Dead Secret

by Peter Kozmar

  Knight sat back and clasped his hands behind his neck, “Mr. Dortman, discretion is our bread and butter, we solve these types of hypothetical issues day in, day out for our clients.”

  “That’s reassuring,” Dortman replied.

  “Just so I know how to frame this. How much are the hypothetical commission payments for?” Knight asked.

  “There are around ten recipients, receiving amounts varying from ten to one-hundred-and-fifty million US. We expect to make payments in total of around three hundred million. There will be more, smaller payments which we’ll have to make as needed when the rats smell the cheese.”

  Knight laughed as he tried to ingratiate himself to Dortman, “Yes. I know, cheese does bring out the rats … well, what we do is set up a number of blind trusts which have your recipients as the Trustees, they are the beneficiaries. The trusts are set up in the British Virgin Isles, The Cayman Islands and Bermuda. We create a series of shell companies which each trust owns, these companies are in multiple jurisdictions, like Hong Kong, Jersey, Gibraltar and the Bahamas. It’s all very global and very complicated.

  “We maintain a ledger which is anonymized. The commission payments arrive in one company, which are then immediately transferred to the next company. To maintain a paper trail which looks real, the second company invoices the first company and the first makes its payment to the second. A third company invoices the second and off we go around the world. Eventually the trust takes control of the commission payment. It’s so opaque, and the privacy laws such, that no one would be able to figure out where the funds came from, where they went or who eventually received the money.”

  “What do you get out of this?” Andy asked.

  “We charge a one-off fee for setting up the structures. We charge a small percentage for handling the transactions and we charge an annual fee for maintaining the anonymized ledger on your behalf. Simple accounting for you, leaving us to deal with the difficult stuff.”

  “What else do you do for your fees?” Dortman asked.

  “We inform all interested parties their funds have arrived, cleared and ready for draw-down.”

  “Hypothetically you can do this today?” Dortman asked.

  “Hypothetically, yes. We don’t break any laws and high net-worth individuals like Mr. Martirossian are insulated from all of this, they are well protected.”

  “That’s reassuring to know. It appears your firm may be a good fit for us,” Dortman said.

  “Can you tell me the original source of funding? There are few African countries with access to such finance unless it comes from a major offshore lender. Knowing the source will tell me how easy or difficult it will be to access the funds,” Knight seemed to think he was about to strike a deal.

  “The funds originate from the UN and the International Monetary Fund,” Andy lied.

  “That’s good, we deal with both regularly.”

  “I’m happy with what I’ve heard,” Andy said, his demeanor upbeat.

  “Great, is there anything else I can help with today?”

  “I don’t believe there is. We’ll speak with Mr. Martirossian and be in touch within a week,” Dortman replied.

  “Oh, yes, I almost forgot … here is one more thing,” Andy said, his change of tack catching Dortman by surprise. He turned to face Andy and couldn’t hide his look of irritation.

  “Shoot,” Knight said.

  “What can you tell me about Prizm?”

  Knight’s expression changed. This time the mask didn’t slip back into place. He stood abruptly, walked round the table and opened the conference room door. “Gentlemen, I think we’re finished.” Knight said, gesturing for Dortman and Andy to leave the room, “Please follow me. I’ll show you out.”

  Dortman glared at Andy as they made their way down the floating glass staircase. Knight strode with purpose to the entrance door and opened it, “Thank you, gentlemen. Goodbye.” Dortman turned to face Knight and offered his hand. Knight ignored the outstretched hand and closed the door.

  Standing in the busy street Dortman faced Andy: “What the hell was that about?”

  CHAPTER 34

  Back at the hotel, Andy found Vladim in the main lounge, to the right of the fountain, sat at a small table with a fine China teapot to one side and his laptop in front of him. The sound of the cascading water was complimented by the soothing music from a grand piano which drifted in from another room and created a serene atmosphere. Vladim broke his concentration and stopped typing when he saw Andy approach.

  “Sit down my friend. Have you had lunch? Can I get you anything?” Vladim asked.

