by Jack Gardner
The woman nodded and allowed herself to smile for the first time.
“I told myself before that you could never surprise me, but this time I have to admit, you are cutting it close.”
Eddie waited in silence.
“Do you have any idea when I last heard from you?”
“Something like two years?”
“Something like that. To be exact: a year, eleven months, and four days. I calculated it on the way over here, in case you’re interested.”
“I’m sorry,” said Eddie, “you know what it’s like.”
“Don’t apologize. It was I who decided that this life was not for me anymore. I’m happy with it, but sometimes, especially during holiday season…oh, there I am again talking like a single woman who is in love with a married man and is waiting for him to call…”
“And how are things with you?” Eddie tried to change the subject.
“Good, I have to say, I mean, as good as it gets.” Eddie was surprised to hear this tone of compromise from a woman he always knew as one who never settled for less than what she wanted.
“Are you seeing anyone?”
“Do you mean anyone serious?” She made it hard on him.
“More or less seriously.”
“Yes, I am. And you know what? He’s real cute.”
“Real cute? You used to say ‘a real man.’ ”
“Oh, he’s a man, trust me on that one. Only that he is also considerate and loving and he spoils me and thinks about me before he thinks about himself…”
“But…” Eddie tried her.
“No buts. He’s every woman’s dream, and this dream is mine…”
“But…” Eddie’s tone was far from mocking.
“Okay, there is a but. I love him, but he’s not the love of my life, if you know what I’m saying.”
“Is that possible?” Eddie wondered, “Can you love a man while feeling that he’s not the love of your life?”
“It is possible, only that to understand that, one needs to be in touch with one’s feminine side. And by the way, you son of a bitch, stop smiling deep down inside! It is I who builds and I who ruins. Your part in this is not as large as it may seem to you. You were just lucky with this one woman…”
“In all probability,” Eddie agreed, and meant it.
“So now that you’ve once again destabilized my fake yet oh-so-comfortable peacefulness, what is it that brings you to me this time around?”
Eddie moved in his seat uncomfortably.
“Nothing but trouble, as you can probably imagine.”
“What kind of trouble?”
“I’m not sure if I should tell you. I believe I became a target for a group of people who will stop at nothing. And when I say ‘target,’ I really mean it.”
“People we know?”
“People who come from a place we know well.”
“I see. So what exactly do you need?”
“A place where I can hide for a couple of days, maybe three. Oh, and also, someone who could keep me safe while I’m busy investigating something important.”
There was a sudden silence in the car as she thought about what he said, broken only by the screech of the wheels as she turned onto an unpaved road that led to the back of a house surrounded by plants.
“It gets very boring, being someone’s bodyguard when you don’t know what you’re risking yourself for,” she said calmly, “especially considering that in this case it seems to me the bodyguard might be in just as much trouble as the person he is guarding. So, you see, my love? If you want my help, I better be part of it. All the way.”
He exhaled in relief, “That’s what I was hoping to hear, but I wanted it to be your decision. Thank you.”
“It must be my fate. Remember those days when we talked about dying young and beautiful, with adrenaline rushing through our veins?”
“Yes, those were the days. But believe me, now I would have preferred a much calmer life.”
“You know what is amazing about you?”
“What?”
“That even with this lousy character of yours, you still won’t admit the truth.. Trust me, you love it that way. I’m just hoping your goal is worth the risk.”
“It is. Believe me.”
The car slid into an underground parking space. An iron shutter closed behind them and an automated neon light turned on. Eddie surveyed the iron closets leaning against the walls. She noticed it.
“Everything you need is there,” she quietly said, “only that I didn’t really get to use it recently.”
“I’d like to keep it that way.”
“You’re dreaming,” she concluded, “let’s walk in so that you could tell me all about it.”
“And the cute guy?”
“Gone for a two-day conference, lucky you.”
“That’s exactly the problem, my luck.”
They got out of the car and climbed the stairs into the house.
44
“We’ve got a problem,” Sammy said as soon as he heard the door’s automated lock, before he even took his seat in front of the Head.
L looked at him with a blank, preoccupied face that revealed nothing of what he was thinking about.
“The target sent a ciphered note to our contact man. We were able to decipher part of it, and I fear I come baring bad news. The project has been exposed.”
“What do you mean ‘we were able to decipher part of it’?” the Head wondered, “If the message was sent to our contact man, shouldn’t we have the key to the cipher?”
“That’s another problem, which only makes things worse. Our contact man disappeared.”
The Head sent his hand to his yellow tobacco pouch, filling his pipe without saying a word. Sammy waited quietly for his boss, who took four matches until he was able to light his pipe. Blue smoke was emanating from the pipe before the Head looked at his vice again.
“Disappeared? Is it what I think it is?”
