Dalton's face became red. "That son of a bitch. You've been working with him out of Germany?"
They stared at each other.
"Then you do know him?" Isaac asked.
"Yes! He's my supplier."
Isaac shook his head. "I guess Carlson has been playing both of us. I didn't know that he was your boss."
"Yeah, sort of. He planned the Italy scheme. He's also most of my funding source for this partnership. Why was he selling to your men in Germany?"
Isaac smiled. "He wasn't. One of his men sold him out."
"What do you mean?"
"Steve Carlson is selling the same technology you've been selling to me to a German company called Bundenbach Electronics. His middle man, a guy named Johnson, decided to sell to us as well."
"That asshole," Dalton said, pouring himself another glass of schnapps. "I trusted him. It was Carlson's idea in the first place to set up our arrangement. He wanted to get in on the ground floor of Europe's monetary union. He expected great profits. But he also assumed great risk, and felt comfortable with those risks. Now I know why. He was padding his risk by diversifying. The German company was far more secure. No offense."
"Jason, I have complete confidence in you," Isaac said. "When you sold me on the partnership, I wasn't buying only technology. I was buying into you. Your concern for our plight. You were a good salesman. I only hope we can continue working together."
"What do I have to offer you now? If Carlson drops out, I'll have to scurry for investors. I can find them. I'm sure of that. But it would take a little longer. I still have Wall Street connections."
Isaac poured and drank another glass of schnapps. "I've got a better idea. Carlson is in Germany right now. Go to him and get the information we need."
"What makes you think he has the information there?"
"I'm guessing. But if I were him, I'd hold out that last bit of information to the Germans the same as he's done to us."
Dalton gulped his schnapps. "Okay."
Isaac slid a small folder across the table to Dalton. "Plane tickets to Frankfurt and then Bonn. There are instructions inside on where to meet. I've also signed a coded message saying who you are and why you are there. Give that to Vitaly when you get there. Any questions?"
Dalton picked up the small folder the size of a plane ticket and slid it inside his coat pocket. "No."
"Then good luck."
Isaac sat at the great table alone. The door slammed behind Dalton. He scanned the empty chairs and dreamt of his friends sitting there with him and drinking to his health. Smoke would billow and linger in the air. Languages would switch from Hungarian to German to Czech to Slovak in a single sentence. No one seemed to notice the intermingled and eclectic changes.
He poured another glass of schnapps and raised it up in front of himself in a mock toast. Then he downed it quickly and smiled.
CHAPTER 36
The Alfa Romeo hugged the corner without slipping as it quickly decelerated off the Autobahn at the Centrum exit. A light mist was freezing as soon as it hit the pavement. Early morning had failed to produce even a glimmer of light from the sun.
Jake Adams yawned as he turned right onto Kaiserstrasse and ran through the gears up to third, making each green light. The trip to Italy and back had given him a chance to become familiar with the new rental Alfa. It was a year newer than Toni Contardo's, but none of the instruments had changed.
He turned left and drove along the Rhine. He checked his watch again; 1105. He was five minutes late. This was starting to become a habit, he thought. Glancing to the rear view mirror, he noticed his eyes were red and the lids drooped. He found little control over them. They would drop shut and he'd shake his head to make them rise temporarily.
Jake pulled over to the curb a block from the parking area for the public park that butted up to the Rhine and provided government employees a diversion for a lunch time stroll, or a place to eat and feed the ducks and swans.
When Jake set up the meeting with Herb Kline in the middle of the night from Switzerland, Herb must have forgotten that the freezing drizzle was in the forecast. Maybe the cold rain would keep him awake, he concluded.
From the bushes near the passenger side of the Alfa Romeo, Jake saw a slight movement. Then Herb appeared and approached the door. Jake unlocked the door for him.
"This is a change," Jake said, gesturing for Herb to get in.
Herb brushed off as much rain as he could before getting in and sitting down. He put his briefcase on his lap and wiped the drops of water from the top. "Yeah, I thought I'd leave my car at the office to make it look like I'm there. I even left the office lights on. How was the drive?"
Jake paused for the right words. "Fast! I never like to see Switzerland that way."
"I haven't been there in years myself. Maybe I'll get out and travel more when I retire."
Jake nodded agreement. He started the engine and slowly drove away from the curb. Headlights were required with the dreary lighting. And the only thing keeping the windshield from icing over and the wipers from collecting ice, was a hot, blowing defroster.
"Where are they?" Jake asked brashly, not even looking toward Herb.
"Bundenbach Electronics."
"How long have they been there?"
"All morning. I put a motion sensitive tracker on Gunter's car. It hasn't moved an inch," Herb said, patting his briefcase with his right hand.
"Left?"
"Yes! Bachstrasse"
"I thought so. I know I haven't been gone that long, but I've been through so many cities in the last week."
Jake could sense a tension from Herb that he hadn't noticed before going to Italy. It was as if he had lost his confidence again, forgotten how important this case was. And what it meant to his self esteem, more than anything else. Something had changed him, Jake was sure. But what?
"So…what happened while I was gone?" Jake searched for an expression; a clue. Apprehension perhaps. Maybe concern. That would be understandable.
"I told you most everything on the phone."
Jake made a right on Kolnstrasse and picked up speed slowly. He was in no real hurry, yet.
"How did you find out about Carlson coming?" Jake asked.
Herb glanced toward Jake. "The fat guy got a little careless. I've never felt like killing anyone, really. My ex-wife once or twice, maybe. But that was different. With the fat man, I had the opportunity and the actual desire to follow through. I had him cold. Beating him senseless as he had surely done to Walt. I don't know what stopped me."
Jake felt a flush over his body. Almost a newfound realization of his friend. Sure he knew that Herb had a special desire to succeed this one last time. He needed to take a case from beginning to end and come out the winner, like he had as a young rising star. But even with that burden or inner ambition, he had the self-control to stay within the limits of the law. That was admirable, Jake thought.
"Herb! That's what separates you from the Gunters of the world."
"Maybe."
Jake stopped along the curb with a long view of Bundenbach Electronics. The grass was dark green and the reflective glass glimmered even in the overcast darkness.
"You don't have to follow through with this," Jake said. "I'll understand."
"No! I had a feeling it would come to this. My boss is still too busy to see anything wrong. I don't understand how anyone can be so blind in a position like his. I don't trust him either."
"Does he know anything about this?" Jake inquired.
"No, no. I stopped keeping him informed before you left for Rome. And he hasn't even asked me for an update. If that isn't irresponsible."