The Einstein Pursuit (28 page)

Zidane nodded, but said nothing.

‘Would you agree with that description?’ Dial pressed.

‘I would. I have indeed been very fortunate in my endeavors.’

‘And what kind of endeavors are we talking about?’

‘Mainly biomedical research,’ Zidane said. ‘One of the companies I funded has patented a new treatment for dialysis patients that enhances kidney function. Another has reformulated existing chemotherapy regimens so that the resulting prescription is better tolerated by the patient.’

‘Sounds like pretty heady stuff,’ Dial remarked.

‘In truth, much of the science is beyond me,’ Zidane admitted. ‘I don’t pretend to know my way around their experiments. I suppose I simply have a knack for backing the right science at the most opportune time.’

‘Let’s get into that. What types of laboratories have you supported in the past?’

Zidane smiled. ‘Chief Dial, there’s no need to sniff around. You can ask what you’d like to ask. I have nothing to hide. You want to know if the rumors are true. You want to hear me say that I’ve invested millions in private flights of fancy. Am I close?’

‘Mr Zidane. Harrison. No one is judging you. We’re simply trying to get some information about your past endeavors.’

Zidane laughed. ‘Information? Okay then. Yes, much of the research I’ve supported is far from mainstream. Yes, many of the things being considered by the men and women whose studies I fund are seen as unnecessary, unworthy, and quite often unattainable. And yes, much of what they do is kept far from the public eye, in large part because of how the scientific world views their investigations. But I assure you my facilities are completely legal. The research and its merit might be questionable, but the character of those I employ is not.’

Dial studied the Algerian as he proclaimed his innocence. It was clear that Zidane had been down this road before. His words were not delivered with contempt or even frustration. He was simply stating what he believed to be true. Dial wasn’t sure if he was convinced by the speech, but he was certain that it wasn’t the first time Zidane had delivered it.

‘What about Tomas Berglund?’ he asked.

‘What about him?’

‘Are you familiar with his work?’

‘Of course. Tomas is a celebrity of sorts in the scientific community. He’s famous. Everyone has heard of him.’

‘Do you know him?’

‘Yes, but not as well as I would like to.’

‘Meaning?’

‘I’ve tried repeatedly to lure him into a business relationship, but to no avail. He claims to have his own funding available, knocking out the legs on which my offers stood. As I have said, the science itself is over my head. The most I could put forward was monetary support.’

‘Did this lead to tension between the two of you?’

‘Never. And why would it? His logic was sound, as per usual. Why partner with me when he already had funding in place?’

‘Did he ever tell you who was funding his work?’

‘He did not. Nor did I ever inquire. Such questions are generally frowned upon in this line of work.’

‘But you had theories?’

‘Not particularly, no. There were simply too many possibilities. Berglund could pick up the phone and secure an eight-figure credit line in a matter of minutes. All of the big companies were clamoring for his attention. What I could offer paled by comparison.’

Dial considered the information. While he did, Zidane took the opportunity to ask a question of his own.

‘Nick, may I ask why the interest in Tomas Berglund?’

‘I’m afraid we can’t answer that,’ Toulon replied. ‘It’s—’

‘Henri,’ Dial interrupted. ‘He’s going to find out soon enough.’

‘Nick, there’s procedure to consider …’

‘And if anyone challenges my decision, you let me worry about it.’

Toulon nodded his understanding.

Their exchange was entirely coordinated. It was a subtle version of
good cop/bad cop
, a ploy to make Zidane feel as if Dial was confiding in him. The goal was to get Zidane to reciprocate with confidential information of his own. Dial doubted it would work, but Toulon had done the legwork on Zidane and had wanted to try, so he was willing to play along.

Dial said, ‘Two nights ago, there was an explosion in Stockholm.’

‘Yes, I heard. It was all over the news. A laboratory of some kind.’

‘Unfortunately, we believe Tomas Berglund was the target.’

‘Oh God,’ Zidane gasped. ‘It was
his
lab? Was Tomas killed?’

Dial shrugged. ‘It’s too early to tell. The scene is a mess, and the body count is high. We’re still in the process of identifying the victims, and we will be for some time. Strangely, his entire staff was in the building in the middle of the night. We have yet to determine why.’

‘Did anyone survive?’

Dial shook his head. ‘We have no idea what they were working on or who would want them dead. The only thing we have is the identity of the trigger man.’