  Andy sat, “Coffee would be great.” It was the first time since they’d been together that Andy had ever seen Vladim work. Vladim subtly raised his left hand to get the barman’s attention. “I hope I’m not disturbing you?” Andy asked.

  “No, not at all, I had some paperwork which I needed to catch up on, dull things, so your company is a welcome distraction,” Vladim replied rolling his eyes. Vladim ordered Andy’s coffee from the barman. “What happened with your meeting with Oliver Knight?” he asked.

  “Knight confirmed his firm has the capability and, more than likely, is involved in facilitating bribes and moving kickbacks around the globe. He said the firm has dealt with both the UN and IMF.”

  “How does this fit with what you know?”

  “Fiona Armstrong’s study had several books about offshore finance and trusts, just what Oliver Knight described they do.”

  “That’s positive,” Vladim said as he sipped his tea.

  “Yes and no. Fiona’s files don’t tell me where the money came from, where it went to or who the recipients of the bribes were. The voice transcripts tell part of the picture. I think it’s big, but the transcripts are only a small fragment. What I’m missing is the key to translate the codes and reveal the people involved.”

  “Do you know where you’ll find that?” Vladim asked.

  “Knight mentioned they charge an annual fee to maintain an anonymized ledger. I reckon the ledger contains the master list of identities against the reference codes. With the ledger, I can crack this part of the puzzle.”

  The two men fell silent when the barman arrived with Andy’s coffee which had a complimentary wafer of dark Swiss chocolate. He placed the coffee on the small table and left. Andy took a sip and recoiled slightly. It had quite a kick, at least a triple shot.

  “What will you do next?” Vladim asked.

  “I’m not sure. I may go back to New Zealand and search Tom Evans’s and Fiona Armstrong’s houses again. This time I’ll be more thorough and take my time. Another search may reveal something I missed. Fiona was onto something. In her library there were books on trusts and international tax avoidance. I think she figured out how the money-go-round with the dirty cash worked and how it got laundered.”

  “What will you do?” Andy asked Vladim, then devoured the chocolate wafer in one bite.

  “I’m heading up to The Retreat with Tomas. I miss Ana and I’ve not seen her for a while. At The Retreat I’ll be able to return to my routine and get on top of my work as I have a busy schedule over the next few weeks. Do you need Tomas’s assistance?”

  “No. I should be fine without him.”

  Vladim looked into Andy’s eyes and held his gaze for several seconds. Andy became uncomfortable as he felt Vladim looking behind his mask.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. I’ve had no dark thoughts and I have my mission.”

  “Be careful, if you do decide to go back to New Zealand. The gunman who killed Clement-Bridges is still on the loose.”

  The murder of Clement-Bridges had momentarily slipped his mind. “I’ll be fine. Maybe the gunman got his target, his mission is complete and I’m okay.”

  Vladim looked seriously at Andy, he didn’t look convinced by Andy’s statement, “Just be careful.”

  Andy finished his coffee. “When will you check out of the hotel?” he asked.


  “We’ll be out of here shortly, I think Tomas has things in hand. He’s just as keen to catch up with Hans as I am to catch up with Ana.”

  “It’s been great to spend time with you.” Andy smiled as he contemplated the two of them going their separate ways again.

  “I enjoyed your company and the walk also. I’ve never experienced anything like it. However, Mark’s murder was tragic, I’m truly sad for you. Make sure that you let Ana and I know the details for his funeral. We want to support you and pay our respects.”

  Andy sat silently for a few moments as he gathered his thoughts, “I will get to the bottom of why Mark and the others were murdered. I may have killed the gunman, but who issued the orders and why everyone had to die is still a mystery. I think we’re getting somewhere, we’re just not there yet. Silencing Clement-Bridges was another brazen move. We know the Brits have their fingerprints all over this, but would they shoot their own man? A phone call from London telling him not to speak to me would have been enough.”

  “What will you do when you piece all of this together?”

