Read Online Peccadillo - A Katla Novel (Amsterdam Assassin Series Book 2) by Martyn V. Halm - Free Book Online Page A

is closed at that time of night. After that he went to this place, opposite the Stopera, where he stayed for almost fifteen minutes. I guess that’s a taxi rank.”
    “So she got out at the last spot? Artis?” Chen narrowed his eyes at the screen. “Or the Oostelijke Eilanden, right?”
    “The taxi stopped in the middle, between KNSM Laan and the Java area. So she got out there, or Artis, or at the taxi rank.”
    “And where is he now?” Nicky asked.
    “At the 24-7 Texaco near the Sarphatistraat.” Feng smiled. “His lunch break, I guess. I think he’ll head back to the taxi rank near Stopera again.”
    Chen nodded. “I’ll bring the car around.”
    -o-
    Taxi 234 came from Meester Visserplein and turned onto the taxi rank. Nicky had been sheltering against the rain under the canopy at the entrance of the Stopera. City Hall was closed, but the opera house part of the Stopera wasn’t, so it was still busy enough for the driver to feel safe. Even so, Nicky had opted to go alone. He crossed the bicycle path and walked up to the taxi. The driver was about his age, his dark hair slicked back, unshaven with dark smudges under his eyes.  
    Nicky opened the passenger door of the Mercedes and got in. “Hard night, pal?”
    “Just tired,” the driver replied and started the car. “Where to?”
    “Stopera,” Nicky replied. “So you might as well kill your engine.”
    The driver turned the ignition key and the engine died. He looked Nicky up and down and said, “You’re looking for the woman I took to the harbour.”
    “You know where she lives?”
    “I picked her up at World Trade Center, where I dropped off another fare. After the meeting at the harbour, I dropped her off at Java Eiland.”
    “Did you see where she went from there?”
    “KNSM Laan.” The driver nodded to himself. “Pretty sure she went into the third building on the right.”
    Nicky nodded with encouragement. “She paid cash?”
    “Yes.” The driver smiled. “Good tipper, too.”
    “So am I.” Nicky handed him a twenty. “So, after you dropped her off?”
    “I came back here.”
    That was not what the GPS tracker said. “You didn’t pick up another fare?”
    “No, I came straight back here.”
    So the woman left his taxi at Artis. Or he would’ve mentioned it.  
    Nicky smiled. “You’re a regular at this rank?”
    “Yes, I am.”
    “We’re still looking for the woman.” Nicky handed him an old business card. “If you see her again or manage to find out where she lives, give me a call.”
    He got out and crossed the road to the car. Chen opened the passenger door and pulled away as soon as he got in. As they drove back to the restaurant, Chen looked sideways and said, “Did he object?”
    “To being questioned?” Nicky shook his head. “He expected me. Or someone like me. I think Sieltjes warned him, he had his story down.”
    “He didn’t know where he dropped her off?”
    “He knew exactly where he dropped her off. Java Eiland.” Nicky smiled. “He saw her walk down the KNSM Laan and enter the third building on the right, then went straight back to this taxi rank.”
    “Right. He waits and watches her walk to a building while he could’ve dropped her off at her front door?” Chen’s eyes twinkled. “Feng was right, that was a ruse.”
    Nicky nodded. “He also lied about the location where he picked her up, and he failed to mention stopping at Artis.”
    “Where did he pick her up?”
    “WTC, where he just dropped off another fare.”
    “WTC? Late in the evening, while she has no offices there?” Chen shook his head. “Highly improbable. You think he left her at Artis?”
    “The zoo is closed at night. No reason to drop someone off at Artis unless they live in that neighbourhood.” Nicky shrugged. “I gave him incentive to call me if he had more info.”
    “We can find him again,” Chen said. “And pressure him, if necessary.”
    “Sieltjes lives in the Plantage area. I doubt if we’ll get much