Chapter 53 – Reporting In
Jim directed Jenny to an area of the city he had some familiarity with near his company’s office. They checked into one hotel room under assumed names. Once settled into the hotel Arthur proceeded with translating the back of the plate. He started by making a few notes and trying to remember what he could about the language they had invented so many years before. He hadn’t used it for many years but it was such an impactful experience he was surprised how much came naturally. But he insisted that he write down what he could remember before he actually started translate. He did not want to be biased by the words on the plate and misinterpret something.
Jenny was impatient and decided to take the opportunity to call and check-in with Frank. She stepped out of the hotel and found a nearby park where there were very few people. Frank answered quickly. “Where are you? I tried tracing your phone.”
“That was you? I thought I was being tracked by Yuri.” Jenny was frustrated. She knew that Yuri had found them without the trace. This meant that she was very good. She also knew that Frank had to know something was up.
“Trevor got your note and the fact that you were with someone. We traced that someone. He is Professor Arthur Borden.” Frank explained to Jenny.
“Yes, I know who he is.” Jenny responded not wanting to share too much information.
“Did you also know that he is wanted by the London police for questioning in the death of his wife?” Frank continued.
Jenny thought for a moment and considered her next words carefully. She looked across the park at a statue and pondered what she knew about the professor. He was not a killer that was clear. He didn’t have a weapon in the hotel earlier and ducked under the table with Jim. “I don’t really know the man.” Jenny said.
“What were you doing with him? Did you know Ricardo was involved in a shooting in Paris? Were you? Did you also know that Ricardo is on a flight back to the states?” Frank was very direct. He could be, it was a secured line.
Jenny was playing out the scenario. She knew that the bullet in the Russians head was hers and if anyone explored the ballistics that it would prove to be hers. Her gun, however, could not be traced to the CIA. She was undercover and her gun was not traceable unless it was taken from her hands. “We were there. Ricardo had another artifact for us to consider.”
“And you didn’t tell me.” Frank said furiously. His cursing rant continued for over a few minutes but the sentiment was the same “you didn’t tell me.”
“Uh Sir, last night you asked that I not say another word.” It was blatant disrespect and she knew it. But she was not going to be bullied by her boss.
“You insubordinate . . .” He stopped himself. “Just so you know, according to the official police report Ricardo was not there. You and Jim were not there and neither was the professor. There was also no artifact that was mentioned in the report. What happened to the deal?”
Jenny had been vague to this point, now came time to commit to a story. “The deal was never finished. But Dragos is someone that might need to be added to the list of criminals we are working with. He is from Romania.”
“Alright, we can add him. Where is the professor? We probably need to get him to the authorities on this other thing. What is the artifact and where is it?”
Jenny responded. “When we left our hotel, Arthur went his way and we went our way. He took the artifact. It is a plate similar to the one we purchased last night.” Then she considered how much to tell Frank and opted for the lie. “Both plates seem to be from Russia and I think this guy that came in shooting up the meeting was just trying to get them back to his country.” Jenny had to lie about Arthur. She wanted the translation and suspected that the Russian was after the translation more so than the plate. She knew that if Frank knew that Arthur was with them he would insist that she bring in a known fugitive and that she would never get that translation.
“Seems reasonable.” Frank responded. “But why did you let the professor take the plate?”
Jenny now had to back up her lie with reasoned logic. “The plate didn’t belong to us because we hadn’t purchased it. To just take it would have tarnished Jim Conrad’s reputation.”
“Good call. If you get a chance to buy this artifact again, make the deal. I think you are right, it is what Jim Conrad would do.”
Jenny hung up amazed that Frank actually had a compliment for her. That would be one she would have to remember and remind him about at the evaluations that would be done on performance when the operation was complete.
Chapter 54 – The Translation
Jim and Arthur were just sitting in chairs talking when Jenny walked in. Arthur was explaining what had happened in the tube in London. Jenny was a bit taken back. “Why aren’t you working?”
Jim looked at Jenny with a grin on his face, “You work for me, remember.” It was sharp, it was witty and Jenny laughed a real laugh, not just her cute little cynical laugh.
After a few moments Arthur jumped in. “Well, in reality, we are done.”
“Really?” Jenny commented. Jim and Arthur both had a smug look on their face. They knew that it was killing Jenny to find out what they knew but neither of them was readily offering any information. Jenny knew the game and was trying to decide her next move.
Arthur could not wait any longer. He stood up and went to the small desk in the room. Jim and Jenny both followed him to the desk. Jenny and Arthur stood next to each other with Jim looking over their shoulders. Arthur picked up a small hotel note pad with a series of numbers and a few letters on it. “Here.” He handed Jenny the sheet of paper. “It is in essence three pieces of information and that is it.”
Jenny pointed to the last one. “That is a longitude-latitude number.”
Jim looked frustrated. “How did you get that so quickly? I mean it took us a few minutes on that one. Do you know where?”
Jenny looked at the numbers. “I would guess somewhere near Iowa or Kansas. Where is it exactly?”
