by Mark McKay
The next morning, Nick took a walk through Heidelberg’s Altstadt, or Old Town. He strolled along the mostly pedestrianised main street for almost a mile; from the tram stop at Bismarckplatz to the foot of the hills on one side of the Neckar river, where Heidelberg’s ancient castle came into view.
When he got to Kornmarkt, the square below the castle, he bought a ticket for the funicular railway. The railway would take him up past the castle, high up into the Heidelberg hills until it reached Königstuhl, the ‘King’s Seat’ at the top. Up there you could wander off into the woods or turn around and simply stare for miles across the Neckar valley.
He waited ten minutes for the next departure and then settled himself in a carriage along with several other visitors. Opposite him, two pretty blond ten-year-old twin girls sat either side of their mother, their hair done in identical French plaits. They smiled at him, shyly. Then the train began to move. He felt his phone vibrate in his jacket pocket. It was Max.
‘A short and rather broad man with greasy hair is two carriages behind you.’
‘Thanks. Is he on his own?’
‘If he has a friend, he or she is very good. I can’t spot anyone.’
‘Good. Just stay in position, would you?’
‘Will do.’
The trip was in two stages; lower and upper funicular. The train stopped and then there was a steep flight of stairs to negotiate before the second stage of the journey. Nick hoped his squat friend wouldn’t be deterred by the effort involved. He didn’t turn around to find out. He boarded the second stage train and soon after they were at the top.
He walked up past the reception centre, turning to look at the view behind. It was truly spectacular, flat and green for miles. Apparently on a clear day you could see as far as Alsace, on the French/German border. He pretended to be lost in the view until he caught a glimpse of ‘the squat one’ through a group of people. He was twenty yards away, pretending to do the same thing. Nick casually turned around and followed the nature trail into the forest.
Before long he was deep into the trees. There were pathways off to left and right and he picked one on the left. After a while the sound of other voices in the forest receded and it became secluded and still. Nick went off the path marginally to stand behind the cover of a thick-trunked pine tree. He waited.
It was five minutes before his shadow appeared. Nick stepped back on to the path, gun drawn.
‘Remember me?’
If the man was surprised, he didn’t show it. He tried to bluff it out.
‘Ich kann nicht verstehen,’ he said. ‘Can’t understand, no English,’ he added, for emphasis.
‘You understood well enough the other day. Where is the suitcase you took from me?’
The man didn’t answer. Nick could see panic in the eyes. He looked at Nick, then at the gun Nick was holding. Then he took off into the forest, no path required.
‘Shit,’ breathed Nick. A shot here would be heard for miles and he didn’t want to shoot the bloody man anyway. He went after him. There was plenty of space between the trees in this part of the forest and the man moved surprisingly quickly, considering his bulk. He was ten yards in front of Nick when the ground suddenly became a steep slope. He did his best to adjust his pace as he gathered speed, but lost his footing and tumbled over. He rolled until he hit the base of a tree with a thump, knocking the wind out of him.
Nick came down at a slightly slower pace. The man was sitting up and holding his chest as he tried to suck in air, while reaching for what Nick assumed was a gun in his jacket pocket. Nick arrived just as he began to raise the gun and kicked it out of his hand. It skidded away across the forest floor. He stood back and levelled his own gun at his quarry.
‘Where’s the suitcase?’
The man managed to breathe again, in short spurts. ‘I don’t have it.’
‘Who does?’
The collision with the tree had knocked the fight as well as the wind out of Nick’s adversary. ‘Don’t know,’ he said. ‘We left it in a locker at the Berlin railway station.’
‘So where’s the key?’
‘Threw it away. Those were the instructions.’
‘And why are you tailing me now?’
The man shrugged. ‘I was just told to keep an eye on your movements. Till instructed otherwise.’
‘By whom?’
‘I don’t know. Someone calls from a withheld number and tells us what to do.’
‘And how do you report back to this person?’
There was no answer. Nick sighed.
‘You can do better than that. Stand up.’
