The Flinck Connection (Book 4) (Genevieve Lenard) (7 page)

“Why?”

“Because she’s really good at it, because of the challenge, because she can help someone get back what was taken from them. She has her own reasons for doing this.”

“Find her, Frey.”

“Not if you’re going to arrest her, Millard.”

“Oh, for the love of all that is holy!” Manny put his mug down so quickly some of his milky tea spilled. I swallowed away my need to clean it. “Did you not just see her steal six paintings to the value of thirteen million euro? And break into a private home?”

Colin’s whole body went still. He was proficient at hiding his emotions behind neutral, but amicable facial expressions. It was when his expression lost its friendly quality that I knew his emotions were getting stronger. “I’ll make a deal with you, Millard. If it really is Sue in those videos, I’ll get those paintings back. If, and only if, she agrees, we’ll speak to her, but you’ll let her go.”

Manny was shaking his head while Colin was speaking. “No can do. She’s a wanted thief. We have the proof here.”

“What you have here is
what looks like a woman, dressed in black, leaving no fingerprints, no trace, nothing. You can calculate her height and weight quite accurately, but that will be it. You can’t guess her hair colour, her facial structure, her eye colour or if it really is a woman.”

“It is a woman,” I said softly. “Or an extremely effeminate man with abnormally large pectoral muscles, which I think unlikely.”

Colin glared at me. “But it is a possibility.”

“Yes, but it is also a possibility that it is Sue and she is stealing for herself.”

“My point”—Colin looked back at Manny—“is that you have no concrete proof to arrest Sue. So let me get those paintings back and find out what is going on.”

Manny’s lips tightened as his face reddened. “I don’t like this.”

“I don’t care.”

“Gentlemen.” Phillip sighed. “I agree with Colin on this one. I’m sure the museum and their insurance company will not
complain if those paintings surface. Finding and arresting the thief is secondary to finding those masterpieces and returning them for the safekeeping of generations to come.”

“Fine.” Manny picked up his mug and took a sip. “I still don’t like it.”

“And I still don’t care.”

“I might have something to make you sexy man-beasts stop fighting.” Francine tapped her fingernails on the table until she had everyone’s attention. “I’m the queen of multitasking and need to be worshipped.”

“I think you better tell us what you found before the old man has a stroke.” Vinnie leaned a bit towards Manny. “He’s looking very red in the face.”

Francine laughed softly and held out her hand for Colin to give her the tablet. She took it, and after a few swipes and taps, a face appeared on the large screen against the wall. “This is René Motte.”

“The dude with the Vermeer in his preservation room?” Vinnie asked.

“The one and only. I’ve been running a search on him while doing all these other things and got a bit more info on him. I haven’t analysed it or summarised it, but I noticed—”

“What did you find?” People wasted so much time on their need for long introductions.

“Right to the point, girlfriend.” Francine’s smile was genuine. I was glad she was my friend. She didn’t offend easily. “The highly respected René Motte is currently in Paris, but should return in the next few days for the parliamentary meeting. Even though he’s on the think tank for the president’s political party, he’s another strong opponent of the No Secrets policy. You know what really pissed me off when I checked him out? He travelled the very short distance between Strasbourg and Paris by private plane, which in my opinion is a shocking abuse of
public funds. This pissed me off so much that I looked into that some more and found that he used his own plane.”

“That he can afford because he is an oligarch. Thought you had something interesting and new, supermodel.”

“I do. The bastard was one of the politicians deeply involved with Elf.” She ended her sentence with both hands thrown up and her tone indicating that it was a significant proclamation.

“Are you talking about the eighties TV show with that adorable alien?” Vinnie had the same tone as when he talked about his aunt Helen. “I loved that little guy. Hey, you promised not to give another alien conspiracy today.”

“Not Alf, Vin. Elf. With an E.” She looked around the table, her facial expression changing from excited expectation to disappointment. “You really don’t know? Did none of you follow that case?”

“Why don’t you explain this to us dummies, supermodel?” Manny asked. “And for the love of Pete, keep it short and don’t involve aliens and government conspiracies.”

“Unfortunately I have to include the latter, Manny.” There was no evidence in Francine’s nonverbal cues that she was teasing. “This case truly involved the government on so many levels that it shocked the world.”

“My God, are you talking about the Gabon oil company?” Manny’s eyes widened.

“Technically, Elf wasn’t a Gabonese oil company. It was an international oil company making gazillions in Gabon.”

“Was?” I vaguely remembered this being in the headlines. “It no longer exists?”

“Nope. It was privatised in 1994 and later merged with one of the world’s leading oil companies.

“How is that related to this case?” I hoped Francine wasn’t on another flight of fancy.

