Dark Chant In A Crimson Key by George C. Chesbro

Author:George C. Chesbro
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Police Procedural, Law, Criminologists, Mystery & Detective, Mongo (Fictitious character), Criminal Law, Private investigators, Hard-Boiled, General, Women Sleuths, Switzerland, Fiction, Dwarfs
ISBN: 9780967450384
Publisher: Apache Beach Publications
Published: 2011-07-24T23:49:14+00:00

Chapter Nine

I watched the Swiss countryside roll by outside the passenger's window in the front seat as Garth drove along the highway to Geneva. Harper and Veil sat in the back; Harper dozed, while Veil kept turning in his seat to look for a pale blue Volvo, or anything else that might be following us.

"Jan Rawlings doesn't exactly have the old European ring of a countess's name to it," I said, turning toward Garth.

"You've got that right," Garth replied casually as he glanced in the rearview mirror. "As a matter of fact she's American, an ex-social worker from New York City."

"A who?"

"I know the feeling. That was my first reaction too."

"The closest living relative to one of the richest men in the world was a New York social worker?"

Garth shrugged, again glanced in the rearview mirror. "Maybe Blake didn't share the wealth. Or maybe the woman's just an eccentric. A lot of rich people are, you know. Maybe she enjoyed working for a living. The title could have been bought, or it might be wishful thinking."

"Well, she's certainly in a position now to do a lot of social working."

"Indeed. She not only inherited the castle but Blake's entire estate as well; every last holding, every penny. She's got to be one of the world's wealthiest women."

In the distance, barely visible in the hazy morning, slow-moving shapes that I thought might be helicopters had appeared on the horizon. Helicopters were anything but a rare sight in Switzerland, but for some reason the sight of them made me nervous. There had been no time to try to obtain guns, if guns were obtainable, and this lack of weapons did not exactly generate a feeling of security. I asked, "No other heirs?"

"None that the obituaries mentioned."

The helicopters disappeared into some low clouds, and I turned back toward my brother. "That seems odd, Garth. With that much money at stake, you'd think there would have been third and fourth cousins crawling out of the woodwork to contest the will and claim a piece of the action."

"All I know is what I read. The same obituary that mentioned that Blake and the elder Neuberger were half brothers said she was the sole beneficiary, and the will was uncontested at that time."

"You got anything else on her?"

"Brief articles in a couple of business magazines. It seems she's pretty reclusive herself; she doesn't give interviews. She doesn't flaunt her wealth, doesn't give or go to the usual fancy parties, and generally avoids the social scene altogether. In fact, you might almost say she lives like a social worker. Presumably, she has an army of CEOs and accountants to run her business empire, and she just kind of hangs out in her castle. Rumor has it that she gives away enormous amounts to various charities, but always anonymously."

"Jesus Christ," I said. "Another money-laundering operation?"

"Could be."

"Anything else?"

"Like what? I don't think I did too badly for one night, and I'm still waiting to be properly congratulated."

"Proper congratulations on you. How did Blake die?"

"A bodyguard killed him.

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