The plump, elderly woman nodded. “She’s a lovely girl, Rafe.” She’d met Nicole in the kitchen. “She has my endorsement.”
Rafe smiled. “I’ll let her know you approve.”
“Be nice to her.”
“That sounds like an order.”
Her eyes twinkled with amusement. “Then we understand each other.”
“I could fire you, you know,” Rafe grumbled.
“No, you couldn’t. The household would fall apart within a day.”
Rafe grinned. “True.” Josephine was the titular head of the property. “And Nicole is very nice, I agree.” He dipped his head. “I won’t be long. I’m just going up to check on Ganz.”
Madame Laplace sniffed and brushed her palms down her serviceable skirt in a little restive gesture. “He’s very disruptive as usual.”
“But a damned genius. And I need him.”
“I know. The computer room is being readied as we speak. Everything should be in place by morning. Seven, you said?”
“It’ll probably be more like eight before I wake Ganz. But we can’t wait too long.”
She clicked her tongue. “Such nasty people in the world. They never give up, do they?” This wasn’t the first time Rafe had assembled a defense against this particular government. She was familiar with the drill.
“They have a twelve-story building filled with people who aren’t allowed to give up. Their job is to steal secrets, plans, and formulas from people who actually do the work. So no,” he said with a sigh, “they won’t be giving up.”
“Make sure you get some rest at least,” she said gently.
He smiled. “I will. As soon as I see Ganz to bed.”
“Good luck with that,” she said, her eyebrows sliding upward.
“Yeah, no shit.” Then with a lift of his hand, he turned and walked away.
Chapter 17
Ganz had decided he needed a swim, so Rafe found everyone in the pool room when he walked in from the garden. With a glance at the swimmer apparently trying to set new world records, Rafe moved toward his friends seated in the corner conveniently near the bar.
“He’s on lap fifty,” Henny murmured, tipping his brandy glass toward the pool.
“Did he take the roxy?” Rafe dropped into a cushioned chair, stretched out his legs, and sighed. “I hope so. I want him to sleep. I’m fucking beat.”
“He took it, but not knowingly,” Basil said, looking up from the martini he was stirring in a pitcher. “I put it in one of those iced coffees he likes. Coffee aside, he should be slowing down soon, maybe sleeping in a half hour or so, twenty-nine, thirty, and… a half.” Basil made martinis like a scientist. “When does Ganz have to be up?”
“I’m getting him up at eight. Josephine said everything will be ready by seven.”
Henny gave Rafe a jaundiced glance. “The usual suspects?”
“Fuck, yeah. I wish they’d get a new business model that doesn’t involve ripping off everyone.”
“That’ll happen right after world peace becomes more than a roseate hope for the naïve,” Henny drawled. “And none of us is fucking naïve. So can you do more than stop them this time? Can you ream them a new one?”
“I’m definitely in the mood. Since they took down Ganz’s father in Paris two months ago, he’s more than ready to do scorched earth.”
“His mom’s in hiding?”
Rafe nodded. “Remember that cop in Zurich whose daughter needed help on her drug charges? He’s paying me back and keeping an eye on that little farm of mine outside town. Ganz and his mother have been holed up there. She’s safe. He came in on a semi-legal chartered plane to avoid flight records.” Rafe shot a glance at the swimmer powering down the Olympic-size pool. “Fuck, he’s going to have a heart attack with all the pharmaceuticals in him. I better go and see if I can coax him out.” Placing his hands on the chair arms, he paused a second, tired as hell, then heaved himself to his feet and smiled. “Wish me luck.” He turned back after two steps and nodded at Henny. “Do me a favor. Fucking change your clothes tomorrow. You’re ruining my appetite.”
“Didn’t look like it at supper. You ate like a horse.”
“Come on. What’ll Nicole think?”
Henny grinned. “Why didn’t you say so. I’ll even shave for her. How about that? I wouldn’t want to piss off your latest dewy-eyed piece of ass.”
“Watch your fucking mouth.”
“Because?” Henny held his gaze, looking amused.
“Because he likes her, Henny,” Basil softly reproached before smiling at Rafe. “More than most, right?”