Read Online The Spanish Connection by Nick Carter - Free Book Online

first two meetings."
    "Got it."
    "That's it, then," said Kelly. "Good luck."
    "Hold on. How's Tina?"
    "Coming along."
    "When wall she be going to the resort?"
    "No telling. Hernández hasn't released her yet, nor has he said when he would."
    "Anything on Parson?"
    "Negative."
    "Elena Morales?"
    "Likewise."
    "You guys sure work hard for a living, don't you?"
    "Aw, Nick!"
* * *
    About four in the afternoon I rolled off the bed and got into my ski pants, shirt, and sweater.
    Skiers were still on the slopes. I could see red-jacketed men, green-jacketed girls, jacketed figures of both sexes, coming down the lanes of the lowest level. Past the engine house for the lowest slope of cable cars I could see the second slope rising past the Borreguilas in the big sweep all the way to the top of the highest run — on the Veleta.
    The cable cars were still operating, going up and down simultaneously, passing each other, going up full, coming down empty. I glanced up at the engine house speculatively.
    Rico Corelli. If only I knew what he really looked like. The hotel was small — I could take up my station in the lobby and meet him without all this ridiculous cloak and dagger stuff so dearly loved by Hawk and his minions.
    Still. One man
had
already been killed. Rico Corelli was a big man on a dangerous mission. Security was important.
    I knocked on the door to Juana's half of the suite.
    "Yes?"
    "Let's go down, Juana."
    We went out together like husband and wife — an old married couple in whom the fires of sex and love had long ago died. The bachelor husband and the virgin wife.
* * *
    The air was cold but bracing. The snow appeared perfect for skiing, just a light layer of powder in the right places. No storm was predicted. Yet I could sense that there might be some snow that night.
    We sat at one of the last tables in the Prado and drank some hot chocolate with cognac. A party of four people came down from the slopes and parked their skis and poles against the wall of the snack bar and looked for a table and chairs.
    They were speaking German. I know some German, so I offered them half of our table. They took one look at Juana and hastily accepted. The party consisted of four men. One was in his forties and obviously the leader of the group; the other three were probably in their late thirties. The leader spoke German but was actually Swiss. The other three were mixed — one Dane and two Germans.
    They could not take their eyes off Juana, even after the
muchacho
brought them four steaming mugs of chocolate.
    "Herr Bruno Hauptli," said the big man, reaching out to shake my hand.
    "George Peabody. From the States."
    "Ah, yes! Of course. I did recognize something of an American accent in your German."
    "I apologize," I grinned. "This is Juana, my wife."
    "Such a lucky man!" exclaimed Bruno Hauptli, turning to his companions and explaining in German that she was married to me.
    "Ya, ya,"
said the two Germans as they stared at Juana. The Dane drooled into his chocolate.
    "You people ski tomorrow?" Herr Hauptli asked.
    Juana nodded. "We intend to."
    "Ah! I am not on the slopes tomorrow, but perhaps the next day — or the next!" Herr Hauptli slapped his thigh excitedly. "Why do we not make a duet of it — I mean, a trio," he said, remembering me.
    Juana sparkled. "I'd love it!"
    "Herr Peabody?"
    "Oh, love it, love it!"
    Everybody laughed because it was obvious that I would not love it.
    The talk churned on. Hauptli suddenly had Juana by the arm, was leading her off from the table and leaning down with her over his skis and poles. They were deep in some technical discussion about the lock device he had on his skis. Juana was bubbling and effervescent.
    "Herr Hauptli," I said in German to one of the younger men. "He is a businessman,
yap?"
    The German next to me was classically blue-eyed and blond-haired. "
Ya!
Herr Hauptli is one of the most successful businessmen in the Common Market," he said. "He has a great deal of