Convergence

by Brian W Claspell

  Jim didn’t really want to say that the poor professor was just scared to death for his life and just gave the thing away so he told a plausible lie. “Well, $250,000 goes a long way for a professor who thinks his life is in jeopardy. He gladly took the money and I didn’t have to promise him a date.”

  “And Dragos?” Yuri asked just to see how far she could push Jim.

  “Dragos, we will settle with him later when he recovers a little.”

  Yuri looked at Jim. “Thanks for the gift. I do not know if I have ever had a date bring me something quite so nice and unique.” She placed the bag next to her at the table and hit a few buttons on her phone. Then she said, “Let’s order.”

  It was only a few minutes later when a waiter, not Yuri and Jim’s, brought out breadsticks. He was a darker skinned individual, probably middle-eastern Jim surmised. After setting the bread down, he picked up the bag and left the restaurant. Yuri gestured assuring Jim that this was okay. Amir, without introductions, was off to a hotel to have Professor Alto look at the plate. Jim was sure he would be there until Yuri received confirmation that the plate was what was expected. Yuri responded in French and then turned to Jim, “What would you like Jim.”

  “I will have the lasagna with meat sauce and some ‘still water’.” The waiter had clearly understood because he had already written the order down but Yuri repeated the order in French for him.

  Once the waiter was away Yuri asked. “How many languages do you speak?”

  Jim responded, “As far as you know just one.”

  Yuri looked back into Jim’s face, “You are truly an interesting character. You are not at all what I expected.”

  About halfway through the meal Yuri got a text that Jim surmised was a confirmation that the bronze plate was what was expected. He was right. However, she simply responded back to the text and didn’t say a word. They enjoyed a meal that, for Paris, was extremely short. They were out of the restaurant in about an hour. Yuri suggested a short walk before they call it a night. Jim was surprised, he anticipated that she had what she came for and dinner would be it.

  Walking towards the Eiffel tower, Jim assumed that he would get his second date to the Eiffel tower that week. He was surprised when Yuri instead took him to a side entrance of the Musee de l’ Armee and was met by a security guard who let them in.

  Yuri walked Jim through some of her favorite exhibits. She explained how warfare had changed through the years. She particularly liked some of the advances in espionage and how that had been around since the beginning of time. Once the highlights had been seen, they left through the same side door with the same security guard present.

  Yuri came close to Jim and was near his face. “In my line of work it is sometimes difficult to date–always having to pretend like you are someone you are not. It sounds funny I know, I mean my job is pretending to be someone I am not. But tonight with you, I mean you know who I really am and what I really do.” Her face was a little red and she almost seemed like a young girl on one of her first dates ever. “Well, I had a good time. Can we do it again sometime, not as payment but just as fun?” She leaned over and gave him a very short kiss, almost just a peck on his cheek.

  Jim looked at her considering the irony. He normally lived a very mundane everyday normal life and was now pretending who he was. Who he was may have been false, but his words were sincere, “Stephanie, I have had a lot of fun. I would like another date sometime.”

  He gave her small kiss on the cheek and they each went their separate directions.

  Chapter 57 – Train to Zurich

  The ride was smooth and the click-clack of the train cars gliding on the track was minimized. Jim thought how different this was than the Chicago Metro train that he would take downtown sometimes. Of course, the train downtown was a stop and go commuter train that traveled on a twisting and turning series of tracks. He wondered if Amtrak would be closer to this experience or his Chicago train experience. Trains were so much more utilized in Europe he surmised that this had to be better than anything he might find in the states on a track.

  The sun was going down and the Alps could be seen on the horizon. Jenny intentionally waited to call Frank. She wanted to make sure they were well on their way so that Frank could not stop the trip. She would also avoid telling him where she was going just to keep the professor safe. Jenny slipped away from Jim and Arthur to find a private sleeping car to make the call.

  Frank was pacing the floor by the time he got the call from Jenny. “Where have you been?” He didn’t even wait for Jenny to say hello.

  “Now Frank, I am on assignment and you don’t get the luxury of regular check-ins. You have done this before and you know the drill. It is my call when it is good to check in and even what I tell you.” Jenny explained.

  Frank had never been an undercover agent himself, but he had been on the other side of the operation enough that he knew the protocol. “This is different and you know it. You have a civilian with you. I do not want Jim Conrad hurt and I don’t want to jeopardize this mission.”

  Jenny believed both but wasn’t even sure if Frank remembered Jim’s real name. “Jim is fine. We are heading to Belgium to look at an old parchment written by Martin Luther–an individual collector has the piece. He is looking to sell it.”

  “Did Ricardo give you this contact?” Frank asked suspiciously. He knew Ricardo was on a plane or just barely off of the plane and it seemed unlikely they would have had time to communicate.

  “I gave him a secure text number that he has given to a few of his colleagues so that he can have them contact us directly. So we are not sure who this is, but the person was recommended by Ricardo. I don’t believe he is a criminal, just a private collector.”

  “Seems like a dead end for what we are trying to accomplish.” Frank said impatiently.

  Jenny just responded. We need to do a few meetings like this to keep up our appearance. If we only consider stuff from criminals then someone is going to get wise to what we are doing.”

