Deadly Diamonds (32 page)

It was showtime. Declan O'Connor had given me the name of the diamond merchant he had recommended to Kevin. He was in the phone book under “Ralph Schlichternlein, diamond merchant.” I put the phone on speaker and slipped into my best deep-throated State Street Boston accent.

“Hello, Mr. Schlichternlein. Andrew Carnegie here. Firm of Bailey, Banks, and Bogdanof. I trust you're well.”

“Yes. Yes, Mr. Carnegie. Thank you. Have we met?”

“Haven't had the pleasure. I seldom get out of Boston. We do have a mutual client. Mr. Frank O'Byrne.”

I held my breath and prayed that the pause was reluctance to breach a confidence instead of a total blank on the name.

“What is your interest in Mr. O'Byrne?”

Thank God. First base. Trying for second.

“It's a delicate matter. I'm sure you understand. We're setting up a trust fund through his son, Kevin, to be funded by the purchase price he expects to receive for certain objects. Well, good heavens, no secret between us on that score. It's rough diamonds, isn't it?”

“I don't understand what you're asking.”

“Of course. Let me be perfectly forthcoming with you. I'd prefer to be circumspect, but you're entitled to full disclosure. On the understanding that this will go no further. I think we understand each other?”

“Yes. Of course.”

“Mr. O'Byrne would not under any circumstances want this made public. There's a certain humility to his beneficence. I just wouldn't want to offend. Nonetheless. Mr. O'Byrne is planning to build a home for disadvantaged children coming through the courts after a brush with the law. Introduce them to a new life. Complete with a top-grade college prep school, basketball courts, pool, complete medical facilities. Fast track from a gang to a profession. Do you understand the concept?”

Again a pause.

“Actually, plans are in the formative stage, but immediate funding is essential. And that brings us to your part in this worthy enterprise.”

“My part?”

“The initial funding is seed money. It will be the springboard for other wealthy donors to jump into the deep end of the pool, as it were.”

“I see. And this involves me how?”

I loved his defensive tone. He thought I was going to hit him up as a donor. His relief when I didn't put the bite on him could score some crucial points.

“Mr. O'Byrne has given us to believe that he has, or has at least discussed, an arrangement with you for your purchase of certain rough diamonds. That will be the seed money. We simply have to know, within parameters, the amount of this initial funding.”

Again a pause. “May I ask, Mr. Schlichternlein, if I may be direct, have you considered even a tentative figure?”

“Why don't you ask Mr. O'Byrne himself?”

“I would. I've been unable to reach him at his hotel. Even as we speak, I have two gentlemen whose names would be immediately recognizable to you on the other line. They simply need a figure before they are willing to commit to a sizable donation. On the basis of their immediate commitment, I have construction contractors ready to break ground this afternoon.”

“This is very unusual.”

“I agree. I want you to feel comfortable with this. I believe it was
Mr. Declan O'Connor of Dublin who introduced you to Mr. O'Byrne. You've done business with Mr. O'Connor for some years. Might I hold the line while you check this out with him?”

“I'll do that. Shall I get back to you?”

“I'll be happy to hold the wire.”

While I was dreaming all this crap up, my fingers were doing the walking around my cell phone, texting a heads-up to Declan in Dublin.

Apparently, Declan came through like a trooper. Mr. Schlichternlein was back within minutes.

“What did you want to know, Mr. Carnegie?”

“I assume Mr. O'Byrne had an asking price. I also assume that you need to do an appraisal of the stones, if you haven't already, before committing to a purchase.”

“Yes. That will be necessary.”

That was interesting. I wondered why he hadn't already appraised the diamonds.

“Assume for the moment that the diamonds live up to Mr. O'Byrne's claims, would you be willing to meet his price?”

“His claims for the gems are quite formidable. However, if they are as he claims, his price is not unreasonable.”

“And for the sake of our contractors, may I ask if the price exceeds one million euros?”

“By a small amount.”

“Would I be safe in representing it as between one and one and a quarter million euros?”

Again, some trepidation. I was getting my own twinges of conscience for the deception. I heard from Declan that in Antwerp the diamond trade is done mostly in cash on a strong basis of trust. Much as I hated to play games with that, I had a higher motive. I gave him time. It paid off.

“I believe you could say that.”

“Thank you profusely, Mr. Schlichternlein. I could kiss you on the top of your round little head. You little rascal, you are the cornerstone
of my whole plan. I could offer you my season tickets to the Bruins out of sheer gratitude. I won't, but I could.”

I didn't actually say any of that, though I felt it to the core of my soul. I bid Mr. Schlichternlein a marvelous afternoon and turned to my comrades in arms.

“Gentlemen, we're in business.”

Seamus, who'd been listening, was shaking his head with a slight grin. Harry was just shaking his head. “Michael, what the hell are you talking about? Convicts, basketball courts, pools? Have you been smoking something since Thanksgiving? Your mother's going to be pissed.”

“Nothing of the kind, Harry. That brings us to your part in all this.”

I prepared Harry for the scene he was about to play as completely as if I were Martin Scorsese. I dialed the number of Kevin's hotel and asked to be connected to him. When I heard him pick up, I handed the phone to Harry.

It may be like getting a horse to plunge into a raging river to get Harry to sign on in the beginning, but once aboard, my only fear is at the opposite end. Not to be critical, but Harry's acting can sometimes flow over the top.

I sat next to him to moderate the put-on Chinese accent with hand signals. He had to keep it intelligible.

“Mr. O'Byrne. We have not met yet. I hope to rectify that.”

The speakerphone gave us both sides of the conversation.

