Nemesis: Innocence Sold (22 page)

“That’s what partners are for—and friends. Wouldn’t it be better if I slept at my place?”

“No. We talked about that already. The house is big enough for all three of us.”

“All right. While you shower, I’ll look around the kitchen. I’m hungry. What about you?”

“Same. I might fall asleep while I’m eating, though.”

Tom held the door open for him. “More for me, then. By the way, thanks for your performance as the boss. Fox’s expression was great when you explained to him that until further notice we would be taking the Daimler. That was classic.”

The senior chief had apparently become accustomed to having the use of the team’s second Mercedes and had been enthusiastic, but his hands were tied in the face of direct instructions from Daniel. “That’s true—he’s going to love me for that.”

He laid his pistol and machine gun on the chest in the hall. He had a lockable gun cabinet for his weapons, but tonight the German laws didn’t interest him. He must have been even more tired than he had thought. Then he noticed a shimmer of light from the kitchen and a spicy smell that caused his stomach to contract painfully.

He blinked against a sudden brightness, and it took a few seconds before he realized that the kitchen door was now completely open, that Tom had turned on the light in the hall, and that Sandra was looking at him with concern.

“Is everything all right?”

He couldn’t get a word out. For the first time since he had moved to Germany, he had the feeling of coming home.

When he remained silent, Tom said, “Everything went well. The girl’s free, and no one got hurt except the people who deserved it. Take it easy on Doc; the work for the LKA is taking a toll on him. Tell me, what is it that smells so good?”

“Noodles. I took everything I found in the cabinets and refrigerator and threw it together and made a sauce. I thought you two might be hungry.”

“That’s an understatement. You’re an angel, Sandy. It’s a shame Doc found you first.”

“Found?” Sandra repeated, snorting. “Go take a shower. To put it nicely, you smell a little ripe. I could put it differently, though.”

Tom smiled and dismissed the reproach. “I’m off.” Before he left, she went to him and whispered something in his ear, and he nodded with a smile while Sandra’s cheeks turned red.

The penetrating smell of brackish swamp water and rotted water plants didn’t seem to bother Sandra as much in Daniel’s case. Tom had barely disappeared upstairs when she embraced Daniel. “I’m glad you got back safe. This day must have been hellish for you.”

She was right about that. Three armed conflicts in one day exceeded even what he had experienced during his deployments to crisis regions. “For you, too, though. Shouldn’t you get some sleep?”

“I did get some first; I was completely wiped out. Then it occurred to me that you two were going to be hungry, and I tried out your PlayStation while I was waiting. By the way, do you drink alcohol when you’re working? I mean, a glass of wine or beer? Or none at all?”

There was a look of uncertainty on her face.

“As long as it stays under control, there’s no reason not to, and I could use a beer. I didn’t think we had any left, though.” He was startled by the automatic way he had used the pronoun
we
.

“We didn’t, but the gas station was still open. And before you complain: I had my Walther at hand, and no one followed me. Also, we agreed we can watch out for ourselves.”

He was too tired to try to win an argument with her and only nodded. “What was that with you and Tom just now, by the way?”

The redness returned to her cheeks. “I . . . I moved stuff around a little up there and put his things in the guest room because I thought . . .” Embarrassed, she broke off and looked at the floor.

Daniel bent forward and kissed her. It wasn’t until she wrinkled her nose and pushed him gently away that he released her. “I’m sorry, but your hair stinks like hell.”

“That’s true.” He tilted his head, listening. “The shower’s free. When I’ve gotten rid of the stink of the moor, I’ll try again.”

“All right, but not until after you’ve eaten something, and then I want to hear all the details.”

“Fine with me,” Daniel said.

CHAPTER 22

Daniel tried to muster enough energy to look at the alarm clock on the nightstand. However, this would require him to give up holding Sandra, who had nuzzled against him. The sun shining through the curtains into the bedroom confirmed his supposition. He had already slept considerably longer than he had planned. Slept? Well, to begin with they had just fallen into bed, dead tired, but in the early morning hours they had made better use of their time.

