To start from the beginning go here.
“Your willingness is very useful.” Mitnick concluded, slipping right into next topic. “Perhaps there is something else you can help me with.”
Grateful that we were moving off the subject of Mikhail without threats to my own life, I tried to hide my relief with a thoughtful nod.
Mitnick continued. “The matter you brought to my attention while at my home? Perhaps you can assist with that.” It was a vague statement and my mind, cagey as it was, dodged around the multiple topics we had discussed.
However, I had only recently place an anonymous call to one of them. “Rotella?”
Mitnick snapped his fingers as if he had just remembered the name himself. “That is him. Perhaps you could see if he could be reasoned with?”
I would have rather tried to disarm a bomb. Instead of saying that I took a long breath and offered up my best protest. “I don’t actually know him.”
“But you know of him.” Mitnick said this as if it were the only important thing in the world. “Surely that is a place to start.”
I stared at Mitnick like a dog that didn’t understand a master’s command. “How?”
From the pocket of his blazer Mitnick produced a softball sized wad of euros. “You are – how did you say – proactive.” He started counting out bills. “I believe that you could do this.”
“You want me to,” I watched the money in his hands as if greed left me no choice, “bribe him?”
Mitnick quickly counted out what was thousands of euros. I had seen professional gamblers handle money with less fluency. He only shrugged at my question, as if it wasn’t there at all, pursing his lips in a contradictory fashion and shaking his head, “I’m sure he is a friend of the casino. I wish to be a friend of the casino.” He put what might have been 100 bills into my hand. “You can make him aware of our mutual interests.”
After a frank discussion of murder, Mitnick’s ambiguity puzzled me. Until I realized I was the only one who had confessed to criminal behavior. He clearly felt safe here, but still wisely cautious.
I began to protest, all of the reasons that I couldn’t and shouldn’t find and bribe a municipal detective trying to come out of my mouth at once. When the words just stumbled on each other into nonsensical phrases, I raised my hand in protest, holding it out palm first towards Mitnick like I was commanding a stop.
Mitnick only reached up and took my hand in his, holding it open by the fingers long enough to rest the wad of bills there. “You will do your best.” He closed my fingers over the money, concluding our business with a gentle pat on it. “If you require more, let us know.” He pointed his index finger at me again, this time in an equally gentle rebuke. “You should carry the phone on you. Who knows? We may need to speak to each other quickly.”
Mitnick spun and departed with the same speed and fluidity with which he had entered the square, leaving me standing there with my mouth open, feeling outsmarted and outmaneuvered. With his back to me he waved over his head, Brick and Whip falling in behind him. A “Dasvidaniya,” floated back towards me as I watched him go. I, at least, had enough presence of mind to put away the money before someone noticed it.
I puzzled through how I was supposed to complete this new task when I realized the time. I had almost completely forgotten. I had to get to work.
To read the next chapter, go here.
To read the previous chapter, go here.
To read a polished and published prequel to this story go here.
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