“Really. Why?”

“I have heard from a mutual acquaintance that you have a certain product that you wish to sell.”

“And who would that be?”

“Mr. O'Connor of Dublin sends his regards.”

“Uh-huh. So?”

“I hope for your sake you have not already made a foolish deal.”

“For my sake. What the hell are you talking about?”

“This is not the way to do business. I am prepared to offer you
twice the price you get from any merchant in this country. I do that for a very good reason.”

“How do you know what my price is?”

“Why you insist on all this talk on the telephone? This is offensive. We'll meet like two respectful businessmen. I shall be there at eleven a.m.”

“Wait a minute. I don't know you.”

“And do I know you? No. Yet here I am presenting an offer that will double your profit. Eleven o'clock. Be punctual. I don't wait.”

Harry hung up with a self-satisfied grin. “How was that, Michael. He's eating out of my hand.”

“Great, Harry. Where're you going to meet him?”

“Oh shit. I forgot.”

I wrote a name on the phone pad. I dialed the number and put Harry back on.

“Mr. O'Byrne. I forget. TapaBar. Pelgrimstraat. Don't be late.”

He hung up before he got an answer. “How was that, Michael?”

“I don't know, Harry. We'll find out at eleven.”

I had my doubts. If I were on the other end of that phone conversation, would I respond to Harry's gracious invitation or just chalk it up to a Chinese lunatic? It could go either way. My best asset was Kevin's greed. I wondered how Martin Scorsese keeps his sanity.

At quarter of eleven, our threesome found the TapaBar. I spoke to the headwaiter about a small private room toward the back. With the quiet exchange of some euros, he set us up nicely.

Final instruction time. It was obviously useless to pick Harry's words for him. I gave him the gist of what I wanted him to get across.

“Let me have your cell phone, Harry.”

I dialed my own number so that we'd be connected through the next half hour. “Keep the phone on, Harry. I want to hear every word.”

“Why? I can tell you about it later.”

“Actually, you're about to do some risky business with a kid who
will kill you on a whim if he gets the faintest whiff of a phony deal. We could easily be shipping your body back to Boston in parts for reassembly for the funeral. I like you too much to have that happen. Keep me connected.”

That was the thought. Those very words would have had Harry on the next thing smoking back to the United States of America. I just said, “I want to be sure you don't forget anything. Be careful, Harry.”

“Piece of cake, Mike.”

Seamus and I took seats as far removed from the path to Harry's private room in the TapaBar as possible. Two large menus were good camouflage. I checked the phone contact. All systems go.

In about ten minutes, I got the first glimpse of my former client since that fateful night at the Slainte Bar. The headwaiter took him directly back to the private room. He closed the door behind him. And I prayed.

Seamus and I moved to the table closest to Harry's private room to be ready to spring in case things got testy. I put my phone between us. We huddled close to it and tuned in.

“You on time. That is good, Mr. O'Byrne. Two more minutes and you'd be here alone. Sit down.”

There was no sound of Kevin sitting.

“What the hell is it with you? You give orders like someone made you king. To hell with you. I can sell my product without you and your damn orders.”

“Not at my price. Sit down. Now we be properly introduced. My name is Huang Liu. You are Kevin O'Byrne. There. Now we acquaintances. Soon we be business associates. Both make more money than you think. For the love of crap, sit down.”

He apparently got away with the Americanized “love of crap.” I heard a chair pulled out.

“Now we talk business. No need to ‘beat the bush' as you Americans
say. You have rough diamonds. They blood diamonds. I don't give a crap. In my country, I sell them for many times what you get here. How much you get for them here?”

There was a small gap during which Kevin was, I'm sure, calculating how much of a chump he had with him at the table. “I have an offer of two million euros.”

I thought to myself,
You lying little phony. Go get him, Harry
.

Without a tick of the clock, Harry came back, “Four million euros. Paid in cash. No need to tell your Uncle Sam, right?”

I think it took Kevin's breath away.

“When would I get the cash?”

“As soon as I get the diamonds. But hold onto your horses. First, you show me the diamonds. I check 'em out. If they as good as Declan O'Connor say, you gonna be rich man right away.”

I could hear Kevin push back in his chair. “How long are you going to be in Antwerp?”

“Why? You get diamonds. Show me. I check 'em out. We go to my bank here. We get the cash. Do it now.”

“There's a problem. I need two days. I'll meet you here in two days.”

“Why you wanna wait? Do it now. I go home.”

I'm listening to all this and thinking,
Don't press it, Harry. Give him the two days
. I knew why he needed the time sure as hell. He didn't have the diamonds with him. He had to fly back to the United States.

I had a sudden flash. I slapped Seamus on the arm and whispered with my hand over the phone. “Crap, Seamus. I just got it. I know where those damn diamonds are. I'd bet my life on it.”

Harry must have found himself up an alley. He had to concede. “Okay. I wait two days. I meet you right here. Two days. Eleven a.m. Just to show you I serious, I pay for travel wherever you have to go. How you like that?”

I whispered to Seamus, “Will you get Harry the hell out of there before he ad-libs us into bankruptcy.”

I scooted to the other end of the restaurant. Seamus, who had
never met Kevin, knocked on the door and told “Mr. Liu” that he had a phone call at the bar. Kevin rose and walked past both of them with a determined step.

Harry couldn't resist firing off one last line. “Eleven a.m. You five minutes late, I gone.”

Harry watched Kevin leave. Then he walked proudly to my table across the room. He took a bow as if he were Kenneth Branagh after a triumphant
Macbeth
.

I thanked God it was over and gave him a nice round of applause.

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE