“No, I think you have covered it very well. I’ll meet with you tomorrow to answer anything questions I can, but I think Ringo’s material will get you started. Most of the details will just have to be worked out after you are on site. I guess that’s all. I’ll see you back here in the conference room tomorrow at nine sharp”
David was wired after the session. As he rose from his chair he stretched his muscular arms over his head and arched his back. He asked if anyone wanted to join him at Frankie’s for a nightcap and Forbes, Levi and Miriam responded, saying they’d meet him there.
At the bar, Levi wrapped his big paws around the tall Cutty and soda, took a swallow and said he wished he was going with them. David pulled on his Goldstar dark Larger and glanced at Miriam as she took her first sip of a salt encrusted Margarita — a drink that reminded her of Hank. It was her new favorite as it allowed her to keep her psychological distance when around David. The four of them chatted about the political situation in Israel and the latest Palestinian protest in Ramallah. It was always understood that no agency business would be discussed at Frankie’s, even though their next assignment crowded their brains. When the waitress came by their table again they all agreed to another round.
“I’ve been wondering, does travel really broaden the mind,” Forbes asked of no one in particular after the new round arrived.
“I’ve often wondered that myself,” volunteered Levi.
“Of course, it does,” Miriam replied. “Travel makes it real rather than imaginary. What do you think, David?”
David looked up from his beer and said without missing a beat, “If you have a well-developed intellect, you can imagine your own journeys, Miriam. But we like to fool ourselves; and it keeps us entertained. A person who allows events to push him hither and yon has no control of his or her mind.”
“What does that mean? What does that have to do with travel?” Forbes asked, wondering if the others were on a trip he had just missed. Levi, David and Miriam laughed and asked if he wanted another drink, but he replied he had better get home, he needed to explain to his wife about going to Argentina with another woman as his wife. They all laughed and responded, good luck. He left, throwing some bills on the table and bid them goodnight.
Levi announced he had to leave too, “Forget the bill. I’ll put it on the company tab. Stay and enjoy yourselves, you two. See you tomorrow.”
“Goodnight, Levi,” David said turning to Miriam, “You going to have another drink, Miriam? I think I will.”
“Why not? Order me a vodka and tonic this time.” Miriam felt a small movement inside her breast, a little seismic shift, as she relaxed. “I’m waxing philosophical, and vodka keeps my head clearer,” she explained, a smile spreading on her full lips, her hazel eyes twinkling.
“So what’s your philosophy tonight, Miriam? To do or not?”
“I’m leaning toward to do. How about you?”
“That’s where I’ve always been, Miriam.”
“Wait a minute! Remember our pledge!”
“Who the hell made a pledge? I sure didn’t.”
“Our agreement, David, you know what I mean. Let’s talk. There’s something I want to ask you.”
“I don’t want to talk. What’s wrong with you tonight, Miriam?”
“What’s wrong with me? It’s time to leave. Be careful on the drive home.”
“Go on without me, Miriam. I still have some things to work through. Waitress!”
“See you tomorrow then.” Miriam got up and left David staring at his drink. She waited outside in her car until she saw him walk out, and peer around the parking lot. She rolled down her window, “Come on, David, let’s talk some more.
Dr. Yang was horrified when an unidentified body was found on his property. The publicity would be very damaging. He refused to discuss it with anyone at the hospital but that did not stop the talk, despite his warnings to his staff. They remembered clearly that patient who had been slashed in the same way. So the killer was still on the loose. They couldn’t ignore it.
The police came and questioned several hospital employees, looking for a connection they might have missed to the Stratton murder. The headlines blared, Dagger Strikes Again! Dr. Yang could not avoid the officers, but he gave them only terse answers, insisting he had patients that needed looking after. He did admit he knew the killer’s first name: “Hans, somebody.” The officers wanted to know how he knew that. Had he had reported it before? Dr. Yang told them he had, they could just look at their own records. “Actually, I said it was ‘that fucker Hans’,” he said and excused himself.
At the end of the day, Chief Beinschmidt decided that Hans must have the missing papers. Somehow he needed to force Hans to give back the papers, perhaps by threatening to arrest him. At their next GRS get-together, Gottschlag and Neuschondorf agreed.
Hans received a call the next morning ordering him to drop the papers in the mail, but he denied having them. Bruno threatened he would have him arrested by noon and Hans replied that he wouldn’t be around at noon and hung up. Enraged, Bruno ordered Gottschlag and Neuschondorf to handle Hans. But they didn’t have the faintest idea where he might be. His cell phone number didn’t give them a clue. They left frustrated promising results as soon as possible.
At lunch, Gottschlag complained to Neuschondorf that the Chief was getting too paranoid and bossy. Who really cared about Hans’ family tree anyway. He’d always done the job. Now if Bruno started pressuring him, they might lose him. How could they get Bruno to lay off?
Neuschondorf said he’d try talking to the Chief to see if he could bring him down a notch. But if he kept rocking the boat, they would need to do something about him. The three stingers coming from Argentina next month to implement their GRS plans in Germany, wouldn’t be happy if the Chief screwed things up. They needed Hans more than ever now.
Late Thursday evening the team from Israel landed in Buenos Aries.