"YournameisAndrewDouglas,"hesaidinEnglish.Hisaccentwasp.r.o.nounced, likeallItalianshehaddifficultywiththeunfamiliarScotssyllables,buthis meaningwasclear.
Ilookedbackathimflatlyanddidn"treply.
Withoutexcitementbutwithconcentrationhereturnedmelookforlook,andI begantosenseinhimthesamefeelingaboutmeasIhadabouthim.Professional curiosity,onbothsides.
"Youwillmakeataperecordingforme,"hesaidfinally.
"Allright."
Thereadyagreementliftedhiseyebrows:notwhathe"dexpected.
"Youdonotask...whoIam."
Isaid,"You"rethemanwhoabductedmefromthehotel."
"Whatismyname?"heasked.
"Idon"tknow,"Isaid.
"ItisPeter."Averypositivea.s.sertion.
"Peter."Iinclinedmyhead,acknowledgingtheintroduction."WhyamIhere?"
"Tomakeataperecording."
Helookedatmesomberlyandwentaway,hisheadroundanddarkagainstthesky, allhisfeatureslongfamiliarbecauseofthepicture.I"dnearlygothimright, Ithought.MaybeinthelineoftheeyebrowsI"dbeenwrong:hiswerestraighter attheouteredge.
HewasgoneforaperiodIwouldhaveguessedatasanhour,andhereturned withabrowntravelingbagslungfromoneshoulder.Thebaglookedlikefine leather,withgoldbuckles.Allofapiece.
Fromhisjacketheproducedalargesheetofpaperwhichheunfoldedandheld formetoread.
"Thisiswhatyouwillsay,"hesaid.
Ireadthemessage,whichhadbeenwritteninlaboriousblockcapitalsbyan American,notbyGiuseppe-Peterhimself.
Itsaid: IAMANDREWDOUGLAS,UNDERCOVERCOP.YOUINTHEf.u.c.kINGJOCKEYCLUB,LISTEN.
GOOD.YOU"VEGOTTOSENDTHETENMILLIONENGLISHPOUNDS,ASWa.s.sAID.THE CERTIFIEDCHECK"SGOTTOBEREADYTUESDAY.SENDITTOACCOUNTNUMBER ZL237/42806,CREDITHELVETIA,ZURICH,SWITZERLAND.WHENTHECHECKISCLEARED,.
YOUGETFREEMANTLEBACK,NOFINGERSMISSING.THENSITTIGHT.IFTHECOPSCOME.
IN,IWON"TBEMAKINGIT.IFEVERYTHINGISONTHELEVELANDTHEBREADIS SATISFACTORY,YOU"LLBETOLDWHERETOFINDME.IFANYONETRIESTOBLOCKTHEDEAL AFTERFREEMANTLEGOESLOOSE,I"LLBEKILLED.
Hetuckedthepaperinsidethefrontofhisjacketandbegantopullatape recorderfromtheleatherbag.
"I"mnotreadingthat,"Isaidneutrally.
Hestoppedinmid-movement."Youhavenochoice.Ifyoudonotreadit,Iwill killyou."
Isaidnothing,simplylookedathimwithoutchallenge;tryingtoshownoworry.
"Iwillkillyou,"hesaidagain:andIthoughtyes,perhaps,butnotforthat.
"It"sbadEnglish,"Isaid."Youcouldhavewrittenitbetteryourself."
Heletthetaperecorder"sweightfallbackintothebag."Areyoutellingme,"
heaskedwithincredulity,"thatyouarenotreadingthisbecauseofthestyle literary?"
"Literarystyle,"Isaid."Yes."
Heturnedhisbackonmewhilehethought,andafterawhileturnedback.
"Iwillchangethewords,"hesaid."ButyouwillreadonlywhatIsay.
Understand?No..."HesearchedforthewordsbutsaidfinallyinItalian,"Nocode words.Nosecretsignals."
IthoughtthatifIkepthimspeakingEnglis.h.i.tmightfractionallyreducemy disadvantage,soIsaid,"Whatdidyousay?Idon"tunderstand."
Henarrowedhiseyesslightly."YouspeakSpanish.Themaidatthehotelsaid youwereaSpanishgentleman.IthinkyoualsospeakItalian."
"Verylittle."