“René Motte was appointed as the assistant to the Gabon-France liaison in 1985. He slowly worked his way up the ladder until he became one of the big shots at Elf. He had graduated from law school, worked for less than a year as a lowly lawyer, but lost his interest in that. He then finished his engineering degree and that’s how he was perfect to become the head legal advisor of Elf. When he was appointed at the age of thirty, he was also the youngest in top management. The management of Elf was so powerful that they influenced Gabon elections and leadership. Elf also bankrolled quite a few French politicians’ campaigns, and those politicians helped Elf gain more power in French territories.”

“My question still remains.” I raised both eyebrows. “How is this related to the case?”

“In 1988, Minister Savreux was in the military. He had also worked his way up the ladder, or should I say ranks, and had somehow landed himself on a committee dealing with the many problems in and around Africa. Of course, we’re talking about those countries that were colonised by the French. Anyone wants to guess which country he was appointed to? Huh? Huh?”

“Gabon,” Vinnie said, his voice bored.

“That’s right! Later in 1988, René Motte and Savreux served on the same committee. The next year, France became the owner of Elf. Motte was pushed out of his position and returned to France. At exactly the same time, Savreux was passed over for promotion, and he was taken off that committee he had served on. After that, Savreux and René Motte had no more connection to Gabon. Not until they founded the Libreville Dignity Foundation more than a decade later.”

“The same charity that President Godard’s wife is a patron of? Very good work, Francine.” I truly enjoyed it when
Francine applied her considerable intellect to worthy pursuits instead of dreaming up unsubstantiated theories.

“Thanks, girlfriend.” She lowered her voice and I sighed. “But this goes with that theory that in 1990, some French politicians organised the Gardner heist to fund a campaign they were still planning. It is very clear that the timing is suspicious. Around the same time Savreux stopped being involved in Gabon affairs, gazillions of dollars’ worth of art is stolen in one foul swoop. See? It all makes sense now.”

“No, it doesn’t.” My mind was racing with this new data. “But I do agree with you about the dubious nature of René Motte and Savreux’s connections.”

“I’m not saying that I’m buying into Francine’s theory, but finding the Vermeer in Motte’s house and the possibility of the Flinck in Savreux’s? That connects them to the Gardner heist as well as to each other on yet another level.”

“Holy hell.” Manny rubbed both hands over his face a few times. “Okay, people, we need clear information on all of these elements. Supermodel, are you listening? Clear information, not some nutcase conspiracy theory.”

“Ooh, I like it when you go all alpha on me.” She laughed when Manny exhibited all the cues for rage. “I’ll get you your clear info, handsome. Don’t you
worry.”

I felt refreshed and fully rested after a very hot shower. It had been a long afternoon and evening sifting through the vast amount of information. At nine o’clock, Nikki had insisted that she was bored and wanted to come home. I had continued refining my searches and organising the findings until Colin had closed my laptop over my fingers. That had resulted in a short argument that he had won and I’d gone to bed. It was now seventeen minutes after six and I was ready for this day.

One more glance around the bathroom reassured me that it was as spotless as before I’d had the shower. I walked into the bedroom to find Colin still in bed. He was sitting against the headboard, reading something on his tablet. Francine had been pestering me for months to buy a tablet. Or to use her word, ‘invest’. I didn’t see the need for it.

Colin looked up from the tablet and smiled. “Already dressed? You really want to get back to work, don’t you?”

“You don’t seem all that motivated. You’re still naked in bed.”

He looked down. “Not naked. I’m wearing pants.”

“You’re still in bed.”

“Really?” He put the tablet on the bed. “You want to start arguing this early?”

“I’m not arguing.” I saw the
zygomaticus
muscles lift the corner of his mouth. “Don’t tease me before I’ve had coffee. You have me at a disadvantage.”

“That’s exactl—” Every muscle in his body went still. He tilted his head and lifted his index finger to stop me when I
inhaled to ask him what he had heard. Then I also heard it. A soft knock at my front door.

Nobody knocked on my door. People needed to ring the intercom at the building entrance before they could come up to my apartment. When Manny or Phillip came around, they always rang the doorbell, which was next to my front door.

Colin jumped out of bed, not bothering with a robe or slippers. He reached into the bedside table on his side of the bed and came out with a handgun. Knowing about his deep dislike for force, I was taken aback by the familiarity with which he handled the weapon. If it weren’t for the watchfulness on his face, and the strangeness of a knock on my front door at this hour, I would’ve confronted him over keeping a firearm in my bedroom. It wasn’t even locked in a safe.

