barn. Baba had tried talking to her about it, but she gave up as Flora maintained her stony silence. Not even the historic news that afternoon of Goering’s conviction and death sentence could cheer her up.
Why was the overseer bothering her, anyway?
“I need your help, Flora,” he said after a minute. “Just one more time.”
She turned back to him. “Haven’t I done enough, Mr. Morgan?”
“I thought you had,” he said. “But the depositary team has reviewed my paperwork, and they now require a new form. Mr. Goering needs to sign a release and attestation for us.”
“So have him sign it.”
He sighed. “Mr. Goering’s lawyer, Dr. Stahmer, only trusted James. Now that he is hurt…” His shoulders slumped.
Maybe she had succeeded after all. “What happens if he doesn’t sign the release? Will he be able to deposit the gold?”
“He will not.” The overseer cleared his throat. “But before you get any ideas, let me make something crystal clear—if Mr. Goering does not deposit that gold, I will rescind the offer we made to your grandmother.”
“Go ahead. I dare you.”
Archibald Morgan nodded. “Very well. The two of you are to leave the residence tonight. I do not wish to do this, but you leave me no choice. You may take one week’s worth of medicine for her.” He turned around and stepped over the threshold and into the hallway.
“You’re a cold-hearted bastard,” she said under her breath.
He stopped, but he didn’t turn around. “Excuse me?”
She clenched her fists. “All right.”
Silence for a moment. Then he asked, “All right what?”
“I’ll help you, Mr. Morgan. You can count on me.”
He turned around and gave her a thin smile. “I hoped I could.” He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small black and white photograph and a folded sheaf of papers.
Flora got up and walked over to him. She looked at the picture. “Who’s the soldier?” she asked.
“Private Steven Lee. He is one of Colonel Andrus’s guards. James identified him as a weak link. I need your help getting to him.”
“My help?”
“Three weeks ago, I asked James to come up with a backup plan in case Mr. Goering’s lawyer blocked our access.” He held up the papers and frowned. “I will not lie to you, Flora. This is a delicate and, shall I say, a very personal assignment. And now that Mr. Goering has been sentenced to death, I need you to work quickly.”
It wasn’t like she had a choice, was it? “Yes sir,” was all she could say. She closed her eyes for a moment and steeled herself for what she was about to do. She walked back to her bed and picked up a small cloth bag hanging from the post. Then she returned to the overseer. “Mr. Morgan, there is something you could do for me.”
He smiled. “Certainly.”
Funny how nice he acted, once he’d gotten his way. Flora reached into the bag and withdrew a hypodermic syringe. Then she quickly jabbed the needle into the overseer’s arm and depressed the plunger.
He clapped his hand to his arm. “What did you do, Flora? That hurt.”
“I need the whole story, Mr. Morgan.” She grabbed his arm and pulled him into the room, next to her chair. “You’d better sit down before you fall.” Baba said the drug took only took a few seconds to take effect.
The overseer lurched forward and collapsed onto the chair. His body slumped to the left.
Flora grabbed Mr. Morgan’s shoulders and pulled him upright. She straightened his neck like Baba showed her. Then she dropped the syringe into the cloth bag and hung it back over the bedpost.
The Soul Identity team wasn’t the only one with a backup plan. Two weeks ago, Baba and Flora had taken the sodium thiopental from the Army medical kits, just in case the overseer tried to cheat them out of their trip to America.
Baba said the drug made a person feel drunk, and it took away their inhibitions. She said that Flora could ask the overseer about the trip, and with a little
Why was the overseer bothering her, anyway?
“I need your help, Flora,” he said after a minute. “Just one more time.”
She turned back to him. “Haven’t I done enough, Mr. Morgan?”
“I thought you had,” he said. “But the depositary team has reviewed my paperwork, and they now require a new form. Mr. Goering needs to sign a release and attestation for us.”
“So have him sign it.”
He sighed. “Mr. Goering’s lawyer, Dr. Stahmer, only trusted James. Now that he is hurt…” His shoulders slumped.
Maybe she had succeeded after all. “What happens if he doesn’t sign the release? Will he be able to deposit the gold?”
“He will not.” The overseer cleared his throat. “But before you get any ideas, let me make something crystal clear—if Mr. Goering does not deposit that gold, I will rescind the offer we made to your grandmother.”
“Go ahead. I dare you.”
Archibald Morgan nodded. “Very well. The two of you are to leave the residence tonight. I do not wish to do this, but you leave me no choice. You may take one week’s worth of medicine for her.” He turned around and stepped over the threshold and into the hallway.
“You’re a cold-hearted bastard,” she said under her breath.
He stopped, but he didn’t turn around. “Excuse me?”
She clenched her fists. “All right.”
Silence for a moment. Then he asked, “All right what?”
“I’ll help you, Mr. Morgan. You can count on me.”
He turned around and gave her a thin smile. “I hoped I could.” He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small black and white photograph and a folded sheaf of papers.
Flora got up and walked over to him. She looked at the picture. “Who’s the soldier?” she asked.
“Private Steven Lee. He is one of Colonel Andrus’s guards. James identified him as a weak link. I need your help getting to him.”
“My help?”
“Three weeks ago, I asked James to come up with a backup plan in case Mr. Goering’s lawyer blocked our access.” He held up the papers and frowned. “I will not lie to you, Flora. This is a delicate and, shall I say, a very personal assignment. And now that Mr. Goering has been sentenced to death, I need you to work quickly.”
It wasn’t like she had a choice, was it? “Yes sir,” was all she could say. She closed her eyes for a moment and steeled herself for what she was about to do. She walked back to her bed and picked up a small cloth bag hanging from the post. Then she returned to the overseer. “Mr. Morgan, there is something you could do for me.”
He smiled. “Certainly.”
Funny how nice he acted, once he’d gotten his way. Flora reached into the bag and withdrew a hypodermic syringe. Then she quickly jabbed the needle into the overseer’s arm and depressed the plunger.
He clapped his hand to his arm. “What did you do, Flora? That hurt.”
“I need the whole story, Mr. Morgan.” She grabbed his arm and pulled him into the room, next to her chair. “You’d better sit down before you fall.” Baba said the drug took only took a few seconds to take effect.
The overseer lurched forward and collapsed onto the chair. His body slumped to the left.
Flora grabbed Mr. Morgan’s shoulders and pulled him upright. She straightened his neck like Baba showed her. Then she dropped the syringe into the cloth bag and hung it back over the bedpost.
The Soul Identity team wasn’t the only one with a backup plan. Two weeks ago, Baba and Flora had taken the sodium thiopental from the Army medical kits, just in case the overseer tried to cheat them out of their trip to America.
Baba said the drug made a person feel drunk, and it took away their inhibitions. She said that Flora could ask the overseer about the trip, and with a little
Similar Books
