The Good Thief’s Guide to Amsterdam (32 page)

“They should cover me for a few years, at least.”

“I’ve been slow, haven’t I? I mean, that’s why you went to
Paris, right? To see that man – that fence of yours who got you
into all this in the first place.”

“Pierre. I’m meeting him this afternoon as it happens. Putting a
face to his probably-made-up-name for the first time.”

“I could kick myself. Why didn’t I think of that connection
before?”

“You didn’t know I had the diamonds.”

“Oh yes.”

“And you forgot what I’m really like. You thought I’d solved the
crime for free and walked away with a warm, all over glow for my
troubles.”

“Why not?”

“Because that’s not me, Victoria.”

“Really? So okay then tough guy, tell me you didn’t give any of
the diamonds to the blonde.”

“I could tell you that.”

“But it wouldn’t be true, would it? And let me guess: she
thanked you in the way that comes most naturally to her and then
she ran off and broke your heart.”

“Hardly. I told her to go. And if she had any sense she listened
to me and got a new fake passport to go with a new fake identity
while she was about it. There’s no guarantee the Dutch police won’t
decide to charge her with something, I suppose, but more
importantly the thin man and the wide man aren’t the type of people
you want on your tail.”

“Oh yes. What happened to them?”

“No idea, though I’m sure it’ll be in the papers if they’re ever
charged. They naay not be, though. At the end of the day, Vie, all
I had was a story. It might have been tied together pretty nicely,
but it’s not the kind of hard evidence Riemer’s going to need if
she’s ever going to bring charges.”

“It was a bit more than a story, Charlie. You gave them
fingerprints.”

“You think? I don’t know – twelve years went by. And I handled
that gun without my gloves on a few times. Stuart even fired the
damn thing.”

“Witnesses then. Louis Rijker’s mother, for one. It was
marvellous how she came through for you like that.”

I sucked air through my teeth, as if I’d just been cut.

“What?”

“Honestly? I assumed you’d seen clean through that one.”

“Seen through what? I don’t get it.”

“Well, let me put it this way – you remember my cat
allergy?”

“Of course.”

“And you remember how I told you I reacted when I went to Karine
Rijker’s house?”

“Yes, you sneezed.”

“Now think back to what I told you about the warehouse.”

“Okay, so now you mention it I can see that you didn’t sneeze in
the warehouse. So big deal. It’s hardly surprising the allergy was
less severe outside of her home.”

“But my allergy’s very acute, Vie.”

“And?”

“And I can see I’m going to have to spell it out for you. The
Karine Rijker who came to the warehouse wasn’t the same Karine
Rijker I met in the bungalow.”

“There are two of them?”

“Just one.”

“Then…”

“She was a set up. A contact of Stuart’s.”

“But…but she had that gun – the one Van Zandt had given to poor
Louis.”

“Because I gave it to her myself.”

“But now I’m lost again. Charlie, you’re being deliberately
obtuse. How did you get the gun?”

“You really want me to go over what I do when I’m not writing
again?”

“Oh.”

“But if it makes you feel any better I did find the gun in the
real Karine Rijker’s home. That morning before we met everyone at
the warehouse, you remember I said Stuart and I ran some errands?
Well, the first was we went back to Karine Rijker’s bungalow and
Stuart kept her company while I had a quick look around her
bedroom. The gun was at the bottom of a wardrobe, just like I
said.”

“So it was a trick?”

“Half of it was a trick. But the gun was real. And it did match
the gun I already had exactly. And I’d be willing to bet a lot of
money that I was right about Van Zandt arming his guards.”

“Even so.”

“Even so, you’re disappointed.”

“A little. It seems kind of – ”

“Sordid.”

“I was going to say underhand.”

“Well you’re right. It was underhand. But I’m a firm believer
that sometimes the ends justify the means.”

“And Rutherford was happy with all this I take it?”

“Stuart, you mean. I don’t think he lost much sleep over
it.”

“Did he ask for some of the diamonds?”

“He didn’t ask and I didn’t offer. He made six grand out of me
if you remember and I guess he’ll use that to fund his next
scam.”

“Yes, I guess so too.”

“So listen, you might not be comfortable with it, but the
reality is most of the diamonds are with me now.”

“Right. Well, I wouldn’t say I was completely uncomfortable with
it Charlie because the truth is unless you’ve found some time amid
all this madness to solve your briefcase problem, I’m not going to
be selling your book in the near future.”

“Oh yes – my book. I’m glad you mentioned that. Thing is Vie,
I’ve decided to scrap it.”

“But you can’t! I wasn’t serious, Charlie. You just put my nose
out a little – keeping me in the dark like that. You’ll figure the
book out soon enough – you know you will. We can even work on it
together now you’ve got a little more time on your hands.”

“But my heart’s not in it. The truth is I have another story I
want to tell. I all but nailed the plot back in that warehouse in
Amsterdam, you see. And with a few name changes here and there, and
maybe the odd choice scene to spice it up a bit, well, what do you
think?”

“A fictional memoir? I don’t know Charlie. It could work, I
guess. But you’ll need a good title.”

“Funny,” I said. “I’ve been thinking about that too.”

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