Assassin's Game

THIRTY-FOUR

Sanderson’s eyes cracked open to darkness.

It was not pitch black that he saw but a dim geometry of shadows, black on gray, angled lines overhead. Where am I? he wondered. His head hurt and he rose slowly, gradually sitting up in what felt like a soft bed. Yes, he was in a bed. A clock on a nightstand shone bright red numbers: 9:34. Morning or evening?

He had no idea.

His eyes adapted to the gloom and shadows resolved. He saw a bathroom, a closet, and the outline of a small television. He was in a hotel room. With that revelation the dots began to connect. He remembered tracking an Israeli assassin across Sweden to the village of Oxelösund, followed by a harrowing passage in Janna Magnussen’s crate of an airplane. Stepping onto the dock in Sassnitz, Germany, and then … and then nothing. Sanderson couldn’t recall anything more, not even how he’d ended up in this room.

He pushed himself up and trod with sleep-heavy steps to the bathroom. There he was struck by the smell of harsh cleanser and cheap soap. He saw a shower with a rust-stained plug and sagging curtain, gray-plaster walls holding it all in. At the sink he turned on the hot water, got a frigid trickle, but splashed it on his face anyway because he wanted to feel something. His hand cupped his chin to find a coarse stubble, but Sanderson avoided the mirror, not wanting to see what stared back. Thirty-five years of police work took a toll on a man, and whatever ill had found him would do nothing to rejuvenate things.

He walked at a deliberate pace to the front window and fingered back the curtain. A mist-shrouded scene gave him one answer — it was morning. He saw a nearly empty parking lot, and in the distance a busy loading yard full of trucks and trailers. Fog aside, Sanderson thought it all looked vaguely familiar. His more personal haze began to break and he remembered walking — wandering really — in the course of his search for Deadmarsh. Yes, that was it. He’d covered considerable ground and gotten nowhere.

Sanderson glanced up at a flat leaden sky, and asked himself, “What now?”

His detective’s brain craved a logical course, but he needed something to work with. He had no idea where Deadmarsh was heading, no picture of his suspect to show around. Sanderson had no authority. Not here, not anywhere. He was chasing a man who didn’t exist, one whose identity had been obliterated. His suspect knew how to disappear, and had a full day’s head start and an entire continent to work with. Against that, Sanderson had no more than his memory of the man’s face, a hunch that he was likely Israeli, likely an assassin, and an unverified claim that he was married to a woman who had also disappeared. There, in a sorry nutshell, was the state of his investigation.

He looked around the dank room and saw nothing to indicate how he’d gotten here. And now I’m forgetting things. He was fully dressed, his clothes perhaps more rumpled than usual, and his wallet was still in his pocket. The only thing in the room he recognized was his worn jacket hanging over the back of a chair. He knew he hadn’t been drinking, yet that was how it felt — like a thick hangover. A night unremembered.

What is wrong with me?

Noticing a room key on the dresser, Sanderson took it in hand, shrugged on his jacket, and ventured outside. The cool morning air clipped his face as he walked to the office. A woman there said he’d already paid for the room, one night charged to his credit card. Well enough, he thought. But why don’t I remember? She had not been on duty last night, and so her only useful addition was that a diner around the corner served strong coffee. Sanderson surrendered his room key and thanked her.

He found the diner, seated himself, and ordered coffee, eggs, and toast from a waitress whose smile seemed permanently embossed — as if tomorrow could only be better. The first overbrewed cup of coffee energized Sanderson, and he began to get his bearings. He pulled out his phone and dialed Sergeant Blix.

“Good morning, Gunnar.”

“Morning, Inspector. Where are you? Your daughter called an hour ago and said you weren’t at home. She sounded worried.”

“I’m fine. It’s been a tough week, and I wanted to get away for a few days to convalesce. I’ll give Annika a call so she doesn’t worry. Is there anything new?”

