“Yes, Mr Radnitz. I will do the best I can.”
Radnitz dismissed him with a wave of his hand.
Kendrick drove immediately to the Spanish Bay hotel where he found Ed Haddon finishing a late breakfast. As Kendrick plodded towards him, Haddon signalled to a waiter to bring more coffee.
Kendrick sat down heavily at the table. His greedy little eyes surveyed the remains of crisp bacon on a serving dish.
“Coffee?” Haddon asked.
“That would be nice.”
The two men looked at each other, then Kendrick gave a slight nod of his head.
Neither of the men said anything until coffee had been served and the waiter had gone away, then Haddon said, “It’s on?”
“Let us say I have found a buyer,” Kendrick said. “It is now up to you.”
“How much?”
“You will be paid three million.”
Haddon smiled.
“Three million and expenses, of course.”
“Three million, dear Ed: no expenses,” Kendrick said firmly.
“The setting up of the operation will cost forty thousand dollars in bribe money, Claude. I’m not paying that. That’s your end of the deal.”
“No. It’s your end of the deal, Ed.”
“Okay. I’ll talk to Abe. It could take time, but he’ll come up with a buyer.”
Kendrick smiled his hark’s smile.
“I would be prepared to halve the expenses. No more.”
“You can rely on your buyer?”
“Of course.”
Haddon shrugged.
“Twenty in cash?”
“If you insist.”
“We have a deal. The operation is in the pipe-line, but there’s one thing I will want from you. I will need a replica of the icon: nothing elaborate: just something that will deceive the eye for a couple of hours.”
“You are planning a substitution?”
“Never mind. I have it all worked out. Can you get me a replica within three days?”
Kendrick nodded.
“Louis can do it.” He stared thoughtfully at Haddon. “You seem very confident. I only hope this comes off. I could be in serious trouble if you fail. My client is a dangerous man: a dreadful man. I have promised him the icon sometime next week.”
“You will have it Tuesday evening,” Haddon said quietly.
“You really mean this in spite of the difficulties?”
“You will have it Tuesday evening,” Haddon repeated.
Kendrick sighed, thinking this was only the beginning. He fully realised what an explosion the stealing of the icon would cause. Every exit from the States would be slammed shut. The FBI and the CIA, the police, the customs people would be alerted. If only he could have taken the icon to Radnitz at his hotel and have been shot of it! But Zurich!
He got heavily to his feet, wishing now he hadn’t approached Radnitz.
“I’ll get Louis to bring you the replica and twenty thousand in cash.” He paused, standing over Haddon. “Ed, I trust you. There is going to be a dreadful fuss once it is missed. I really can’t see how you can possibly get it, but if you say so, I must hope you can.”
Haddon smiled.
“You are getting too fat, Claude.”
“I know. Louis is always on at me about my weight.” Kendrick took off his wig, stared at it, then slapped it back crookedly.
Three million dollars!
Bracing himself, he waved, and plodded across the terrace to where he had parked his car.
Louis de Marney was completing a nice sale of a pair of George IV candlesticks when Kendrick entered the gallery. One look at Kendrick’s crooked wig alerted Louis that something was wrong. Kendrick didn’t even pause to gush over the elderly client who was writing a cheque. He went straight to his office, closed the door, then went to the small refrigerator, cunningly disguised as an antique commode. When under stress, Kendrick had need of food. He selected a wing of chicken, wrapped it in a crisp lettuce leaf then sat down at his desk.
He was just finishing the little snack when Louis bounced in.
“What’s wrong?” he demanded, coming to the desk. “You are eating again!”
“Don’t bully me, chéri,” Kendrick said. “I have a job for you.”
Louis eyed him suspiciously as Kendrick took the Hermitage catalogue from his brief case and turned to page fifty-four.
“I need a replica of this, dear boy. Nothing special. I’m sure your talent will run something up looking like this.”
Louis stared at the icon, then took a quick step back.
“Don’t tell me that dreadful Haddon is planning to steal this?” he demanded, his voice shrill.
“I have a buyer for it,” Kendrick said softly. “Now, don’t get alarmed, chéri. Just make a replica.”
“Have you gone out of your mind?” Louis shrilled. “Don’t you realize all these things belong to the Soviet Union? Haddon must have gone mad! No, I want nothing to do with it! You mustn’t have anything to do with it! Baby, think! Our lives could be utterly ruined!”
Kendrick sighed.
“Perhaps I was a little hasty, but Ed is absolutely certain he can get it. Ed has never let us down, has he?”
“I don’t care! This is something we don’t touch!” Louis said, glaring at Kendrick. “I will not have anything to do with it! Suppose this dreadful Haddon does get the icon? What are you going to do with it? You must know that it is quite, quite unsaleable! Every beastly cop in the world will be watching for it. The Government will flip their horrid lids! The Russians will be utterly vicious.”
“Radnitz wants it,” Kendrick said.
Louis reared back.
“That ghastly creature! Have you been mad enough to talk to him?”
“I am committed, chéri.”
“Then it’s your funeral! I repeat I will have absolutely nothing to do with it!”
Kendrick forced an oily smile.
“Your share of the take, chéri, will be four hundred and fifty thousand dollars.”
“I will have nothing to do...” Louis paused, his little eyes suddenly calculating. “How much did you say?”
“Yes, dear boy. This is a very big deal. Your share will be four hundred and fifty thousand dollars.”
“All I will have to do is to make a replica?”
“No, dear boy, a little more than that,” Kendrick said. “That is a lot of money. You must expect to do more than make a replica.”
“What else?”
“There is a problem to solve. Ed will deliver the icon to me on Tuesday. Radnitz insists the icon be delivered to him in Zurich.”
Louis reacted as if he had been stung by a hornet.
“Where?” he screamed.
“Zurich, Switzerland,” Kendrick said, “and for heaven’s sake, chéri, don’t make so much noise.”
“Switzerland?” Louis repeated, the dream of owning nearly half a million dollars suddenly fading. “Are you out of your mind? Every exit will be watched! Interpol will be alerted! The heat will be unbearable! Every suspect art dealer will be plagued! Zurich? Impossible! Claude, you have been utterly irresponsible to have dealt with that dreadful creature!”
“Nothing is impossible,” Kendrick said quietly. “We have until Tuesday. Between then and now, we must think.”
Louis looked at him suspiciously.
“You are not expecting me to try to smuggle this thing out, are you?”
Kendrick had considered this might be a possibility, but decided Louis hadn’t the nerve.
“No, chéri, but there must be a safe way.” Kendrick pushed the catalogue towards Louis. “First things first. Make the replica, and think.”
Louis hesitated, then thought of the money he had been promised.
“At least, I will do that,” he said, “but I’m warning you that this is a mad and dangerous operation.”
“Let us both think. It is possible Ed will fail, but we must be ready. It is surprising what ingenuity and thought will produce.”