D | E  

Stockholm Archipelago, Bullerö

Scene 4

While investigating whether there were links between Koslow and Sweden, the «Office» had found out that the professor's current assistant had Swedish roots – a certain lady known as Jelena Jansson, daughter of a Russian and a Swede. Much to Maille's astonishment, the «Office» had seen it fit to probe into the lady's antecedents only now.
«Jansson began to work for Koslow just a few weeks ago, that's the reason that Mercier believed that she might be irrelevant in this case», Marie Soussent had explained via telephone.
«Naturally, one should not harass people unnecessarily», Maille had gnashed his teeth. 
There had been a moment of silence at the other end – and then: «Don't be so impatient. There are definitely other blondes in Sweden with whom you can amuse yourself», Marie had retorted acidly, unwilling to let the opportunity slip.
And Maille had not known how to react. To contradict her would have appeared silly, so he had opted for silence. Even sillier was the desire that he sometimes detected in himself to experience at least a bit of what was tickling Marie's imagination. He felt himself caught – not like a man who had succumbed once again to his testosterone, but like an awkward young boy in whom blushes and erections were going haywire.