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GERMANY
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“MR RENAULT.”
Jean-Paul started in surprised when the figure joined him. He had been scrutinising everyone who came into the bar, searching for anyone who even vaguely resembled the picture of Luke Caldwell that had been included in the file he had been given by Rene Dubois.
Despite his watchfulness, the figure, who bore no similarity to the man he was looking for — Caldwell was in his mid-thirties and slim, while this man was nearing sixty and overweight — had not only managed to enter the bar without being spotted by him, but had been able to get to the booth where he waited without him being aware of the man.
“Can I get you anything?” The question came from a waitress, who appeared within moments of the figure sitting.
“Whisky, no ice, thank you.”
“Red wine,” Jean-Paul ordered. “Caldwell?” he asked hesitantly when the waitress had returned with their drinks and then left again.
“I’ll be your contact with him,” Luke said, adopting a ploy he had used many times before when dealing with a client who insisted on a face-to-face meeting, that of pretending to be a go-between. “You can call me Der Bote. As you were told, Mr Caldwell does not meet clients in person. Your message said you have a job for Mr Caldwell.”
Jean-Paul was silent for a few moments while he debated how to deal with this situation. He had expected to meet with Caldwell, despite being told that wasn’t possible. Finally, he decided he had no choice but to proceed. “I do. At least my employer does,” he said.
“What sort of job?”
“My employer is facing some legal difficulties, which he would like Mr Caldwell to clear up for him.”
“I’ll need some details to take back to Mr Caldwell,” Luke said. “Without information he won’t be able to say whether the job is feasible, let alone something he’s interested in, and he certainly won’t be able to say how much it’s likely to cost.”
“I’m sorry, but my employer has given strict instructions that I’m to give no information until the job has been accepted,” Jean-Paul said. He had voiced his concerns about the instructions, Luke Caldwell was a professional after all, which was why they wanted to hire him, but Olivier had sided with Noir and insisted that nothing should be revealed until it was absolutely necessary, to avoid causing more problems.
“In that case, there’s nothing for us to discuss.” Luke downed his drink and made to leave the booth. When Jean-Paul stopped him, he went on, “If you’re not willing to reveal anything about this job before it has been accepted, which Mr Caldwell won’t do without knowing what he’s getting into, then you can look elsewhere for someone to help Philippe Noir with his legal problems.”
“Wait, please.” The use of his cousin’s name both surprised and troubled Jean-Paul, though he did his best to conceal it. “Please sit down. You’re right, I work for Philippe Noir in France. I assume since Mr Caldwell knows who I work for he has some idea of the legal difficulties he is facing.”
“Yes,” Luke said as he slid back into the booth, without giving any indication of how much he or his ‘employer’ knew.
“Good. Well Mr Noir is having some problems with the Spanish authorities. The police in Barcelona are trying to extradite him so they can put him on trial.”
“I’d say that’s a problem for Mr Noir’s lawyers to deal with,” Luke said. “Mr Caldwell is a problem-solver for people whose problems can’t be solved by more usual methods.” He had gathered a fair amount of information on Philippe Noir’s situation following the initial contact with Jean-Paul Renault. Because of that he could guess what it was Noir wanted to hire him to do. He wanted to hear it from the man before him, though.
“Mr Noir’s lawyers are working hard on his legal defence,” Jean-Paul said, “He isn’t confident they will be successful, however, and he is not prepared to wait in a cell while his lawyers fight it out with Spanish officials.”
“I can appreciate that. What is it Mr Noir would like Mr Caldwell to do to assist him with his difficulties?” Luke asked, again encouraging Jean-Paul to clarify things. He had no reason for thinking the man across from him was an agent for a police or intelligence agency trying to trap him, but he wasn’t about to take any chances.
“The Barcelona police have two of Mr Noir’s men in custody, and he is concerned that they might be persuaded to testify against him in exchange for immunity from prosecution. They also have under their protection a witness who can place Mr Noir at the scene of a crime.”
“And.”
Jean-Paul drained his glass and set it down. “This isn’t really the place for us to go into details. Is there somewhere more discreet we can talk?”
“Sure.” Luke preferred that they talk more privately as well, so he had no problem leaving the bar.
**
“OKAY, MR RENAULT, I suggest you tell me what it is you want from Mr Caldwell so I can relay the information to him, and he can decide whether he is interested in the job,” Luke said once they were in his car. He knew it was safe to talk there, the car he was driving then was completely unconnected to Luke Caldwell because he had ‘borrowed’ it from a couple he knew to be away for several days.
Reluctantly, Jean-Paul said, “Mr Noir wants you to eliminate his problems. He wants you to make certain the witness is not in a position to testify, should he be extradited, and that his men cannot make any deals with the Barcelona police.”
“And how would Mr Noir like Mr Caldwell to do that?” There hadn’t been enough time for him to research Jean-Paul and his employer as thoroughly as he would have liked, but Luke had learned that Philippe Noir’s favoured method of dealing with a problem was inefficient, excessively violent, and caused more problems than it solved.
When Jean-Paul said nothing after several long moments, during which his face wore an expression of confliction and uncertainty, Luke said, “If you aren’t prepared to say exactly what it is you and your cousin want done, perhaps you should look elsewhere for someone to take care of your problem.” He looked significantly at the door at Jean-Paul’s side.
Jean-Paul hesitated for a little longer and then accepted that he would have to be explicit if he wanted Luke Caldwell to accept the job and help his cousin.
“Mr Noir wants Mr Caldwell to kill the witness and the two men the Barcelona Police have in custody. He needs them dead before he can be extradited and before they can testify against him.”
“What’s the timeframe for accomplishing this?”
“That’s hard to say. As soon as possible for sure, but how long there is before Mr Noir might be extradited and put on trial is uncertain. His lawyer is doing his best to get the extradition request quashed, but it's vital that Mr Caldwell deal with the problems as quickly as possible in case he’s unsuccessful.”
“He hasn’t agreed to take the job yet,” Luke reminded him. “What protection is there around the people Mr Noir wants taken care of?”
“One is in a police cell, so Mr Caldwell will have to go through a police station to get to him. The second is in hospital and will probably have several armed officers protecting him at the least, though I have no idea how many. As for the witness, I think it’s safe to say she’ll have a large number of officers protecting her, and they’ll be prepared to open fire at the first sign of trouble. I don’t currently know where the witness is being kept, but I have a source working to find out.”
“Do you think your source will be able to get the information?”
“I have every confidence in him. He hasn’t failed me yet. Will Mr Caldwell take the job?”
“I couldn’t say. He’ll decide that after I’ve relayed to him what you have told me. I imagine you’ll have an answer within a day or two.”
Jean-Paul was frustrated that he couldn’t get an immediate answer, and he knew his cousin would be unhappy to hear the outcome of the meeting, but there was nothing he could do about it. He couldn’t order Caldwell to take the job, nor could he intimidate him into doing so, especially through an intermediary, and to attempt either would only increase the chances of him refusing it.
Reluctantly, he got out of the car and headed down the road to where he had parked his rental car, so he could head for the airport and the late flight back to Paris he was booked on.