Outside Forces

by R E Swirsky

CHAPTER 52

  Wednesday 17:50 Paris, France

  Diane was secluded in the ensuite bathroom humming a French tune as she readied herself for dinner. The reservations at Lasserre were made nearly eight months ago. With two Michelin stars, tonight’s dinner at Lasserre was to be the highlight dinner of the entire trip. For Nathaniel, tonight’s meal held a special curiosity. He had acquired a taste for the finer foods as a result of that very first visit to Hotel La Sapiniere over twenty years ago. It had become habit for him ever since to compare every meal to the way Marcel Kretz may have prepared it with his mystic underlying tastes that tickled the palate and tricked the senses in every dish. Few restaurants were ever able to compare, but when they did, Nathaniel tucked the experience away where it would be recalled at a later date for another comparison. Diane might not have thought he was up to it, but Nathaniel was looking forward to this dinner as much as she was, maybe even more so this week in particular, as he desperately needed some respite from the turmoil happening back in Canada.

  His phone buzzed. It was Lucas.

  “Hi, Lucas. What have you got?”

  Diane heard him answer the phone and the humming in the ensuite stopped abruptly.

  “Kaito’s on the move. He left the hotel about an hour ago and is now holed up at Floyd’s Diner on Yates. Just thought you should know.”

  “Thanks for the update. I’m going to call him to let him know we’re watching him.”

  “Do you think that’s a good idea?”

  “I’m running out of ideas. It’s the only one I have at the moment. What damage can he do if he knows we’re watching? None.”

  “You’re probably right.”

  “Call me once he’s on his way again.”

  Nathaniel hung up, released a heavy sigh, and immediately called Kaito. Every call now seemed filled with lead, and the phone felt heavy as he lifted it to his ear. The call went straight to voicemail.

  “Kaito, it’s Nate. We’re watching everything you do. Please go back to your hotel and pack up. This has gone on long enough. And I’m not releasing Johnny until I hear from you. Your son’s pretty upset, so call me. You know the number.”

  Diane popped her head out of the ensuite before Nathaniel had tucked his phone away.

  “This isn’t going to start again, is it?”

  “What?” He knew what she meant and wasn’t sure how much of his conversation she overheard.

  “These phone calls.”

  She didn’t have to say any more. Her eyes said it all. She was on the verge of tears again. This night of all nights was one he didn’t dare mess up. She deserved better, and looking at her now almost made him break into tears of his own, but his business wasn’t finished yet. He wished he could stand down, but until Kaito was on retreat, his path was set. How could he just walk away?

  “No, of course not.”

  She remained at the door looking out at him. “So what is it this time?”

  “What? These calls?” He recognized by the tone of her voice that he had to answer correctly. “It’s just business,” he replied. “Nothing you would be interested in.”

  She hesitated only a second. Her voice was strained. “Since when did you start taking your business calls on a secret phone?” She stared at him, waiting for an answer. He wasn’t getting off that easily.

  “It’s complicated,” he said and looked down at his watch, “…but it is business. I promise. “He faked a grin. “We’re leaving for dinner soon, and there’s just not enough time to explain. It’s just business. I’ll explain tonight after dinner.”

  Diane was not happy with his answer, but she didn’t press for more and disappeared back into the ensuite. Her gleeful humming session was over.

  The cell phone buzzed in his hand again. “Damn it,” he whispered and put the phone up to his ear. He stepped towards the window to get as far away as he could from the ensuite. It amounted to only a few paces.

  “Hi, Jack. What now?”

  “Metcalf’s daughters just came home.”

  This was a surprise. “Why would…?”

  “The funeral, Nate. Lucinda Carter’s funeral is today.”

  “Oh, damn, of course,” he said. He’d forgotten all about the funeral. “That’s what Kaito was waiting for. I’m sure of it. How the hell did we miss this?”

  “I don’t know,” Jack apologized. “So what do we do?”

  “Follow Kaito. Go to the funeral if you have to. Do whatever you need to do.”

  “We’re on it.”

  “Did you overhear anything else from his home overnight?”

  “Nothing worth noting. Relatives and friends began showing up first thing this morning. Not sure who they all are but there’s a crowd in there now and it’s too chaotic inside to decipher any specific conversation. It’s mostly conversation about funeral arrangements and the expected chattering with the missus about Lucy, but nothing from Harvey.”

  “Nothing at all?”

  “No. He’s there all right. We heard him a few times early on, but he’s been gone from the crowd for a while now. He must have closed himself off in his office for some reason.”

