Read Online Heartland by David Hagberg - Free Book Online Page A

checked in at the Hôtel de Paris in Monte Carlo. He had left Lydia there early in the afternoon, and he expected that she had immediately telephoned her father with the information.
    Saratt had driven with him out to the airport, and on the way he had seemed disturbed.
    â€œOut with it, Paul,” Newman had said.
    Saratt glanced at him. “With what?”
    â€œYou’ve got a bug up your ass. Lydia?”
    â€œShe’ll call Jorge … probably is on the phone right now.”
    Newman looked out at the city, and nodded. “Probably.”
    â€œDon’t you care?” Saratt asked. He was exasperated.
    Newman turned back. “Yes, I do care. Very much. But it doesn’t change a thing. She’s my wife.”
    â€œDespite what could happen to your business?”
    â€œLeave it alone, Paul.”
    â€œJesus! At least let me cover our—”
    Newman cut him off. “Don’t say what I think you’re going to say. Don’t ever say it to me. You’re my friend, as well as my closest business associate. If you have to do something to protect our business, something I shouldn’t know about, then do it. But don’t ever tell me or Lydia what you’ve done. Clear?”
    â€œClear,” Saratt said glumly. “But it’s a hell of a way to do things.”

    Newman had not picked up on that remark, and they had dropped the subject, turning instead to the information the Newman Company’s affiliates had gathered on Dybrovik and the upcoming meeting.
    From their meteorologist at Fairbanks, Alaska, Saratt had received confirmation that the best prediction was for an early, cold winter all along the Soviet East European Plain, the Ust’-Urt Plateau, and the West Siberian Plain, which could mean a shorter growing season for the Russians at best, or, at worst, a widespread disaster in which much of the Russian wheat and corn crops would be lost.
    Saratt had sounded a cautionary note on that point, however.
    â€œBender stressed the fact that the long-range forecast was entirely his doing, and that there has already been quite a bit of heated discussion about it.”
    â€œThey might have good weather?”
    â€œFifty-fifty.”
    â€œIf Dybrovik is aware of that, he just might be hedging his bets after all.”
    â€œIt’s a possibility, but there’s something even more worrisome. Everyone is mum about the Soviet winter and spring planting. We couldn’t even get a noncommittal statement out of them. Not average, below average, or above. Not even if the crops were in yet. Nothing.”
    â€œAnother Great Grain Robbery?”
    â€œIt’s a distinct possibility,” Saratt said.
    â€œI wouldn’t think they’d have the hard currencies available to them. Not after Afghanistan, or their five-year revitalization project in Cuba. They’ve pumped a lot of money into those projects.”

    â€œWe checked with Eurobank on a routine money-transfer verification. We tried once at a mil five American, and again at eight-point-seven million West German marks.”
    â€œBoth were verified?”
    â€œImmediately. Dybrovik has got at least four million American on call. Possibly a lot more. And even more significantly, there were no holds or blinds on his account. They didn’t give a damn that we were obviously checking on them.”
    â€œHe’s in Geneva to do business, then.”
    â€œExactly,” Saratt said. “But what kind of business, and how much?”
    â€œI guess we’ll see,” Newman said. “What about Dybrovik himself? Anything?”
    â€œThe usual. He’s been screwing around again, this last time back in Montreal.”
    â€œAnything we can use?”
    A sour look came over Saratt’s face. “She’s a young girl. College student, working nights to help support her expensive habits. Unless you want to upset her apple cart, there’s nothing we can or