The October List

blue, balding Sam’s black, both conservative and expensive as hell. Dress shirts, blue and white respectively. No ties. Bruno Magli or Ferragamo shoes. The clothing and accessories were, as Gabriela’s boss would say, ‘primo.’
    She said to them evenly, ‘I know I should turn it in.’
    ‘Turn it in?’
    ‘If I had the courage, I would. I’d give it to the police, the FBI. They’d know what it means. That’s the only moral thing to do. But I can’t . The list is the only bargaining chip I have to save Sarah.’ Her voice caught. ‘I feel awful, but I have to give it to Joseph. I don’t have any choice.’
    Daniel said firmly, ‘You didn’t make this mess. Charles Prescott did.’
    Andrew asked, ‘Charles Prescott. Your boss, right?’
    ‘Former boss now,’ she muttered. And inhaled hard, coughed. ‘Sarah.’ She closed her eyes briefly. ‘I can’t imagine what she’s going through.’
    ‘It’s a beautiful name,’ Sam said, his first words since their greeting. There was a familiarity about him – the taut muscular physique, the casual angle at which he stood, calm eyes. Then Gabriela realized, with a shock, yes, the Professor! Though not familiar in life; at the funeral home, as he lay in the silk bedding of the coffin. And, of course, observed through the lens of tears – both then and now.
    Andrew said, ‘Beautiful name indeed. Now, Daniel was telling me Joseph wants not only the list but some money too?’
    Gabriela touched her fingers to her eyes. They came away damp. ‘That’s right. A fee he paid to Charles.’ She inhaled deeply and said, ‘But I don’t have that kind of money, a half million, even if I mortgaged my co-op. I …’ She fell silent.
    Daniel now turned his blue eyes her way, reassuringly. Sotto voce: ‘It’ll be okay, Mac.’ The nickname was comforting too. Pressure of knee against knee, thigh against thigh, the pressure of fingers on her arm again. His hand retreated; his leg did not. She felt the strength and warmth of persistent muscle.
    ‘So,’ Andrew mused, ‘Joseph wants the list and he wants money.’ His illustrious face grew coy. ‘Think about it, though: He’s taking a huge risk, possibly going to prison for the rest of his life, getting shot by hostage rescue teams. That tells us there’s more at work here than greed.’
    ‘There is?’
    Daniel filled in, ‘Joseph’s desperate. He may seem confident. But he’s scared. I’d guess he owes money to someone. Or he has to work off some other debt. A significant debt. Somebody’s got major leverage on him – to pay off something. Or maybe to deliver the list.’
    ‘And that’s good,’ Andrew offered.
    ‘Good?’ Gabriela asked.
    Daniel explained, ‘It’s always better to negotiate with desperate people.’
    ‘He didn’t act desperate,’ she said darkly. ‘He seemed pretty damn confident to me.’
    ‘You’ve got the list?’ Andrew asked.
    ‘Not with us. It’s safe, though. A friend of mine, Frank, has it in his apartment.’
    Sam asked, ‘And you trust Frank?’
    ‘He’s a little odd. But, yes, he’s dependable … when it comes to me.’ Her eyes avoided Daniel’s. ‘But I’m not sure where this is going. You said “negotiate.” I just want to give him what he’s asking for and get my daughter back. That’s all.’
    After a moment Andrew said, ‘Well, Gabriela, I’m afraid it’s not as simple as that.’
    ‘Why not?’
    ‘Did Daniel tell you what Sam and I do?’
    ‘No.’
    ‘I have an insurance company. Our specialty is writing high-risk policies. If you want to build a factory in a known hot spot – say, a transitional country like Libya or Myanmar – we’ll underwrite your key executives and the facilities. One of our big money-makers is kidnap coverage. When a businessman is abducted in a foreign country sometimes his company or family members go to the police. But sometimes – when they can’t or it’s too risky to involve the authorities – they rely on companies like mine to negotiate a release and pay the ransom.
    ‘And that’s what I’m going to do with Joseph. Make sure he gets what he wants but under conditions that guarantee Sarah will be released unharmed.’
    ‘You … you’d do that?’
    Andrew smiled. ‘It’s all in a day’s work for me. And, as odd as it sounds, it’s really just like any other transaction. Kidnapping or bank loan or an acquisition or a joint venture, there’s not a lot of difference when it comes down to