“On the investigation you mean? That doesn’t sound like convalescence.”

Sanderson let his silence do the talking.

“The main news is that Deadmarsh used one of his credit cards yesterday.”

“Where?”

“He bought a ferry ticket in Styrsvik. Apparently he was heading back to Stockholm from Runmarö Island. We tried to close him down, but there were only a few minutes to reach the docks. We missed him.”

You missed him because he wasn’t there, Sanderson thought. Based on what he knew, he reckoned that the woman, Dr. Palmer, had ditched her boat and was now aiding and abetting her husband. He considered telling Blix about his own findings — that Magnussen Air Charters had delivered their man to Germany. Sanderson saw two outcomes of this approach. Assistant Commissioner Sjoberg might surmise that his sacked detective was chasing ghosts, in which case Sanderson would be ordered home. And if Sjoberg believed him? Then Sanderson would have to explain why he hadn’t called sooner. He felt himself sliding down a slippery slope — and accelerating.

He let Blix talk for five minutes, promised to keep in touch, and then called his daughter and told her not to worry. Sanderson dialed a third number as two eggs were being pushed across the green Formica counter in front of him. Elin Almgren from SÄPO answered.

“Elin, it’s Arne.”

“Good to hear from you, Arne. How are you feeling?”

“If one more person asks me that I’m going to go on a shooting spree.”

She chortled.

“What’s happening there?” he asked.

“It’s been confirmed — the man in a coma is definitely Anton Bloch, director of Mossad until about a year ago.”

“So Deadmarsh was telling the truth.”

“He was. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is paralyzed over how to handle it. SÄPO is operating on the principle that Deadmarsh, his wife, and Bloch are on one side of this fight. Everyone else seems to be against them.”

“Including us, bunglers that we are.”

Almgren continued without remark, “I can also tell you that one of the men Deadmarsh dispatched at the Tea Room has been positively identified. He was an employee at the Israeli embassy in Stockholm.”

“Mossad?”

“Almost certainly.”

“Well that’s no surprise. So perhaps this is some kind of old guard versus new guard problem? Mossad turning on itself?”

“That’s the common wisdom here — although I hate to use that word.”

“So what’s being done?”

“Everyone is still looking for them, of course. But the head office is quietly backing off, hoping this has run its course.”

“And Deadmarsh will just fade away, never to be seen again?”

“Something like that. They’re convinced this was an internal Mossad dust-up. Any threat has ended.”

“Do you believe it?” he asked.

A pause. “Not really. You?”

“No.”

“I can tell you that the National Police are downplaying the investigation. Give this a week, maybe two, and people will forget. Maybe you should do the same, Arne. The man you’re after is probably back in Israel right now. Or maybe the United States.”

“No, I don’t think so.”

Almgren waited for his reasoning.

Sanderson only said, “What about his wife?”

“She’s the wild card. Caught in the middle of it, I’d say. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if she turned up at the bottom of a very cold body of water. Maybe an old score of some kind has been settled. We’ve pressed the Israelis for an explanation, but as you’d expect they’re keeping a very diplomatic silence.”

There was a long pause as she let Sanderson dwell on the information. “Let’s assume,” he said, “that Deadmarsh actually is an Israeli assassin. Does SÄPO keep files on people like that?”

“An Israeli kidon? In our files? No way. Not many countries have people like that on their payrolls, and the ones that do guard identities very closely.”

Sanderson sighed. “Yes, I suppose they would, but could you look into it all the same? Anything would help — I’m really up against a wall.”

“For you? Not a chance. But you’ve piqued my interest. Meet me at the Flying Horse in an hour?”

“I can’t — I’m not in Stockholm.”

Another long silence.

“All right,” she said, “I’ll call you back.”

Sharply at ten that morning Slaton reached Bahnhofstrasse 81 with his customary reconnaissance complete. He was not worried about the police — not yet anyway — but Mossad was a definite concern. He had no idea where he stood with Director Nurin, but having tripped the inactive account there was a chance that Tel Aviv might be watching Herr Krueger. But only if they were very astute — and very quick.