Moving with the stealth born from his career as a thief, he left the bedroom. I followed him, confident that my socked feet wouldn’t make any sound on the solid wooden floors. I didn’t know how he managed to move that fast, but by the time I entered the living area, Colin was a few feet from the front door. He held his gun loosely to his side, but his body language told me he was ready to use it at any moment. He would not be the only one using such deadly force. Vinnie was already at the front door, also in his pyjama pants, also holding a handgun.

A voice came from the other side of the door, but it was too soft for me to hear. It must have been someone Vinnie and Colin recognised, because the muscle tension in their bodies decreased significantly. Vinnie peeked through the peephole, straightened and nodded to Colin. Then they both lifted their shoulders, simultaneously communicating their confusion. Vinnie held out his hand, took Colin’s gun and stood to the side.

The few seconds it took them to confirm the identity of our visitor was enough for me to reach their sides. Colin pushed me
behind him as he opened the door. Vinnie stood a metre to my left, still ready with both guns.

“I hope you’re not aiming any weapons at me,” a familiar male voice said from the hallway. I stepped around Colin.

“Daniel.” I was surprised to see the leader of the top GIPN team at my front door. He was wearing his uniform pants, but a thick ski-jacket with a fur-trimmed hood. The visible muscles on his face were tense. “What’s wrong?”

“Good morning, Docto… Genevieve. I’m sorry to drop in unannounced, but I was hoping to speak to you.”

He pushed the hood off his head and unzipped his jacket. His one foot shifted closer, his other nonverbal cues confirming his expectation to be invited in. I considered this. I knew Daniel only from the few times he and his team had assisted us in our cases. There was no reason he should come and visit me at home unless it was important. I took a step back and pushed Colin with my elbow to force him back as well.

“Come in.” I decided to wait until he was seated before I questioned his unexpected visit.

He walked through the door and immediately turned to his right, facing Vinnie. “Two guns?”

“And my charm.” Vinnie’s smile wasn’t friendly.

“You’re going to need more than that to catch me, bub.”

Vinnie’s smile disappeared. “The name is Vinnie. Not bub.”

Daniel took a step closer to Vinnie, not exhibiting any sign of being intimidated. He held out his gloved hand. “Daniel Cassel. Pleased to meet you, Vinnie.”

It was clearly not what Vinnie had been expecting. His eyes widened slightly before narrowing. His stare went from Daniel’s hand to his face and back to his hand again. After a considerable amount of time, Vinnie tucked one of the guns in the back of his pants and took Daniel’s hand in what looked like a crushing grip. “Don’t fuck with us.”

I sighed. “As soon as you are finished posturing, Vinnie can make us coffee and you can tell us why you are here.”

Daniel waited until Vinnie let go of his hand and turned to me. His glance went to Colin, but then settled on me. “Thanks, Genevieve. Coffee would be great. It’s been a long night.”

I pointed at the sofas to my right. “Let’s sit down. Vinnie?”

“Coffee.” He nodded once, gave Daniel a look that clearly carried a warning or a threat, depending on the individual’s interpretation.

“I didn’t know you were all living together.” Daniel walked to the sofa facing the balcony and sat down.

Colin had been quiet this whole time, observing. In my opinion, it was this skill that made him such an exceptional thief. He took his time learning everything he could about his target or, in this case, his possible adversary before taking action. Without looking at him, I knew his face was in a neutral expression, his eyes absorbing every small detail. We sat down on the other sofa.

“I never considered you naïve, Daniel,” I said. “You know my profession, you know that I can read your nonverbal communication cues and yet you lie. Frankly, I feel insulted.”

Daniel laughed. “I’ve been trying to hone my skills. Obviously, I’m failing miserably. I knew you were all living here. What I didn’t know was that there were so many weapons in this apartment.”

I also hadn’t known this, but that I could only blame on my lack of experience in and awareness of such matters. I shouldn’t have been surprised that Colin had a weapon at his immediate disposal. Not with all the physical danger we had faced in the last year and a half. Vinnie? Some of the people he called friends were arms dealers, so again I should have expected this. Sometimes my single-minded focus on the case at hand disabled my larger observation skills.

“Jenny.” Colin touched my arm and I realised that I had lost the thread of the conversation. “I’m going to get dressed. I won’t be longer than five minutes, so wait before you get Daniel to tell you all his secrets.”

“I don’t want to know all his secrets.”

“I know, love.” He squeezed my arm. “But please wait with your questions until I’m back.”

Colin looked towards the kitchen and I knew that Vinnie was going to join us to protect me from Daniel while Colin got dressed. “Daniel won’t hurt me. He’s here because he trusts me, but he doesn’t trust you.”

“Good.” Colin got up and looked at Daniel. “I don’t trust you either, so keep that in mind. Five minutes.”

