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.”“There’s one item I’m hesitant to mention.”“Please do,” he sang.“Through some incredibly subtle inquiries, I learned that the authorities believe Ernesto Navarro was killed by a rival gang.Supposedly, they’re assuming his operations.”“Go on,” he said warily.“It did occur to me that perhaps I should approach them with these bearer bonds instead.Perhaps they would give me a larger percentage than you.”Cortez Redon nearly fell off his stool.“They would take every last American penny of that money because they would kill you,” he spat.“They would kill you viciously.”She touched her hand to her mouth.“Madam, scrub such thoughts from your mind,” he admonished.“You’re speaking of Los Leones…savages.” He softened his face.“But by working with me, you’re assuring yourself of safety, of security and refinement.Do you understand?”“You’re heaven-sent, señor.”“We both are.”He watched as she placed the bottle of mineral water in her purse and used a wet paper napkin to wipe her glass and the table where her arms had rested.Easing herself off the stool, she glanced outside.Bringing her eyes back she said, “Now, Cortez, as you might imagine, I have not used my real name today.And, if I get the remotest inclination that you’re following me or trying to find me, I will make this deal with someone else.”Showing his palms, he dipped his head and said, “I’m only interested in working with you, madam—not following you.”“I need your mobile number.”He handed over his card.“Very well,” she replied, dropping it in her purse.“I will call you tomorrow, early.Can you be ready to go at a moment’s notice?”Uncharacteristically showing nervousness, he chewed on his thumbnail, thinking through all the loose ends.He did own a term life insurance policy, one that was purchased long before the euro conversion.It was worth about 800,000 euro and, despite his disdain for his marital partner, would go a long way in making sure she could easily survive without him.If he were to choose an activity, such as sailing alone—something he did on occasion—and were to come up missing, a case could be made that the insurance company should pay even with the absence of a body.It would be a battle for her, but there was precedent and a good team of lawyers would have a solid case, especially with his standing in Catalonia.“As you might imagine, I have quite a bit to do, but I think, starting tomorrow, I could leave with several hours’ notice.”“Fine.You’ll hear from me.Make sure you answer when I call.”“I will.”“Please pay the tab,” she said with a wink.He watched as she pushed the door open with her rump, still careful not to leave any fingerprints, and headed down the street away from his office.Mind lurching into overdrive, Redon turned to find the server so he might pay.But, to his great surprise, standing next to the glass counter, her large blue eyes on his, was the tall Polish bombshell from earlier.Feeling his lips parting uncontrollably, he said, “How long have you been here?”“When I finished changing my tire, I parked and came in to thank you.” She gnawed on her lip, dipping her head.“I guess that was your wife.”“My wife?” he blurted.“No, no, no, dear…that was not my wife.That was a, uh, business meeting.”Redon watched her head come back up, mirth spreading over her face.She took two steps toward him, towering over him.“Sorry I stopped talking on the street.”“Don’t be,” he whispered.“I was feeling…tempted.Sometimes, when I’m lonely, I’m too easy.”His mouth moved but he made no sound.“Is there someplace we can go?” she asked.“Go?” he croaked.Her hand dithered on his lapel, moving behind his head in a massaging motion.“I’d like to be alone with you.I realize that sounds bad but, please understand, my time in Spain has not been good and I’m truly craving the company of a cultured man.I’ve got all afternoon and no plans tonight, either.”Feeling his jaw muscles fail him again, Redon stared up at her and thought, Of all days! I’ve been paying for ass for twenty years now and, on the day my bejeweled ship finally comes in, when I’ve got more to do than I can fathom, I get propositioned by a Polish girl fit for a Mallorca stripper pole.Probably sensing his hesitation, she leaned over, kissing his cheek and whispering in his ear.“I’m sure you have to get back to work and you’re probably married.Just think of it as a long lunch and,” she said, cupping his head in her hands, “you have to promise me it won’t be a one-time thing.Since I turned eighteen I’ve exclusively dated older men and, while I’m here, I’d like a boyfriend like you…one who can take care of me.”“I should go buy an El Gordo ticket today,” he mumbled, speaking of the Spanish lottery.“What?”“Nothing, darling,” he replied, dropping ten euro on the counter and leading her out.“There’s a hotel just down the street here—” He froze in the doorway, feeling a stab of stupidity.“That is what you had in mind, isn’t it?”“Cortez,” she said, leaning to his ear, “take me to that hotel and make beautiful love to me.”Acusador Cortez Redon nearly lost his balance.But, after recovering quickly, he tugged her hand, unable to keep from skipping down the Carrer de Pau Claris.* * *Standing across the street under the breathing lavender blooms of a Jacaranda tree, Xavier Zambrano watched Acusador Cortez Redon interacting with the tall blonde in the doorway of a place called El Café de Limón.Minutes earlier, Xavier had spotted him in the café, sitting there talking to the dumpy old woman with the beehive hairdo.Having crossed the street to await his exit, Xavier now had watched the entire scene play out, one that reminded him of the types of grifts he and his fellow neighborhood punks had run as teens.The tall blonde, who for some reason seemed familiar to Xavier, had approached the café from the parking garage down the street.She’d nearly tiptoed in her approach to the café, peering through the large glass front from its edge.Then she eased into the café and watched Redon and the older woman from the far side of the dining area.After a few minutes the older woman exited and, just when Xavier had been about to follow her, she walked away but quickly came back, peering through the window just as the comely blonde had done [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.”