The man stood, somewhat unsteadily.
‘We’re going to walk back to the reception centre, now,’ said Nick. ‘On the way, tell me who hired you. Then I suggest you call them and tell them you’re blown. You have a partner, too. Is he here in Heidelberg?’
The man looked at Nick, but said nothing. He still had that touch of panic in his eyes as he turned resignedly and started walking down the slope. Nick followed, stopping for a moment to bend down and retrieve the gun he’d kicked away.
At that moment there was the sound of a loud crack, as though a branch had suddenly broken. Nick looked up, just in time to see the squat form of the man ahead of him fold and crumple to the ground. He took cover behind a tree, trying to work out where the shot had come from. There was another crack and he almost felt the impact of the bullet as it whacked into the tree next to him. He crouched as low as possible, making himself small. He was sure the shot had come from further up the hill, but was somewhat reluctant to break cover and look in that direction.
He waited for five minutes. Then he moved quickly to the next big tree on his right. No one shot at him. He could see enough of his fallen pursuer to realise the man was dead. Part of his head had been blasted away, just above the ear. He could hear voices below him, sounding concerned and heading in his general direction, so he started to retreat. Down the hill and away from the voices, flitting between trees to give himself as much cover as he could. When the ground levelled out and he found another path, he stopped for a moment to listen. The voices could still be heard several hundred yards away now, shouting. They must have found the body. He straightened himself up and brushed himself down. Making sure both guns were out of sight, he set a steady pace back to the reception centre, hoping he looked more composed than he felt.
Max was waiting for him when he got back to Kornmarkt. A look of relief crossed his face.
‘Thank god,’ he said. ‘I heard two shots. I think everyone in Heidelberg heard them. You OK?’
Nick nodded. ‘I thought you said there was no one else on my tail.’ He struggled to contain his anger. ‘Are you blind?’
There was a glint of answering anger in Max’s eyes. ‘If I missed him, it might just be down to the fact that there are hundreds of people wandering around this town this morning, and no, I’m not perfect. Maybe he took the bloody bus up to Königstuhl! What happened?’
Nick told him. ‘Whoever that guy was, he was an amateur. No professional watcher would have followed me into the forest like that. An expendable amateur, too. He told me all he was doing was watching us until further notice.’
‘That’s it?’
‘All we had time for. Let’s walk.’
‘So,’ mused Max, as they headed back down the main street. ‘I wonder when they’ll stop watching.’
‘They’re waiting for something. Or someone. And they don’t mind killing people to stop us from identifying that someone.’
‘When does your Japanese girl get here?’
‘Sometime tomorrow, I hope. She’ll probably email Alix with her timetable. As soon as Kamiko is settled in, we leave. I want these people focused exclusively on us. Agreed?’
‘Agreed. In the meantime, let’s focus on Mariko’s report and see if we can get any closer to identifying who’s behind this. There are only ten people to choose from, after all. Just a question of elimination, really.’
N
ick smiled, in spite of his irritation and worry. ‘Were you ever a cop, Max? Let’s hope we eliminate them from our enquiries before they eliminate us, rather more permanently. Now, just keep walking and see if you can spot anyone else who might be following us. They’re starting to get on my nerves.’
Alix was shocked to learn what had happened at Königstuhl.
‘This is way more than I signed up for,’ she said. ‘I don’t mind telling you, I’m getting a little scared.’
‘I’m sorry, Alix,’ said Nick. ‘We’ll be out of your hair soon, and Kamiko is a very capable person. She’ll look after things here.’
‘I’m going to call Papa. He may be able to pull some strings and get us some extra protection.’
‘Wait till we’ve gone,’ interjected Max. ‘Probably better if we keep German Intelligence out of this.’
‘Because they won’t be happy about what you did when you worked at the British Embassy?’ Alix glared at Max, then relented. ‘Alright, I’ll wait.’
‘Thank you,’ said Max. ‘Good to know I haven’t lost my charm completely. Come and help us with this list.’