The thought of working wasn’t very attractive; nevertheless, he pulled himself together and cautiously got out of bed. Sandra emitted a noise of protest and snuggled deeper into the comforter. She needed the sleep. Like a mantra, Daniel repeated this sentence until he was sure he could withstand the temptation to wake her. The overdue look at the alarm clock caused all thoughts of that to disappear. Nine thirty? It was a good three hours later than he had intended.

On his way to the kitchen, he tried to get rid of the tension in his shoulders. Tension sounded a lot better than sore muscles; nevertheless, he would have abstained from going swimming the previous day if he had known what surprises the day had in store. He yawned and tore a note off the laptop sitting beside a thermos.

“Am jogging. Read your e-mail. Start with the last one; I summarized all that crap for you.” Instead of a signature, a sketched snoring smiley ended the message.

A paper bag next to the computer smelled of fresh rolls. With great foresight, Tom had left the Nutella out. Like the rest of the team, they were more or less addicted to the chocolate stuff, which they had come to know and love because of Dirk’s and Sven’s kids.

With his second roll in hand, he scanned Tom’s e-mail, which consisted of a single paragraph:

Nothing new, everything as expected. Meeting with Dirk and Sven at around twelve in Berger’s hospital room. At two, the German police will take over protecting Berger (and Pat will finally be able to sleep). Then it will be time for Sven to interrogate the idiots from the bridge, and Dirk is going to visit that newspaper guy with the dummy from his car. Preliminary identification (preliminary because background check is still missing): two sons of rich parents, three mercenaries with Kosovo experience. One National People’s Army, two Belgians. Question: How does this fit Sandy’s profile?

The designation “dummy from his car” for the private detective made Daniel smile. Tom had held his breath in fear when, through their headsets, they had been able to experience live how Dirk suddenly had a gun pointed at his head. With his question about the perpetrator profile, Tom had identified the problem in a nutshell. Perhaps a group of bored rich kids who considered themselves above the law? They would see—he trusted in Sandra’s and Sven’s abilities. Those two would put the puzzle together.

He took a sip of coffee and felt his cell phone vibrate. He grinned, realizing Tom must have switched off the ringtone. It certainly violated Navy regulations for Tom to know Daniel’s smartphone access code and have access to his e-mail, but he didn’t care.

The call was from Tom. “Yes?” Daniel feared what might come next.

“We have a problem. A guy with a dog has tracked Sandy from her apartment. They lost the trail temporarily, but he’s searching in a bigger and bigger radius and will soon pick it up again. That would be bad enough, but he has another guy following him who’s already made a phone call. I bet he’ll have reinforcements soon. Too many people, too little cover to take them out inconspicuously.”

Dog? “Did you see the guy’s car?”

“I’m guessing the silver Mercedes station wagon belongs to him. License plate number for the vicinity of Frankfurt. Information retrieval is blocked. Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

Daniel thought of a photo in Sandra’s living room. “Yes. We should let him live because we could have trouble otherwise.” Daniel was about to hang up when he hesitated. “Approximate position?”

Tom laughed in a mocking way. “Have a nice night, boss? Didn’t really catch up on your sleep, right? Just walk in the direction of her apartment. You can hardly miss us.”

Unfortunately, there was no time for a fitting reply. Daniel dropped the roll, reached for the Sig, and attached the holster to his belt. When his sweatshirt was covering the weapon, he quietly left the house.

On his street there wasn’t anything to see. He ran to the next intersection and cursed. Tom’s assessment was right on target. Not two hundred yards away, he saw a German shepherd pulling its master in the right direction. A gray-haired man was strolling behind them. When the dog stopped and raised its head, sniffing, the apparent stroller stopped, too. There was no sign of Tom, but Daniel hadn’t expected there to be.

He dialed his friend’s number. “Take the gray-haired man out. But not until I’ve spoken to the dog lover and he’s changed direction.”

