On Point

By Bob Gabbert

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Copyright

Copyright © 2015 by Bob Gabbert

All rights reserved, except as permitted under the US Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior written permission by the publisher.

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e-Book Edition: April 2015

The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

About the Book

Anna Pavlova Krylov is a direct descendant of the world famous prima ballerina Anna Pavlova and is given her name. Her mother focuses her life on ballet from early childhood to the exclusion of all else.

When Anna is judged to have less talent than a ballerina must have by Julliard and the American Academy of Ballet, it does not deter her. Rather it makes her even more determined to achieve her dream and prove them wrong.

She dances in the corps de ballet of the San Francisco Ballet Company, but doesn’t become a ballerina. She accepts a ballerina role with a small road-ballet company riding a bus between performances in small towns. She works harder than anyone else, and at last the Pacific Northwest Ballet Company selects her to understudy the ballerina in Giselle, the opening ballet of the season. On the eve of her success, she literally breaks her leg ending her dancing career and sending her into painful rehabilitation and despair.

Untrained for anything but ballet, she hides away on San Juan Island in Puget Sound to make the life-changing decision that has been forced upon her. That is when fate steps in. A chance discovery of a large ransom thrusts her into a world of kidnapping, murder, deception, and love.

Table of Contents

Title Page

About the Book

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-Two

Acknowledgement

About the Author

Chapter One

Anna Pavlova Krylov was born on 3 April 1974, in Brighton Beach, a suburb of Brooklyn, New York. Anna was named after the great prima ballerina, Anna Pavlova, and she would forever be influenced by that fact.

Anna Matveyevna Pavlovna Pavlova was widely regarded as one of the greatest prima ballerinas of all time. She was born in 1881, in Saint Petersburg of Imperial Russia. She became a prima ballerina with the Imperial Russian Ballet and other noted companies. She performed some of the greatest ballets of all time in halls all around the world. For a time she lived in London and greatly influenced development of ballet in the United Kingdom. She lived in Boston from 1914 to 1917, and danced with the Boston Grand Opera Company. In a tour of the Netherlands in 1931, she developed pneumonia and was told she needed an operation that would end her dancing career. She refused the operation saying, If I can’t dance, then I would rather be dead. She died just before her fiftieth birthday.

Anna Pavlova was not only one of the most noted prima ballerinas of all time, but she also influenced dance, choreography, and women’s styles around the world. Perhaps her greatest influence was on the many dancers who claimed to be her direct descendants. Even those who did not have enough talent to actually become ballerinas invariably ended up teaching ballet and promoting her style.

One who ultimately became a ballet teacher was Malvina Pavlova. Malvina was born in Leningrad, Russia, but no one in her family would ever refer to the city by that name. To the Pavlova family the city would always be Saint Petersburg, even during the 900-day siege by the German Army in World War II that cut off the city from the rest of the world.

Malvina’s mother, Anna, a ballet teacher who claimed to know the prima ballerina personally, pushed Malvina to become the star she never could be herself. Malvina’s mother and father were among more than 600,000 people who starved to death during the German siege of the city.

After the war, young Malvina was brought to America by relatives who lived in Brighten Beach where many Russian immigrants had settled. By the time Malvina was 18, she was aware that she was not talented enough to become a ballerina, so she became a teacher at the Kanatova Ballet School in Brooklyn. When she was 24, she met Sergei Krylov, 36, at a local dance club. It was as if they had been looking for each other their entire lives. A year later they were married, and three years after that their daughter, Anna Pavlova Krylov, was born. In the tradition of females in her line, she would carry on the name and the history of the prima ballerina.

Anna loved to dance just as most children do, but she had far more talent for it than other children. She often went with her mother to the Kanatova Ballet School, and by the time she was five, she was dancing with much older children.

"Anna, don’t eat that!" was endlessly heard around the Krylov family home, because Malvina knew first hand that all prima ballerinas were rail thin, and so it was Anna’s destiny that she remain slim and trim.

Anna became the star at the Kanatova Ballet School, and when she was 17, she received a scholarship to The Juilliard School. Just being accepted at Juilliard was cause for celebration, because only about seven percent of those who applied were accepted and even fewer were given scholarships.

You are on your way, my beautiful Anna, Malvina said, taking her daughter’s pretty face in both hands and kissing her on the lips. "You will achieve what I could never hope to. You will make Anna Pavlova proud of our family. You will make the world sit up and take notice. Your stage name will of course be Anna Pavlova."