“I’m afraid so. According to the message, I believe Eddie decided to review the matter independently. He was completely compartmentalized, of course, and I know he was not comfortable with that. I suspect he already avoided our “tail” once when he met the target. We could say that—at least temporarily, until we examine this thoroughly—he is considered an accomplice of the target’s. In any case, he is hiding right now. We have no idea where he is.”
“Wasn’t he in the ER last time you reported to me?”
“Yes, but apparently that did not stop him. From our research, it seems that he took a taxi to the western part of the city, where he made a call from a payphone to a number we could not locate. This is very recent information that we got from the cab driver. After the call, he let the driver go, and we haven’t been able to track him since. For the moment, we have no leads. He must have had a standing arrangement in case he had to disappear.”
“And where do we stand with the plan?” asked L.
“The plan is moving along. A number of conversations took place with a number of strong party members. Hints were made. And the worst thing: money has already exchanged hands. The question is what to do now.”
The Head of Operations leaned back in his seat, his eyes following the smoke as it rose to the ceiling.
“How much money has already been paid?” he gently asked.
“Two million.”
“And was it used?”
“I don’t know, but in all probability it wasn’t, considering that it hasn’t been very long.”
“Allow me to try and summarize the situation,” said the Head, and once he heard no refusal, he moved on. “We suspected one person and went after him. Our attempt to neutralize him failed. We made him try and find out why he was being chased. He probably revealed the project. Now we are dealing with two more people: Eduard and his mysterious accomplice, with whom he is staying. We decided to neutralize one—and failed. Should we try to counteract three people? Obviously, we are dealing with two excellent professi
onals, and maybe the third is, too, even though we don’t know who he or she is. We can fear that we will not be able to neutralize them, and even if we were able to do so, it is quite possible that the material they had prepared for the legal system and the media in case something happens to them would reach its recipients. Any comments up to here?”
Sammy sadly looked at his boss and shook his head.
“So I thought. You do not know how sorry I am about this. This country needs the change we wanted to bring, only that at this point we cannot reach any conclusion other than the one that we have lost this battle. We will have to wait for another opportunity.”
So that’s it.
Sammy was first and foremost a practical man. Nostalgia and shattered dreams were not his style.
“I will let Mitchell know that the deal is off. I will demand the return of the money. He will be frustrated, clearly, but would rather keep quiet. He wouldn’t mess with us. As far as party members are concerned, nothing actually happened. It is quite likely that he would continue in legitimate attempts to convince them without further remuneration. Obviously, that wouldn’t help, but at the moment, this is the least of our worries. If something is published, there is no way of proving bribery, because none would be given or offered. All that is left are these dear gentlemen who would keep on snooping as long as they have a chance of finding anything.”
“And what do they actually know?” the Head asked while inhaling smoke from his pipe.
“A suspicion that the Millennium Lottery was fraudulent. I don’t know if they really know how this was done, but the open ends are clearly our winners. If they follow that lead they may get here.”
“If so, the answer is clear: they never worked here.”
“I presume that could be arranged,” said Sammy.
“Alright.” L rose, as he always did when he made final decisions. “Take care of all the loose ends and make sure that when Eduard and Ram’s investigations reach a dead end, we can bring them back to us. Eduard is not a problem, and as for the other, we have to explain to him that someone tried to incriminate him and it was refuted. Luckily enough, we owe nobody any explanations. All in all, we have to get back to our regular routine as soon as possible and as smoothly as we can.”
Sammy was not surprised when he heard his boss say the target’s name for the first time. He had no doubt that the Head knew who it was about from the beginning. Mentioning his name meant signing his pardon.
Sammy rose to his feet and as he talked it was hard not to notice the relief in his voice, “I’ll take care of it as soon as possible.”
“And, of course, remove the tail from Ram and Eduard. Let them investigate freely, just make sure that they have nothing to find out—even though I believe they wouldn’t do that. They are too smart not to realize that this is a dead end street. I assume that Eduard will contact you very soon, and then all you have to do is express interest in his injury and wish him a speedy recovery.”
If Sammy expected a smile at the end of this speech, he didn’t get one.
“He’ll also hear from me about taking an unauthorized vacation…” Sammy quickly internalized the way things were now.
He turned around and walked out of the room.
***
Sammy went back to his office, connected his cell phone to a recording device, and called Mitchell.
Even though it was already late, Mitchell was still in his office. He glimpsed at the phone, saw an unlisted number, and decided to take the call anyway.
“Good evening. Sammy here.”
“Yes, Sammy,” Mitchell sounded far from thrilled.
“I regret to inform you that the project has been cancelled,” said Sammy.
“I see.”
Sammy glimpsed at the recording device, ensuring that it was working.
“I must inform you that this is a final cancellation, not a postponement of any kind.”
“I see,” Mithcell repeated.
“We have decided to compensate you with one hundred thousand dollars. We request that the rest be returned to us immediately.”
There was a sudden silence on the line, and then Mitchell spoke quietly, almost whispering, “That would be impossible.”
