The Italian Divide (26 page)
“That was smart,” Betty whispered to Craig.
In the car, on the way back to Langley, Craig asked Betty, “What is it with that asshole Tyler? Why’s he so intent on covering for the Chinese?”
She thought about it for a moment, and said, “Before I answer, let me tell you a little about Tyler.”
“Go ahead.”
“Treadwell appointed him treasury secretary and Worth kept him. He was a Princeton economics professor who became an economic advisor to Treadwell early in the campaign. He’s won lots of awards for his articles, mainly on how various nations’ economic policies undermined their stability.”
“So now the professor gets to put his theories into practice. Is that what’s driving him?”
“Actually, it’s something different. Once we were both at Camp David for a two-day retreat with the president. After dinner, when he’d had too much to drink, he—”
“Made a pass at you, Craig interjected.”
Betty laughed. “Has anyone ever told you that you have sex on your brain?”
“Lots of people.”
“Well, anyhow, the two of us ended up alone and he confided in me why he took this job.”
“I can’t wait to hear.”
“It irritates him that he’s so much smarter than people on Wall Street, and they’re raking in millions of dollars a year while he’s scratching out a living on a professor’s salary. So he figures if he does a good job as treasury secretary, Wall Street will come calling. He sees himself getting eight-figure offers from Goldman and Citibank. If Rubin did it, why not Tyler?”
“He really told you that?”
“Absolutely. So what it means in this situation is that he has to kowtow to the Chinese. They’re the biggest buyers of the bonds and notes Tyler has to sell to keep our country afloat. If he doesn’t sell those bonds, he’ll seem like a failure as treasury secretary, and Wall Street won’t want him.”
“That’s pathetic.”
“It may be, but regardless, you managed to make a new and powerful enemy. You better watch your back when he’s around.”
“I’m counting on you for that.”
As soon as they returned to Betty’s office, Craig called Giuseppe on a secure line. “I struck out in Singapore. It’s just as well you didn’t waste your time and the EU’s valuable money by coming with me.”
“So what’s your next move?”
Craig laughed. “Funny you should ask. I’m planning to go into the private equity business.”
“Another new ID?”
“Of course. As Barry Gorman.”
“How will I keep them all straight.”
“I have confidence in you.”
Craig then told Giuseppe about his plan to submit a competing bid for Alberto Goldoni’s stock. “What do you think?”
“I like it. Alberto promised to let me know if he heard from McKnight, and he hasn’t. When are you returning to Italy?”
“I need the rest of today and tomorrow morning to get my Barry Gorman act together. I’ll be on United’s nonstop to Rome tomorrow at 5:30 in the afternoon.”
“Good. I’ll meet you at Fiumicino and hustle you through passport control which is a two hour nightmare.”
“If you talk to Alberto, don’t tell him about the plan. I want to break it to him myself. And if McKnight calls him, have Alberto delay his response for a week or so, in order for me to make my competing bid.”
Turin
W
hen Alberto reached his office at nine in the morning, his secretary said, “Mr. McKnight from Hong Kong called. He would like to meet with you as soon as possible today. He left a cell phone number.”
hen Alberto reached his office at nine in the morning, his secretary said, “Mr. McKnight from Hong Kong called. He would like to meet with you as soon as possible today. He left a cell phone number.”
Prepared to do battle with McKnight, Alberto wasn’t frightened. Before returning McKnight’s call, he wanted to obtain instructions from Giuseppe.
In Rome, Giuseppe’s secretary pulled him out of a meeting so he could take the call. “Here’s what I want you to do,” Giuseppe said. “Tell McKnight you can meet him at three this afternoon in your office. I’m on my way to Turin. When I see you, I’ll tell you how to play it.”
At noon, Giuseppe arrived with two techies in tow. He told Alberto, “Let me know which room you want for the McKnight meeting.”
“I prefer my office if that is okay.”
“Sure. We’ll install a hidden camera and video system that will send real-time feed to me in an adjoining office. If McKnight tries to harm you, I’ll move right in to stop him. You okay with that?”
“Absolutely.”
“As for your discussion with McKnight, here’s what I want you to do.”
* * *
McKnight arrived precisely at three o’clock. Alberto thought he seemed a little nervous and not as self-confident as their first meeting.