“There’s one item I’m hesitant to mention.”“Please do,” he sang.“Through some incredibly subtle inquiries, I learned that the authorities believe Ernesto Navarro was killed by a rival gang.Supposedly, they’re assuming his operations.”“Go on,” he said warily.“It did occur to me that perhaps I should approach them with these bearer bonds instead.Perhaps they would give me a larger percentage than you.”Cortez Redon nearly fell off his stool.“They would take every last American penny of that money because they would kill you,” he spat.“They would kill you viciously.”She touched her hand to her mouth.“Madam, scrub such thoughts from your mind,” he admonished.“You’re speaking of Los Leones…savages.” He softened his face.“But by working with me, you’re assuring yourself of safety, of security and refinement.Do you understand?”“You’re heaven-sent, señor.”“We both are.”He watched as she placed the bottle of mineral water in her purse and used a wet paper napkin to wipe her glass and the table where her arms had rested.Easing herself off the stool, she glanced outside.Bringing her eyes back she said, “Now, Cortez, as you might imagine, I have not used my real name today.And, if I get the remotest inclination that you’re following me or trying to find me, I will make this deal with someone else.”Showing his palms, he dipped his head and said, “I’m only interested in working with you, madam—not following you.”“I need your mobile number.”He handed over his card.“Very well,” she replied, dropping it in her purse.“I will call you tomorrow, early.Can you be ready to go at a moment’s notice?”Uncharacteristically showing nervousness, he chewed on his thumbnail, thinking through all the loose ends.He did own a term life insurance policy, one that was purchased long before the euro conversion.It was worth about 800,000 euro and, despite his disdain for his marital partner, would go a long way in making sure she could easily survive without him.If he were to choose an activity, such as sailing alone—something he did on occasion—and were to come up missing, a case could be made that the insurance company should pay even with the absence of a body.It would be a battle for her, but there was precedent and a good team of lawyers would have a solid case, especially with his standing in Catalonia.“As you might imagine, I have quite a bit to do, but I think, starting tomorrow, I could leave with several hours’ notice.”“Fine.You’ll hear from me.Make sure you answer when I call.”“I will.”“Please pay the tab,” she said with a wink.He watched as she pushed the door open with her rump, still careful not to leave any fingerprints, and headed down the street away from his office.Mind lurching into overdrive, Redon turned to find the server so he might pay.But, to his great surprise, standing next to the glass counter, her large blue eyes on his, was the tall Polish bombshell from earlier.Feeling his lips parting uncontrollably, he said, “How long have you been here?”“When I finished changing my tire, I parked and came in to thank you.” She gnawed on her lip, dipping her head.“I guess that was your wife.”“My wife?” he blurted.“No, no, no, dear…that was not my wife.That was a, uh, business meeting.”Redon watched her head come back up, mirth spreading over her face.She took two steps toward him, towering over him.“Sorry I stopped talking on the street.”“Don’t be,” he whispered.“I was feeling…tempted.Sometimes, when I’m lonely, I’m too easy.”His mouth moved but he made no sound.“Is there someplace we can go?” she asked.“Go?” he croaked.Her hand dithered on his lapel, moving behind his head in a massaging motion.“I’d like to be alone with you.I realize that sounds bad but, please understand, my time in Spain has not been good and I’m truly craving the company of a cultured man.I’ve got all afternoon and no plans tonight, either.”Feeling his jaw muscles fail him again, Redon stared up at her and thought, Of all days! I’ve been paying for ass for twenty years now and, on the day my bejeweled ship finally comes in, when I’ve got more to do than I can fathom, I get propositioned by a Polish girl fit for a Mallorca stripper pole.Probably sensing his hesitation, she leaned over, kissing his cheek and whispering in his ear.“I’m sure you have to get back to work and you’re probably married.Just think of it as a long lunch and,” she said, cupping his head in her hands, “you have to promise me it won’t be a one-time thing.Since I turned eighteen I’ve exclusively dated older men and, while I’m here, I’d like a boyfriend like you…one who can take care of me.”“I should go buy an El Gordo ticket today,” he mumbled, speaking of the Spanish lottery.“What?”“Nothing, darling,” he replied, dropping ten euro on the counter and leading her out.“There’s a hotel just down the street here—” He froze in the doorway, feeling a stab of stupidity.“That is what you had in mind, isn’t it?”“Cortez,” she said, leaning to his ear, “take me to that hotel and make beautiful love to me.”Acusador Cortez Redon nearly lost his balance.But, after recovering quickly, he tugged her hand, unable to keep from skipping down the Carrer de Pau Claris.* * *Standing across the street under the breathing lavender blooms of a Jacaranda tree, Xavier Zambrano watched Acusador Cortez Redon interacting with the tall blonde in the doorway of a place called El Café de Limón.Minutes earlier, Xavier had spotted him in the café, sitting there talking to the dumpy old woman with the beehive hairdo.Having crossed the street to await his exit, Xavier now had watched the entire scene play out, one that reminded him of the types of grifts he and his fellow neighborhood punks had run as teens.The tall blonde, who for some reason seemed familiar to Xavier, had approached the café from the parking garage down the street.She’d nearly tiptoed in her approach to the café, peering through the large glass front from its edge.Then she eased into the café and watched Redon and the older woman from the far side of the dining area.After a few minutes the older woman exited and, just when Xavier had been about to follow her, she walked away but quickly came back, peering through the window just as the comely blonde had done [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]