tingle of a few things finally coming together. “It must have come out of the Hefty bag, and whatever else they found must have led them to that safety deposit box and the money.”
“Shanahan?”
“What?”
“I don’t have a fucking clue what you’re talking about.”
“I know. Sorry.” I couldn’t remember who knew what. The only thing I had told Dan was that Harvey had disappeared. “Roger Fratello is an embezzler. He stole a bunch of money and fled the country around the same time as Salanna 809. I think he was on that plane traveling as Gilbert Bernays.”
“Wait, I’ve got a copy of the manifest. Hold on.”
“You have a copy of the Salanna 809 passenger manifest? How did you get that?”
“Majestic used to handle Salanna down at JFK. I know this flight attendant who used to be married to a ramp supervisor down there, and he knew a guy who knew a guy, and I don’t know. I just did it. Bernays, you said?”
“Gilbert Bernays.”
“Yeah, hold on.” I heard pages turning. Whereas Felix’s thinking music was a low, steady hum, Dan’s was more like a fast rattle, something like “tsetsetsetse,” as in tsetse fly . “He was in seat 4B. Boarded in Brussels, on his way to Johannesburg.”
“Supposedly, he was one of the ones who survived.”
“Do you want to talk to him?”
“Why? Do you know where he is?”
“I know where he might be for the next few days. Believe it or not, these Salanna 809 people have reunions.”
“The hostages have reunions?”
“I shit you not, and they’re former hostages. Lucky for you, they’re having one this week.”
“This week? That’s a pretty strange coincidence, don’t you think?”
“No. It was scheduled for later in the year, but they moved it up because of a State Department request. State wants to meet with the survivors to give back their stuff. It’s happening because of Zormat.”
Wasn’t everything? One way or another, everything was happening because of Zormat and what was found there. Nothing, I was finding, was coincidence. Coincidence, in fact, was to be regarded with deep suspicion.
“Where is this reunion?”
“Paris. Do you want to go? I can get you in.”
“Is it a private affair?”
“It’s very private. They don’t let anybody in.”
I would have asked how he could do that, but the answer was always the same. He knew a guy who knew a guy. “How long is this thing going on?”
“Tomorrow and the next day until noon.”
I went back behind the desk and sat down. It had been a rough day, and no matter how good the lead, a trip to Paris in the next twenty-four hours felt overwhelming. Besides, the more I thought about it, the less reason I could find to go there. Harvey was safe, I didn’t know what Rachel was up to, and as long as I could protect Harvey from her, I didn’t care. Roger Fratello was the FBI’s problem. I couldn’t afford a walk-up fare to Paris, anyway. That had to be at least a couple grand. But Dan had done a lot of good work for me, as he always did when I asked. I didn’t want to just dismiss the idea.
“Let me call you back after I figure out what’s going on. Harvey has more to tell me, and I’m still waiting for Bo.” I started to end the call but had one more thought. “But if I have to go, you have to give me a break on the fare.”
“Jesus fucking Christ.”
I would have said thanks and good job, but he’d hung up on me. It was so much fun to push his buttons. I was just about to dial Felix when Bo walked in. I took one look at his face and hung up. Felix would have to wait.
11
WHEN BO LOWERED HIMSELF ONTO THE FURNITURE, IT seemed to sigh. That’s what the couch did when he settled his bulk on it. “We have to talk.”
“Let me just check on Harvey. I left him in the shower.”
“It’s important.”
“I can see that. I’ll be right back.” Harvey’s room was dark when I got there. He had already managed to get himself into his pajamas and then into his bed.
“Shanahan?”
“What?”
“I don’t have a fucking clue what you’re talking about.”
“I know. Sorry.” I couldn’t remember who knew what. The only thing I had told Dan was that Harvey had disappeared. “Roger Fratello is an embezzler. He stole a bunch of money and fled the country around the same time as Salanna 809. I think he was on that plane traveling as Gilbert Bernays.”
“Wait, I’ve got a copy of the manifest. Hold on.”
“You have a copy of the Salanna 809 passenger manifest? How did you get that?”
“Majestic used to handle Salanna down at JFK. I know this flight attendant who used to be married to a ramp supervisor down there, and he knew a guy who knew a guy, and I don’t know. I just did it. Bernays, you said?”
“Gilbert Bernays.”
“Yeah, hold on.” I heard pages turning. Whereas Felix’s thinking music was a low, steady hum, Dan’s was more like a fast rattle, something like “tsetsetsetse,” as in tsetse fly . “He was in seat 4B. Boarded in Brussels, on his way to Johannesburg.”
“Supposedly, he was one of the ones who survived.”
“Do you want to talk to him?”
“Why? Do you know where he is?”
“I know where he might be for the next few days. Believe it or not, these Salanna 809 people have reunions.”
“The hostages have reunions?”
“I shit you not, and they’re former hostages. Lucky for you, they’re having one this week.”
“This week? That’s a pretty strange coincidence, don’t you think?”
“No. It was scheduled for later in the year, but they moved it up because of a State Department request. State wants to meet with the survivors to give back their stuff. It’s happening because of Zormat.”
Wasn’t everything? One way or another, everything was happening because of Zormat and what was found there. Nothing, I was finding, was coincidence. Coincidence, in fact, was to be regarded with deep suspicion.
“Where is this reunion?”
“Paris. Do you want to go? I can get you in.”
“Is it a private affair?”
“It’s very private. They don’t let anybody in.”
I would have asked how he could do that, but the answer was always the same. He knew a guy who knew a guy. “How long is this thing going on?”
“Tomorrow and the next day until noon.”
I went back behind the desk and sat down. It had been a rough day, and no matter how good the lead, a trip to Paris in the next twenty-four hours felt overwhelming. Besides, the more I thought about it, the less reason I could find to go there. Harvey was safe, I didn’t know what Rachel was up to, and as long as I could protect Harvey from her, I didn’t care. Roger Fratello was the FBI’s problem. I couldn’t afford a walk-up fare to Paris, anyway. That had to be at least a couple grand. But Dan had done a lot of good work for me, as he always did when I asked. I didn’t want to just dismiss the idea.
“Let me call you back after I figure out what’s going on. Harvey has more to tell me, and I’m still waiting for Bo.” I started to end the call but had one more thought. “But if I have to go, you have to give me a break on the fare.”
“Jesus fucking Christ.”
I would have said thanks and good job, but he’d hung up on me. It was so much fun to push his buttons. I was just about to dial Felix when Bo walked in. I took one look at his face and hung up. Felix would have to wait.
11
WHEN BO LOWERED HIMSELF ONTO THE FURNITURE, IT seemed to sigh. That’s what the couch did when he settled his bulk on it. “We have to talk.”
“Let me just check on Harvey. I left him in the shower.”
“It’s important.”
“I can see that. I’ll be right back.” Harvey’s room was dark when I got there. He had already managed to get himself into his pajamas and then into his bed.
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