Why can’t her stage name be Anna Krylov? her father asked with a frown.

Malvina put her arms around Sergei and kissed him. "We will know that she is Anna Krylov, but the world must know that she is a direct descendant of the greatest ballerina who ever lived."

He smiled. If it will make you happy, my love, then Anna Pavlova it will be.

Anna watched her parents kiss without embarrassment, because she had grown up enveloped in their love for each other and for her. She looked forward with great expectation to the fall when she would enter Juilliard.

Greta was a stern ballet teacher of the old school at Juilliard. Her philosophy was that hard work could overcome deficiencies in talent, but that even the most talented had to learn discipline if she was to ever become a ballerina. There were no laggards in her classes.

She watched the new group of ballet dancers with a stern eye. She saw a young woman on the balls of her feet. She went to her and shouted, En pointe, en pointe! She grabbed the young woman by the arm and pulled her out of line. "This is ballet not rugby. En pointe means on the tips of the toes! Watch Anna Pavlova and learn."

She gestured to Anna, and Anna went into a perfect en pointe. "You see? Assume the position. You will stay on point for 30 minutes, and you will not move a muscle!"

It was obvious that the young woman was in pain when she went en pointe. That made no difference to Greta. If I see you move or come down even one time, you’re out. Do you hear me?!

The young woman ran from the room in tears.

Greta lifted her chin and folded her arms. She looked at her students. "Good! Now perhaps you will understand that ballet is not a hobby. It is life! It is 100% effort... for life! Demi, if I see you eating again between meals, you’re out."

Anna was the star pupil at Juilliard the first year, and then it happened. Malvina had come to Juilliard to watch Anna dance. On the way home, the subway train derailed killing Malvina and six others. Anna was devastated. Her entire life had been dedicated to honoring her mother’s ambition for her.

Devastated could not describe the loss Sergei felt. Malvina had been his entire life since the day they met. He never went to taverns after work with his friends, because he couldn’t wait to get home to his soul mate. His heart and hers beat with the same rhythm. He would rather be with her than be with anyone else in the world.

He was 59 when his beloved Malvina was killed. He went into a tailspin that lasted the rest of his life. He drank heavily and rarely came home before he was drunk. He could not bear to come home without seeing Malvina waiting for him at the door. On 14 July 1994, Sergei’s body was pulled out of Dead Horse Bay. It was thought that he was drunk and fell into the bay accidently.

Anna knew that his life may have ended that day in the bay, but he died the moment Malvina was killed.

She was alone now. The only thing she had left was ballet, but she was no longer the star of the class at Juilliard. The strong foundation that the Kanatova School and her mother had given her put her well ahead of others the first year, but as the end of her third year approached, she was called into the office of the artistic director of ballet.

Anna, I know these past two years have been frightful for you with the loss of both your mother and father, but I’m afraid I have more bad news.

Oh no! They’re going to drop me. She began to silently weep.

Anna, you’ve been on scholarship for three years. I hate to be the one to tell you this, but it is in your own best interest that you hear the truth. You do not have the talent to become a ballerina. We must award your scholarship to a student with more talent.

"I can dance better. I know I can. I’ll work twice as hard. I’ve just had… I’ve just lost so much. Please, give me another chance."

I’m sorry, Anna. You can stay at Juilliard until the end of the year on scholarship, but it will not be possible next year. You’re welcome to come back next year and graduate with your class if you can pay your own way. I hope you will, because your work ethic is one of the best in the school.

I don’t have any money. I can’t continue without a scholarship. You promised my mother—

We promised your mother to give you the scholarship when you enrolled, but Anna, you have to earn it to keep it—all students do.

Anna packed her few meager belongings and left Juilliard at the end of her third year. She spent the summer living in the empty house where she grew up. She worked as a student teacher during the summer at the same school where her mother taught.

The school offered her a permanent teaching position. "I can’t stop dancing. Don’t you understand? It’s my life. My mother would never forgive me if I gave up. I can’t give up. I just can’t. I will be a ballerina someday. You wait and see."

With her grades from Juilliard, Anna was able to obtain a scholarship at the American Ballet School also located in New York City. However, when she graduated, the artistic dean told her, Anna, you need to lower your sights, because you don’t have the talent to become a ballerina. There are many very good ballet companies in America who need dancers like you in their corps de ballet. There are some very good dancers in the corps all across America. I realize it’s not what you would like to do, but it will keep you involved in ballet. Isn’t that what’s most important?