I didn’t watch him walk to the bedroom, nor did I pay attention to Vinnie and his threatening body language as he fell into the far end of the sofa Daniel was sitting on.

“How do you know I trust you, Genevieve?”

“Logic.” I shrugged. “If you didn’t trust me, you wouldn’t be here. You are an intelligent man and have already calculated all the risks involved in being here. This leads me to presume that you are willing to trust Vinnie and Colin simply because I trust them. You wouldn’t be here otherwise.”

“Very astute.”

“I know.”

Daniel turned to Vinnie. “Don’t you want to get dressed?”

“Why? Do my scars offend you?”

It wasn’t often that I saw Vinnie’s naked torso and the many scars chronicling his violent past.

“Not at all. I’ve just never found the elastic in my pyjama pants to be a good holster for my weapons.” Daniel’s open body language and straightforwardness encouraged reciprocity. It was effective. Vinnie no longer looked ready to jump into action at the slightest provocation. Instead, he leaned deeper into the sofa.

We sat in silence for a while. Daniel didn’t appear uncomfortable while I studied him. I estimated his age to be early forties, but physically he was likely to be fitter than most twenty-year-olds. He held himself with the confidence of someone who had excelled at his job for a long enough period to eliminate any need to prove himself. From previous encounters, I knew he not only had received training in interpreting micro-expressions and other nonverbal cues, but he was adept at this.

There was nothing exceptional in his looks—medium height, cropped brown hair and brown eyes. I imagined it served him well when handling situations where he had to calm down a victim or even the perpetrator. He seemed harmless, most likely an image he had worked hard to perfect and project. I didn’t need the past experiences to know that Daniel was as dangerous as Vinnie, Colin and Manny.

We were still quietly observing each other when Colin returned, dressed in dark colours. He sat down next to me and took my hand. I didn’t know if this public display of affection was for comfort or a show of possession.
Either way, it annoyed me and I pulled my hand out of his.

“Why are you here?” I asked Daniel.

“For all the reasons you already stated, but mostly I’m here about Savreux’s death.”

“It’s no longer our case.” Colin’s lie was well executed.

“Hmm. You are a much better liar than me.” Daniel looked at me. “Genevieve? Are you still looking into this case?”

I swallowed. “We’ve been ordered not to.”

“That is not my question.”

“Why are you here, flatfoot?” Vinnie leaned forward. “No more answering questions with questions.”

Daniel smiled at Vinnie, but turned back to me. “This is not something I’m comfortable doing and therefore I need some reassurance from you.”

“I don’t know what you are not comfortable doing, so I cannot give you any reassurance. You know me by reputation and we have worked together for short periods in the past. If you cannot trust me on that alone, I can’t convince you otherwise.”

He took a deep breath, unzipped a pocket on the side of his uniform pants, and took out a flash drive. “This is everything the police have on Savreux’s case at the moment. The lead investigator on this case was a rookie with me a million years ago. He’s one of my best friends and one of the best detectives I know. He asked me to give this to you.”

“Why?” I didn’t take the flash drive even though Daniel was holding it out to me.

“He believes that there is much more to the case than the higher-ups want them to believe. Every time he starts asking any detailed questions, he gets stonewalled. The powers that be pretty much want him to find a suspect so they can bury this. He wants to know why.” Daniel shook the flash drive. “This has all the crime scene photos, all his notes, everything he has so far. He knows that you guys were first on the scene, and he also knows your reputation. That was why he asked me to give this to you.”

“But we were ordered not to look into this case.” All the warnings from Francine and Manny about surveillance and about being careful with this case made me wary of taking that drive. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to commit myself to cooperating with someone I didn’t know. The few times we’d worked together had given me no inclination to trust Daniel. Especially not if it included my whole team, and not if it included Nikki’s safety.

“You might have been ordered not to look into this case, but I’m sure you have been looking into it. I bet you are suspicious of not only the circumstances of Savreux’s death, but also why you were ordered away from it.” He held out the flash drive to me again. “I know you have no reason to trust me, but consider this from a different perspective. Giving you this flash drive goes against a direct order. It puts not only my career, but my friend’s career at risk. Everyone is putting a lot on the line here, but we have more to lose than you guys. You work directly for the president. I don’t. By including you in the investigation, my friend is going against all police protocol, as am I. We have entire careers, our pensions and even our freedom to lose by giving this to you. In my mind, that should give you reason to trust me enough to just look at what is on this drive.”

Nobody spoke and I was grateful for the silence in which I could contemplate his well-presented argument. It didn’t take me long. I took the small device from his hands and acknowledged the instant relief on his face with a nod. “I will look at this, but you know I can’t promise anything.”