  Frank seemed satisfied, “I suppose so. But if you have a chance to meet with additional people let’s talk, especially if it is Yuri.”

  Jenny hoped she knew the answer but had to ask, “You lost the trail on Yuri?”

  “She is elusive, but I am sure she will not pass up the opportunity to do business with Jim again. She seemed to take a liking to him.” Frank thought for a moment. “So, do you want a team in Belgium just in case?”

  Jenny considered just telling him the truth, but then she would have to explain why they were still with the professor. “That would be great. We will be just outside of Namur. Text me the contact info and I will know how to reach them if we get in a bind. We should be back in Paris by tomorrow evening.”

  Chapter 58 – Ricardo Goes Home

  Ricardo was not thrilled that his friend in the Paris Police Department had insisted that he leave the city for a few days until things settled down. He knew that he would need to be in the area for Jim. He did not relish spending a few days in the states and then getting back on a plane to go to Europe. It was a long flight. But it would be good to go to dinner with his wife and children to celebrate his birthday. It was one of the few times they would all get together and he did not like to miss those opportunities.

  He dreaded customs in the US and especially in Chicago. It wasn’t like he couldn’t figure out a way to get something into the country. He could get just about anything he wanted into the country. It was just that it always took forever to get through customs. If he could figure out a way to influence that with his money and power, he would. However, he knew that if he tried it would probably draw undo attention to him. That would not be acceptable.

  He waited to respond to his text and phone messages until he got into his limo taxi that would take him to his near north side home. There were a number of messages on various topics. Of note, the following messages were among them.

  The first note was from Yuri, “Can you connect me wi
th Jim?”

  Next was a message from his daughter. “Glad to hear you are coming home. If you are not too tired, let’s do breakfast at Walker Brother’s.”

  Then there was a message from Steve, “Does your buyer like famous historical documents?”

  The next message was from Jenny. “Surprised you left town. Is everything okay?”

  The final message he received was from Yuri. “Connected with Jim for last part of the payment. We will do business again soon I am sure.”

  Ricardo was satisfied. Things were turning out just as he had hoped, taking out the shooting incident that left Dragos in the hospital. He called the hospital and they reported that he was stable and would likely have a full recovery. He knew that he would have to arrange for a change in name and a move to a new room so that Dragos could just disappear and not have to answer any questions. Then he could eventually leave the country unnoticed. He had already set the stage for these changes and made a quick call to confirm that they were underway.

  Next he sent a text to his daughter. “I will be fine. In pretty early. Tomorrow at 9:00 AM will be great.”

  Ricardo called Jenny next. It was late in Europe but he felt that they needed an explanation. Jenny got the call almost as soon as she got back from talking to Frank. “Ric, everything go okay after we left you earlier today?”

  “But of course. I just needed to leave town for a little while until things blow over. You are not involved in any way I assure you.” Ricardo paused for a moment to hear a reaction. There was none. “In fact,” he continued, “I have a present for you.”

  “Really, for me or Jim?” Jenny asked.

  “It is for you. It is a bullet that I found that had no place where I found it.” Ricardo explained.

  “You are resourceful.” Jenny exclaimed.

  “In my line of work it is useful. I am lining up additional items. Ask Jim if he likes historical documents. I might be able to get one.”

  “I will do that.” Jenny agreed.

  “Let me know his thoughts. I will call tomorrow and if it makes sense can be back in Paris by the end of the week.” Ricardo concluded.

  Ricardo opted to call Yuri the next day because of the hour. He made several other calls including a quick note to Steve. He didn’t like dealing with Steve, but this situation seemed to dictate a potential deal. Steve was shady, even for Ricardo. He was a left over contact from his father’s time. But Steve was resourceful and was almost always a player.

  It was not a mansion; it was a home that just fit well with the north side elite in Chicago. It was surrounded by similar houses, most of which were occupied by business and community leaders in the area. None of these homes were as secure and well watched as Ricardo’s was.

  He nodded at one of the guards as he made his way into the house. He couldn’t help but wonder how Yuri had been so resourceful. He was sure that none of his staff or guards would have accepted a bribe and there was virtually no way someone could get on the grounds without being noticed. Now that he was home, this bothered him. He did not like to feel vulnerable.

  As he walked in the house one of the servants indicated that his wife had gone to dinner with the two boys. He was thrilled to see the kitchen decorated with streamers and cards. There were two cards, one each from Ricky and Victor’s families. He read each of them in turn. There was a big one from his daughter Mary’s family. Finally, there was a card from his wife, Juanita. He carefully read it. At the bottom his wife’s card it read. “Open the freezer, from all of us.”

  Ricardo had a full size freezer and a full size refrigerator in his spacious kitchen. Opening the door, the only thing in the freezer was container after container after container of Butter Pecan Ice Cream, his favorite. A small note was taped to one of the containers; “Happy Birthday.” It was signed by his wife and each of the children.

  Each year they had done something unique to celebrate his birthday; this was one of the more creative things they had done. He knew that he would not eat all of it, but got out a container and dished himself a bowl of ice cream.

