A Price for Balancing the Scales

by W Earl Daniels

  Chapter 26

  Huck stood at the bus stop holding a map of Frankfurt’s public transit system in one hand. He looked at the map and then at his surroundings, attempting to convey the impression that he was an American tourist trying to get his bearings before boarding the next bus, which was due to arrive within ten minutes.

  Across the street, he saw Walker depart her office, turn right, and start for the intersection where she would cross to Huck’s side of the street to catch the bus to her apartment. Huck noticed that Redhead stood up from his reclining position on the No Parking sign when Walker came out onto the sidewalk. As she started toward the intersection, Redhead was behind her. He soon opened his stride, as Walker strolled at a brisk pace.

  When she reached the intersection, Huck was pleased to see that she had the green light and did not have slow her pace. Soon she would be in the waiting crowd that was beginning to gather at the bus stop. Redhead had to commence a slow jog in order to cross the street before the light turned red.

  Once on the same side of the street as Walker and Huck, he moved through the waiting passengers to get closer to Walker. As he moved toward her, Huck moved closer to Redhead. The man had two people between him and Walker when the bus rolled to a stop. Huck now had only one person between him and Redhead.

  Upon boarding, Redhead went past where Walker was seated and chose a row closer to the bus’s rear door, where exiting would take place. When Huck boarded and saw the seating arrangement of the two, he smiled and thought, Redhead is attempting an old tailing technique, just as his counterpart did this morning. When Walker stands up to exit, he will depart first so that if Walker suspects she is being followed, she will discard him as her stalker.

  Huck’s suspicion was confirmed when, at each stop Redhead glanced in Walker’s direction to see if she was standing to exit. After six stops, Walker stood up to exit the bus. Redhead stood up and made his exit in front of Walker. He departed to the left, took a few steps to the far side of the sidewalk, and bent over as if to tie the laces of the shoe on his right foot.

  Walker exited the bus to the right and resumed her brisk walk in the direction of her apartment. Huck watched Redhead’s movements through the bus windows. Huck also exited to the right but stopped and pulled out his map as if to reconfirm his direction. From the corner of his eye, he watched Redhead shake his leg to get his trouser leg to fall down to the top of his shoe. He then reversed his course to follow Walker.

  Huck pointed his map in the direction in which Walker was headed, as if to say, “That is the direction I need to go,” and started walking behind Redhead.

  Upon reaching the walkway to her apartment, Walker secured her door key from her purse and bounded up the steps to the entrance of her apartment building. As she retrieved the mail from her mailbox, Redhead continued past the entranceway. Huck turned left onto the apartment building’s service road, which ran behind all the buildings.

  Once out of sight of Redhead, Huck took up a position where he could watch what the man did. To no surprise to Huck, Redhead crossed at the intersection and on the far side of the street and returned to a position where he could watch Walker’s apartment. Huck thought, I guess I best find myself a place to get comfortable because Redhead will remain in his position until he is sure she is not going out again. I hope Cedric is about to wrap up his work in Berlin because now that I know I am dealing with two individuals, and possibly more, I’m going to need his help.

  Cedric needed to learn the name of the primary lobbyist for the Kaplan Company, and he determined that his best source for that information was Sniderhouse. Cedric reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out the slip of paper that contained his friend’s direct number.

  “This is Sniderhouse.”

  “Leo, I hope you are having a good day,” said Cedric.

  “I hope you’re not just before telling me that your job has ended. But, I do hope you are having some luck?”

  “I’ve talked to the czar of the lobbyists, and I think he may have opened the door a little for me.”

  “I know that had to have been a revolting experience. I gather you may have something that could open your door a little wider?”

  “Possibly. I need to know the name of the Turk who is lobbying for the Kaplan Company.”

  “Give me a moment and I will call you right back.”

  Cedric sat at his table, sipping a diet cola. Alice would be proud that he was following her advice to curtail his sugar intake. He hoped that the lobbyist would be receptive to sharing some of the details of how the death of the Hesse state representative may have affected the placement of the Kaplan Company in the position of top contender for the rail construction bid.

  His phone rang. “Hello?” answered Cedric.

  The voice at the other end said, “The name you are looking for is Mustafa Arslan. Good luck.”

  The time Cedric had spent in the cabinet building had been fruitful. He had located the various areas in which the lobbyists congregated to meet with state representatives to discuss topics of mutual interest or with other lobbyists to plan joint strategies. Here he was confident of finding Turkish lobbyists who were there to address issues of mutual concern between Turkey and Germany. He suspected that he would also find Mustafa Arslan.

  Upon entering the room designated for lobbyists to conduct their business either with each other or with other lobbyists, he moved slowly, looking for what might be a contingency of people from Turkey. Soon he came close to a group of men with a tanner complexion who were more representative of Turkish people and who were also speaking in Turkish.

  Using the Turkish expression for “excuse me,” Cedric joined the group and asked if anyone spoke English.

  “Yes, I do,” spoke the man in the center of the group.

