The Scottish Banker of Surabaya - By Ian Hamilton Page 0,117
most certainly get everyone’s attention.”
She heard Uncle inhale. He would be smoking a cigarette; she imagined the tip held delicately to his lips, his eyes hooded as he considered what she had said. “Are you talking about the airplane?”
“Yes.”
“The airplane with money that the banker said arrives every Tuesday in Surabaya?”
“Yes.”
“How can you confirm that it will come tomorrow night?”
“I would have to talk to the Mounties and they would have to have conversations with the Indonesians. Flight plans have to be filed. A plane can’t just show up at an airport.”
“You said the customs people are being paid off.”
“That doesn’t mean air traffic control is. And besides, this can’t be done without Indonesian involvement, so at some level it has to be opened up. All I can do is stress to the Mounties how compromised Indonesian Customs is and ask them to find other ways to get the information we need.”
“You will also need the Indonesian police or military.”
“I know. In this case I think it will most definitely be military.”
“And you have to hope that the Canadians have strong enough connections in Jakarta to make that happen.”
“I have to assume that they do. If they don’t, we’ll know soon enough.”
“Ava, what have you told the Canadians about the planes?”
“Absolutely nothing. The word plane was never uttered.”
“Good. That at least gives some negotiating room.”
“That’s what I’m thinking.”
“And you want to do this with tomorrow night’s flight?”
“Yes. I don’t want to wait another week.”
“If they cannot organize it that quickly, or if they say no?”
“Uncle, what is there to organize? We’re talking about one smallish commercial jet with only a flight crew, which is being met, as far as I can tell, by two Italians. We don’t need an army.”
“Do not minimize the politics that will have to be managed.”
“That’s out of our hands.”
“All right, but what if, with every good intention in the world, the Canadians cannot make this happen the way you want?”
“Then I believe we should send all the information to the Mounties and walk away from the money. Whether we get paid or not, we still need them to harass and occupy the attention of the ’Ndrangheta.”
“What about your friend — the one who knows who you are?”
“I can only hope that, once they get the information, his superiors will stop caring how it found its way to them.”
“I think that is entirely likely.”
“Me too. Now let me go and see if I can swing a deal.”
“Ava, even if the Canadian side is secure, are you sure you covered your tracks in Surabaya?”
“As sure as I can be,” she said.
“You do not say that with as much conviction as I would like to hear.”
“It has been a difficult case —” she began, and then saw the familiar 613 area code light up her screen. “Uncle, the Canadians are calling. I have to go.”
“Ava, one last thing. Have you thought about what might happen if they go for your plan and that airplane does not arrive?”
“There are so many possible consequences. I wouldn’t know where to start.”
“Call me as soon as you have things sorted out with them, one way or another. I will not sleep until I know what has happened.”
( 43 )
She managed to catch the incoming call before it went to voicemail.
“It’s Torsney and Valliant,” Kevin Torsney said.
Ava paused. “Where is Marc?” she asked.
“Ms. Kwong, we don’t need Sergeant Lafontaine anymore, do we. He opened the door. You really can’t expect any more than that from him. We certainly don’t.”
“No, I guess not.”
“Good. Now to get directly to the point, have you thought about our request for more time?” Torsney said.
“I have.”
“And?”
“No.”
“That is rather disappointing.”
“And also, if you don’t mind me saying, quite counterproductive,” Valliant added.
“We have differing views on what is productive,” Ava said. “For me, it’s getting things done quickly; for you, it’s crossing every t and dotting every i.”
“We’re hardly being that unreasonable.”
“Perhaps not.”
“Ms. Kwong, is there some middle ground we can agree on?”
“Do you have any suggestions?”
“No, not really. We were hoping for some flexibility from your side.”
“Well, actually I have been thinking about another way to approach this,” Ava said. “My client needs his money and he needs it quickly. You need verification that everything we have told you is true. What if there’s a way to accomplish both of those things?”
“How could that be possible?” Torsney said.
“Do you have an interest?”
“Of course we do.”
“Are you prepared and are you authorized to make a commitment?”