‘You … you know who set off the explosion?’

‘We do.’

‘A rival scientist?’ Zidane guessed.

‘I’m afraid that
is
information I can’t disclose,’ Dial stated. ‘But he’s the reason we needed to speak with you as soon as possible.’

‘I don’t follow.’

‘Our suspect links you to the tragedy in Stockholm.’

‘I … I don’t know where you’re going with this.’ Zidane’s face started to flush. ‘How am I involved?’

‘We have a recording of the suspect discussing the Stockholm job. In that recording, he mentions your name.’

‘You’re sure it’s
my
name?’

‘Clear as day,’ Dial assured him.

Zidane shook his head, not knowing how to respond.

‘Can you think of any reason why the man responsible for the killings in Stockholm would be talking about you in a discussion about the massacre?’

‘There’s … I …’ Zidane took a deep breath. ‘Nick, I know I have enemies, but I truly believed them to be the kind of men who were intent upon seeing me destroyed financially, not literally. As for my association with Berglund, I was his biggest fan. I stand to gain nothing in his absence.’

‘Harrison, I can make arrangements with the authorities in Milan. They can take you into protective custody until we—’

‘That won’t be necessary,’ Zidane insisted. ‘I have my own security here at the estate. Take no offense, but I would prefer to put my life in their hands.’

‘If that’s your decision, I can’t make you go with them. But until we have more control of this situation, I suggest you pass on any public events you might be planning to attend in the near future.’

‘I’ll clear my calendar. Thank you for your concern. I trust you’ll keep me informed as new developments occur?’

‘I will. Can you be reached through the computer again?’

‘I’ll make sure that the authorities here have all the necessary contact information.’

‘I appreciate that. If there’s anything you think of, don’t hesitate to contact the Milan office, Henri, or me personally.’

‘Understood. I hope this tragedy is solved quickly … for everyone’s sake.’

‘Thank you, Harrison. We’ll do our best.’

Harrison nodded, and Celega terminated his end of the connection. Meanwhile, Dial and Toulon remained on the line.

‘Well?’ Dial asked as Toulon looked back at him through the camera.

‘I’m honestly not sure,’ Toulon said. ‘He seemed forthright. He volunteered the information about the labs he supports and the outside-the-box research they conduct. And he’s not lying about the legality of it all. There’s nothing criminal about anything he’s done in the past. What do you think?’

‘I don’t know if he’s lying, but he definitely got flustered when we mentioned that his name had come up. Of course, that could be embarrassment, anger, fear, or a thousand other things.’

Toulon nodded. ‘Should I stay on him?’

‘Definitely,’ Dial said. ‘If he’s guilty, we’ll nail his ass to the wall. And if he’s innocent, I want to be the one who saves his life.’

‘Why’s that?’

Dial laughed. ‘Because the guy’s a
billionaire
. It always helps to have some of them in your corner.’

Though he still preferred an old-fashioned corkboard to a fancy computer display when it came to organizing a case, Dial had quickly warmed to video chats – especially when he was interviewing witnesses or suspects. It wasn’t as good as being in the same room as them, but it was a lot better than a simple phone call.

‘Do we have a way to reach Jonathon Payne on this thing?’ he asked Toulon, who was still lingering on the screen after their call to Zidane. ‘We owe him an update on things.’

‘Is he in your address book? If so, just click on the link.’

Dial scrolled through the names on his contact list and then hit the appropriate button. A moment later, Jones appeared on their screens.

‘Hello?’ Jones asked. ‘Nick, is that you?’

‘Hey, DJ. Yeah, it’s me. I take it you can see me?’

‘I see you, plus one.’

‘DJ, meet Henri Toulon – my assistant director
and
a giant pain in my ass. Henri, this is David Jones – a good friend of mine and a giant pain in Jon’s ass.’

Jones winced. ‘I have to admit, all this “ass” talk is making me uncomfortable. It’s one thing coming from a stripper. It’s quite another coming from a dirty old man on a party line.’

Toulon laughed. ‘Pleased to finally meet you. Despite that dreadful introduction, I’ve heard many wonderful things about you over the years.’

‘Likewise,’ Jones said. ‘It’s nice to meet the real mastermind of the homicide division. When are you going to start taking the credit that you deserve?’

Dial interrupted. ‘Just because Jon lets you take all the credit for his achievements doesn’t mean everyone operates that way. Sometimes you actually have to earn your place.’