Although this would attract attention, Daniel sprinted toward the man with the dog. The dog owner’s brown hair hung in his face in strands, his eyes were bloodshot, and his chin had lots of stubble. He blinked when Daniel stopped in front of him, blocking his path. With his accent he was hardly going to convince the guy that he was working for the LKA, and displaying his identification was out because of the gray-haired man; he needed to find another way to solve the problem. “Don’t take another step. Turn around, and walk in the other direction. We can talk later.”

“What’s the meaning of this? Who are you?”

“Daniel Eddings. A friend of Sandra’s. We have no time for details. Do what I say, or you’ll endanger your sister. Is that enough?”

Apparently it wasn’t; the man’s hand went to his belt. Cursing, Daniel caught the hand and exerted painful pressure on his wrist. “Pull yourself together. You’re Martin Meinke, your dog’s name is Kaspar, and I know you work for the BKA. It’s new to me, however, that computer specialists carry guns. If you say one wrong word or give the wrong sign to your four-legged friend, you’ll end up in the hospital and Kaspar at the pet cemetery. I’m not going to let you endanger Sandra’s life, and right now you’re doing exactly that. Do you understand?” With his left hand, Daniel raised his sweatshirt high enough that Sandra’s brother could see the Sig. It took an endlessly long time for his bewilderment to be replaced by slight comprehension and for him to rub his chin and nod.

“Thanks very much for your help. Now I’ll find my way and still get there on time,” Daniel said in a loud voice, so their uninvited listener wouldn’t miss a word. While he jogged back at a more moderate speed, he held his cell phone against his ear. “When you’ve gotten rid of the gray-haired man, you can bring Martin with you. I’m going to continue with my breakfast.”

Daniel had just finished browsing some online news sites and magazines he regularly visited when he heard the door of the house open. This would be interesting.

He filled a bowl with water and went into the hall. While Sandra’s brother watched with shock as Tom petted the dog and the dog leaned against him, Daniel wasn’t surprised by the sight. Tom had inherited his skill in handling horses and dogs from his grandmother and had regretted often that his job left him no time for an animal of his own. Daniel received a grateful glance from Tom for the bowl of water.

Martin held the leash in his hand. “Should I tie Kaspar up somewhere?”

“No, let him run free. He won’t bother anyone. Would you like some coffee? Sandra’s still asleep, and I hate to wake her.” The dog’s tail shot up when he heard Sandra’s name.

Martin smiled at the dog’s reaction. “Kaspar will want to take care of the waking; that’s like a ritual between them.”

“Fine with me. I’m sure he’ll find the way to our bedroom on his own.”

The message got through. Martin’s hands clenched into fists before he looked around. “I really think we should have a talk,” he said and headed for the kitchen.

“Be nice to him—he’s exhausted,” said Tom.

“I see that. But some things have to be cleared up.”

Tom rolled his eyes and grinned when a patrol car drove past some distance away with its siren howling. “The gray-haired man’s not going to like that.”

“If I make some fresh coffee, will I get an explanation?”

Tom took a roll from the bag and sat down on the chair next to Martin. “I left the guy on the playground. Leaned against a tree with his pants down, without papers or a cell phone. When we were leaving, two mothers came toward us with their children. I bet they had phones on them.”

Daniel grinned and poured fresh beans into the coffee machine and filled the water tank. “Extra strong?” he asked Martin.

“Yes, please. With milk, if possible. Do you have names?”

“My name’s Daniel Eddings, and next to me is my friend and partner, Tom Bannings. First names are fine. I’m lucky enough to be working with two partners at the moment.”

“My sister?” asked Martin.

“That’s right. The cooperation is a one-off thing, though.”

Martin looked at the bag of rolls, considering, before he bored through Daniel with his gaze. “I hope that’s not true of the rest of what you just so tactfully implied.”

“Help yourself. There are plenty of rolls. It looks bad when it comes to toppings, though; the selection there is pretty limited. Not that it’s any of your business, but Sandra’s the first and only woman who has slept here since I’ve been living in Germany.” He didn’t necessarily need to get into his earlier wanderings through the Lübeck old town or the Hamburg amusement quarter, particularly as these had hardly occurred since the Irishman had been attached. He hadn’t really missed this, though, and had kept all women away from his house up to now.