  “Thank you,” replied Cedric. “I need to speak with Mustafa Arslan.”

  The same man said, “I am Mustafa Arslan. How can I help you?”

  “I am Cedric Smart and I represent the US steel industry. Could we please speak in private?”

  “Certainly. It would be my pleasure,” said Arslan. He then said something to the other men, which Cedric did not understand, and they disbursed.

  Arslan said, “Mr. Smart, please join me at this table.” He pointed to one in a secluded corner.

  When the two men were seated, Cedric asked, “May I order you a drink?”

  “No thank you,” replied Arslan. “I am thinking you may have something to discuss that will be of mutual interest to us both.”

  Cedric thought, Always the lobbyist, looking for something that will be advantageous for him.

  “As you know, the United States and Turkey have had mixed political views over the years, but we have always maintained great trade relations, and the Turkish government continues to permit the US to use the airbase in Incirlik not only for staging purposes during the Middle East wars but also for humanitarian purposes. The US considers Turkey not only a great personal ally by also an equally great NATO ally. Together we have kept the world freer and safer. It is in that spirit that I wish to talk with you about a trade deal that could be of equal benefit to both countries and possibly to the two of us as well.”

  Cedric watched as a smile crossed Arslan’s face. “Mr. Smart, you certainly have my attention.”

  Cedric continued. “My sources tell me that Turkey, specifically the Kaplan Company, is back in the position of being the top bid contender for the upgrade of the German rail system. I believe that should the Kaplan Company be successful in securing the German contract, the US steel manufacturers could provide Kaplan with steel for the project at a price that is advantageous to Kaplan—and with an added reward for the two of us for making it happen. I think the real key lies in your relationship with Kaplan.”

  “What exactly are we talking about in terms of US dollars?” asked Arslan.

  C
edric mentally noted, He did not deflect my comment about his relationship with Kaplan. I may now be more than in the ballpark; I may be up to bat.

  “As we say in the US, I can only speak in ballpark figures. We are prepared to guarantee that our steel price, plus its delivery, will be at least ten to fifteen percent less than any other provider. With respect to you and me, we could expect to see between one and one and a half percent of the sale price of the steel. Mustafa—may I call you Mustafa?”

  Arslan nodded his head in the affirmative.

  “Mustafa, I don’t have to tell you: we’re talking about a lot of money. How is your relationship with the Kaplan Company?”

  “Cedric—I hope you do not mind if I call you Cedric?”

  “Of course not, Mustafa. We may be on the edge of a great future friendship.”

  “Please do not think that I am questioning your credentials, but before I go into any further details, I must solidify the future of our negotiations. I will need to know more about you. I hope you will not object to a background check.”

  Cedric knew that Arslan would check the information the German government had on file in the office of registration for foreign lobbyists. He also knew that in order to be an officially registered lobbyist, Sniderhouse would have had to create a solid cover for him.

  “By all means, I would expect you to do the same as I have already done on you,” said Cedric.

  Cedric wanted to leave Arslan believing that he had already done a background check on him.

  “I ask you to keep in mind that time is of the essence. Even if Kaplan lands the construction contract, it does not preclude the German government from entering a separate contract for the steel. If Kaplan can show, up front, that his company can secure steel at a cost less than the German government, Germany would look to Kaplan for a package deal. We both know it’s in the company’s best interests to land a package deal than to have to rely on another, possibly unreliable, source to provide the steel. If the steel provider fails to provide in a timely manner, Kaplan could be in the expensive position of having to pay liquidating damages for not being able to bring the project to a conclusion at the contracted time.”

  The look on Arslan’s face conveyed that he had not considered that possibility.

  Arslan said, “I don’t think it will take much time to complete your background check. Will you be in the dining room shortly after noon tomorrow?”

  “Yes. I will a make a point to be at the table where I normally sit.” Cedric stood up and shook Arslan’s hand. “I look forward to seeing you then.”

  Cedric turned and departed the room.

  Chapter 27

  From his camouflage position along the service road that ran behind Walker’s apartment complex, Huck was able to keep Redhead in good view. It just so happened that when the streetlights came on, the man was sitting on a bench almost under a light on the opposite side of the street.

  Huck had used his surveillance time to change disguises. He had retrieved from his backpack a long-haired wig and a beard. After putting that on, he also withdrew the homeless coat he’d worn earlier that day. It was a long coat that would cover his jeans and T-shirt. He placed the map and hat inside the backpack. His watch reported that it was ten p.m. It was now time to confirm that Redhead was in fact following Walker.

  Huck pulled his cell phone from his pocket and placed a call to Walker.

  She answered immediately. “Fräulein Walker’s residence.”

  “Fräulein Walker, this is Huck Price. I want to reassure you that I have been watching you all day and that I am now currently watching your apartment building.”

  “Did you see anyone following me?”