"Dean, I appreciate your being honest with me, but I will become a ballerina if I have to work my legs down to stubs. I will become a ballerina. I could never accept a lesser role. I am a descendant of Anna Pavlova."

Dean Clark studied her pretty face and determined expression for a moment. Her long and graceful arms and legs were ideal for a ballerina. Her work ethic was the best in the school, but becoming a ballerina requires that extra indefinable something that Anna did not have.

He picked up a folder from the side of his desk. Anna, I want you to succeed almost as much as you do, but in case you have to wait awhile before your big break comes, I have prepared a list of contacts with artistic directors in several very successful companies.

He stood up and took her hand and studied her long and graceful fingers. Anna, I pray that you become the success you so desperately need. Thank you for your hard work. I hope you will drop me a line from time to time and let me know how you’re doing. Will you be going back to Brighton Beach for the summer?

No. They foreclosed on our home. It’s gone. I’m thinking about trying my luck on the West Coast.

Good. I’ve included the San Francisco and Los Angeles ballet companies in the folder. Good luck, Anna. I’ll miss you.

Two days later, 22-year-old Anna Krylov got on a Greyhound bus for San Francisco. The trip took 76 hours, but she didn’t have the money to fly or take a train.

Chapter Two

David Carlson was born in Seattle on 4 May 1963. His father was a wealthy real estate developer responsible for some of the more important buildings in Seattle. Elaine Strickland was also born in Seattle, but she was born on 12 August 1967. They did not met until David was a senior at Queen Anne High School and Elaine was a freshman. When they met, it was love at first sight for both of them.

Many people call love at their age puppy love, but two days after Elaine graduated from high school, she married David, and they lived in married-student housing at the University of Washington until David graduated with a degree in corporate finance. Elaine continued at UW while David went for his master of economics degree at Stanford. He flew to Seattle each weekend to be with Elaine. It was the longest period of separation they would ever have.

In 1987 when David received his master’s degree from Stanford and Elaine graduated from UW, they both joined his father’s real estate development company known as Carlson Development, LLC.

Everyone knew that David would take over the business when his father retired, and he was well prepared for the task. Elaine was as talented as David in the business. She specialized in developing condominium buildings that were just becoming popular in Seattle and surrounding cities.

Elaine and David were soul mates, that rare occurrence when the other’s happiness was more important than their own. They had wealth, but it would have been the same if they had been struggling to pay the rent. The one thing they could not accomplish was having a baby. They tried for years, ran all of the tests, tried all of the procedures, but it was determined that Elaine could not have a baby.

They talked about adoption, surrogate mothers, and other possibilities, but they didn’t act on any of them. It might have driven a wedge between some married couples, but not David and Elaine. They loved each other too much for anything to come between them. Instead, they set up the Carlson Foundation with Elaine as the director and funded a research chair at the University of Washington to study women with similar problems.

"Do you think she’s pretty?" Elaine asked, as a beautiful woman wearing a string bikini came toward them on a Maui beach in Hawaii.

Another married man might have been afraid to give an honest answer to that question, but not David. He knew that Elaine actually wanted his opinion. He raised his head and looked at the woman. Yes, she’s very pretty—boobs are too big for my taste, but she’s very pretty.

I think she’s had enhancement surgery.

I think she has too. Some doctor was paid big bucks for those.

Elaine rolled over on her stomach and looked at David. Do you think I’m too small?

David put his arm over her. You were a skinny little freshman when I first saw you back at Queen Anne. You hardly had any boobs at all, but you knocked my socks off. If God gave me all of the power in the world, I wouldn’t change a single thing about you.

Not anything?

Not a thing. You are my reason for living.

Another beautiful young woman came by. Would you like to have sex with that one?

What is this mood you’re in? Why are you asking all of these questions?

Would you?

Elaine, there’s not a man alive that doesn’t want to have sex with every beautiful woman he sees. The question you should be asking, is would I? The answer is that I absolutely would not, because I know it would hurt you. What’s wrong? Talk to me.

She shrugged. I’m 32 now and I guess I know my biological clock is running down. Tears moistened her eyes. I guess I’ve never quite given up on giving you a son.

We can still hire that woman we talked to. They’re making many babies now with in vitro and surrogate mothers.

"I know,