Straker read aloud: ‘Moscow CTO? What is C–T–O?’
‘If pronounced “Sto”,’ replied the researcher in a full Russian accent, ‘it means “a hundred”.’
Straker looked quizzical.
‘We think it refers to a length of time. At the time this bid was made, it had been exactly one hundred years since the last Russian Grand Prix – held in Saint Petersburg, in 1914.’
‘That long ago? What's strange, then, about Moscow 100?’
Another piece of paper was handed over.
Pokrovsky said: ‘There were four individuals involved with Moscow 100 at the time of the bid. One of these, the highest-profile, was Yegor Baryshnikov – as we told you this afternoon.’
Straker nodded. ‘Presumably having the leading Russian racing driver on board would be a valuable asset to such a bid?’
‘It is, which is why we have been intrigued by some of the news we have discovered since. Baryshnikov was ousted from the board of Moscow 100 at the end of last year.’
‘Ousted? He didn’t just resign?’
There was a shake of the head. ‘We haven’t been able to discover any reasons. The “strange” bit, though, is how what happened to him fits in with other things we have uncovered about Moscow 100.’
‘And what are those?’
‘Of the three other board members, one was a man called Feodor Olyshenko. Olyshenko was as influential as it got, having been a past president of the RAF – the Russian Automobile Federation.’
‘Another big name – presumably having the head of the sport's national governing body as part of this bid would add weight, I imagine. Was he still on the board of the Automobile Federation at the time?’
‘No. He’d been fired from the RAF shortly before he got involved with Moscow 100.’
‘Fired as president?’
‘And the board.’
‘At the same time?’
‘In a fairly dramatic way.’
‘Fired for what? Impropriety? Some sort of scandal?’
‘We’ll let you draw your own conclusions,’ replied the researcher. ‘We have found out that he was fired on the direct instructions of the president.’
‘The president? The president of what?’
‘The president of Russia.’
Straker's face instantly gave away his surprise. ‘What the hell was the president doing intervening in the management of a sport's governing body?’
The researcher handed over another piece of paper showing a photocopied newspaper cutting. ‘Olyshenko was opposed to the country's bid for the Grand Prix going to Sochi,’ Pokrovsky explained, ‘Sochi, of course, being the other venue…’
‘…which was being championed by the president?’
‘…indeed, and which did end up hosting the first modern Russian Grand Prix in 2014. It seems that throughout Olyshenko's time as head of the Automobile Federation, he – very publicly – withheld his and the RAF's support for the race going there.’
‘Do we know why?’
There were shaking heads on the other side of the table.
‘What else do you know about this difference of opinion … this showdown between Olyshenko and the president?’
‘Not much more at this stage,’ said the lead researcher.
‘Can we look into it further? This clash is extraordinary, isn’t it? Something very odd must have been going on between them?’
‘Indeed.’
‘It would be really useful to go and have a chat with Olyshenko. He could help us get to the bottom of this. Can we find out how to get hold of him?’
‘I’m afraid that won’t be possible,’ said one of the researchers.
‘We can’t find his contact details?’ asked McMahon.
‘Oh, we know exactly where he is.’
‘Well then?’
‘He's in the cemetery at Vagankovskoye.’
‘What?’ said McMahon. ‘How did he die?’
