Майкл Ридпат - The Marketmaker

I still had nowhere to go, and Luís insisted on putting me up in the Savoy for another couple of nights, to give me time to find somewhere. I didn’t complain. I knew I had a lot to worry about and plan, but with Isabel beside me I just wanted to think about the present.

When we arrived back at our rooms there was a message that someone was waiting to see Isabel and me in the American Bar downstairs.

It was Ricardo. He was sitting in the furthest corner of the bar, nursing a glass of fizzy water. He fitted in well with these surroundings, immaculate in his suit, monogrammed shirt, silk tie, wealthy Latin appearance.

Isabel and I both stopped dead when we saw him. ‘What does he want?’ she said.

‘I don’t know. Let’s find out.’

Ricardo rose to his feet when we approached but didn’t extend his hand. I hardly felt welcoming, and Isabel’s look was as cold as ice.

‘Nick, Isabel, thank you for seeing me,’ he began.

‘We didn’t know it was you,’ said Isabel.

‘No. You didn’t, did you?’ he said, as though it was an unfortunate omission on someone else’s part. ‘But I’d be grateful if you could give me a few minutes. I’d like to continue the conversation Nick and I had a couple of weeks ago.’

It was a good way of winning my attention. ‘OK,’ I said, and sat down. Isabel followed my lead. Ricardo beckoned to a waiter and ordered a beer for me and a glass of white wine for Isabel. We waited for him to talk.

‘I’m so pleased you were released unharmed, Isabel,’ he began. ‘You must have been through a terrible ordeal. And I’d like you to know that I had no part in your kidnapping.’

He paused and looked at us both with his clear blue eyes. Leaning slightly forward, his hands towards us, his handsome face open and steady, he looked as though he was telling the truth. But Isabel and I just stared back at him. He would need to do better than that.

Ricardo let the pause go on for an uncomfortably long time before continuing. ‘I know you don’t believe me, and I suppose I’m not surprised. But listen to me. I think we can help each other.’

Still no response from us.

‘You told me a lot I didn’t know that day, Nick. That Isabel was still alive, and that her kidnappers were demanding that the takeover be pulled.’

‘You didn’t seem surprised to hear it,’ I said.

‘I didn’t know how to react.’ He looked up, grabbing my eye again. ‘I didn’t know whether you were telling me the truth. You have to admit you were quite a devious opponent. You could have been putting pressure on me to give in to Bloomfield Weiss. But then when you mentioned Eduardo’s name, it occurred to me that you might have something. Maybe Eduardo was doing things without my knowledge. It wouldn’t have been the first time.’

‘And was he?’

‘No. I spoke to him, and he denied it.’

‘Of course he did.’

‘Nick, I can tell with my brother. I know when he’s hiding something, even if I can’t always tell what it is. And I can tell when he hasn’t got a clue. Believe me, he didn’t have a clue.’

‘But he did get some heavies to beat me up and wreck my flat, didn’t he?’

Ricardo shrugged. ‘I’m sorry about that. He gets over-enthusiastic sometimes.’

‘And you nobbled Russell Church to make sure I wouldn’t work at the School of Russian Studies again.’

Ricardo nodded. ‘That’s true. I’ve always been tough on people who walk out on the team. As you know, I was disappointed in you. I felt you’d let me down.’

I could feel the anger boiling up inside me. ‘I’d let you down!’ I almost shouted. ‘And what about Martin Beldecos? Was his death a result of over-enthusiasm? Or was it just disappointment?’

‘No, no, it wasn’t. I thought he was the victim of a hotel burglary gone wrong. And when you were stabbed on Ipanema beach, I thought that was just a mugging.’

‘I know it wasn’t just a mugging,’ I said.

‘Well, now I suspect it wasn’t too,’ said Ricardo. ‘In fact, I suspect you know quite a lot about what’s going on that I don’t. That’s why I’m here. Tell me what happened in Brazil.’

‘Do you know Francisco Aragão?’

‘Ah.’ Ricardo raised his eyebrows. ‘Of course I do. He’s Luciana’s brother. Does he have something to do with this?’

‘He certainly does.’ I wasn’t sure whether Ricardo really had no idea of Francisco’s involvement, but I saw no harm in telling Ricardo all I knew. Isabel joined in when she described what had happened to her after she had been kidnapped.

Ricardo listened to every word, weighing each new piece of information, putting it in its proper place. When I had finally finished, he didn’t say anything, he just looked up and stared unfocused towards the door. Thinking.

‘Well?’ I said, hoping to provoke a response.

‘Hm?’

‘Well? Does Francisco invest drug money with Dekker Ward?’

Ricardo’s eyes focused. ‘Not that we know of. We have no record of him investing with us. Every investor is known personally by one of us, and we don’t deal with anyone who has known links to drugs. In my book, Francisco definitely has drugs links, and I’ve spent most of my career trying to avoid dealing with him. I thought I’d succeeded.’

‘But someone at Dekker must have dealt with him.’

Ricardo shrugged. ‘You may be right. I don’t know. It’s all very mysterious, isn’t it?’ He paused for a moment. ‘Of course, if I did discover that Francisco had somehow been laundering drug money through Dekker Ward without my knowledge, I’d be quite concerned. I’d certainly let the proper authorities know.’

Suddenly, he gulped his fizzy water, stood up and reached into his wallet for a ten-pound note for the drinks. ‘I’ve got to go back to the office now. Whether you believe me or not, Isabel, I’m very glad to see you alive. And, of course, you still work for Dekker Ward. You’re welcome back in the office any time.’

Isabel shook her head, but allowed herself a small smile. ‘No, thank you. I think you’ll be receiving my resignation letter soon.’

‘That, too, I can understand.’ He leant over and kissed her on both cheeks. ‘Good luck,’ he said. ‘And, Nick, I’m sorry it didn’t work out at Dekker. You’ve been a difficult opponent. I would have liked to have kept you on my side.’

I couldn’t help smiling as I shook his hand.

‘Now, I really have to be going. We’ve got a little crisis on. One of our clients has started to sell all his bonds. You probably remember him, Nick. Alejo? One of Jamie’s. Jamie, I’m afraid has gone home in disgust. Sometimes things get to you in this business. Oh, well. Goodbye.’

I watched him walk out of the bar, stunned. Suddenly, I knew Ricardo had been telling the truth.

‘Nick? Nick?’ I heard Isabel next to me.

‘Oh, um, Isabel. I’m sorry. I’ve got to go somewhere.’

‘Nick, what do you mean? It’s late.’

‘I’ll try to get back tonight, if I can. If not, I’ll see you tomorrow morning.’ I kissed her quickly, and I was off.

The taxi fare to Dockenbush Farm was huge. I paid off the driver and steadied myself before walking up to the door. It was a warm summer night, with stars and moon illuminating the farmhouse in front of me. Pools of light spilled out of two downstairs windows on to the gravel driveway. An owl called from somewhere above and behind me.

Ricardo had known it was Jamie, I thought. As soon as I had told him about Francisco, he had worked it out. Alejo was Jamie’s account, ostensibly acting for a secretive Mexican family. But, in reality, Alejo worked for Francisco. Luciana had indeed been Francisco’s intermediary, but with Jamie, not Ricardo. She had known Ricardo wouldn’t do business with her brother. Now Francisco was scared and, through Alejo, was selling everything he had with Dekker Trust.