[Jake Lassiter 03.0] False Dawn by Paul Levine

Author:Paul Levine [Levine, Paul]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Mystery, Thriller
ISBN: 9780998316611
Google: rvPxnAAACAAJ
Goodreads: 9054614
Publisher: Nittany Valley Productions
Published: 1993-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

18

TEARS OF REINDEERS

“You work for Yagamata,” I said, dusting myself off.

We had untangled, said mutual apologies, and were walking toward Ocean Drive. She shook her head. “For the Finnish government under contract to Yagamata, who in turn works for your government.”

No wonder I couldn’t tell the players without a scorecard. “What are you, some kind of spy?”

That made her laugh. “I am little more than a clerk.”

“What were you doing with Kharchenko?”

“Making him a delivery boy for Yagamata.”

“I don’t get it.”

She looked at me from under the white hat and dark glasses. Though I couldn’t see her eyes, I thought they were appraising me. “I am not sure I can trust you.”

“Funny, I was thinking the same thing about you, or if I wasn’t, I should have been. The way I figure it, you’re part of a conspiracy to steal Russian art.”

“Nothing is as simple as it seems,” she said.

“Tell me about it. Tell me why an old friend of mine got killed and why I’m getting set up.”

“Give me some time,” she said. “Maybe we are on the same side.” We stopped in front of the News Cafe on Ocean Drive, and she motioned me toward a silver Saab parked at the curb. I let her unlock my door, and I settled into the seat, buckling the shoulder harness.

Eva-Lisa got behind the wheel, turned the key in the ignition, and asked, “Do you know what tonight is?”

“Sunday,” I said, “June twenty.”

“Seuraasaari. Midsommareldarna. Midsummer’s Eve, a national holiday in my country. It is the way we welcome the longest day of the year. In Helsinki tonight it will be cool and clear, and it will not grow dark. The sun will seem to set, but it will hover at the horizon, casting a most beautiful glow. Then it will slowly rise again.”

Of course, Finland, land of the midnight sun.

She swung the car into traffic, heading south past all the trendy sidewalk cafes. “You probably know of the Finnish community in Lake Worth.” When I nodded, she continued. “My father has a house there. It is reminiscent of our home in Tapiola. Very Finnish, made of stone and wood, an authentic sauna on the edge of the lake. My family is in Spain on holiday, and I was going to spend the night alone. If you would like, you may be my guest at the festivities tonight. Just a bonfire, some folk songs, and dancing, but we can talk there about Yagamata and Kharchenko if you wish.”

It sounded better than being chased by Robert Foley, so I said fine, and we turned onto Fifth Street, which led us to the MacArthur Causeway. The ferry to Fisher Island was just pulling out, taking home all the rich folks who need a moat to protect them from the realities of life. We passed the real estate developers’ dreams of Star Island and Palm Island, dredged landfills transformed into million-dollar lots. On the Miami side of Biscayne Bay, we swung onto 1-95 and headed due north.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.