“You’re right, it’s none of my business. Excuse me, and thank you for answering. She’s my little sister, and nothing’s ever going to change that. Why partners? Professionally, I mean.”

Daniel accepted the apology with an even temper; he wouldn’t have behaved differently himself if his sister had been involved, and the open admission appealed to him. “We’re working together on a case for the LKA.”

“And what do you do otherwise?”

“I’ll tell you that when we know each other better.” Daniel gave him an overview of the events of the last days, leaving out some things, particularly with regard to his team, and confining himself to the important information.

Martin’s roll stopped halfway to his mouth. “That’s too much. That bastard at her former station suggested something entirely different when I called there. Then I hadn’t heard anything from her for days, and she was unreachable. I got pretty worked up about that and drove off as soon as I could.”

Daniel did some figuring. “In the middle of the night, then.”

“Yes, without stopping. I was working on something I had to finish.”

“As a computer expert?”

Martin smiled and shrugged. “I’ll tell you that when we know each other better.”

Kaspar appeared in the kitchen, but he was too well trained to do more than take a meaningful look at the kitchen table. Tom smiled and scratched his neck. “Let’s see whether there’s anything in the refrigerator that meets your master’s approval.”

Sandra tried desperately to cling to the dreamless twilight state. The prospect of waking didn’t appeal to her. There were too many unanswered questions waiting for her. That applied not only to her job but also to Daniel. Last night everything had seemed so natural, but with the daylight, questions and uncertainty returned. Sighing, she opened her eyes when she sensed that someone was approaching. The mattress sagged next to her under the weight of her visitor. Daniel. A few cuddles or a bit more was just what she needed. Her hand felt across the tangled bedsheet and encountered . . . fur. A moment later, she was pushed deep into the mattress and something wet that smelled intensely of
Mettwurst
brushed across her nose. Strangely, her subconscious had already drawn the right conclusions, and the flash of panic disappeared as quickly as it had come. “I don’t believe it. How did you get here? And can’t you have something better smelling for breakfast? You have the worst breath.” She got an answer in the form of a quiet bark and a warm head on her chest. “That’s enough now, get up, you’re too heavy. And hurry up and tell me how you got here, you flea-ridden bed rug.”

Quiet, deep laughter came from the open door. “Do you really think he’s going to answer?”

Daniel. She was tempted to pull the comforter up to her chin, but she had no chance of that with Kaspar half on top of her. “Don’t laugh at me,” she said, trying to hold on to the wildly wagging tail.

“I would have preferred to have woken you myself, but your brother said this was a ritual between you two.”

“But one that I could well live without.” Her hand, which was tenderly scratching Kaspar behind the ear, completely contradicted her claim.

“If you keep that up, he’ll start purring and turn into a cat.” Daniel landed next to her and pushed the dog aside. “Sorry, my friend. It’s my turn now.” After kissing her, he mussed her hair. “Unfortunately, there’s not enough time for a real morning ritual. Are you doing all right? Do you feel caught up on sleep?”

“Yes. I’m doing all right, but I’m not doing much comprehending. Where did Kaspar come from? I don’t understand.”

“That doesn’t matter—you have me for that. I’ll explain it to you at breakfast. If you hurry up and get dressed, you might still get a roll. We’re supposed to be at the hospital around twelve. So get up, and stop cuddling with other guys; otherwise, I’ll have to shoot him.” Once again, Daniel pushed aside the dog’s head, which lay on Sandra’s chest as if it were self-evident that it belonged there. “My place. Understood? We’ll have to have a talk about the details of your ritual, my friend. Now come on, and let the lady get dressed.” Daniel and Kaspar exchanged looks. With great understanding, Daniel nodded. “You’re right. I don’t know either what it is women do in the bathroom for hours on end, but it would be best to come on now.”

“That’s definitely not what he was thinking,” Sandra said.

“Prove it. You still have a good hour before we have to leave. I hope that’s enough.”