Free Farewell by Sergei Kostin Page B

supposed to join them there after work. It was already dark and Vetrov was not there. Svetlana was increasingly worried, especially because the trade mission dacha had a phone line he could have used. She feared the worst but did not tell anybody. After all, her husband could have had to fulfill an urgent mission for the KGB. Vladimir did not call her on the phone until the next morning. He did not say a thing over the phone about what had happened to him. Svetlana learned about the accident only when they were reunited.
    According to his wife, Vetrov consulted with her each time he was facing some tricky situation, even if he had to tell her things that were not to his advantage. Svetlana was more practical-minded, and no important decision could be made without her knowing it. Most of the time, she had the last word. However, for once, Vladimir came up with an outrageous story.
    He had just left a business meeting for the trade mission. As usual, they all had a drink, but he was not tipsy. He had already left Paris and was on his way to Montsoult when another car hit his Peugeot 404. He could not describe it, since he had lost consciousness on the spot. When he regained consciousness, there was nobody around. This event was a complete puzzle to him.
    Faced with such a desperate situation, Vetrov called his two closest acquaintances in Paris. Albert Gobert responded as a faithful and generous friend, offering to buy him a new car, but this would be noticed right away. Jacques Prévost found the solution, by having the old Peugeot repaired quickly and properly. He claimed that the repairs exceeded by far the price of a new car. 8 Regardless of who paid the bill, Thomson or the DST, these were the facts. With all the reservations we have about this story, one thing is clear: Prévost saved Vetrov’s career.
    But why should such a trivial accident, with no physical injury and no casualty, gain so much importance? In the Soviet system, it was easy to predict the embassy’s reaction, and this was bad news for Vetrov. A Soviet citizen was expected to be sober and to respect the laws and customs of the country in which he/she was living. A fortiori, KGB members were duty-bound to serve as an example to their fellow compatriots. In spite of the excellent relations between Vetrov and his resident, a misdemeanor as serious as a DUI car accident, moreover with an embassy car, would have caused him to be sent back to Moscow immediately, and maybe to be barred from going abroad later on. Krokhin could have covered up for him if the accident had happened during a mission, but not on private time. Besides, he had already covered up for Vetrov on the occasion of the slightly suspicious business deals mentioned earlier.
    Two more clarifications are needed regarding this car accident.
    First, Vetrov was an ace driver. All intelligence officers were trained as professional drivers. The members of the KGB residency were quite a sight when returning to Paris on Sunday nights, after a day in the countryside. They would race against one another, each trying to prove to the others that he was the best driver of the group. They kept changing lanes, zigzagging between cars in heavy traffic, passing cars by crossing the solid yellow line or driving on the sidewalk.
    Vetrov was way above this crowd of semiprofessionals. One day, Soviet car racers were supposed to take part in a race for regular cars on the Formula 1 track in Monaco. A driver fell ill. Vladimir was offered to replace the sick driver in order not to weaken the team. It is therefore highly improbable that Vetrov had the car accident from lack of driving experience or to show off. Furthermore, the road was dry that day.
    Needless to say that it was not the first time Vladimir drove after a few drinks. The life of a trade delegate is made of cocktail parties, rich meals washed down with plenty of wine, and drinks at virtually every meeting. With his strong build, Vetrov could take alcohol,