At street level the building was staid and colorless, with a granite foundation that seemed to rise from the bedrock. Yet in the roofline Slaton saw distinct Baroque leanings, theatrical wings and ledges that made him think the place might have once been a church. Perhaps some long-forgotten denomination that had slipped into holy receivership during one of Europe’s Bohemian upswings.

He passed through an imposing set of doors and saw the usual directory of tenants, interchangeable white lettering on black felt. There were five listings — a number that had not changed since Slaton’s first visit — and KAM, Krueger Asset Management, still resided in suite 4.

In the office he was greeted by Astrid, the woman he’d spoken with on the phone, and ushered in directly to find a chipper Krueger. Seated across the desk from the banker was a second man Slaton had never met. The stranger’s dress, not to mention the briefcase in his lap, suggested he was a lawyer. Slaton, however, was never inclined to simple assumption. He paused at the heavy door, still ajar, which put him one step removed from the thick-walled outer office.

“Good morning, Monsieur Mendelsohn!” said a beaming Krueger. An obligatory hand-pump was followed by, “How did you find your room at Le Chateau?”

“Very nice, thank you. In all honesty, a bit above the standards I’m used to.”

“But no more, eh?” Krueger patted him on the shoulder as if he were an old college chum. “Allow me to introduce Herr Holmberg. He is the lead attorney in the matter of this estate.”

Slaton shook hands and saw nothing worrisome in Holmberg. The man moved efficiently — not in the way of a killer, but in the way of a bookkeeper, his eyes focused inwardly on documents, his delicate fingers sure and purposeful. His feet were set narrowly, such that he could not rise quickly and keep good balance. His open briefcase was a black leather article with gold-plated locks, and inside Slaton saw a single file that looked unusually thick and heavy. A lawyer, perhaps, who billed by the pound and not the hour. Three pens were holstered in a dividing flap, and next to these three pencils. Slaton could see only the eraser ends of the pencils, but he was sure that each was perfectly sharpened. He stepped away from the door and took a seat.

The model of efficiency known as Astrid produced a silver tray bearing coffee and biscuits, and on this cue the meeting commenced. The lawyer spent a full thirty minutes covering Swiss inheritance law. He explained that bequests to direct heirs were normally compulsory, yet not a concern in this case because Grossman had no family. Holmberg confirmed that the legacy would pass without restriction to Natan Mendelsohn, with the intent of guiding it toward the unnamed charity that he “kept close ties with.” Slaton had never before heard the State of Israel referred to as a charity, but he supposed there was no other way for Grossman to have designed things. One cannot name Mossad as beneficiary to an estate.

Ten signatures later, Holmberg was stuffing papers back into his briefcase.

Slaton, having been given a stack of duplicate documents, asked, “Is there a detailed property listing here?”

“Yes, of course,” said Holmberg, pointing his gold-tipped pen toward the papers. “Addendum Three contains a precise inventory of all assets, cross-referenced to the valuations in Addendum Six.”

What could be more Swiss? Slaton thought, but did not say, as he flipped through and found what he wanted. He nodded approvingly.

With that, the lawyer snapped his briefcase shut and made a professional exit. When they were alone Krueger began the pitch Slaton knew was coming.

“So, as Holmberg has advised, we can expect no more than a few weeks for probate administration to run its course. Your friend Grossman was right to have put his affairs in order.” He sipped from a delicate china cup. “As the sole beneficiary of this estate you are faced with many important decisions. As you know, I have considerable experience in managing private accounts. Monsieur Grossman was, I think, quite happy with my results. I understand that a certain percentage of these funds will go to the foundation you keep ties with. I should advise you, however, that it could be in everyone’s best interest to retain a portion of the assets in reserve to … shall we say, construct a more permanent endowment. I think you could expect continued healthy returns using a strategy of—”

“Herr Krueger,” Slaton interrupted, “please allow me a moment.” Slaton pushed his own teacup aside, and his gray eyes leveled on the Swiss. “As you know, our late acquaintance was a man whose business skirted the bounds of … shall we say ‘propriety.’ I should tell you that I too have certain interests I would choose not be open to the light of day. Indeed, that is why we are both here in this quiet little office, is it not?”

