Read Online Red Alert by Alistair MacLean - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Alistair MacLean
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pillar in the middle of the I foyer. Paluzzi identified himself to the receptionist and! asked her to have his deputy report to the foyer. He thenj crossed to where Graham was standing beside the pillar.
'What were your men doing here last night?' Graham j asked.
'Trying to find out who was paying Wiseman for thej virus. They concealed themselves in the building late yes-1 terday afternoon and waited until the management team} had left before going through each of their offices in turn.'!
'How did they get past the closed-circuit television j cameras?'
Pal uzzi gave him a knowing smile. 'Some of these systems j can go on the blink at the most inopportune moments.'
'Point taken.'
'We're sure to take some flak when the MD finds outl what's happened but we'll weather the storm. We always j do.'
The lift doors opened and a tall, dark-haired man] emerged into the foyer. Graham doubted he was much older!
60
than Sabrina. Paluzzi introduced him as Lieutenant Angelo Marco, his personal adjutant for the past seven months.
'Pleased to meet you, sir,' Marco said, shaking [Graham's hand.
I 'Call me Mike,' Graham told him. ; 'Well, did you find anything?' Paluzzi asked. [ 'Yes, sir, but we're going to have a job proving it.' fMarco jabbed his thumb upwards. 'We've got a more ^immediate problem on our hands. The MD's been ranting land raging at me ever since he got here an hour ago. He paid he wanted to see you the moment you arrived.' | 'What did you find?'
I Marco pushed the button for the lift. 'The senior sales pnanager has received four payments of eighty million lire pn the past year. And each time he withdrew sixty-four ; million lire, in cash, on the same day that the cheques |were cleared through his account.' ; The lift arrived.
; 'How much is eighty million lire in dollars?' Graham asked.
If: 'It's about twenty-five thousand dollars,' Marco said, pressing the button for the top floor. He looked at Paluzzi. ;'The cheques were all issued by Nikki Karos.' f 'Karos?' Paluzzi said thoughtfully. 'That's interesting.' f 'Who's this Karos?' Graham asked. r 'One of the wealthiest arms dealers in the Aegean,' Paluzzi replied. 'He does most of his business in the Middle [East.'
&I 'So if this sales manager was the middleman between |Karos and Wiseman, who's to say Karos wasn't acting on behalf of a Middle Eastern client? Iran? Iraq? One of the ^Lebanese factions? The list's endless.' I* 'That's what we've got to find out,' Paluzzi replied. I'JBut first we've got to pacify an angry MD.'
t 61
The doors parted and they emerged into a beige carpeted corridor. Marco led them to a door and entered without knocking. The secretary looked up from her typewriter. Her smile faltered when she saw Marco. Paluzzi rapped loudly on one of the double doors and entered the inner office without waiting for a reply.
The managing director sat behind a large oak desk. The nameplate identified him as Daniel Chidenko.
'I'm Major Paluzzi, I believe you wanted to see me?'
The secretary hurried into the room. 'I'm sorry, Mr Chidenko, they just walked in - '
'It's okay, Margarita,' Chidenko cut in, his hand raised. 'It's not your fault.'
The secretary left the room, closing the door behind her.j
'You don't have to speak English to me, Major. I mayj be American but I am fluent in your language.'
'Mr Graham here doesn't speak Italian.'
Chidenko removed a cigarette from the silver box onj his desk and lit it. 'Mike Graham. Our head office in Ne York told me you were coming.'
'I'm impressed,' Graham replied. 'At least there's or efficient employee in the company. You should have then transferred out here.'
Chidenko ignored Graham's sarcasm and looked Paluzzi. 'I want to know on whose authority your me broke into the seven offices on this floor, including own, and went through the contents of the wallsafes?'
'Mine,' Paluzzi replied.
'May I see a search warrant?'
'I don't need one,' Paluzzi replied defiantly.
'Really?' Chidenko tapped the ash
'What were your men doing here last night?' Graham j asked.
'Trying to find out who was paying Wiseman for thej virus. They concealed themselves in the building late yes-1 terday afternoon and waited until the management team} had left before going through each of their offices in turn.'!
'How did they get past the closed-circuit television j cameras?'
Pal uzzi gave him a knowing smile. 'Some of these systems j can go on the blink at the most inopportune moments.'
'Point taken.'
'We're sure to take some flak when the MD finds outl what's happened but we'll weather the storm. We always j do.'
The lift doors opened and a tall, dark-haired man] emerged into the foyer. Graham doubted he was much older!
60
than Sabrina. Paluzzi introduced him as Lieutenant Angelo Marco, his personal adjutant for the past seven months.
'Pleased to meet you, sir,' Marco said, shaking [Graham's hand.
I 'Call me Mike,' Graham told him. ; 'Well, did you find anything?' Paluzzi asked. [ 'Yes, sir, but we're going to have a job proving it.' fMarco jabbed his thumb upwards. 'We've got a more ^immediate problem on our hands. The MD's been ranting land raging at me ever since he got here an hour ago. He paid he wanted to see you the moment you arrived.' | 'What did you find?'
I Marco pushed the button for the lift. 'The senior sales pnanager has received four payments of eighty million lire pn the past year. And each time he withdrew sixty-four ; million lire, in cash, on the same day that the cheques |were cleared through his account.' ; The lift arrived.
; 'How much is eighty million lire in dollars?' Graham asked.
If: 'It's about twenty-five thousand dollars,' Marco said, pressing the button for the top floor. He looked at Paluzzi. ;'The cheques were all issued by Nikki Karos.' f 'Karos?' Paluzzi said thoughtfully. 'That's interesting.' f 'Who's this Karos?' Graham asked. r 'One of the wealthiest arms dealers in the Aegean,' Paluzzi replied. 'He does most of his business in the Middle [East.'
&I 'So if this sales manager was the middleman between |Karos and Wiseman, who's to say Karos wasn't acting on behalf of a Middle Eastern client? Iran? Iraq? One of the ^Lebanese factions? The list's endless.' I* 'That's what we've got to find out,' Paluzzi replied. I'JBut first we've got to pacify an angry MD.'
t 61
The doors parted and they emerged into a beige carpeted corridor. Marco led them to a door and entered without knocking. The secretary looked up from her typewriter. Her smile faltered when she saw Marco. Paluzzi rapped loudly on one of the double doors and entered the inner office without waiting for a reply.
The managing director sat behind a large oak desk. The nameplate identified him as Daniel Chidenko.
'I'm Major Paluzzi, I believe you wanted to see me?'
The secretary hurried into the room. 'I'm sorry, Mr Chidenko, they just walked in - '
'It's okay, Margarita,' Chidenko cut in, his hand raised. 'It's not your fault.'
The secretary left the room, closing the door behind her.j
'You don't have to speak English to me, Major. I mayj be American but I am fluent in your language.'
'Mr Graham here doesn't speak Italian.'
Chidenko removed a cigarette from the silver box onj his desk and lit it. 'Mike Graham. Our head office in Ne York told me you were coming.'
'I'm impressed,' Graham replied. 'At least there's or efficient employee in the company. You should have then transferred out here.'
Chidenko ignored Graham's sarcasm and looked Paluzzi. 'I want to know on whose authority your me broke into the seven offices on this floor, including own, and went through the contents of the wallsafes?'
'Mine,' Paluzzi replied.
'May I see a search warrant?'
'I don't need one,' Paluzzi replied defiantly.
'Really?' Chidenko tapped the ash
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