Before sitting down to talk to Alberto, McKnight walked across the office to a credenza, which had several pictures of Alberto with Dora and their two children.
“Nice family,” McKnight said.
“Thanks.”
“I’d hate for anything to happen to them.”
Inside, Alberto was boiling, but he had to remain cool and follow Giuseppe’s script. “You made your point in our first meeting, Mr. McKnight, when you told me I’d end up dead like Federico if I didn’t sell.”
“I’m glad you got the message.”
“I did.”
“Now you’re telling me that you’ll also harm my family if I refuse to sell.”
“That’s exactly what I’m telling you. I’m glad you understand. You’re a very smart man.”
“You’re not subtle.”
“I don’t want there to be a misunderstanding. Are you willing to accept my offer?”
“Your 16 billion purchase price isn’t enough.”
“I can go to 18.”
“It will have to be 20.”
“Split the difference at 19.”
“20 is as low as I’ll go.”
“I can do that. Does that mean you’ll sell at 20?”
“I need two weeks to talk to other members of my family. I have cousins who also own some stock. I’ll push them hard to agree. I think they will.”
McKnight looked nonplussed. “We’re talking about your stock. Why do you care about them?”
“If they don’t acquiesce, they could make trouble by suing. That would tie up the transaction for years. Do you know what the Italian courts are like?”
“I can imagine based on how everything else in this country operates. You can have a week and no more.”
Alberto sighed deeply. “I think I can do it in a week.”
“You’d better. That’s all the time you’ll have to sell—If you don’t want to end up like your friend Federico.”
Their meeting was over. Before heading toward the door, McKnight held out his hand. Alberto had no intention of shaking it. He gained satisfaction from letting it hang out until McKnight stuffed it into his pocket.
“I’ll see you in a week,” McKnight said in his British accent.
Once security called Alberto and told him that McKnight had left the building, he summoned Giuseppe.
“Good job,” the Director of EU Counterterrorism said. “You played it perfectly.”
“I wanted to strangle the bastard when he threatened my family.”
“I would have enjoyed watching you do that on the video, but it wouldn’t have helped.”
“Unfortunately, you’re right. What now?”
“I want you to sit tight. You bought us a week. He thinks he has a deal. So I’m confident they won’t attack you or your family during that week. I’ll call and let you know what happens next.”
Beijing
Z
hou was in his office studying detailed summaries of banks in England, France, and Germany prepared by his staff. Once he acquired Alberto’s bank in Turin, he planned to move on to ones in other countries. Mei Ling would be a problem, but he could control her for now and eventually depose her. Zhou was on his way to being the next Emperor of China, which would dominate the world.
hou was in his office studying detailed summaries of banks in England, France, and Germany prepared by his staff. Once he acquired Alberto’s bank in Turin, he planned to move on to ones in other countries. Mei Ling would be a problem, but he could control her for now and eventually depose her. Zhou was on his way to being the next Emperor of China, which would dominate the world.
The phone rang and his secretary interrupted his analysis. “Mr. McKnight is calling from Italy.”
Zhou had given McKnight one of his new encrypted phones so he could talk to the Hong Kong banker without the risk of being overheard.
“What happened?” Zhou asked anxiously.
“Success.”
Zhou pumped his fist in the air. A wide smile appeared on his face. “Alberto signed the papers selling his bank to you?”
“Not yet, but he will.”
McKnight described what happened in his meeting with Alberto. By the end, the smile had disappeared from Zhou’s face and was replaced by a scowl. In frustration, he pounded on his desk.
“You’re a fool, McKnight,” he blurted out in anger.
“But I—.”
“They’re playing you like a violin and you don’t even get it.”
“He said he needed a week to gain the support of his family members; and he expected to get it.”
“I did profiles on all of the other major shareholders. He’s totally in control. He wanted to buy time. That’s what happened, and you gave him a week.”
“I could go back to Goldoni. I could—”
“Don’t you do a thing to screw this up. Just get out of Italy. Go back to Hong Kong as quickly as you can. Goldoni will contact you there when he’s ready to sign the papers. I promise that will happen. You can do it all electronically from Hong Kong. I don’t want you back in Italy again. Ever.”
“Alright,” McKnight replied weakly.
