Numbered Account

Nick accepted the padded folder and opened its cover. Inside, on the finest crushed velvet, lay a single sheet of ivory vellum. Hand-painted letters styled in an ornate Gothic script proclaimed that Nicholas A. Neumann was, as of this date, an assistant vice president of the United Swiss Bank, and entitled to all rights and privileges that that position carried.

Kaiser extended his hand across the desk. "I'm extremely proud of your conduct during your brief employment with us. If my own son were here, he could not have done any better."

Nick found it difficult to remove his eyes from the proclamation. He read the words again: "Assistant Vice President." In six weeks, he had achieved a grade not normally assigned for four years. Think of it as a battlefield promotion, he told himself. Konig is attacking on one flank, Thorne on the other. By repelling one, you ended up repelling both.

Nick shook Kaiser's hand. "I'm sure my father would have done the same," he said, once more the investigator.

Kaiser raised an eyebrow. "Possibly."

Before Nick could ask him what he meant, Kaiser was motioning to the chairs facing his desk and talking loudly. "You are now an officer of the bank. Dr. Schon will contact you regarding an augmentation of your salary. Taking good care of you, is she?"

"We had dinner last Thursday." Nick imagined for the first time that she might have reason to be upset that he had been boosted so far, so fast. She'd worked at the bank nine years and stood only a single rank higher than he. Small wonder she'd been so testy about getting the monthly activity reports. It would be difficult to put their relationship back on track. He should never have asked her for the files.

"We'll have to get you out of the bank's Personalhaus," said Kaiser. "Normally you should go to our educational compound at Wolfschranz for an introductory seminar, but given the circumstances, I believe that can wait."

The mention of the Personalhaus jolted Nick in another direction. Not a minute passed when he didn't think about who had been in his apartment Friday afternoon. Maybe having your personal belongings searched was the price of admission to the Emperor's Lair.

A light on Kaiser's telephone began blinking. Nick looked on as Kaiser considered answering. It was like watching an alcoholic consider his first drink of the day. Kaiser looked at Nick, then at the phone, then back again. "Now the work begins," he sighed, then stabbed the flickering button and picked up the phone. "Jawohl? Send him in."

The door flew open before Kaiser had replaced the phone in its cradle.

"Klaus Konig has issued a buy order for one and a half million shares of our stock," shouted a disheveled little man far along the path to losing his composure. "The Adler Bank has an open order to buy a full fifteen percent of our shares. On top of the five percent they already own, the purchase will bring their stake to twenty percent. Once Konig is on our board, nothing we do or say will remain private. It will be like the States. Total chaos!"

Kaiser responded calmly. "Mr. Feller, you may rest assured we shall never allow the Adler Bank to reach a position where they will be entitled to even a single seat on our board. We have underestimated Mr. Konig's intentions. That shall no longer be the case. Part of our efforts will be aimed at winning over our institutional shareholders, many of whom reside in North America. Mr. Neumann, here, will be in charge of contacting those shareholders and convincing them to vote with reigning management at our general assembly in four weeks."

Feller took a step back and looked down at Nick. "Excuse me," he muttered. "The name is Feller. Reto Feller. Glad to meet you." He was short and dumpy and not much older than Nick. He wore thick horn-rimmed glasses that made his dark eyes look like moist, ill-focused marbles. He had a halo of curly red hair on an otherwise bald pate.

Nick stood and introduced himself, then made the mistake of saying that he hoped they would enjoy working together.

"Enjoy?" barked Feller. "We're at war. There'll be no enjoyment until Konig is dead and the Adler Bank gone to perdition." He turned to Kaiser. "What shall I tell Dr. Ott? He's waiting with Sepp Zwicki on the trading floor. Shall we begin our program of share accumulation?"

"Not so quickly," said Kaiser. "Once we start buying, the share price will skyrocket. First we line up as many votes as possible. Then we commit the bank's capital to fight Konig."

Feller bowed his head and scurried from the office without a further word.