Hepulledthepaperfromhisjacketandfoundapen,and,turningth.e.s.h.eet over,begantowriteanewversionforme,supportingitonthebag.Whenhe"d finished,heshowedittome,holdingitsothatIcouldread.
Ineleganthandwritingthenotenowsaid: IamAndrewDouglas.JockeyClub,collecttenmillionEnglishpounds.Tuesday, sendcertifiedbanker"sdrafttoaccountnumberZL237/42806,CreditHelvetia, Zurich,Switzerland.Whenthebankclearsthedraft,MorganFreemantlereturns.
Afterthat,wait.Policemustnotinvestigate.Whenallispeace,Iwillbe free.IfthemoneyisnotabletobetakenoutoftheSwissbank,Iwillbe killed.
"Well,"Isaid."It"smuchbetter."Hereachedagainforthetaperecorder.
"Theywon"tpaytenmillion,"Isaid.
Hishandpausedagain."Iknowthat."
"Yes,I"msureyoudo."IwishedIcouldrubanitchonmynose."Inthenormal courseofeventsyouwouldexpectalettertobesenttoyourSwissaccount numberfromtheJockeyClub,makingamorerealisticproposal."
Helistenedimpa.s.sively,sortingthewordsintoItalian,understanding."Yes,"
hesaid.
"Theymightsuggestpayingaransom.o.f.onehundredthousandpounds,"Isaid.
"Thatisridiculous."
"Perhapsfiftythousandmore,tocoveryourexpenses."
"Stillridiculous."
Welookedateachothera.s.sessingly.Inthenormalcourseofeventsnegotiation ofaransompricewasnotconductedlikethis.Ontheotherhand,whatwasthere toprevent.i.t?
"Fivemillion,"hesaid.
Isaidnothing.
"Itmustbefive,"hesaid.
"TheJockeyClubhasnomoney.TheJockeyClubisjustasocialclub,madeupof people.Theyaren"tallrichpeople.Theycannotpayfivemillion.Theydonot havefivemillion."
Heshookhisheadwithoutanger."Theyarerich.Theyhavefivemillion, certainly.Iknow."
"Howdoyouknow?"Iasked.
Hiseyelidsflickeredslightly,butallhesaidagainwas,"Fivemillion."
"Twohundredthousand.Positivelynomore."
"Ridiculous."
Hestalkedawayanddisappearedbetweenthelaurelbushes,andIguessedhe wantedtothinkandnothavemewatchhimat.i.t.
TheSwissbankaccountwasfascinating,Ithought:andclearlyheintendedto movethemoneymoreorlessatoncefromZL237/42806toanotheraccountnumber, anotherbankeven,andwantedtobesuretheJockeyClubhadn"tthoughtofaway ofstoppinghimortracinghim,orlayingatrap.a.s.someofEngland"stop bankingbrainscouldbefoundeitherinoradvisingtheJockeyClub,his precautionsmadeexcellentsense.
Onevictiminreturnfortheransomitself.
Onevictimtoreturnwhentheransomhaddisappearedintofurtheranonymity.
MorganFreemantleformoney,AndrewDouglasfortime.
Nodropstobeambushedbyhepped-upcarabinieri:nostacksoftatty-and photographed-notes:justnumbers,storedelectronically,sophisticatedandsafe.
SubtractthenumbersfromthegentlemenoftheJockeyClub,addthetotal,telex ittoSwitzerland.
WithhismoneyinZurich,Giuseppe-PetercouldlosehimselfinSouthAmericaand notbeaffectedbyitsendemicinflation.Swissfrancswouldrideanystorm.
Alessia"sransom,ataguess,hadgonetoSwitzerlandthedayithadbeenpaid, changedintofrancs,perhaps,byalaundryman.Samefortheracecourseowner, earlier.EvenwiththeDominicoperationshowingaheavyloss,Giuseppe-Peter mustalreadyhaveama.s.sedanEnglishmillion.Iwonderedifhehadsetatarget atwhichhewouldstop,andIwonderedalsowhetheronceakidnapper,alwaysa kidnapper,addicted:inhiscase,foreverandever.
IfoundIstillthoughtofhimasGiuseppe-Peter,fromlonghabit.Pietro Goldoniseemedastranger.
Hecamebackeventuallyandstoodinfrontofme,lookingdown.
"Iamabusinessman,"hesaid.
"Yes."
"Standupwhenyoutalktome."
