Log all visitors and follow them. He would need approval for that, for a few weeks at least, or until something tangible came up. He had tapped their phones before but in three months got nothing, and the federal judge had rescinded the authority. His agents had searched rubbish bins, but returned empty-handed. They had placed a constant tail on the son, Antonio, but all they had to show for their expensive efforts were the names of a dozen floozies.
Zilch.
But you never gave up. So Harper sent a fax to Julio: ‘Good work. Dig deeper. Report as it happens. And sorry to tell you, your sister unwell.’
Just a code for the activation, on call, of a pre-defined escape plan.
We are ready to pull you out at short notice
, it meant.
Just shout
.
Red Harper did not like losing men.
5
WALTER LAFORGE TOOK an early afternoon train from Zurich Central to Geneva. From the station he hailed a taxi for the short ride to the Hotel d’Angleterre. Avoiding the hotel’s main entrance, he went down the steps that led directly into the Leopard Lounge. The sumptuous bar was an ideal meeting place: dimly lit, with the tables sufficiently apart to keep conversations private, clear of prying eyes in hotel lobbies, yet a perfectly acceptable venue for business meetings.
Laforge paused, his eyes adjusting to the penumbra, and spotted Martelli’s dapper figure, habitually gauging the bar’s clientele from a sofa along the left-hand side, with a commanding view of the entrance.
‘Walter!’ The Credit Suisse man stood up, his hand extended. ‘Nice to see you again,’ he added, casually moving towards one end of the settee, inviting his colleague to sit alongside.
‘My pleasure, Guido,’ answered Laforge sincerely. In their world there were few with whom they could afford the luxury of a personal rapport. Earlier in the day, over the telephone, Laforge had not revealed too much, merely hinted that something not entirely acceptable might be in the air. He had given Martelli the name of the Credit Suisse customer and agreed to meet that evening. Security chiefs, even in Switzerland, were not nine-to-five men.
‘The party in question,’ opened Martelli, ‘is well known to us. Lawyers, New York based, longstanding account. Their complete details are listed in the State Bar directory. They are perfectly genuine.’ Neither man had brought along any papers; their exchanges of information would be purely verbal.
Laforge nodded his understanding and offered something in return. A letter had been received at UCB requesting a large transfer to CS. Laforge believed the letter to be a forgery. Would large transactions be the norm for CS’s client? Martelli had raised his shoulders in a noncommittal way. Ten, twenty million US, would not be uncommon. But it was almost always clients’ money, and did not stay at CS very long. A percentage was retained at times, the rest moved on to other parties. Not an unusual pattern for a law firm.
‘Thank you, Guido,’ said Laforge sincerely. ‘You should know that for the moment we are not going to act on the instruction received.’
It was Martelli’s turn to nod.
Laforge continued: ‘So it is possible that your customer might enquire from you whether or not the funds in question have arrived.’
‘You would like me to let you know if that happens, right?’
‘I would be grateful.’
‘Are you involving the police?’
‘Not at this stage.’
‘Should you decide to do so, will you let me know in advance?’
‘You have my word.’
‘Good. I’ll keep you posted. Anything else I should know?’
‘Merely a suspicion, you understand? Your customer, the law firm? They may be doing something, hmm … improper.’
‘Thank you, Walter.’
‘Thank
you
, Guido.’
They exchanged a few more pleasantries, enquired about each other’s families, and then parted. Walter Laforge went straight back to the railway station. Dr Ulm had been very clear in stating their bank’s position: in his
Zilch.
But you never gave up. So Harper sent a fax to Julio: ‘Good work. Dig deeper. Report as it happens. And sorry to tell you, your sister unwell.’
Just a code for the activation, on call, of a pre-defined escape plan.
We are ready to pull you out at short notice
, it meant.
Just shout
.
Red Harper did not like losing men.
5
WALTER LAFORGE TOOK an early afternoon train from Zurich Central to Geneva. From the station he hailed a taxi for the short ride to the Hotel d’Angleterre. Avoiding the hotel’s main entrance, he went down the steps that led directly into the Leopard Lounge. The sumptuous bar was an ideal meeting place: dimly lit, with the tables sufficiently apart to keep conversations private, clear of prying eyes in hotel lobbies, yet a perfectly acceptable venue for business meetings.
Laforge paused, his eyes adjusting to the penumbra, and spotted Martelli’s dapper figure, habitually gauging the bar’s clientele from a sofa along the left-hand side, with a commanding view of the entrance.
‘Walter!’ The Credit Suisse man stood up, his hand extended. ‘Nice to see you again,’ he added, casually moving towards one end of the settee, inviting his colleague to sit alongside.
‘My pleasure, Guido,’ answered Laforge sincerely. In their world there were few with whom they could afford the luxury of a personal rapport. Earlier in the day, over the telephone, Laforge had not revealed too much, merely hinted that something not entirely acceptable might be in the air. He had given Martelli the name of the Credit Suisse customer and agreed to meet that evening. Security chiefs, even in Switzerland, were not nine-to-five men.
‘The party in question,’ opened Martelli, ‘is well known to us. Lawyers, New York based, longstanding account. Their complete details are listed in the State Bar directory. They are perfectly genuine.’ Neither man had brought along any papers; their exchanges of information would be purely verbal.
Laforge nodded his understanding and offered something in return. A letter had been received at UCB requesting a large transfer to CS. Laforge believed the letter to be a forgery. Would large transactions be the norm for CS’s client? Martelli had raised his shoulders in a noncommittal way. Ten, twenty million US, would not be uncommon. But it was almost always clients’ money, and did not stay at CS very long. A percentage was retained at times, the rest moved on to other parties. Not an unusual pattern for a law firm.
‘Thank you, Guido,’ said Laforge sincerely. ‘You should know that for the moment we are not going to act on the instruction received.’
It was Martelli’s turn to nod.
Laforge continued: ‘So it is possible that your customer might enquire from you whether or not the funds in question have arrived.’
‘You would like me to let you know if that happens, right?’
‘I would be grateful.’
‘Are you involving the police?’
‘Not at this stage.’
‘Should you decide to do so, will you let me know in advance?’
‘You have my word.’
‘Good. I’ll keep you posted. Anything else I should know?’
‘Merely a suspicion, you understand? Your customer, the law firm? They may be doing something, hmm … improper.’
‘Thank you, Walter.’
‘Thank
you
, Guido.’
They exchanged a few more pleasantries, enquired about each other’s families, and then parted. Walter Laforge went straight back to the railway station. Dr Ulm had been very clear in stating their bank’s position: in his
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