The large, gaudily dressed woman threw her paddle to the floor sobbing, and angrily stormed out of the room with all eyes following her in wonder.
David squeezed Miriam’s hand and whispered, “There goes a poor loser, I guess.”
Josef reached over and shook Tam’s hand. Then he wrote on his small notebook: Congratulations on your winning bid, Tam, now maybe you can get the Triad off your back. Tam smiled and thought, you have no idea, Mr. Josef. You have no idea.
Tam could hardly believe that the emerald was now his — well, really the Triad’s. This job had been too easy. He sat back and smiled at Josef as they left the auction hall and headed for the door to the hotel parking garage.
Coming out of a stall in the hotel restroom a young woman looked at the figure staring into a mirror over one sink dabbing at her running mascara, and wondered, that looks strange to me. I can understand a wig getting slightly off-skew, but I’ve never seen a woman stand like that, I wonder who she is? Hans saw in the mirror the woman staring at him and without another thought pulled his stiletto from behind his neck’ walked up to the startled woman and slit her throat. As the woman sank gurgling to the black and white tile bathroom floor, Hans straightened his wig, wiped the blade on a white towel, slipped it back into the sheath behind his neck, and walked sedately out into the hall and headed toward the rear exit of the hotel.
Walking through the lobby of the hotel, careful not to slip on his high heels, Hans thought, that winning bidder is also a dead man. That idea sent another shiver of anticipation down his spine. Beside a large evergreen in a huge concrete pot outside the hotel rear door he waited and watched the people gathered under the portico. In a few minutes he saw the tall Asian leave the hotel with the scared black man. They spoke for a minute, shook hands and the African walked away. Making a pretense of rummaged in his purse Hans walked through the crowd people up to his nemesis and through gritted teeth whispered, “I hope you live long enough to enjoy your new toy.”
Tam smiled suspiciously at the gaudy blond, gripped the handle of his briefcase tightly and responded, “Thank you dear lady. I feel very fortunate to have been able to outbid you. I hope there are no hard feelings”
Hans came within an inch of slitting that yellow throat in front of him right there, but he noticed out of the corner of his eye several security personnel who has just exited the hotel. He wiped his eye with a handkerchief and managed to mumble, “Oh that’s all right, all in a day’s fun, keep your new bauble safe,” turned and sauntered down the street walking carefully but casually in his uncomfortable pumps.
Standing on the sidewalk outside the hotel, Tam held his briefcase in both hands, looked at the cloudless sky and took a deep breath.
Writing again Josef wrote: What are you thinking?
“I think I need a drink, that’s what I think. Want to join me?”
Sure, but you’re not just to carry that expensive emerald around with you, are you?
“Oh I’m not worried about that. I can take care of myself. Listen, I’ll take it back to my hotel and put it in their safe. I have already made arrangement for them to ship it back to Hong Kong for me. I talked to the concierge and he said he could ship it for me as long as I packaged it up myself. I have the packaging materials ready in my room. It’ll only take me about hour to do that, them I’ll meet you in that same bar where we met, and celebrate — OK?
Sure you don’t want me to go with you back to your hotel?
“No, that’s not necessary, and besides I want to be alone for a little while to enjoy my new found freedom. Remember, I’m breaking from the Triad and I think I’ll stay here in Geneva, for the time being at least. I want to drive around a bit and enjoy the sights of my new city and feel what it’s like to be free.
Josef quickly wrote: OK, if you be all right. If that’s what you want. I’ll meet you in the hotel bar at six for drinks to freedom. He put his notebook away and turned to walk to his car when suddenly the Asian man who had been watching Tam closely during the auction walked out of the hotel and started toward Tam and pointed at him.
“Hey, I watching you.”
Josef turned back toward the man, walked toward him and gave him a signal to leave with his thumb. Confused the man started toward Josef, looked at his scared face and threatening demeanor, turned and walked on toward the parking area. Josef followed the man and he got into a silver Audi, slammed the door and rolled down the window. Quickly walking up beside the car Josef jabbed his thumb into the crease between Har Yat’s jaw and his ear and held the pressure point. The Asian man’s mouth froze in a silent paralyzing scream, the sensation of the grip akin to having a knife rammed through his brain. The man started to struggle as the blood supply to his brain was cut off. In only a few seconds his eyes closed and his head lolled to one side. Josef checked to see that his pulse was still strong, reached in and turned off the ignition and left.
On the sidewalk outside the hotel, another security man smiled at her and he smiled back. He paused at the corner of the hotel to see which direction the Asian would take, pulling a mirror from his purse, seeming to check his lipstick as he waited. Tam walked straight toward the parking lot across the street, and Hans followed to see which car he got into. A security man speaking on a walkie-talkie outside by the hotel door stopped Tam. Hans kept walking to not bring attention to himself. He heard the policeman ask Tam if he needed an escort back to his hotel. Tam answered that he did not. He would be fine. As Tam entered the parking area and opened the door of a red coupe, Hans rushed to his own car. He proceeded to follow as the man drove from the parking lot. There was too much security around to try anything there.
Miriam whispered again, “What do you think we should do?”
Looking around the still buzzing auction room, David said, “I’m not sure. I think Josef is taking care of Mr. Tam, and I don’t really think he needs our help, but I’m not sure why that other Asian man just left. That worries me.”
“And what about that woman who lost the bidding and just ran out? There’s something not right about her.”
“What do you mean something’s not right about her?”
“I don’t know, but she didn’t move like a woman when she rushed out of here.”
“Well she didn’t look like that photo of the killer we’re looking for. Let’s get “our toys” from Bulldog Metz, just leave and fill Servette in on the auction. I wonder why Hans didn’t show up?”
Standing outside the hotel front door Miriam called Servette and filled him in on what happened at the auction. Hanging up, she reported to David the Inspector suggested they go back to his office, have a cup of coffee and plot what to do next.
“What’s that wonderful coffee smell,” Miriam said as the two of them walked into the Inspector’s office. “Certainly doesn’t smell like police coffee.”
In the corner bending over a small table was Josef who rose up and walked over to the pair, a twisted smile from ear to ear on his scared face, carrying two steaming cups toward them. Max rose from in front of Servette’s desk and gestured toward the table.