  Walking to the other room, around and through the streamers, he noticed a note next to his electronic digital photo frame. He had hundreds of pictures on this thing and it took forever to cycle through. Of course his wife and daughter would add new ones at their whim. He had one of the servants just choose some from the computer and keep it up to date–that way the servant could make sure that he didn’t inadvertently delete a picture that his wife or daughter had added.

  Ricardo picked up the note next to the electronic picture frame.

  “Daddy,

  I added a few pictures for you. Guess which ones. Also, I didn’t know you knew Jacob and who is that woman with him? I haven’t seen him with another woman since his wife died. Anyway, I also have a video of your granddaughter taking a few steps that I left on your computer. Go watch it sometime.

  Love, Mary”

  Ricardo was not sure what she was talking about. He didn’t know a Jacob. For now, he was tired from the trip and ready to relax. So he skipped looking for his daughter’s pictures, what she meant by Jacob, and looking at the PC to see his granddaughter walk. He could do all this later. Instead, he sat in his favorite brown leather chair and turned on ESPN. There was a re-run of a Cubs game on TV that he started to watch as he ate his ice cream. He fell asleep before he finished the game or the ice cream.

  Thursday

  Europe

  Chapter 59 – Early Morning in Paris

  By the next morning in Paris, Inspector Pierre was well past the events in the hotel from the day before. He had a homicide in an alley way to deal with. It appeared as though one of the local youth gangs must have killed and robbed a professor from Cairo. He had seen similar murders in the past. It was rare, but usually occurred when the victim resisted just giving the money to the hoodlums. This was all speculation because there was no real evidence left at the scene. He couldn’t help but wonder about the irony of two murders in his city and both murders were of visitors to the city.

  Yuri slept well once she got to sleep the night before. It was a late night waiting for a final translation and now that she had it, she was ready for what was anticipated being a very eventful day. Her first call was to the Captain, “I have it.”

  “You have the plate?” The Captain asked anticipating the news.

  “I have the plate and the translation.” Yuri said emphasizing the word “translation”. She knew that the Captain would want to avoid meeting her until the business was complete. But she would not allow that to happen. As soon as she gave up the plate and the translation then her leverage was over. She would carry both with her until her curiosity was satisfied.

  “Good, you can sell the plate as we discussed and get the translation to me. I will call you later to tell you where to drop off the translation so I can pick it up.” The Captain instructed.

  “You know that is not how it will happen.” Yuri corrected. “I have a room reserved at the Palace of Versailles. I booked the room under Captain Hook. Ask at the front desk. I will be there at 10 this morning and come alone.” She hung up not waiting for an answer.

  Chapter 60 – USB in Downtown Switzerland

  Downtown Zurich is a bustling clean city that has a beautiful lake at its edge. The pictures of the Alps and the city at the base do not do justice for the beauty that is the city itself. The stereotypes about cleanliness and punctuality are very well founded in the reality of the city. Jim and Jenny walked right along the lake to get to the bank. They were not in a hurry, decided to just enjoy a leisurely walk.

  Jim and Jenny went to the bank without the professor. If things got complicated, they wanted to be able to escape with just the two of them. It was a risk, but they had to take it. Arriving at the bank at nearly 10:00 AM, Jenny asked for Fritz Kohler. Fritz was the banker that Jenny had worked with in the past. He was the banker assigned to Jim Conrad and handled all of his affairs at this bank, his personal banking advisor. He
had a number of other accounts, but his primary responsibility was to keep Mr. Conrad satisfied.

  “He will be in later today but I can have one of our other bankers help you.” The person at the desk said. He brought up Gretchen who introduced herself and offered assistance. “I am Jenny and usually do the business on behalf of Jim Conrad. This is Jim.”

  Gretchen verified the account information and realized who she was talking to, “Mr. Conrad, I am so sorry, come with me.” She led him to a private room. As she walked she also motioned for someone to come over. Quietly she whispered that Fritz needed to be contacted at once. He should be told to come in at once because his account member was here inperson, Mr. Jim Conrad. Once in the room she asked, “How can I help you Mr. Conrad or would you like to wait for Herr Fritz Kohler?”

  “You can call me Jim and I am fine with your help. Fritz does fine work, but in this matter I believe you can probably assist me.” Jim said it with confidence and poise.

  “I will do what I can Herr, I mean Jim.” Gretchen responded respectfully.

  “I have found an old routing number and account number among my family’s personal items. I would just like to determine if it belongs to me or someone else.” Jim asked.

  “Can I have the routing number?” Gretchen asked anxious to provide whatever help she could.

  Jim wrote the routing number on a piece of paper and handed it to Gretchen. She stepped to a computer terminal and typed a few things on the computer. She seemed a little frustrated. She stepped out to go see if she could find someone who might know the answer. It took a few minutes but Gretchen came back into the room and had the name of a small private Swiss bank that was located on the edge of Zurich. It had one location and had been in business for nearly 250 years. Gretchen offered to connect him by phone but Jim and Jenny indicated that they would go visit the bank directly. “Just tell him to call Fritz or myself at USB if they have any questions or you have any issues. I will post Fritz on our conversation.”