“So who killed the representative?”
“I don’t know, other than that it wasn’t me. I guess because the American was arrested, it must have been him.”
“But you don’t know that for a fact?”
“No, because Mr. S. runs a complex and secret operation. None of us knew the other’s names, nor did we know each other’s mission.”
“So, why are you and the Irishman working together to eliminate Walker?”
“I can only speculate because of our geographical locations with respect to Walker.”
“OK, explain it to me from the top, beginning with your contact by Mr. S.”
“I have only been asked to participate in three operations. For each operation, Mr. S. has used a different letter of the alphabet to identify himself. The team he assembles ranges from three to four people who have never met before. This last operation was the first time he used five team members. Each team member is known only by a number. We never know or are permitted to know each other’s names or anything about each other.
“During preparation, we are each assigned an individual task that is not known by any other member of the team. We never know who will be called on to accomplish the mission until the exact time of the mission.”
Huck reached down and uncuffed Scar Face’s left hand from the bedpost, knowing that the more comfortable he was, the more receptive he’d be to opening up and telling them all he knew.
Huck gave the handcuff to Cedric, who dropped it inside his leather coat pocket.
Scar Face said, “Thank you,” and continued. “I failed to mention that we never knew when the operation was going down. It was always a last-minute call by Mr. S. or whatever letter of the alphabet he was going by.”
“If you were not part of the killing team, what tasks did you perform?” asked Huck.
“All have to meet the first day for the same orientation. That is primarily for the benefit of anyone new to our team. We are each given a schedule to meet with Mr. S.; to my knowledge, we only meet with him alone. After the first day, I rarely if ever saw any of the other team members. My duties for this mission were primarily to secure a white utility van and to have it lettered A & A Electrical Repairs. I had to ensure that two extension ladders were affixed to the roof of the van. I also had to conduct three days of surveillance on Number Four—”
“Is Number Four the American?” interrupted Huck.
“Yes. I observed him at the firing range on three different occasions. On one occasion, I drove Mr. S., in his car, to a residential section where he wanted to take some pictures. And finally, on several occasions, I was given instructions to go to a firing range, but it was neither of the ones were where the American went. On the day the operation was to take place, I was directed to return home.”
“Did you return home on your passport or another?” asked Cedric.
“I returned home using my passport. As you know, traveling from one country to another in Europe is not like traveling through an airport. Sometimes customs just notes the license plate and flags you through the border crossing.”
“Why were you instructed to kill Fräulein Walker?”
“Mr. S. called and told me she was a loose end that needed to be eliminated. He doubled the amount he paid me for the first job.”
“He was being very generous. Did he give you any other instructions?”
“Only to make Walker’s death look like an accident and to call him when it was complete.”
Huck picked up Scar Face’s cell phone. “Show me his telephone number.”
Huck noticed that there were only two numbers in the man’s phone. One was labeled S and the other I. Huck asked, “Is the I for the Irishman who was also following Fräulein Walker and the S for Mr. S.?”
“Yes. Now what happens to me?”
“Thank you. You have been more cooperative than I expected, which tells me that you are smarter than you look. What happens to you will depend on your continued cooperation. I will call an attorney who will transcribe all you have told me. It is important that you remain truthful and consistent in your story.”
“Cedric, while I contact Berger and wait for him to get here, I would like for you to return to Walker’s office and take up surveillance on Redhead. He should be either leaning on the No Parking sign just beyond Walker’s office or across the street sitting on the sidewalk bench. Because he doesn’t know that we have Scar Face, he may see an opportunity to eliminate Walker.”
“Do you want me to take him down?”
“No. I want this one secured and his statement recorded before we move on the other one. For now let’s just try to keep Walker safe.”
Turning to Scar Face, Huck asked, “How many of you are working the elimination of Walker?”
“There are only two that I know of,” answered Scar Face.
“So there could be others you don’t know about?”
“I said that Mr. S. was a complex and secretive man. Yes, there could be others.”
With Scar Face still secured to the bedpost, Huck followed Cedric into the adjoining room.
Cedric said, “Even with Scar Face’s statement, we are no closer to clearing Rouse. Both have basically the same story, except for the fact that Rouse got caught.”
“You’re correct, Cedric, but now we have something we did not have before—a telephone number for Mr. S. Unfortunately, even that will be untraceable.”
“Which means, when we make a call, we have to figure out a way for him to unwittingly give us a clue.”
“Correct. And Cedric, unless Redhead makes a move against Walker, don’t try to take him down.”
Chapter 31
Berger’s desk phone rang. His receptionist said, “Herr Price on the line for you.”
“Herr Price, I have been anxiously awaiting a call from you.”
“How is Rouse doing?”
“I saw him earlier and his spirits were boosted by two letters he had received from home. I think he was the most positive I have seen him since he was so confident someone was going to rescue him from this situation.”
