Serializing a new novel.
Chapter 9: New York — The Meeting in the Parking
Lot
Fred Smith saw something strange at his missing employers'
apartment and put into place his plans to flee. He went to
Switzerland. Dean is in Jerusalem. And those who pursued them
are in New York City.
*
Two cars drew into adjacent spaces in the parking lot. To a
casual observer the men seemed to meet almost by accident,
but this was really a carefully arranged rendezvous.
"Well, what's going on? Nothing in the papers. The headlines
should be: `Vanished Supermarket Millionaire's Son and
Assistant Killed in Shoot-out in Apartment.' So far . . .
nothing."
"They vanished, Boss."
"Vanished, vanished? Like in Abracadabra? I was paid good
money for them to be killed, for it to look like they killed
one another. What's this talk of vanishing?"
"We did it like you told us. We went to the apartment early,
together with Sam. Then he left us with that old guy. The one
you want bumped off last. He told us that he arranged for the
two boys to arrive separately. Gus thought he heard someone
leave by the service entrance, but we ran down and found no
one. We waited all day. We called both apartments. We called
the boy's college. I sent extra men to look for them.
Nothing."
"You got the share certificates."
"No. We looked everywhere. We opened the safe in the study.
No problem. All it had was two little black boxes with black
straps stuck in a corner.
"That's bad . . . very bad. No share certificates. No
disappeared heir, and the client can't do the merger. Then
there's the guy who killed the couple, on my orders, and now
he's running around loose. Find them. Both boys. Don't kill
either boy till you know for sure where the share
certificates are. No — till you actually have those
certificates in your hand. Then make them disappear, but for
good. I made a deal. I took the money. Get it right."
The hired car pulled out first. Two men with worried
expressions were silent for a while as the car made its way
through the busy New York City traffic.
Then the limousine pulled out. "What now, boss?" said the
driver.
The heavyset man thought for a while. "Get everyone onto
this. Forget all the other jobs. Use contacts with the Feds
to see if they left the country. Keep a watch on all the
places. Send one lot to the College. Maybe he'll go back
there. Keep a watch on the other guy's apartment, on the pool
hall — everywhere he usually goes. I don't like it. For
one to smell a rat and not turn up at the apartment, I can
understand. Two? No, something ain't good here."
"Oh, yes. Also get someone to call the client and explain
that there is a slight delay. No. Better I should do that
myself. The guy is very nervy. I need to calm him."
As he leaned back in his seat he thought to himself, "No
wonder our client is nervy. He ain't used to this business,
the way I am. He don't realize all the high-up contacts I
have. Of course he's afraid now. He's afraid that the whole
business of the disappearance in Brazil will be traced back
to him.
"Bet he wishes now that he had never siphoned money from his
company. I reckon his accountant is worrying that those dicey
accounts will come to attention — and sooner, rather
than later.
"This merger between these two supermarket chains must go
through, so that he can make use of the money from the new
company. Otherwise he is in bad trouble.
"Well, I took his money, and now it is up to me to get rid of
the witness and also the heir. Once that is done my client
can put the merger in place. Where can they be, those two
young men?"