Alix made coffee and then they gathered round the dining room table.
‘Right,’ said Nick, as they each contemplated their copies of the list. ‘Ten people. Let’s prioritise them. First, on the basis that they might have access to people who are willing to threaten Max and me. And second, on what they might have to lose if a tape of them having sex with a prostitute were to become public property.’
Max winced. ‘Call girls, please, not prostitutes if you don’t mind. I had an affair with one of those women.’
‘You never told me that. Which one?’
‘Marielle. No, I didn’t mention it. It wasn’t exactly a conventional affair. I shared her with other men. She seemed able to compartmentalise her private and professional lives, but I found it difficult at times. It was serious enough though, for both of us.’
‘I thought you said you didn’t see her again after Liesa died.’
‘That’s right. She ended it, no real explanation. Liesa’s death upset her. Which is hardly surprising, really.’
‘I see.’ Nick filed Max’s admission in his memory banks. ‘OK, back to the list.’
They considered the names for a couple of hours. Mariko had provided company financial details, position in the company, marital status, number of children, estimated net worth and so on, about each individual. Two of the men were single, one divorced, and another now apparently gay.
‘Whoever they are, they might still care about their public images,’ said Alix.
‘The company men are now all CEO’s,’ said Max. That leaves Count von Essen and the two diplomats.’
‘Klaus Kellner still works for the German Foreign Office,’ noted Nick. ‘And the Russian is now a politician. Yulian Dubrovsky. The Minister of Culture, no less. According to Mariko, he’s tipped to become the next Russian president. Never heard of the man.’
Max let out a soft whistle. ‘Well, he should be easy to talk to.’
‘Then there’s von Essen,’ said Nick. ‘Runs his estate as a business. Organic produce, concert venues, etc. Doesn’t sound particularly threatening.’
‘So, let me understand this,’ said Alix. ‘One of these men has incriminating tapes of himself and the others in his possession. What are you going to do? Call each of them up and ask “is it you”?’
‘You’re right,’ said Max. ‘It’s an impossible situation. Suggestions, anyone?’
‘We need to meet each of them face to face,’ said Nick. ‘Tell them they were filmed having a good time when they visited Max’s apartment. And just see how they react. If they’re genuinely shocked we can probably cross them off the list.’
‘I don’t relish that approach,’ replied Max. ‘Especially if you want me to break the news.’
‘You’ll have to come clean Max and tell them what a bastard you were, deceiving them on behalf of MI6. And then tell them that if they are holding the tapes, MI6 would very much like them destroyed. Or else.’
‘Where do you fit in?’
‘We’ll split the work. We can do the Germans first, then the Russian. Someone will have to go to Moscow. Then we’ll do three each in the UK.’
‘I thought you were persona non grata in the UK.’
‘I am. I’ll just have to see if I can get in on my current passport. It’s been OK in Europe, so far.’
Max got up. ‘It’s a plan, I guess. All this just to save my arse. Any more coffee?’
Alix and Nick shook their heads.
‘Not just your arse,’ said Nick. ‘You’re sparing MI6’s blushes, too. And Queen and country.’
‘Noble of me, I have to say. As long as none of the above get to know about me sparing their blushes, we’ll be just fine.’
The following day was quiet, and nobody left the apartment. Alix was trying to get through to the Ministry of Culture headquarters in Moscow. Max was tracking down Klaus Kellner at the German Foreign Office to see if he could arrange an appointment. That would mean a trip to Berlin. Another of the Germans was Richard Ostermann, who was head of a surveillance and security services company just outside Berlin. Nick was doing his level best to persuade Ostermann’s PA to grant him access; it was hard going.
‘You say it’s a personal matter, Mr..?’
‘Mr Webb. Tell him it’s related to his application in 1993 to locate his business in the East. It will be much easier if I can explain in person.’
‘And you are…’
‘I’m a friend of Max Blackwood. Mr Ostermann should remember that name. We’ll be visiting together.’
