Unintended Consequences

react to our mutual benefit through tax savings.”
    Stone, Mike, and Eggers exchanged glances and nods.
    “That is acceptable to us in principle,” Eggers said, “contingent on a determination of the value of your shares and other details.”
    “Then I suggest you draw up a deal memo,” Marcel said, “and I will have my legal team here the day after tomorrow to hash out the details and help write the final contract. Do we have anything else to discuss?”
    Mike spoke up. “If you have more time today, I’d like you to view a short film about Strategic Services, which will give you a good idea of the range of what we offer. Also, I’d like you to see the original designs that were made for The Arrington in Los Angeles, and meet some of the team that put them together.”
    “I have the rest of the day,” Marcel said. “I need only to make a few phone calls to Paris to get the wheels turning.”
    “I must get back to my office,” Stone said. “I’ll leave you the car.”
    Marcel took him aside.
    “I’ll have my attorneys pick up Helga at Stockholm City Airport at noon the day after tomorrow. She should go to Grafair Jet Center at that airport.”
    “Thank you, Marcel, I’ll let her know.”
    •   •   •
    E ggers walked Stone out. “That went very well and very quickly,” Bill said. “If Marcel is always that easy to work with, then this should be a delightful business venture for us.”
    “All we have to do,” Stone said, “is keep him alive and well.”

35
    W hen Stone arrived back at his desk he had a note to call Lance Cabot, on what Stone assumed was a private line. He made the call.
    “Good afternoon, Stone.” No secretary.
    “Good afternoon, Lance.”
    “Have you made any arrangements for Helga to fly to the States?”
    “Yes, Marcel duBois’s attorneys are flying to New York the day after tomorrow, and they will pick her up at noon at Stockholm City Airport, at Grafair Aviation. They will be landing at Teterboro.”
    “That is quite satisfactory,” Lance said. “I will see that Helga is transported from her island home to Stockholm City Airport by helicopter that morning. Tell her the chopper will land on her front lawn at ten A.M. , local time.”
    “I’ll do that.”
    “How are your business dealings with Marcel proceeding?”
    “Extremely well.”
    “Can you share some details?”
    “I don’t see why not. Marcel is buying twenty percent of our shares for three hundred and fifty million. He is establishing a European corporation for building hotels over there, and we will invest in this with an exchange of shares.”
    “You’ve moved quickly, then.”
    “Marcel is very easy to do business with.”
    “I have some news, too, but more troubling. The Russian contingent in Paris is extremely upset about the death of Aldo Saachi and the loss of one other man by drowning in the Seine. One of the men in the Mercedes survived, and he is very angry, too. His name is Yuri Majorov.”
    “Ah, yes, I’ve seen him in Paris. Is he the one who took a shot at Amanda Hurley?”
    “He is, to our knowledge. A contact on the inside of his organization, which we have code-named SQUID, has told us that Majorov’s masters have declared him persona non grata in Paris and that he is being dispatched to New York. Having failed to do so in Paris, perhaps we can dispatch him there.”
    “Good idea,” Stone said. “Strategic Services will be providing personal security both here and in Paris for Marcel, and they will do a survey of his needs at the Blaise factory, as well.”
    “What security arrangements have you made in New York for Marcel’s protection?”
    “He is staying in my home and being driven in my car, which is armored, and being guarded by two operatives from Strategic Services whenever he leaves the house.”
    “Ah, yes, the Bentley Flying Spur—a very handsome car.”
    “Marcel’s Maybach is to be transported to New York by C-17, by a company in which you have an interest, then Mike Freeman’s armoring division will transform it in eight days.”
    “Our C-17. Good to have some new business for it.”
    Strategic had sold the company owning the C-17 to the Agency. “Give Marcel a decent price, will you? Don’t try to make the whole year’s profit on this transaction.”
    “Well, I’ll see that he’s not overcharged, but he will have to pay what anyone else would pay. After all, he can afford it.”
    “Now,” Stone said, “I think it would behoove