Arthur looked at Jim. “I said the states and he thought Switzerland.” Arthur was pleased with himself. “But obviously you have a better sense than even I do.”
“Geo-caching with friends on long weekends.” Jenny quipped without even thinking it might jeopardize her cover. “What about the first two numbers. I have no clue what those might be.”
Jim was happy to jump in. “The first one is an old bank routing number. Based on the number I am fairly certain it is a Swiss Bank number. But it does not use the new IBAN format so it is not easy to determine the bank.”
“And the second number?” Jenny asked.
“It is the right size to be an account number. I am guessing the two go together. That is why I assumed the coordinates were Switzerland.” Jim concluded smugly.
“Perhaps the routing number is for a Swiss Bank that has an office in Iowa?” Jenny surmised.
“No. Swiss banks in the US have a different routing number than their parent companies. They must be two different pieces to the same puzzle.” Jim explained.
Jenny thought for a moment. Jim and Arthur went back to their seats and picked up their conversation where they had left off. Jenny was talking to herself, mumbling as she tried to determine the next step. She knew it could not be a completely open conversation because she and Jim had to consider how this might jeopardize the mission and if they could just pass it on to Frank. Finally she said, “Arthur, there is a business office down near the lobby. Go see if you can get the exact location of these coordinates and anything about what is there.”
Arthur looked a little unsure about the situation until Jim indicated he could take the plates with him. They had no intention of leaving without him. Arthur was still slightly reluctant but left anyway to go find the computer.
Jenny looked at Jim. “All right boss, you are no help here. Any suggestions?”
“I already had a plan. I was just waiting for you to ask.” Jim said eagerly.
Jenny sighed and lau
ghed together. “It better be good, but not too good.”
Jim walked to the desk where the phone was. “We will just call the bank and ask about it.”
Jenny looked at Jim. “We don’t know the bank.”
Jim continued. “Yes, but Jim Conrad has a Swiss Account and a bank in Switzerland. You told me this. Also, I am Jim Conrad, a well-respected businessman around the world. Surely my banker would be willing to call in a favor on an old account number we found. Remember I am an accountant. I know a little about what to ask and how to say it.”
Jenny knew the account number and the security information. She had conducted business with USB on Jim Conrad’s behalf for a little while. It was one of the three accounts that were used as a cover for the formally fictitious Jim Conrad. Maintaining three accounts allowed money to be transferred so it appeared to be a much larger sum that what was really there. An agreement with the NSA kept the large transfers unnoticed by homeland security.
“We better go in person.” Jenny concluded. After Jim’s brief objection she took a minute to explain that several people had been killed trying to get this plate. The fewer people that knew they had the information the better. Then she concluded, “Maybe you should have that date tonight with Yuri.”
“Why?”
“If we can convince Arthur, and I think we will be able to. Then we will all be safer without it. The only thing I can’t figure is why she is chasing us to get the plate and then wants to turn around and sell it to us. That seems odd. Maybe you can find out on your hot date tonight.”
Jim had a little uneasiness about the situation, but didn’t express it. He pulled the card out that Yuri had given him and started to punch the number in his phone. Jenny stopped him. “Use mine. Yours will be tracked automatically by Frank. I don’t want him knowing we are going out of town until we are gone. Even if he is tracing my phone, he will need more time to find me than you will give him and I will know he’s tracing it. Arthur is likely still a target and we need to keep him safe until we figure this out.”
“Until we figure this out?” Jim didn’t like the sound of that.
“Then he goes to the authorities in London.” She handed Jim the phone. “It’s ringing.”
Chapter 55 – Arrangements
“Hello. Who is this?” Yuri did not see a return number. Not many people had her phone number and she only rarely got calls. She made them, but received only a few. She hoped it was Ricardo. But she was even more pleased when she heard who was actually calling.
“Yuri, this is Jim.” Jim kept it short and intended to say very little. He almost stumbled and called her Stephanie, but managed to get out the right name.
“Are you calling to arrange the second installment of your purchase?” Yuri said trying to be a little playful. It also might help her situation.
“We had a near encounter at the hotel earlier today. I am not sure if you were still looking for payment or if you had something else in mind. I mean is it safe?” Jim asked realizing that any answer he might get could be a complete fabrication.
“I’m a pussycat. It’s safe. I may be in the market for something you have though. I just may need a loan, perhaps. We could discuss over dinner if you are willing too.”
Jim arranged a dinner for an Italian restaurant near the Eiffel Tower. It would be an early dinner with lots of witnesses. Jenny and he walked by it the other night and commented “who would ever eat Italian while in Paris”. That is how he knew the restaurant. He now knew the restaurant must be frequented by world spies who are pulling a ‘sting’ operation and have stumbled into a bigger plot that they are not sure what it is about. Must be a common thing, the restaurant was busy the other night, he thought to himself. Yuri and Jim finished the arrangements and both expressed they were looking forward to seeing each other again.