Ithrustawaythefirstoverwhelminginstincttorefuse.Neverantagonizeyour kidnapper:victimlessonnumbertwo.Makehimpleasedwithyou;makehimlike you;hewillbelessreadytokill.
Sodthetrainingmanual,Ithoughtmordantly:andstoodup.
"That"sbetter,"hesaid."EverytimeIamhere,standup."
"Allright."
"Youwillmaketherecording.YouunderstandwhatIwishtosay.Youwillsay it."Hepausedbriefly."IfIdonotlikewhatyousay,wewillstartagain."
Inodded.
Hepulledtheblacktaperecorderfromtheleatherbagandswitchediton.Then hepluckedth.e.s.h.eetofinstructionsfromhisjacketpocket,shookitopen,and heldit,withhisownversiontowardsme,formetoread.Hegesturedtometo start,andIclearedmyvoiceandsaidasunemotionallyasIcouldmanage: "ThisisAndrewDouglas.TheransomdemandforMorganFreemantleisnowreduced tofivemillionpounds..."
Giuseppe-Peterswitchedoffthemachine."Ididnottellyoutosaythat,"he saidintensely."No,"Iagreedmildly."But.i.tmightsavetime."Hepursedhis lips,considered,toldmetostartagain,andpressedtherecordb.u.t.tons.
"ThisisAndrewDouglas.TheransomdemandforMorganFreemantleisnowreduced tofivemillionpounds.Thismoneyistobesentbycertifiedbankersdraftto theCreditHelvetia,Zurich,Switzerland,tobelodgedinaccountnumber ZL237/42806.Whenthataccounthasbeencreditedwiththemoney,Morgan Freemantlewillbereturned.Afterthattherearetobenopolice investigations.Iftherearenoinvestigations,andifthemoneyintheSwiss bankhasbeenpaidclearofallrestrictionsandmaybemovedtootheraccounts withoutstoppage,Iwillbefreed."
Ihalted.Hepressedthes...o...b..u.t.tonsandsaid,"Youhavenotfinished."I lookedathim.
"Youwillsaythatunlessthesethingshappen,youwillbekilled."Hisdark eyeslookedstraightatmine;level,atmyownheight.Isawonlycertainty.He pressedthestartb.u.t.tonsagainandwaited.
"Iamtold,"Isaidinadryvoice,"thatunlesstheseconditionsaremet,I willbekilled."
Henoddedsharplyandswitchedoff.
Ithought:hewillkillmeanyway.Heputhistaperecorderintoonesectionof hisbagandbeganfeelingintoanothersectionforsomethingelse.Ihadthe mostdreadfullurchoffearinmygutandtriedwiththeseverestphysicalwill tocontrolit.But.i.twasn"tagunoraknifethathebroughtoutofthebag:it wasacolabottlecontainingamilky-lookingliquid.
Thereactionwasalmostasbad.Inspiteofthechillyair,Iwa.s.sweating.
Heappearednottohavenoticed.Hewasuns.c.r.e.w.i.n.gthecapandlookinginthe bagforwhatprovedtobeafat,plastic,gaily-stripeddrinkingstraw.
"Soup,"hesaid.Heputthestrawintothebottleandofferedittomymouth.
Isucked.Itwaschickensoup,cold,fairlythick.Idrankallofitquitefast, afraidhewoulds.n.a.t.c.hitaway.
Hewatchedwithoutcomment.WhenI"dfinishedhethrewthestrawontheground, screwedthetoponthebottleandreplaceditinthebag.Thenhegaveme anotherlong,considering,concentratedstare,andabruptlywentaway.
Isatdownregrettablyweaklyontheloamyground.
G.o.ddammit,Ithought.G.o.ddammittoh.e.l.l.
Itisinmyself,Ithought,asineveryvictim;thehopelessfeelingof indignity,thesickeningguiltofhavingbeens.n.a.t.c.hed.
Aprisoner,naked,alone,afraid,dependentonone"senemyforfood...allthe cla.s.sicingredientsofvictimbreakdownsyndrome.Thetrainingmanualcometo life.Knowingsowellwhat.i.twaslikefromotherpeople"saccountsdidn"t sufficientlyshieldonefromtheshockofthereality.
InthefutureIwouldunderstandwhatIwastoldnotjustintheheadbutwith everyrememberedpulse.
Iftherewereafuture.