“Well, I hope that what I am going to share with you will boost your spirits too. Cedric and I have in our custody another member of the assassination team. Unfortunately, his story is very similar to Rouse’s. I’ll explain when I see you. Suffice it to say that we are dealing with a smart and sophisticated Mr. S. Before I tell you what I need you to do, I need to ask if you know a high-ranking police officer who can listen to the statement of the man we are holding and who will be able to secure him in such a manner that his custody is unknown. I fear that if the prosecution or anyone else knows we have this man in custody, it will ruin our chances of catching Mr. S. In my opinion, simply capturing others who can tell only the same story as Rouse will not help Rouse’s case. Only the assassin, or the one who hired the assassin, can free Rouse.”
“I understand and may know such a police officer.”
“Good. Here is what I need you to do. Come to the address where Empire Enterprises was located. Bring with you whatever you need to transcribe a statement from the man I am holding. Also bring the police officer to witness that proper procedures were used to take the man’s statement. Finally, I want the police officer to place the man in isolation without anyone knowing who he is and why he is being held. One of the reasons this is so important is that we are very close to taking into custody a second man who also had connections with the assassination. We’ll need to follow the same procedure for him as we do with the one I am turning over now. Mr. S. cannot learn that we have anyone in custody. Otherwise he may just go farther underground than he already is.”
“Give me an hour to pull things together and to get there.”
“By the way, Herr Smart will also have a statement regarding his trip to Berlin. The police officer does not need to be present f
or that statement because most of it is hearsay.”
“See you in about an hour.”
Huck then called Walker to confirm she was going directly home from the doctor’s office. With Scar Face secure, Walker would not need security from the doctor’s office to her apartment.
Kaplan was again pacing the floor, but this time he was on the balcony of his home, which overlooked a well-pruned vineyard. He repeated to himself, “If it’s too good to be true, it’s probably not true. If it’s too good to be true, it’s probably not true. If it’s too good to be true, it’s probably not true.” Maybe he was becoming paranoid, but it seemed that things were now falling in place too easily. One moment he was worrying, maybe needlessly, about an investigation that would eventually lead to his door, and the next moment he was about to land an unbelievable deal with a US steel manufacturer. He’d told his wife everything, except about hiring an assassin, and she kept reminding him what a brilliant businessman he was. She said he had a knack for seizing victory from the jaws of defeat. But now everything seemed to be coming together too easily. Maybe he needed to call Mustafa one more time to be sure he understood the deal with the US Steel Manufacturers Association.
When the phone rang, Mustafa answered immediately, speaking in his native Turkish language. “Hello, Mr. Kaplan. What a pleasant surprise.”
“Before we discuss how pleasant this call might be, I want to make sure that you are correct in everything you have told me about the deal with the US steel industry. As I understand it, the lobbyist, Smart, is guaranteeing that the US Steel Manufacturers Association is willing to undercut all other bids by ten to fifteen percent. That seems to me to be too large of a discount without knowing what the other bids are.”
“Mr. Kaplan, please understand. The US has a great desire to return to the days when it was one of the world’s leading producers and exporters of steel. I believe they think that if they can make this deal happen, it will position them to be a viable alternative to other countries desiring inexpensive steel.”
“You are paid to be smarter on these transactions than I am. But the deal seems too good to be true. How well did you research Smart’s credentials?”
“I reviewed the German registry for lobbyists, and according to it, Smart is the leading lobbyist of US steel and has been so for at least ten years. From what I read, he was personally selected to negotiate a deal with the German government or with whoever was the leading contractor for the German rail system. And that is now you, Mr. Kaplan.”
“Mustafa, I want you to do a deeper background check on Smart, even if you have to call the US Steel Manufacturers Association. I know you feel good about the deal, but I want to feel even better. Do so quickly and call me back as soon as possible.”
Mustafa thought, I’ll simply make a copy of what is contained in the registry about Smart and send it to Kaplan. Maybe that will satisfy him.
Mustafa walked across the room and sat down at one of ten computers made available to the lobbyists for research purposes. He typed in “U.S. steel lobbyist registered in Germany.”
Almost as soon as Mustafa hit the “Enter” key, a message popped up: “No Information Available.”
Uncomfortably, Mustafa typed in the same information again and the same message appeared. He thought, There has got to be some mistake.
He was now beginning to feel very uncomfortable. He typed in the words “Lobbyist Cedric Smart.” The message read “Lobbyist Unknown.” Large beads of perspiration began to form on Mustafa’s forehead.
Mustafa then typed “US steel lobbyist Cedric Smart.” The message that appeared read “Cedric Smart Not Listed.”
Mustafa then made his way to the lobbyists’ registry office. Upon entering, he asked to speak with one of the senior supervisors.
Mustafa had become extremely impatient by the time the supervisor appeared. “How can I help you?” the supervisor asked.
Mustafa replied, “I am Mustafa Arslan, a lobbyist for Turkey. For the last several days, there has been a lobbyist from the US Steel Manufacturers Association in the negotiating room by the name of Cedric Smart. I can’t find his name in the listing of registered lobbyists. I need your help locating him.”