“What would be impossible?” Sammy’s voice grew about a half octave lower.
“The return of the money,”
“And why is that?” asked Sammy in a threatening voice.
“Because I never received the money. The courier who went to pick it up was robbed on his way. You can, of course, confirm that—that is, if his condition even allows for an interrogation. He is in the emergency room right now, and is not doing well.”
Sammy felt how pale his face was. He tried to remain as calm as possible.
“We transferred the money according to our commitment,” he said, “I hope you’re not stupid enough to believe you could rob us…”
“I wasn’t saying you did not transfer the money. The bag was in the place we agreed on, the money in it. I received a report from my courier, whom I trust completely, as soon as he left the premises and was headed back to meet me. But instead of meeting me he ended up in the hospital. Without the bag, of course. The police say he was violently attacked. That is the truth.”
Sammy grew silent and then regained his composure.
“You’ll hear from us soon,” he said and hung up without bothering to say goodbye.
45
Mika folded her long legs, noticing the quick admiring look Eddie discretely gave them. She looked at him, holding her morning coffee, and wondered whether the attraction she felt for him, as he lay on her couch with his injured leg stretched out, was the result of his rare visits. She decided she couldn’t tell.
“So what do these names tell you?” She asked, outstretching her hand to a cookie jar on the table. She pulled out a cookie and dipped it in the coffee.
“Nothing for the moment, but if Ram is right, they shouldn’t be famous.”
“Yes, that is true,” she nodded, “but what do you think about his theory?”
“Do you want to know the truth?”
“If it isn’t too hard on you, then yes, I’d rather know the truth.”
“I think it’s a crazy and fascinating theory. Imagine that it’s true. Begin with the genius of tampering with the lottery itself—which I have no idea how anyone could do—and then the level of corruption: to use the money, millions of dollars, in order to bribe politicians who determine the state’s affairs. I must say that even if only half of it is right, this is the biggest fraud I’ve ever heard of.”
“So basically everything depends on whether or not these two names are somehow linked to the Bureau? Is that so?”
“Exactly. You must agree with me that if it is right, there’s almost no doubt that something weird is taking place here. Of course, we still have to locate the money and see how it changes hands and is given to the politicians…”
It was early in the morning. They spent the night in her bed without mentioning the other man. They had the rights of veterans, and even if they hadn’t, that was what they wanted to do. The sex was good, but it lacked the true quality of sex, the kind rooted in love rather than fantasies of the past. But they were comfortable and did not feel any kind of guilt. They were at ease with the idea that this was part of their fate.
“So what are we going to do?” Mika asked, when suddenly her buzzer rang.
Eddie’s muscles tensed in a second. “Are you expecting company?” He asked.
She motioned him to calm down. “It’s the delivery guy who brings me the morning newspaper. This buzzing sound is sometimes my only reason to wake up.”
“I see,” said Eddie.
“Why don’t you pour yourself another cup of coffee and in the meantime I’ll get the paper? Then we should probably look at those stitches while you think about what we should do. By the way, do you think I’m going to have to shoot anyone today?”
Eddie wondered for a second. Her his
tory included belonging to an extermination team. It had been a few years since she retired, but professionals become retired professionals, which is always better than excited amateurs.
“I sure hope not and if you do it’ll only be to protect me. But you never know. They tried to kill Ram and that ended badly. Someone is very serious about getting this threat out of their way, and now I myself am part of it.”
“I love people who can defend themselves,” she said in a supposedly meaningless tone, “it makes things more interesting.”
“You should ask those who came to kill him. Only that two of them can no longer answer any questions, and the third has a useless knee. Our friend knows what he is doing. That is, if we believe him that he is the victim here.”
“And do we?”
“That’s what we’ve decided. At least until we can prove otherwise.”
“Alright, then pour your coffee. I’ll be right back.” She got up and walked down the stairs.
Determined to make himself useful, Eddie pulled out the first aid kit and started taking out gauzes, adhesive bandages, antibiotic ointment, scissors, and bandages. After he organized them all on the table, he took the coffee pot and started pouring himself some coffee when Mika appeared holding the newspaper, showing him the headline. She read the back page as she was walking.
“You know something?” She quietly said, her voice making the hair on his back rise.
“What?” He asked.
“I think we’re too late.”
“Excuse me?” He had no idea what she was talking about.
“What was the first name in the message Ram sent you?” She asked in the same quiet voice, only that now there was certain sadness to it.
“Do I have to repeat it? You’ve never forgotten a name or a face,” he teased.
“I still don’t. You’d better look at this.” She handed him the paper. Eddie started anxiously reading the back page article, and could not believe his eyes. It read that this person—the name jumped out of the page—was killed in a car accident when his car hit the barrier and fell one hundred feet down from the road. When the ambulances came, all the paramedics could do was declare him dead. It took them almost an hour to pull the body out of what was left from the car. The man was single and the article made no mention of the names of any relatives he had.
