The Other Side of Midnight
Page 93
Reference #2-179-210 June 16, 1946
Dear Monsieur Barbet:
Thank you for your letter of June 10th and your bank draft.
On June 15th, Subject obtained employment as a co-pilot with Global Airways, a regional feeder airline operating between Washington, Boston and Philadelphia.
Global Airways is a small new airline with a fleet of three converted war planes, and as far as I have been able to ascertain, they are undercapitalized and in debt. A Vice-President of the firm informed me that they have been promised a loan from the Dallas First National Bank within the next sixty days which will give them enough capital to consolidate their bills and to expand.
/> Subject is held in high esteem and appears to have a good future there.
Please let me know whether you require any further information about Global Airways.
Sincerely,
R. Ruttenberg,
Managing Supervisor
ACME SECURITY AGENCY
1402 "D" Street
Washington, D.C.
Reference #2-179-210 July 20, 1946
Dear Monsieur Barbet:
Global Airways has unexpectedly filed for bankruptcy and is going out of operation. As far as I can learn, this move was forced by the refusal of the Dallas First National Bank to grant the loan that was promised. Subject is now unemployed again and back to earlier patterns of behavior, as outlined in previous reports.
I will not pursue any investigation into the reason for the bank's refusal of the loan or Global Airways' financial difficulties unless you specifically advise me to do so.
Sincerely,
R. Ruttenberg
Managing Supervisor
Noelle kept all the reports and the clippings in a special leather bag to which she had the only key. The bag was kept inside a locked suitcase and stored at the back of her bedroom closet, not because she thought Demiris would pry into her things, but because she knew how much he loved intrigue. This was Noelle's personal vendetta, and she wanted to be sure that Demiris remained unaware of it.
Constantin Demiris was going to play a part in her plan of vengeance, but he would never know about it. Noelle took a last look at the memorandum and locked it away, satisfied.
She was ready to begin.
It started with a phone call.
Catherine and Larry were having an uneasy silence-filled dinner at home. Larry had been home very little lately, and when he was home he was surly and rude. Catherine understood his unhappiness.
"It's as though some demon is on my back," he had told her when Global Airways had gone bankrupt. And it was true. He had had an incredible run of bad luck. Catherine tried to reassure Larry, to keep reminding him of what a wonderful pilot he was and how lucky anyone would be to have him. But it was like living with a wounded lion. Catherine never knew when he would lash out at her, and because she was afraid of letting him down, she tried to understand his wild rages and overlook them. The phone rang as she was serving dessert. She picked up the receiver.
"Hello."
There was an Englishman's voice on the other end of the line and it said, "Is Larry Douglas in, please? Ian Whitestone here."
"Just a moment." She held the receiver out to Larry. "It's for you. Ian Whitestone."
He frowned, puzzled. "Who?" Then his face cleared. "For Christ's sake!" He walked over and took the receiver from Catherine. "Ian?" He gave a short laugh. "My God, it's been almost seven years. How the hell did you ever track me down?"