  Nathaniel suspected he knew what that reason was. Michael Crowder. And that little problem needed attention soon as well.

  There was a knock on the door. “Mom? Dad? Can we come in?” It was the girls.

  “Yeah,” Nathaniel called out. He stepped over quickly to the door and let his girls inside.

  “Look, Jack. Call Lucas. Tell him what’s going down. I really gotta run here. We’re heading out for dinner in a few minutes. If you can’t reach me, I’m leaving it up to you two to make a judgement call on the spot if you need to.”

  “You sure about this?”

  “You have done this kind of thing more than I have. That’s why Geordie wanted you in on this in the first place, isn’t it?” After he said it, his mind started to roll over the conversations at La Sapiniere. Who said what that night over a few whiskies started to pound away like some low-beating drum. Something suddenly bothered him, but he didn’t know what it was. He’d have to think on it a while. “I’m just…” he glanced over to the closed ensuite door. “I’m tired, that’s all. I don’t know if I should be taking any more calls tonight.”

  “We’ll take care of it. Don’t you worry. Enjoy your dinner.”

  Nathaniel hung up.

  Both Ellen and Meagan gave him a hug and quickly started talking about some Facebook message Ellen read a few moments ago from a friend back home.

  “Are you just about ready, Diane? We need to get moving here soon.”

  Diane came out from the ensuite and commented on her girls’ choice of dress, which she approved, before lighting up on Nathaniel. “And you’re leaving that damn phone here.”

  Her demand surprised him. “What?” He laughed purposely to lighten the mood.

  “I mean it, Nate. You’re not taking it with you tonight. Neither of them.”

  Meagan and Ellen watched with curiosity. It wasn’t often that their mother made any demands from their father.

  “I’ll leave it on silent.”

  “No! Damn you, Nate…!” She spotted Ellen’s dismay and shock at her outburst. “Sorry, Ellen, you didn’t need to hear that.” She pulled her close and pecked her once on the head before continuing on with Nate. “I am not letting you interrupt this evening with another one of your phone calls. You said it was just business. If it’s just business, then it can wait until tomorrow. We’re on vacation. Not tonight, Nate. Please. Not tonight.”

  Nathaniel was beside himself. Things with Kaito were about to explode, and Diane’s turmoil seemed to ride and swell in sync with the situation. The hurt in her eyes was floating just beneath the surface, and he loved her too much not to comply.

  “Okay, okay.” He raised his arms up in the air, surrendering. “Let me just make one more call before we go and then my phone will stay here.”

  “One call, and both phones stay here,” she said firmly
and pointed her finger at him.

  “Yeah. One call.” He turned away. “I’ll take it out in the hall.”

  “What’s wrong, Mom?” Meagan asked.

  “Nothing’s wrong, Meg,” she replied, but the tone of her voice said otherwise. “And you be quick!” she called out to Nathaniel as he pulled the door closed behind him.

  “Where’s our boy now?” Nathaniel asked the moment Randal picked up.

  “Touched down ten minutes ago. We’re offloading him now.”

  “You’re secure?”

  “Of course. This hangar’s always secure. Doc was here waiting.”

  Nathaniel knew who Doc was. Doc set up the sedation ruse for Johnny’s trip out to France and arranged all the preparation and documentation to bring him back. It was one link that Geordie hadn’t broken. It coupled sideways and down a couple levels through a few local contacts in Alberta, and because it did, Geordie didn’t have access to shut it down.

  “How is Johnny?”

  “Looking good,” Randal said. “He’s still knocked out.”

  “Don’t bring him back just yet. Kaito’s on the move again. Whatever he’s going to do, he’s going to do in the next few hours. But listen, unfortunately I’m kind of in a pickle at the moment. I have a bit of a problem of my own going on over here that’s tying my hands, and I’m just too far away to manage any more of this Kaito business from where I am tonight. I’m passing it over to Jack and Lucas for the next while. Give either one of them a call as soon as you hang up, and let them know you’re taking your lead from them tonight.”

  “You’re okay with me taking direction from them?”

  “I don’t really have an option. I’ll be out of reach for…gee, I really don’t know how long. Three or four hours at least.”

  “You sure about this? This is your friend’s son.” Nathaniel had explained the close relationship to Randal the night Taka was picked up and shuffled overseas.

  “I know he’s my friend’s son. He’s a good kid, but yes, I’m sure. Call Jack and do whatever he asks.”

  “Whatever he asks?”

  “Yes. Whatever he asks. Don’t question him, just do it.”