Krueger shrugged and turned up his palms on his desk. “D’accord, monsieur.”

“Then we should not play games. You have a talent for characterizing money so that it does not draw attention, and subsequently using it to make more. I have a need for that service. The bargain I will give you is this: It is now ten forty-five. By close of business today you will provide me the equivalent of ten thousand U.S. dollars, split evenly between dollars and Swiss francs. In addition, you will make a reservation in your own name for one week at the Montreux Casino, beginning tomorrow night, and advise the hotel that I am to arrive as your guest. You will then deposit in advance fifty thousand Swiss francs for my use at their tables.”

“Fifty thousand? Monsieur, this is a good deal of money. There are laws to be considered.”

“If I was worried about laws, Herr Krueger, I would not be here but down the street at UBS. I am sure you have cash reserves, other client accounts, money in escrow. You are a private banker and a clever man. You also know that in a matter of weeks the benefits of this legacy will cover everything and more. If you can make these things happen, I will employ you to manage my account on a continuing basis, with a fee structure unchanged from your arrangement with Grossman. Will you agree to these terms?”

Krueger was beginning to glisten, no longer interested in his coffee. Slaton could almost see the commission numbers ringing in his head. “Yes, five o’clock today, ten thousand. And the other. Yes, I can manage.”

“Good. But we have more ground to cover.”

Krueger actually tugged on the collar of his shirt.

“You will not hear from me for some time, likely many months. When I see you later today, I will execute the papers necessary to allow you to manage this inheritance. My instructions are as follows. When the funds become available, you will split them evenly among ten numbered accounts. From there you will initiate a series of transfers. The Caymans, Bahamas, Aruba — I leave the specifics up to you. In the end, I want nothing — I repeat nothing — to remain in the name of Natan Mendelsohn. Incorporate, set up trusts or foundations if necessary. Once these accounts are established, you may select whatever investments you deem to be in our mutual best interest. Are we clear on everything so far?”

“Yes,” Krueger said, “absolutely.” He was about to stand when Slaton held out a palm to keep him in his seat.

“There are two last matters. First, the ‘charity’ referred to in Grossman’s legacy. I can tell you that it is not your typical benevolent foundation. In truth, this organization is not a charity at all, and in my opinion not worthy of receiving any of this money under its current governance. As I have been entrusted to steer the inheritance, I will do so in the spirit I believe it was intended. This begins with the instructions you now have.”

Slaton paused, and he imagined Krueger mulling the charitable merits of sending fifty thousand Swiss francs to a Montreux casino. To his credit the man remained silent, only nodding like the good banker he was.

“Finally,” Slaton continued, his cadence slowing, “you are aware of the late Monsieur Grossman’s gray business dealings. I dare say you are not so familiar with mine. To put it simply, those things that Grossman sold, I buy. I operate alone, and in the parlance of our small corner of the world, I am what is known as an ‘end user.’”

Slaton let that settle before leaning slightly forward. “I expect you to hold to the most stringent standards of Swiss banking. Our arrangements must be kept absolutely privileged — discuss them with no one. And be very clear on one last point, Herr Krueger. If any, or perhaps all of this money should disappear, you will in fact never see me again. But even if you should find yourself in a very small and very quiet corner of the world, rest assured that I will see you once more. Precisely once.”

The banker managed a weak smile. “Sir, I … I can assure you that my performance will leave no need for either of us to ever deviate from our arrangement.”

The gray eyes smiled back. “Then as you say — we are in accord.”