The Peugeot 405 climbed from Lac Leman toward the village of St. George. A gentle summer wind flowed through the surrounding fields of golden hay. Cows grazed in the pastures, while farmers tended to their chores. Any tourist would have loved the scenery, but this was not a joyride for the gray banker behind the wheel.
The driver pulled into the parking lot of the renovated farmhouse and spotted the tall German on the terrace. His hand inadvertently fumbled for a packet of cigarettes, even though he had stopped smoking year ago. The banker would have never agreed to this clandestine rendezvous, if it weren’t for his son's circumstances, and Herr Egard got out of his car to meet the man from Hamburg.
He sat at the table.
“Guten Tag, Herr Oster.”
A thick manila envelope rested on the table.
“And to you, Herr Egard. Please sit down. I spotted your car and ordered coffee.” The German lifted his small binoculars.
“Thank you.”
A waiter arrived with a pot of coffee and another of warmed milk, pouring each into the two cups on the table. Once the waiter finished the service, Kurt Oster leaned forward and the banker flinched only to have the German merely asked, "Ein bissen Zucker fur Ihren Kaffee?"
"Ja." The German’s manicured fingernails and refined speech mimicked those of a gentleman.
"Wie veile?" Kurt held up a spoonful of sugar.
"Zwei." Herr Egard had dealt with enough criminals, despots, or mercenaries at his bank to not be deceived by good manners.
Suspecting the sugar might be drugged, the banker waited, until the German added sugar to his coffee.
Kurt sipped the coffee, savoring the bittersweet taste before saying softly, "You will be happy to hear our people are protecting your son at the Chiang Mai prison. No one will steal his food and he has been moved to his own cell."
"I appreciate your help in this matter."
"I would like to say it was from the goodness of my heart, but we are both men of the world and understand how things work. You help me and I help you."
"I am just a banker."
"And as businessman I understand how you value the years at the bank." Kurt Oster smiled amicably and reached across the table to touch the banker's hand. "Whatever I ask will not harm your family or endanger your position at the bank. Every week I will transfer money into an account at your bank. A man will come and pick it up. This money comes from the sale of my telex offices around Europe. Everything will be handled through the proper channels and within two months your son will be back in Switzerland. A free man without any record here or in Thailand."
"I suppose there are no guarantees."
"I know trusting me is a big order, but has anyone else helped your son? Your bank? The Swiss government?"
"No."
"They want nothing to do with a heroin smuggler, so for better or worse you are stuck with me. Believe me it will not be for the worse."
"I pray your words come true." His son's freedom depended on this stranger and Herr Egard shook hands with Kurt Oster. "Is there anything else?"
"No, you are free to go, Herr Egard." Kurt took another sip of coffee, as the smaller man returned to the Peugeot.
Ten seconds after the car left the parking lot toward Geneva, a thick-set Yugoslav in a jumpsuit emerged from the restaurant. Kurt signaled Murah to follow the banker. He didn’t need him going to the police. Back in 1972 he had been the mountain nation's guest at the Champ d'Olon prison. That short sentence for car theft had been a long enough visit to Kittchen for any man or woman in a lifetime.
He took out his binoculars. The snowy alpine peaks gleamed in the sun-bleached distance. The tallest was Mont Blanc.
Forty minutes later the waiter said that his friend had phoned to announce his safe arrival home. Kurt gave the waiter a generous tip and sat back, thinking about how once the account was opened, Kurt would wire the bank Cali’s contribution.
All the pieces seemed to fit into places, but it usually looked that way in the beginning and Kurt could only hope that the puzzle made the right picture in the end. All the other possibilities ended with a bad ending and bad endings were not a plus in his world.
Not for the living.
If they wanted to stay alive and that was all Kurt wanted from life.
To live.
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