Night Watch

FORTY-ONE

“Where are you, Coop?”

“In my office, about to go into the conference room to do battle with Blanca Robles.”

“Something change since I saw you last night?” Mike asked.

“Yeah. Everything’s upside down. Blanca’s cred is crumbling by the minute. Mercer and I are going to have another go at her in a few minutes.”

“Is that why you called?”

“No. But I’d like you to run down some other stuff for me.”

“Like what?”

“I stopped by to look at the building next door to Lutèce on my way in this morning.”

“The doppelgänger town house?”

“Yes, it’s a doppelgänger except for the wrought iron fence with spikes on top that would keep out the most daring second-story man-and the secret door that connects to Lutèce.”

“The what?”

“Last night, when you were parked out in front, did you happen to notice that the other building was being renovated, too?”

“Yeah, Mercer and I were talking about it. Like what it must cost to gut and redo a pricey home like that.”

“Well, it made me curious, too. I mean, not everyone would want to move in next door to a restaurant, with people coming and going all day and into the night.”

“Maybe that’s why they have the stay-out-of-my-house fence,” Mike said.

“That’s one good reason for it. But then I asked the workmen for a quick tour. I was particularly interested in the basement.”

“Why?”

“’Cause Luc’s doing one of those wine cellars, too. Like ‘21’ and Patroon.”

“What did you find?”

“I think you need to do something I can’t manage, Mike. I think you need to take Luc back to the restaurant today and have him show you the place, from top to bottom.”

“Sure,” he said. “But why?”

“Because in the basement of the adjacent building is a brick wall-just installed last week-and I think it’s got a concealed connection to the basement of Lutèce.”

“Does Luc know about it?”

“He’s never said a word about anything like that.”

“Wait a minute, Coop. Does Luc own the other building?”

“Not that he’s told me. That would have cost him a fortune that he doesn’t have. It’s bad enough he’s relying on these other people for the loans to build out the restaurant. It’s all smoke and mirrors to me, Mike. I’m afraid he’s going to lose his shirt.”

“He’ll be fine. You’ll be eating bonbons for a long time to come, kid.”

I lowered my voice. “What I’m really afraid of is that Luc’s in way over his head. I didn’t know about any of this-backers and silent partners putting up millions of dollars-until the murders started unraveling things. I’m afraid that Luc’s been caught in the middle of something ugly.”

“Like what?”

“I’m trying to figure that out, Mike. Like a financial fraud-a Ponzi scheme,” I said. “Do these people who want a piece of his business just manufacture money or what? I don’t care how much Luc charges for three courses and a superb magnum of expensive wine, he’ll never get out of debt with what he’s got to put out to keep the business afloat.”

“So you want me to check out what he’s hiding in the basement?”

“For starters. And I want to see how he reacts when you find the hidden door. I mean, if that’s what it really is.”

“I can barely make out what you’re saying, Coop.”

“I’m whispering. I don’t want Laura or anyone else to hear.”

Mike chuckled. “You know what you sound like? You sound like Nancy Drew and the secret staircase. You’re getting all twitchy on me, blondie.”

“Laugh all you want, Mr. Chapman. I’ll call the Attorney General’s Office myself.”

“For what?”

“I want to know everything there is to know about Gineva Imports-when the corporation was created, who owns it, when they bought the building next to Lutèce. Everything that’s on file with the AG. Not to worry yourself about, Mike. I’ll have nothing but time on my hands after I watch Blanca Robles implode. I’ll do it myself.”

“Wait a minute. What’s Gineva Imports?”

“The corporation that owns the town house.”

“You know anything about them?”

“Just a guess.”

“Bring it on.”

“Word play, Mike. Gineva,” I said, spelling it for him. “Take the ‘gin’ from Gina Varona and the ‘eva’ from Peter Danton’s wife. Gin and Eva.”

“You probably won the spelling bee, too.”

“Not my strong suit.”

“What do you think they’re importing, besides African art?”

“If I were an optimist, I’d say great wines. Or maybe they’re just betting the restaurant will be so successful that Luc will need to double its size before too long.”

“But you’re not an optimist, Coop.”

“That’s why the whole setup makes me sick to my stomach.”

“You’ve had a hard-on for Gina since you first heard about her.”

“Women’s intuition, Mike.”

“Grow some testosterone.”

“Well, what if they’re importing something that would get them locked up for the rest of their natural days?” I said. “That’s what’s eating at my guts.”

“Like what?”

“Think about it, Mike. Gina Varona is one of Brigitte’s best friends, and Brigitte is still blowing coke. And Eva is married to Peter Danton, who travels to West Africa every month to buy art-but-well, now that part of the world is the go-to place for cocaine smugglers.”

“And you’re thinking that one of them is responsible for the cocaine glued to the bottom of Luigi’s houseboat, right? Now,” Mike said, “we just have to figure out who that is.”