  Andy looked away. “I don’t know,” he said before changing the subject, “but this afternoon I’m going to explore the city, I’ll use the time to think.”

  “Sounds like a plan. Take care my friend. If you need me or need anything, call, you have my number and I will be with you as soon as Dortman can arrange it.” Andy shook hands with Vladim before heading to the elevators and his suite on the sixth floor.

  CHAPTER 35

  It didn’t take long for Andy to change out of his suit and into more comfortable clothes with sneakers. Grabbing a small backpack, he filled it with his camera and full water bottle. Andy felt seriously under-dressed and slightly self-conscious wearing a baseball cap as he walked through the front entrance and past the concierge dressed in his fine woolen trench coat and suit.

  As a first timer to Geneva, Andy thought the city looked affluent, clean and safe. Most of the stores were owned by luxury brands selling cosmetics, clothing and jewelry. If he ever wanted a Rolls Royce, Bentley or Ferrari, their minimalist showrooms had attentive staff on hand to help him with his choice. He even came across The Dominium Auction House one of the world’s largest auction houses, with offices in New York, London, Paris, Beijing, Sydney and Bermuda. Out of curiosity, Andy peered through the window and saw at least three grand masters displayed for clients to view before auction day.

  A little further along he came across the Natural History Museum and, since this was the first and probably the last time he’d be in the city, he decided to take a look at what was inside. Once inside, Andy felt he’d been transported to a different world as he found himself amongst a vast collection of preserved animals of varying shapes, sizes and colors.

  The museum was nearly empty as he moved slowly around the exhibits. He would have stayed longer with each artefact if he’d been able to read the exhibit descriptions which were written in French. When he’d finished the ground floor, Andy headed for the steps to the first floor. As he climbed the stone steps, a figure quickly caught up with him, he casually turned and stopped dead in his tracks.

  “Luba. What are you doing here?” Andy couldn’t hide his surprise, and delight, at seeing Luba Gamzova of the FSB.

  “Mr. Flint you’re an interesting character and as such our paths must cross again. I’m sorry to hear about your son. I understand you killed the man who murdered him.” The fact that Gamzova formally addressed him signaled that she was on duty. She’s well informed and I’m being followed by the FSB. I should have picked up the shadows. Andy silently chastised himself.

  “Thanks, Ms. Gamzova, when he came after me, it was either him or me. He lost and I lived to fight another day,” he replied, reciprocating the formality of the conversation.

  “A British Special Forces operative, I see you’re getting your edge back,” she stated with a tone of approval.

  “Just lucky I guess ... now, why are you in Geneva?”

  “You’ve been to see Oliver Knight. Why?” Gamzova asked.

  The stairwell gave Andy a good vantage point as he cast his gaze around the museum’s ground floor. He counted at least four more shadows, in addition to the two men, dressed in denim pants and black leather jackets, standing in position at the bottom step facing outwards. Creating a physical barrier to prevent members of the public from approaching Gamzova and Andy.

  “Their company and his name came up in my investigation in New Zealand, so I wanted to meet him. Do you have an interest in Kavell, Knight and Schroder?” he asked casually.

  “They are a high-profile legal firm who touch many rich and powerful people. It’s not unusual for us to focus our resources on finding out what law firms get up to, Kavell, Knight and Schroder are one of many we have an interest in.”

  Andy laughed, “Ms. Gamzova, you wouldn’t be stood here because of general surveillance activity on a law firm.”

  “Okay,” Gamzova shifted her feet, clearly uncomfortable, “they are towards the top of our list.”

  Andy looked around and noticed that some of the museum’s visitors were taking more interest in him and his young companion with her bodyguards than the exhibits around them. “This is a little public. Why don’t you join me for dinner tonight? Say, six-thirty, I’m sure you know where I’m staying.”

  “I hear their food is exquisite at the Beau-Rivage. So yes. I accept your invitation,” she said with an air of formality that belied the friendship between them.

  “Good, that’s settled then, I’ll book a table for two and we can exchange notes on Kavell, Knight and Schroder,” he said smiling.