‘Leave it with me, I’ll call you back.’
Ten minutes later he had the appointment for the day after tomorrow. Now all he had to do was set something up with von Essen. His estate was somewhere in the state of Sachsen, on the way to Berlin. With luck, they could hit all three Germans the same day.
That evening he left the apartment and walked to the station to meet Kamiko. She was due in just after 8pm. He walked quickly, looking for any new shadows that might be following, but he saw and sensed nothing. Maybe the man or woman in the forest had decided to keep a low profile after yesterday’s shooting. Or maybe even backed off completely. He doubted it.
He was five minutes early so took a seat in the nearest waiting room, which was empty. He’d only been there a short time when one of the station’s ticket clerks appeared.
‘This is for you,’ she said, handing Nick an envelope.
It was addressed to Max. ‘Where did this come from?’
She was middle-aged; uniformed, slim and with an air of efficiency. ‘A young man left it with me just a minute ago. Pointed you out and then left before I could say anything to him. Is everything OK?’
‘How young?’
‘I guess fifteen or sixteen.’
‘Yes, thanks. Everything’s fine.’ No doubt the boy had been given the envelope by someone else. Or perhaps it had been a teenage marksman in the forest? It was possible, of course. He could see the train approaching.
‘I’m meeting someone, thank you for this.’
He walked down to the concourse. The doors had just opened and a crowd of people spilled out. He spotted Kamiko three carriages back, wheeling two large suitcases. She saw him and smiled a greeting. It was only then that he realised how much he’d missed having her around. He smiled back and went to meet her.
‘Hello, Nick. So, you can’t manage without me. Here I am.’ She kissed him quickly, on the lips.
He took one of the cases. ‘Glad you could make it. Actually, I only asked for you because I need a practice partner. I’m getting rusty already.’
‘I’m sure I can fix that. How are you getting on with this Max person? I hear there was some trouble before you arrived here.’
‘Yes, and after we got here. I’ll explain when we get to the apartment. Alix is there, too. I hope you two get on.’
‘Mariko th
inks we will. I will be very nice to her, I promise.’
They took a taxi. Alix opened the door and whisked them in. ‘Hello,’ she said to Kamiko. ‘I made you some tea.’
The two women sat next to each other on the sofa. They were something of a contrast; Alix the short-haired six-footer next to the petite, long-haired Japanese girl. Max came in from the kitchen and Nick made the introductions.
‘Oh, by the way. I was given this at the station. Special delivery.’ He passed the envelope to Max.
‘Who delivered it?’
Nick explained, while Max opened the envelope. There was a single typed page inside. He sat down to read it. When he finished he looked up and stared at nothing in particular.
‘Well?’ said Nick.
‘I’ll read it to you. It says “Dear Max, thank you for the suitcase, containing the video tapes. After checking the contents, I am disappointed to have to tell you that the tape I require is not there. As I know you are aware, this tape is important to me and I would like the original and any copies to come into my possession as soon as possible. I am not in a position to agree to the demands you stated when you contacted me, but I am willing to offer you the sum of 250,000 euros instead. This money will be deposited in an Escrow account with the lawyer whose details you will find below. Once the tape is verified, the money will be released. The lawyer is unaware of the nature of our transaction, so please don’t tell him. If you agree to this arrangement, then notify him by telephone. Quote the reference number at the top of this letter.” It isn’t signed.’
There was a moment of silence. Max looked bemused.
‘Do you mean to say,’ said Nick, ‘that after all that’s happened, there are more bloody tapes that you haven’t told me about?’
Max snapped out of it. ‘What? No, of course not. There aren’t any more tapes. That’s what I don’t understand. Whoever wrote this already has them.’
‘He obviously doesn’t think so. Especially since you’ve apparently already contacted him, to let him know. Have you been moonlighting, Max?’
‘Don’t be stupid. He’s got the wrong end of the stick.’ Max thought for a moment. ‘The only tape I never recovered to my knowledge was the one that went missing the night of Liesa’s murder.’