  “That is the reason I am calling you. I want to confirm that the man I am currently observing is the one following you, and I need your help. I think he is waiting to see if you are going to leave your apartment again tonight. Therefore, I want you to turn off all the lights in the rooms that face the street below. I want him to think that you may be preparing for bed and that you have no intention of leaving your apartment for the remainder of the night. When we hang up, please turn off the lights in the front part of your apartment.”

  “I will do that now, Herr Price. Thank you for protecting me.”

  “Don’t you worry. And by the way, you really did well today, showing no indication that you thought you were being followed.”

  After both had said goodbye, Huck watched Redhead’s actions.

  Within a few minutes after the end of Huck and Walker’s telephone conversation, the man got up from the bench and momentarily stared at the apartment building. Apparently when the lights went out, he concluded that Walker had gone to bed because he began to walk back in the direction of the bus stop.

  Huck knew that if Redhead remained on the opposite side of the street, he would take the eastbound bus, but if he crossed to Huck’s side of the street, he would take the westbound. Accordingly, Huck remained on the westbound side and began to walk toward the bus stop on his side of the street.

  Huck was at the westbound stop when Redhead started to cross the street in Huck’s direction. The bus would arrive soon.

  When the vehicle finally arrived, Redhead and Huck were the only two to board. The bus continued westbound, stopping only where people were waiting or unless someone pulled the overhead cable to notify the driver a passenger wanted to exit at the next stop. After four stops, Redhead pulled the cable.

  The bus rolled to a stop in front of a U-Bahn station. Huck thought that the man would be catching a train. He exited before Redhead and made his way to the U-Bahn entrance, letting the man pass him on the stairs going down to the underground turnstile.

  Redhead passed Huck in a hurry to catch a train. Once underground, Huck followed the man in the direction of the platform for the northbound train. Once Huck made the turn, he noticed Redhead among about a dozen other passengers waiting for the train. Huck stood to one side, trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible.

  When the train stopped at the platform, the waiting passengers boarded quickly. Huck timed it so that he barely made it through the doors as they were closing. Redhead had taken a seat near the end of the train car. Huck sat down several seats behind him. Huck thought, If I can follow him to where he is staying, I may be able to confirm if he and Scar Face are working together.

  After about thirty minutes of riding, Redhead started to rise from his seat. Huck realized that he was preparing to exit at the next stop. Although others started to stand up, Huck remained seated. He wanted to exit just as the doors were closing. This would allow sufficient time for the man to start walking in the direction he planned to go.

  From the train car window, Huck saw Redhead turn left and start to walk back in the direction from which the train came. When Huck exited, he easily picked up the tail because at this hour there were few people on the street. The man was just a dark figure walking approximately fifty yards in front of Huck.

  Farther down the street in front of Redhead were the blinking lights of what appeared to be a hotel. The man walked straight for the entrance and then disappeared.

  Huck scurried along the street in hopes of catching a glimpse of the direction he went once in the hotel. Just as Huck arrived at the hotel’s entrance, he saw the man step inside an elevator. Huck hurried inside to observe the elevator lights blink as it passed each floor. The light stopped blinking and burned steadily at the sixth floor. At least he had narrowed down the location of Redhead’s residence.

  Huck then heard a voice in German say, “What are you looking for?” It was the hotel desk clerk.

  Huck replied in English, “I’m sorry, I have the wrong hotel. Is there another hotel on this street?”

  The desk clerk replied, “Yes, three blocks.” He pointed to the right as Huck exited the door.

  Huck thanked him and departed.


  Outside Huck looked for a place where he could take up surveillance. It was going to be a long night, but he needed to know if either Redhead or Scar Face departed the next morning.

  A short distance from the hotel, in the direction in which the clerk had pointed, was an active construction site. Near the street, situated in a parking space, was a dumpster for building materials. There, sitting on the street, with his back against the dumpster would be a good place to spend the night. Huck believed that in this particular aging area of town, the police would not bother him until daybreak. For either Scar Face or Redhead to begin surveillance on Walker before she left for work would require one of them to leave by 7:00 a.m. If it was Scar Face, then Huck would have confirmation that they were working together.

  Cedric was seated at his table in the Bundeskabinett dining room at 2:00 p.m., awaiting the arrival of Mustafa Arslan. From the corner of his eye, he saw Mustafa moving in his direction as if there was something important on his mind.

  When Mustafa reached Cedric’s table, he said, “Cedric, I need to speak to you.”

  “Of course. Have a seat,” responded Cedric.

  “No, I mean I need to talk to you in private.”

  “Of course. What about my hotel room? I am just across the street at the IntercityHotel.”

  “We should not leave here together. Could we meet in your room?”

  “By all means. My room number is 510. You leave and I will join you there in about ten minutes.”

  “Thank you,” Mustafa said and left. Cedric thought, I can’t tell if he is anxious, worried, or excited.

  When Cedric arrived at his room, Mustafa was standing in the hall waiting for him.

  Without any comment, Cedric unlocked the door, opened it, and motioned for Mustafa to enter.

  Once inside, Cedric’s question was answered. Mustafa was excited.

  Mustafa said, “I think we may have a deal.”