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Authors: D. P. Schroeder
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The merchant showed no emotion.
“Did you have a figure in mind?”
“One point four,” James said flatly.
“Oh my,” the merchant said, holding his hands in the air. “I couldn’t possibly go above six hundred.”
“One point two.” James was genuinely amused by this back and forth ritual.
The merchant’s mind raced: He knew he could quickly resell the precious gems for a nice profit. But the wily veteran stiffened his posture, hoped to keep the price low.
“Eight,” he countered, his face like a sphinx.
“One million. Take it or leave it.”
The merchant exhaled, rolling a stone between his index finger and thumb. He locked eyes with James.
“I take it.”
James handed a slip of paper across the table which had wire instructions for transferring the sale proceeds to an account in Switzerland. An hour later, the transaction was completed and he moved on to the next merchant on the list.
And so it went.
Having conducted his business in the district, James was exhausted and hungry. He met up with Kate and they enjoyed a nice dinner at the Dome restaurant in Antwerp. The architecture of the Art Nouveau building presented a splendid atmosphere, complimented by delicious cuisine. After dessert, Kate went to the ladies room, and James leafed through confirmations of wire transfers received by the bank in Switzerland. He had opened the account several years ago using a falsified Swiss passport.
Returning to Paris, they strolled lazily along the wide avenues where Kate shopped and James wandered nearby, pretending to be interested. When they got back to the hotel, Kate showered first, and ten minutes later James emerged from the bathroom. He saw Kate lying on the bed, looking sexy in a white silk negligee she had purchased on the sly earlier in the day.
The atmosphere was more romantic than any he could imagine: a light breeze gently rustled through the trees along the river Seine, a golden twilight suffusing the room. Through open windows, the scent of jasmine hung in the air, and the rhythm of historic Paris beat along ancient cobblestones.
Kate beckoned with her eyes.
What can I say? I’m hooked.
________________
They flew into Dulles International the following morning, and though the brief respite in Paris had taken the edge off, both of them knew it would not last.
Kate chewed on a fingernail.
James took Kate by the arm as they got out of a taxi in Georgetown and walked a few blocks to Ms. Van der Meer’s before slipping inside Bell’s passage. A few Minutes later they came up the basement stairs of the townhouse, deciding to settle in a couple of chairs on the front porch.
“My head is still in the clouds,” she began.
James slipped his hand in hers.
“Thanks for doing this. You’re the best.”
“How did we make out?”
He was still thinking about her passion and the hotel bedroom in Paris.
“Huh?”
His expression gave him away.
“The diamonds, silly.”
“Oh that, cleared just under nine million.”
“Wow. That should help.”
“I hope so.”
He paused.
“Alec Specter is the key to this, Kate. We need to know what he knows.”
She shifted in her chair.
“Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just sit here and relax, like we used to do?”
“I feel the same way. By the way, how’s Daniel?”
“I’ve been checking in on a regular basis. No change so far.”
Both of them were thinking about the money in the Swiss bank account.
We’re going to need it.
CHAPTER 17
K ate and James had no illusions about Alec Specter and the methods he brought to bear in conducting his affairs. Among their concerns were the cleverness the man had displayed and the extensive measures he had taken to conceal his actions.
He’s going to be a hard nut to crack.
Kate poured some coffee and handed a cup to James.
“What’s the next move?”
“These assassins are obviously professionals, right?”
She nodded.
“They’re organized, which requires
The merchant showed no emotion.
“Did you have a figure in mind?”
“One point four,” James said flatly.
“Oh my,” the merchant said, holding his hands in the air. “I couldn’t possibly go above six hundred.”
“One point two.” James was genuinely amused by this back and forth ritual.
The merchant’s mind raced: He knew he could quickly resell the precious gems for a nice profit. But the wily veteran stiffened his posture, hoped to keep the price low.
“Eight,” he countered, his face like a sphinx.
“One million. Take it or leave it.”
The merchant exhaled, rolling a stone between his index finger and thumb. He locked eyes with James.
“I take it.”
James handed a slip of paper across the table which had wire instructions for transferring the sale proceeds to an account in Switzerland. An hour later, the transaction was completed and he moved on to the next merchant on the list.
And so it went.
Having conducted his business in the district, James was exhausted and hungry. He met up with Kate and they enjoyed a nice dinner at the Dome restaurant in Antwerp. The architecture of the Art Nouveau building presented a splendid atmosphere, complimented by delicious cuisine. After dessert, Kate went to the ladies room, and James leafed through confirmations of wire transfers received by the bank in Switzerland. He had opened the account several years ago using a falsified Swiss passport.
Returning to Paris, they strolled lazily along the wide avenues where Kate shopped and James wandered nearby, pretending to be interested. When they got back to the hotel, Kate showered first, and ten minutes later James emerged from the bathroom. He saw Kate lying on the bed, looking sexy in a white silk negligee she had purchased on the sly earlier in the day.
The atmosphere was more romantic than any he could imagine: a light breeze gently rustled through the trees along the river Seine, a golden twilight suffusing the room. Through open windows, the scent of jasmine hung in the air, and the rhythm of historic Paris beat along ancient cobblestones.
Kate beckoned with her eyes.
What can I say? I’m hooked.
________________
They flew into Dulles International the following morning, and though the brief respite in Paris had taken the edge off, both of them knew it would not last.
Kate chewed on a fingernail.
James took Kate by the arm as they got out of a taxi in Georgetown and walked a few blocks to Ms. Van der Meer’s before slipping inside Bell’s passage. A few Minutes later they came up the basement stairs of the townhouse, deciding to settle in a couple of chairs on the front porch.
“My head is still in the clouds,” she began.
James slipped his hand in hers.
“Thanks for doing this. You’re the best.”
“How did we make out?”
He was still thinking about her passion and the hotel bedroom in Paris.
“Huh?”
His expression gave him away.
“The diamonds, silly.”
“Oh that, cleared just under nine million.”
“Wow. That should help.”
“I hope so.”
He paused.
“Alec Specter is the key to this, Kate. We need to know what he knows.”
She shifted in her chair.
“Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just sit here and relax, like we used to do?”
“I feel the same way. By the way, how’s Daniel?”
“I’ve been checking in on a regular basis. No change so far.”
Both of them were thinking about the money in the Swiss bank account.
We’re going to need it.
CHAPTER 17
K ate and James had no illusions about Alec Specter and the methods he brought to bear in conducting his affairs. Among their concerns were the cleverness the man had displayed and the extensive measures he had taken to conceal his actions.
He’s going to be a hard nut to crack.
Kate poured some coffee and handed a cup to James.
“What’s the next move?”
“These assassins are obviously professionals, right?”
She nodded.
“They’re organized, which requires
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