When Zhou hung up the phone, he closed his eyes and tried to figure out why Goldoni wanted to buy time. Perhaps, he had notified governmental people and they were trying to entrap Zhou. Perhaps Goldoni suspected Zhou was responsible for Federico’s death and he knew the police were close to solving his murder. That would eliminate the pressure for Goldoni to sell.
Zhou couldn’t answer those questions. But he had no intention of backing away from his effort to take over Goldoni’s stock and control of his bank. To the contrary. He decided to intensify the pressure on Goldoni. He’d force the banker to sell.
Zhou called Qing who was in Europe.
“Can you use your Russian friends from Biarritz for another job?”
“For money they’ll do anything.”
“Like most Russians.”
“What’s the objective?”
“Alberto Goldoni has a daughter who’s studying law at the University in Bologna. Here’s what I want you to do.”
Rome and Bordeaux
G
iuseppe picked up Craig at Fiumicino Airport at eight in the morning. As they rode to Giuseppe’s office, Craig listened to Giuseppe’s report of Alberto’s meeting with McKnight.
iuseppe picked up Craig at Fiumicino Airport at eight in the morning. As they rode to Giuseppe’s office, Craig listened to Giuseppe’s report of Alberto’s meeting with McKnight.
“Well done,” Craig said. “You set the stage perfectly for my competing offer.”
When they arrived at Giuseppe’s office he played the video for Craig.
“Alberto was right when he said McKnight’s not too subtle,” said Craig.
“He’s not too smart, making his threat so direct… . Or perhaps he’s inexperienced at doing this sort of thing.”
“More likely frightened and intimated by Zhou.”
“Well, regardless, McKnight’s given me enough to arrest the bastard for extortion. I’d like to toss him in an Italian jail and let him rot.”
“But that would interfere with my plan. So you can’t.”
“Unfortunately, you are right. Your plan better work.”
“Don’t they always?”
“No!”
“That hurt.”
Giuseppe’s secretary stuck her head in the office and said, “Jean-Claude from the French police is on the phone.”
Giuseppe put the call on the speaker. Jean-Claude sounded excited when he said: “Radovich, the Russian we arrested for Federico’s murder, is now willing to talk in return for leniency.”
Craig was pleased to hear that. If they got enough from the Russian to nail Zhou, he wouldn’t have to make himself a target with a competing bid for Alberto’s bank.
“Where is he?” Giuseppe asked.
“In the jail in Bordeaux. How soon can you get there?”
“About three hours.”
“You want us to get a statement without you?”
Giuseppe looked at Craig who shook his head.
“Three hours shouldn’t matter,” Giuseppe said. “We’ll do it together.”
“Good. My chief intervened with the head prosecutor. He fixed it so all of us can participate in the interview this time.”
* * *
Three hours later, Craig and Giuseppe were in the prosecutor’s office.
“I will begin,” the prosecutor said, “but the three of you can join in.”
He’s certainly sounding different this time, Craig thought. His boss must have leaned on him hard.
Jean-Claude looked at Giuseppe. “What do you want from Radovich?”
“We want to know who hired him to kill Federico. If we could get that, we don’t care what happens to Radovich.”
“You’re not suggesting I let him walk. Are you?” the prosecutor said.
“No. But I would like you to offer a sufficiently light sentence that he’ll be willing to tell us who hired him.”
“Okay,” the prosecutor said reluctantly. “I’ll offer him twenty years in jail.”
“I was thinking more like five,” Giuseppe replied.
“I agree with Giuseppe,” Jean-Claude interjected.
“Five for murder is ridiculous.”
Craig decided to remain quiet. He didn’t want to alienate this hardassed prosecutor who was about to blow the deal.
Jean-Claude looked angry. “He’ll never talk for twenty years. Be realistic.”
“I’m the prosecutor and I’m sticking with twenty years.”
Jean-Claude’s face was flushed with anger. “That’s ridiculous.”
“Then go over my head again. You know how to do that.”
Before Jean-Claude could respond, the prosecutor was interrupted by a phone call. Craig heard him say: “Yes, I see. Yes.” in a glum voice.
When he hung up, he sighed deeply.
“What happened?” Jean-Claude asked.
“Radovich is dead. They think someone poisoned him. The warden is investigating.”
“Oh damn it.” Giuseppe was shaking his head in anger.
“I’m sorry,” Jean-Claude said. “We messed up.”
No one disagreed with that assessment.
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