
    Em tried the rear-view mirror again. One golden bear, eyes closed. Of course. She had just imagined that hot moment when the eyes seemed open.
    For the next few minutes, Em watched the bear, trying to work out what trick of the light had fooled her. If Rosa had never spoken to her about enchantments, she would have dismissed the incident already. But Rosa had been clear about it: be aware.
    Daniel climbed into the car, opening a bottle of Coke. He had a carton of cigarettes under one arm. “They have a service agent in Vologda, but it’s just a garage and workshop. They might not have another car for us, but they said they’ll look at this one and track down a replacement if they can’t fix it in the morning.”
    Em grew irritated. “Fix it in the morning? But then we’d be leaving Vologda after lunch. We won’t get into Arkhangelsk until midnight.”
    “I’m sorry, that’s the best he could do.”
    “Never mind.” She nodded towards the cigarettes. “You’re not going to smoke those in the car are you?”
    “No, no,” he said, opening the carton and pocketing a single packet. “I owe the film crew.”
    “Daniel,” she said, “I think we should probably pack the bear away properly. It’s not safe to have her just sitting there on the back