for expensive system?’
Onscreen, Catalina was opening up her bag and taking out the items to show him. He was examining each one in turn.
‘What did she say to you?’
‘That these were thingsfrom her grandmother. Old woman has died and she does not want them.’
Raul shook his head in disbelief. ‘Why would she say that? Our grandmothers have both been dead for years.’
‘What else did she say?’ Ben asked Braunschweiger.
‘Nothing. That she needs the money fast. My offer is twenty thousand, for all.’ Braunschweiger made a grasping motion that was probably unconscious.
‘Cash?’
Braunschweiger turned away from the screen with a worried frown, as if it had just occurred to him that if he admitted to carrying such large sums of cash on the premises, these two guys would surely beat him up and rob him.
Raul looked ready to punch him in the face. ‘I hate crooks like you who take advantage of people. That’s a fraction of what this stuff was worth. You’re lucky we don’tburn this place to the ground.’
Ben looked at Raul and could see the fury in his eyes. He put a hand on his arm to steady him. He asked Braunschweiger, ‘And she didn’t give any clue why she needed the cash in such a rush?’
‘ Nein , she spoke hardly a word. She did not try to argue price. I offer the money, she nods okay, and that is it. I fetch the cash from safe, count it before her andshe takes and puts it in the bag, as you see.’ The events were happening on the screen as Braunschweiger narrated them. A few moments later, the transaction was over and Catalina Fuentes left the pawnshop looking just as nervy and tense as she had before. She seemed to pause at the entrance, as if peeking through the door to check the coast was clear. Then she was gone.
Raul kept staring atthe empty shop as if waiting for her to return. His face was etched with sadness.
‘You want that I should burn to disc?’ Braunschweiger offered. Maybe he thought that if he was generous, these two wouldn’t beat him up and rob him after all.
‘Do it,’ Ben said.
Braunschweiger delved in a box and came out with a sealed pack of DVD-ROMs. He tore open the packaging and slotted one intothe computer, hit a few keys and clicked here and there, and a minute later the file was burned onto it. Ben pocketed the disc, then stepped over to the counter and picked the gold Cartier from the tray. ‘We’ll take this, too.’
‘Ten thousand,’ Braunschweiger said. Generosity had its limits.
Ben shook his head.
‘Seven, then.’
Ben took out his Zippo, clanged it open and thumbed thestriker. Braunschweiger stared at the flickering flame, got the message and swallowed. ‘No charge,’ he said. ‘What the hell, I make enough on the necklace.’
‘You’re a credit to your profession,’ Ben said, flicking the lighter shut. He gave the watch to Raul. Raul clutched it tightly in his fist, looking at Braunschweiger as if he would like to make him eat it.
They left the pawnshop andreturned to the car. The rainclouds had drawn back like a curtain, and the sunshine was peeping timidly through the gap but it didn’t feel any warmer.
Raul was so worked up that his hands were shaking. Ben didn’t start the engine. He cracked the window open just an inch, so the rain couldn’t get through, and lit a Gauloise. With all the pieces of the puzzle up in the air like confetti spirallingin a wind, it was time to do some serious thinking.
Raul kept staring at his sister’s gold watch. ‘I’m more sure than ever. Who would cash in their precious valuables to raise twenty thousand euros when they’re planning to kill themselves four days later?’
‘Tell me,’ Ben said. ‘Was your sister the kind of person who spent everything she earned on fancy stuff and high living?’
Raullooked at him. ‘Don’t keep talking about her in the past tense. And no, that has never been her way.’
‘Then there’s still plenty in the bank?’
‘She left behind over
Onscreen, Catalina was opening up her bag and taking out the items to show him. He was examining each one in turn.
‘What did she say to you?’
‘That these were thingsfrom her grandmother. Old woman has died and she does not want them.’
Raul shook his head in disbelief. ‘Why would she say that? Our grandmothers have both been dead for years.’
‘What else did she say?’ Ben asked Braunschweiger.
‘Nothing. That she needs the money fast. My offer is twenty thousand, for all.’ Braunschweiger made a grasping motion that was probably unconscious.
‘Cash?’
Braunschweiger turned away from the screen with a worried frown, as if it had just occurred to him that if he admitted to carrying such large sums of cash on the premises, these two guys would surely beat him up and rob him.
Raul looked ready to punch him in the face. ‘I hate crooks like you who take advantage of people. That’s a fraction of what this stuff was worth. You’re lucky we don’tburn this place to the ground.’
Ben looked at Raul and could see the fury in his eyes. He put a hand on his arm to steady him. He asked Braunschweiger, ‘And she didn’t give any clue why she needed the cash in such a rush?’
‘ Nein , she spoke hardly a word. She did not try to argue price. I offer the money, she nods okay, and that is it. I fetch the cash from safe, count it before her andshe takes and puts it in the bag, as you see.’ The events were happening on the screen as Braunschweiger narrated them. A few moments later, the transaction was over and Catalina Fuentes left the pawnshop looking just as nervy and tense as she had before. She seemed to pause at the entrance, as if peeking through the door to check the coast was clear. Then she was gone.
Raul kept staring atthe empty shop as if waiting for her to return. His face was etched with sadness.
‘You want that I should burn to disc?’ Braunschweiger offered. Maybe he thought that if he was generous, these two wouldn’t beat him up and rob him after all.
‘Do it,’ Ben said.
Braunschweiger delved in a box and came out with a sealed pack of DVD-ROMs. He tore open the packaging and slotted one intothe computer, hit a few keys and clicked here and there, and a minute later the file was burned onto it. Ben pocketed the disc, then stepped over to the counter and picked the gold Cartier from the tray. ‘We’ll take this, too.’
‘Ten thousand,’ Braunschweiger said. Generosity had its limits.
Ben shook his head.
‘Seven, then.’
Ben took out his Zippo, clanged it open and thumbed thestriker. Braunschweiger stared at the flickering flame, got the message and swallowed. ‘No charge,’ he said. ‘What the hell, I make enough on the necklace.’
‘You’re a credit to your profession,’ Ben said, flicking the lighter shut. He gave the watch to Raul. Raul clutched it tightly in his fist, looking at Braunschweiger as if he would like to make him eat it.
They left the pawnshop andreturned to the car. The rainclouds had drawn back like a curtain, and the sunshine was peeping timidly through the gap but it didn’t feel any warmer.
Raul was so worked up that his hands were shaking. Ben didn’t start the engine. He cracked the window open just an inch, so the rain couldn’t get through, and lit a Gauloise. With all the pieces of the puzzle up in the air like confetti spirallingin a wind, it was time to do some serious thinking.
Raul kept staring at his sister’s gold watch. ‘I’m more sure than ever. Who would cash in their precious valuables to raise twenty thousand euros when they’re planning to kill themselves four days later?’
‘Tell me,’ Ben said. ‘Was your sister the kind of person who spent everything she earned on fancy stuff and high living?’
Raullooked at him. ‘Don’t keep talking about her in the past tense. And no, that has never been her way.’
‘Then there’s still plenty in the bank?’
‘She left behind over
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