‘Wow, that’s a low blow,’ Jones said, pretending to be insulted. ‘It’s about time you stood up for yourself. I wasn’t sure you had it in you.’

‘Trust me,’ Toulon said, ‘he can be a real prick.’

Jones laughed loudly, but Dial wasn’t amused. He pulled the phone close to his face and spoke directly to Toulon through the camera. ‘Henri, please keep something in mind. I’m your boss and you’re on the clock. Jokes are one thing; insults are quite another.’

Toulon flushed with embarrassment. ‘
Oui
.’

Jones sensed that Dial was just busting Toulon’s balls, but based on Toulon’s reaction, he wasn’t one hundred percent sure. To be safe, he opted to change the subject. ‘Anyway, I take it you’re looking for Jon, since this is his computer and all.’

‘Both of you, actually. He around?’ Dial asked.

‘I’m here,’ Payne yelled from somewhere off camera. A second later, he was standing over Jones’s shoulder in the image. ‘I heard everything you said, but if it’s alright with you, I’d prefer not to sit on DJ’s lap during this conversation – especially after your comment about him being a pain in my ass. I don’t want Henri to get the wrong idea. We’re close, but we’re not
that
close.’

Dial smiled. ‘Point taken.’

Payne nodded toward the screen. ‘Hey, Henri, nice to finally put a face to the name. And thanks for keeping Nick in line all these years.’

Toulon nodded but said nothing, still stinging from the last rebuke.

‘So,’ Payne said as he walked out of the frame again, ‘what’s on your mind, Nick?’

Dial knew it wasn’t an act of indifference or disrespect. Payne simply preferred to move around while he talked. ‘You still have eyes on Sahlberg?’

Jones answered. ‘He’s actually at the gym.’

‘Really?’

Jones nodded. ‘Apparently, he likes to walk after his first meal of the day. We can’t let him walk outside, not with someone chasing him, so we had to come up with an alternative.’

‘How about telling him to skip a day?’

‘He’s a creature of habit, Nick. Every day for the past century or so he takes a midday stroll. Who are we to start changing his routine?’

‘What gym is he using?’

‘He’s using an exercise room in the building,’ said Payne, who was underselling the facility. The ‘exercise room’ was actually a world-class fitness center. It filled an entire floor and had everything imaginable, from aquatic therapy pools to hyperbaric chambers. He figured, the healthier his employees were, the more productive they would be in the office.

‘Are you sure that’s wise?’ Dial had visions of the elderly Sahlberg falling off his treadmill without anyone around to help him. ‘Please tell me he’s not unsupervised.’

Jones laughed. ‘Don’t worry. He’s in there with half a dozen security guards. If he breaks a hip, we’ll be the first to know.’

‘Okay, I’ll ease up. I forgot who I was talking to.’

‘Speaking of which,’ Payne said, ‘we’ve got something for you.’

‘You do?’ Dial was a bit surprised. After all,
he
had called
them
with information, not the other way around. ‘What’s that?’

‘Tell them, DJ.’

Jones held up the custom-designed pistol he had taken from the incline. He moved it closer to the webcam for Toulon and Dial to see, drawing their attention to the sensors on the grip. ‘Remember this?’

Dial nodded. ‘It’s the pistol that you … well, let’s call it the pistol that found its way into your possession. What’d you learn about it?’

Toulon desperately wanted to know the real story about the gun and how they’d got hold of it, but he was smart enough not to ask.

‘You ever heard of a Wiltz?’ Jones asked.

‘No,’ Dial replied.

‘A Wiltz?’ Toulon said. ‘I thought it was a Beretta.’

Jones smiled. ‘Good eye, Henri. It almost is a Beretta. At least it was designed with one in mind. It was actually entirely hand-crafted by a master gunsmith out of Luxembourg. A man by the name of Yannick Holcher.’

‘Never heard of him,’ Dial offered.

‘Nor I,’ Toulon said.

‘And he’d probably be glad to hear it,’ Jones replied. ‘He’s not the type of guy that’s driven by publicity. I can’t imagine he’d be too keen to learn that Interpol has a file on him.’

‘Should we?’ Dial asked.

‘Probably. He’s certainly at the lower end of the criminal spectrum, but there’s a pretty good chance that he’s supplied at least a few of the real bastards at the top end with their weapons.’