insisted. “Whatever happens, we’re going to deal with it together, okay? If you think I’m going to let you go again now that I have you back, you’re really, really mistaken.”
“How are you gonna stop me? Tie me to the bed? Not that you haven’t done that before, but—”
“We have company,” Nina hurriedly reminded him, blushing.
“Well, maybe I should get going,” said Larry uncomfortably. He went to the door, then hesitated, curious. “There’s something that can clear you, Edward? Why don’t you tell the police?”
“Because we don’t know what it means,” said Nina. “It’s a number, a code. We think it’s important, but we don’t know why.”
“What number?”
“What, you think you’ll be able to work it out?” Eddie said in a cutting tone. “A mathematical genius”—he nodded at Nina—“and an MI6 agent couldn’t find the answer, but a bloke who works in shipping can?”
“Maybe it’s a shipping number,” Larry replied defiantly.
“Ah … that’s actually not a bad idea,” Nina had to admit. “And really, it’s not like it could hurt.”
“All right, whatever,” Eddie muttered. He wrote down the number while Nina gave Larry a potted account of how it had been calculated. “We thought it might be a Greek phone number, but it doesn’t work.” He gave the paper to his father.
Larry looked at it and frowned. “Hmm. Twelve digits, starting with three and zero …”
Nina’s eyebrows shot up. “You know what it means?”
“Maybe. Thirty is a Swiss bank code. For banks in Bern, I think.”
Eddie regarded him in disbelief. “You just know that off the top of your head?”
“Quite a few of my clients have Swiss accounts, so yeah. I deal with this stuff all the time. Let’s see …” His brow crinkled in thought. “A full Swiss IBAN code would be twenty-one characters, but the first four are basically a computer checksum, so you can ignore them. Then it’s five for the bank code and twelve for the account number, but account numbers are almost never that long, so any blank spaces are just padded out with zeros. Most Swiss bank codes are only four digits, so three-oh-two-one gives you the bank … and whatever’s left is the actual account number.”
“If we told Interpol what you just said,” Nina asked cautiously, “would they be able to find out who the account belonged to?”
Larry nodded. “Swiss banks aren’t like super-secret fortresses anymore. The United States strong-armed them into opening up after September 11. If you want to keep your money hidden nowadays, you take it to a bank in Andorra or Macao or—well, that’s not really important,” he said, noticing Eddie’s disapproving look. “But if this is a Swiss account number, this would be enough information for its owner to access it—or Interpol to investigate it.”
“We have to tell Beauchamp,” said Nina, heading to the phone. Without looking back, she pointed at Eddie. “Don’t you even think of leaving.”
“I’m not,” he replied. “Not until I see how this pans out, at least.”
“Well, it looks like this’ll get complicated, and I was going anyway, so …,” said Larry.
“Are you sure?” asked Nina.
“I should catch up with Julie before she melts my credit cards,” he said with a small laugh. “But, ah … if I was right about that number, you’ll let me know, won’t you?”
“Of course we will. Won’t we, Eddie?”
“I suppose,” said Eddie, rather dismissively.
“Okay, then. And about the money Stikes paid me? You were both right; it’s … tainted, I suppose. As soon as I get back to England, I’ll donate it to one of those charities you mentioned, Edward.” He looked hopefully at his son, but no praise was forthcoming. “Well, I’ll, ah, see you again sometime. Both of you.” Larry gave Nina a brief embrace and Eddie an awkward nod, then departed.
Nina rounded on her husband. “That’s it? That’s all you had to say, I suppose?”
“What were you expecting?” Eddie replied sarcastically. “Big backslapping hugs and manly tears and the whole I love you, son, I love you too, Dad thing? We’re not Americans. Besides, even if he’s right about Kit’s code, it doesn’t change the fact that he fucked up. He can apologize as much as he likes, but it’ll take a lot for me to get over that.”
“Even if he helps clear your name?”
He huffed. “Stop asking me things I don’t want to answer and call Renée.”
Nina smiled and picked up the phone.
SEVENTEEN
“Welcome back!” cried Lola, embracing the newly shaven Eddie as he entered the reception area. Several other IHA staffers gave him a