Shortly after Jim hung up the phone, Arthur walked in the door with a couple of sheets of paper in his hand “I have it. I have it.” His whole distrust of Jim and Jenny seemed to be gone and he was excited about what he had found.
“Okay, what did you find out?” Jim asked as he shut the door that Arthur had left open.
Arthur laid out four sheets of paper on the bed. One had typing and three were pictures. “This” he said pointing to the first picture “is the original bank, or rather Des Moines Workers Savings and Loan, in Des Moines Iowa. No it is not a Swiss bank and no it never was. It did go under during the whole Savings and Loan problem years ago but its assets were purchased by Des Moines Savings Corp and it survived until the fire of 1998.” Arthur pointed to another picture. “The safe survived, you can see it here. It was rebuilt around the same safe, no changes to the safe–made national news for probably 30 seconds. It has been bought and sold several times and is now owned by Bank of America.” He pointed to the final picture. The paper had a brief history on it and the address and telephone number of the bank.
“Seems like a lot of info that doesn’t seem to tell us anything.” Jenny remarked.
“Yet,” the professor chimed in, “every piece of data is just a piece of the puzzle. It all means something–just not yet.”
“Well let me add to how we are going to try to solve another piece.” Jenny continued. She explained to Arthur that they would get rid of the one plate. Arthur was not keen on this, he didn’t want to lose the historical value that he hadn’t deciphered yet. Jenny assured him that they were keeping the one plate and conceded to keep the paper that had the original markings copied down for the second. She also explained that Jim would likely purchase it back once whoever had the codes on the back gotten what they needed.
Arthur thought for a minute. “And they will try to stop killing me?”
“I can’t promise that, but if they have the plate they are going to need you or one of the others who understand the code.” Jenny paused for effect. “That is why we are taking you out of the country with us to Switzerland.”
They talked for a little while longer while Jim freshened up. Arthur carefully put the one piece of paper into the casing and placed the plate into it. They carefully melted the edging to reseal the wax to the edge. It was a bit rudimentary but would fool anyone who hadn’t examined it closely. Their hope was that whoever unsealed it would not notice or would just assume poor workmanship.
“If they get the code, aren’t they just going to end up where we go in Switzerland?” Arthur expressed his concern. He was a little worried, but really anything to get rid of the plate seemed like a good idea to him.
“And I hope by then we will know what we can and are long gone.” Jenny concluded.
Chapter 56 – The Date
The Italian restaurant was dimly lit. The décor was authentic and obviously created an ambiance that would attract tourist that were near the Eiffel Tower. The restaurant did not have as many patrons as Jim had hoped. However, there were enough for Jim to have a little comfort. As Jim entered the restaurant he was greeted and asked how many were in his party. Jim responded, “Reservation for Jim Smith. I am expecting to meet someone.”
“Oh yes, the lovely lady has already been seated.” Jim was led to a corner table that had no visible exits and only one clear site line to anywhere else in the restaurant. A perfect place for a murder, he thought.
Yuri stood, almost eye to eye. She looked striking, “You look great. I am impressed.” Jim said to her as he was dazzled by how well she looked.
“It is a date.” Yuri explained.
“Please sit.” Jim pulled the chair out slightly and tried to be as gentleman-like as he could.
“I took the liberty of ordering a light before dinner wine and an appetizer. I hope you do not mind.” Yuri told Jim as she took her seat.
“Thank you, that is thoughtful of you.” Jim sat the bag he had onto the table. He had put it into a non-descript laundry bag from the hotel they were in earlier. “It is customary to bring a lady a gift on their first date. Sorry for the poor wrapping.”
Yuri glanced inside the bag to s
ee if the contents were what she had anticipated. “A loan, I suppose you mean.”
“I collect rare books and writings, letters and things like that. One of my favorites is a great original by Ben Franklin. I am not sure I want this one. It seems to bring a lot of murder with it. I would also appreciate it if you kept the giver to yourself.”
Yuri looked suspiciously at him. “Did you take it out of its casing?”
“Why? The professor said the casing was to protect it. He couldn’t imagine why the first plate I purchased was out of the casing unless the previous owner was going to reseal it more professionally. Perhaps you know since you were the previous owner.”
“That is how I got it. I can’t speak to those before me.” Yuri considered how much of what Jim was telling her was true and how much was a lie. She couldn’t tell.
“I would like you to find me something unique sometime– it would keep Ricardo happy to get a commission.” Jim said to hopefully entice an additional meeting with Yuri just in case the CIA needed it.
“I assure you that I will have something for you, perhaps I will even sell this back to you. I am curious though, how did you convince the professor to sell it?” Yuri had learned from a young age to ask questions to get little nuggets of information to build a profile to get what she wanted. Once, when she was in her early twenties, she kept asking an older gentleman who was about 40 years old questions that eventually revealed where the three million dollars’ worth of jewelry was kept that belonged to his wife. In a drunken stupor, he even revealed the combination to the safe. Of course, Yuri’s beauty and seductive charm also helped.
Convergence Page 14