  “Great, I’ll see you at six-thirty and, please be careful, I don’t want to have to rescue you again.”

  Gamzova broke away from Andy and headed down the steps. The two guards moved forward along the main walkway of the ground floor. A moment later, two more walked quickly down the steps and past Andy as they completed a box formation around Gamzova. Andy looked around the ground floor, the shadows had gone. He was alone as far as he could tell, but on edge and alert.

  CHAPTER 36

  Andy waited in the lobby and glanced at his watch, it was just after six-thirty when Gamzova arrived with her minders in tow. They were dressed appropriately in dark suits and ties. Andy briefly embraced Gamzova kissing her on her right cheek. She walked by his side as they headed for the hotel bar.

  “I’ve booked a table for seven so we have time for a pre-dinner drink,” he informed her.

  Aside from a young couple seated at a small table and three Arab businessmen talking quietly at the far end of the room, the bar was quiet. The barman occupied himself by cleaning a whisky tumbler with a red cloth and smiled as they approached. “What may I get you?” he asked.

  Andy turned to Luba so she could order. “A Vodka and tonic, please,” she requested.

  The barman nodded to acknowledge he’d understood her order and turned his focus to Andy. “And a Millionaire Sour for me, please,” Andy added. Luba appeared to approve of his choice.

  “Certainly. Take a seat and I’ll bring your drinks to the table,” he gestured to two seats away from the other patrons. Andy led Gamzova to a small table beneath a large, ornate chandelier. Her two minders took up a position inside the bar facing the entrance while maintaining a sight line to Gamzova; their open jackets revealing they were armed.

  “What’s with all the security?” Andy asked, once they were seated.

  “You don’t need to concern yourself with my security. This is a temporary arrangement. I believe all will be back to normal for me in a few weeks after I’ve returned from London.” Gamzova stated, clearly shutting down the topic.

  “London?” Andy enquired.

  “Yes. Our President has declared that many of our Government employees who work overseas are becoming too fat and are not fit. He believes in having a healthy body gives a healthy mind and leads to better decision-making.”

  “Why you? Why London?”

/>   “You know I’m an athlete, so that made me a good choice to lead one of our fitness squads. They gave me London because it’s one of the better postings to have for a few weeks.”

  Andy studied her closely and quickly concluded she wasn’t being honest with him. “Okay, you win, enough about London,” Andy held up his hands in mock surrender.

  “How are you?” she asked.

  “Fine,” Andy lied, then, seeing her frown he continued, “Okay, pretty crap. I struggle to sleep. I’ve only just stopped blaming myself for Mark’s death and my mind works overtime trying to figure out what the hell is going on and why?”

  The barman arrived with their drinks, placed them down and left. Andy reached for his drink, Gamzova followed suit.

  “Cheers!” he said raising his glass. Their glasses gave a satisfying high-pitched ring when they were brought together. Andy took his first sip and smiled, pleased with his choice. He continued the conversation. “What’s the Russian Government’s interest in Kavell, Knight and Schroder?”

  Gamzova leaned back and took a sip of her drink before answering. “They are a conduit for kick-backs, bribes and back-handers, accounted as commissions … but dirty money,” she replied.

  “Again, why should this bother the Russian Government?” Andy pressed, he was keen to find out why the Russians would be interested in the same firm he was looking at. He didn’t believe in co-incidences.

  “It bothers us when the bribes go against our national interest. You said they came up within your investigation?”

  “Yes. Two of the murder victims in New Zealand appeared to be connected in some way to the firm. One of them left a file which implicated the law firm in handling bribes.”

  Gamzova leaned forward, “Do you know who received the bribes?”

  “I came across a transcript of a conversation between the British Prime Minister, Charles Morley-Wood and a Mike Webb at the UN. There were also files showing bank transfers, however, all the transfer details were reference numbers, no names. I found out that the law firm keeps a ledger detailing the names matched to reference numbers. Without that ledger I wont be able to tie the reference numbers to those receiving the funds.”