The supervisor looked strangely at Mustafa. “Sir, if he is not in the registry, then he is not a lobbyist.”
By now Mustafa was stuttering. “But…I met him…I’ve talked to him. We collaborated on a deal for obtaining US steel for a project.”
“Sir, I don’t know who you talked with, but there is no one with the US Steel Manufacturers Association registered to lobby in Germany.”
“You must be wrong. He walks with a limp. You must have misplaced his registration.”
That was probably Mustafa’s biggest mistake, telling a German who already prides himself as being a professional in his job, that he misplaced something or that he was wrong. The supervisor could no longer contain himself with what he viewed to be an incompetent Turk. “The smartest thing you can do, Mr. Arslan, is to get out of my office before you find yourself misplaced to the point that you no longer can enter this building. Do I make myself clear?”
Mustafa, now shaken to his core, stormed out of registrar’s office. Returning to the area designated for the lobbyists, Mustafa saw that his only alternative was to call the US Steel Manufacturers Association to confirm what he was told.
After securing a number to the information office of the US Steel Manufacturers Association from the internet, Mustafa placed a call. After identifying himself, he asked how he could reach their lobbyist Cedric Smart. He was told that the association did not have a lobbyist by that name.
Again Mustafa made the mistake of saying, “Are you sure?”
Likewise, he was told, “Sir, I have had this job for over twenty years. I can assure you that we have never had a lobbyist by the name of Cedric Smart. I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more assistance to you. Goodbye.”
Mustafa knew that he had not dreamed the deal with Cedric Smart. He ran from the cabinet building to the IntercityHotel. He took the elevator to the floor where Smart had a room. He banged on the door loud and hard.
When the door opened, there stood a large, burly, hairy-chested man. “Who are you and what do you want?”
Mustafa said, “I need to see Cedric Smart.”
“Well, you have the wrong room. Do not bang on my door again.”
“I’m sorry,” said Mustafa as he hurried back toward the elevator. When it opened on the ground floor, he made his way to the desk clerk. “Has Mr. Cedric Smart checked out?”
The desk clerk replied, “I’m sorry, sir, but we aren’t allowed to give out any information about our guests.”
“Could you please call his room for me?”
“I’m sorry, sir. We do not have a guest by that name.”
Several thoughts entered Mustafa’s shattered brain. He knew he was a dead man walking. As soon as he told Kaplan that Smart had disappeared and that he was not a lobbyist for the US steel industry, his fate would be that of the Hesse state representative. What Mustafa didn’t know was that Sniderhouse had employed his previous skills as a covert operative to cause any record of Smart ever being a lobbyist to disappear from any official German record. Mustafa needed some time to think about how and what he would tell Kaplan. He decided not to go back to work today.
Chapter 32
The next day, Huck ensured Walker’s security from her home to work. Redhead was on the job. That afternoon when Cedric drove by the office where Walker worked, he confirmed Redhead was still resting with his back on the No Parking sign. Seeing a parking space on the other side of the street, Cedric made a U-turn and pulled in. He was now two spaces from the No Parking sign and about a half a block from the entrance to Walker’s office. He called Huck. “I’m in position, and I have Redhead in my sights.”
“OK. I’ll give Walker a call to let
her know that she can now leave her office. I will tell her, once she is on the sidewalk, to raise her left arm as if stretching. That way you will be able to identify her.”
“I’ll call you back once she is safely in her apartment.”
Within five minutes of his call to Huck, Cedric saw a woman come out of the building onto the sidewalk. As she turned to walk toward the bus stop, she raised her left arm. Cedric immediately got out of his car and, with the aid of his cane, began a fast limp behind Redhead, who was already on the move.
Cedric quickly closed the gap between Redhead and himself. When Walker reached the intersection, she made a ninety-degree turn to the left and crossed the street for the bus stop, where she could catch the bus back to her apartment. Redhead was about ten feet behind Walker, and Cedric was about the same distance from Redhead. However, the pedestrian crossing light had just turned from green to yellow. It would be red by the time Cedric reached the middle of street. Knowing how some Germans drive, Cedric hoped they’d give some consideration to an old crippled man. Otherwise, he thought, I’ll be flattened before I can reach the other side.
Apparently German drivers had some sympathy for the old man because Cedric made it across without hearing any horns blasting at him. There he joined a group of people waiting for the bus. Redhead was standing directly behind Walker and within a cane’s reach of Cedric.
Within a matter of minutes, a bus rolled to a stop next to the curb. Walker boarded, followed by Redhead, who was followed by Cedric. Walker took a seat by the window, leaving the aisle seat vacant. Redhead took a seat on the aisle two rows behind Walker. Upon reaching the open aisle seat next to Walker, Cedric pointed to the vacant seat and asked, “May I?”
Walker had never met Cedric, and the old man with a cane looked safe, so she responded, “By all means. I have several blocks before I will need to get off.”
“Thank you,” said Cedric as he took his seat. Walker had no way of knowing that she could not be any safer than she was at that very moment.
A Price for Balancing the Scales Page 16
