Old Habits: Albert Smith's Mystery Thrillers Book 1 by Steve Higgs

Author:Steve Higgs [Higgs, Steve]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-06-29T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 24

A stunned silence filled the room, Albert unwilling to look up while he gathered his thoughts. The announcement pointed a big finger right in his direction. He was so sure Erich had said the name ‘Kurt Berger’ and perhaps he had, but if that was the case it made it all the more likely he was having a senior moment.

Drawing in a slow breath, Albert leaned back into his chair. “This changes things a little.”

“Could you have been wrong about what you thought you heard?” Jean posed the question carefully, accusing Albert, but not doing so outright.

Albert lifted one shoulder, starting to shrug as he sought words to match his thoughts. Franka got in first.

“No, I think Albert heard my father correctly. Kurt Berger was a real person and my father worked with him. I doubt it could be coincidence, but equally I think we can put this down to my father’s condition. Just like his confusion with Dirk De Graaf, he thought he saw someone he knew, someone from his past, but that isn’t the case.”

“So what do we do now?” asked Jean, sounding defeated.

“Well,” Albert scratched his chin. “Dirk De Graaf is still up to something. There are still people out to hurt your father, and we still need to figure out why he was attacked. In many ways it helps us to take Kurt Berger’s name off the list of suspects. It allows us to focus our interest on just one man: Dirk De Graaf.”

Jean scrunched his face, struggling to comprehend. “But Dirk De Graaf is a respected businessman and philanthropist. He is known for his charity work. He’s like the Bruce Wayne of Antwerp; a rich guy who helps people out.”

“Then let us hope he doesn’t wear a cape at night and drive a cool car because I can assure you he does have Batman’s darker side.” Albert went on to explain his interaction, the empty office at the very top of the city’s plushest office building, his goons, and their willingness to stun an old man and his dog.

It shocked them.

“And you are the one who ended up being arrested?” Jean couldn’t believe that what he was hearing could be true.

“Ah,” Albert cringed. “Yes, well I bent a couple of rules, shall we say. My arrest was inevitable, but the police could be on his payroll.”

Jean threw his arms in the air – Albert’s story was getting more fanciful by the second.

“I’m not saying they are,” Albert defended his claims. “Only that some of them might be. It means we must tread carefully and calling for help could be fraught with danger.”

Sensing that her husband was becoming agitated, Franka cut in. “What’s our next move, Albert? Should we dig a little deeper into Antwerp’s premier businessman?”

Albert bit one corner of his bottom lip. Erich was safe for now, the security he convinced her to hire would keep her father safe, but the same could not be said for her.

“I think we should visit his hometown.

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