Pavlya's plan to apprehend Saltikov in Yana's company in SPB didn't work out. He managed to catch Saltikov at Mike's, though.
"Oh, it is you... Come on in," said Mick opening the door. He looked a bit like a zombie for he didn't even show surprise at the unexpected visitor.
"Is Salt at your place?" was the first question as Pavlya was still standing in the doorway.
"Where else could he be..."
"And Yana?"
"What Yana?"
"Come on, don't pretend you don't know her."
"Oh, you mean Moskee? No, she's not in here. Why?"
"Well, I thought she and Salt were hiding here from Olive..."
Saltikov all red and crumpled, a bottle of beer in his hand, came out to them.
"Pavlya, is it you?" he whined in a tearful voice, "What a misfortune has happened to Pumpkin..."
"I see you are aware" said Pavlya, hanging his brown coat on a peg, "So is that true? She was found there, wasn't she?"
"Yes, on the track. She got killed by a train." Saltikov took another sip from the bottle, "And the rest is history, Pavlya..."
"Seems like you've opened a whole new can of worms... You're up to your ears in shit, man."
"Tell me about it..."
The guys went to the kitchen. Saltikov, feeling quite at home, put his whiskey on the table as though he was the master of the house.
"Pour, Mick," he ordered, and, when the glasses were filled up, he howled out:
"Let's drink to poor Pumpkin... May she rest in peace now..."
Meanwhile Olive, completely unaware that she had already gotten buried and drunk to as the dearly departed, lay beside Nickey in her bed.
"It feels so funny," Olive said as she was staring up at the starry ceiling of Nickey's bedroom. "We used to be enemies, and now you've saved me. And here we are sharing a bed as if nothing had happened..."
"Yeah," Nickey drawled out in reply, "I mean, who'd have thought? But what are you going to do next?"
Olive paused.
"Don't know... I'll wait a while, maybe Salt is going to show up..."
"Olya, he's not showing up. Even if he will, why are you so hooked on with him after what he has done to you? You need to forget him and move on...
"I can't forget him!" Olive's eyes welled up with tears, "Can't you see that my whole life has no meaning without him! What am I going to do without him?"
"Okay, what are you going to do with him? Keep on getting abused? Closing your eyes to the fact he doesn't love you?"
"He did love me!" Olive cried out, "I can't believe it's possible to fall out of love at the drop of a hat! It's all because of Yana, it's totally her fault! If it hadn't been for her things would be exactly the same now!"
Nickey sighed a heavy sigh.
"Olya, face it. Things will never be the same again, and you know that."
"Okay, what's your suggestion? To go back to Moscow?" Olive flared up, "I hate to think about it! I so longed for marrying Saltikov and living here in Arkhangelsk with him! My dream had almost come true - I'd found the right place for myself, where I was finally happy and not alone! And now - everything, I mean, everything is being ruined! And now you are telling me to go back to that crap Moscow, live there alone like a worthless piece of shit as I used to? I'd rather cut my veins again instead!"
"Olya, don't be childish. Moving to Arkhangelsk and marrying Saltikov or Daniel or whoever won't solve your problem. Start with yourself..."
"Oh yeah, right! Carry on, Mummy," Olive put her fist under her head and, all defiant, rolled up her eyes.
"Look, you're in Arkhangelsk now. So what? Are you happy? Saltikov has dumped you, and your friends... They've got their own lives. Sure, when you come visiting for a while people surround you, life turns into a festival, but all good things come to an end sooner or later. Another couple of months and you'll have enough. Things will be the same as in Moscow, even harder for you for you have no home in this city. Olya, you'll blow out very soon. And go running back to your mum's in Moscow..."
"No, it's so terrible!" Olive shook all over, buried her head in the pillow and burst into sobs. "I don't want to live like that..."
Nickey got out of bed and reached for the switch to turn off the light.
"Everybody lives like that. You'll get used to it."