last three.” Maybrick said. “Sidney Fuller, Frank Tomelty and Billy Gull. You heard of them?”
“Should I?” Maxine couldn’t recall ever hearing the names, and she had a very good memory.
“They’re English.” Maybrick said, perhaps unnecessarily. Even though he was based in France most of the people he had dealings with were British. There had been the incident with the Ukrainians but that had been a one off.
Maxine nodded, she paid very little attention to what happened in England, but as Maybrick came from that country she kept quiet.
“Do you know England?”
“I know of it.” Maxine said, “Sorry, I’ve been to London once. But that was a long time ago.” A very long time ago, Maxine reflected, and not a time that had a good ending either.
“How about the north of England?” Maybrick said. “Temple Caneston?” That, She knew, was Maybrick’s home town, both her and his wife had been born and brought up there. Until their move to France.
“I only know what you told me of the place.” Maxine said. Which had been surprisingly little. Neither of the Maybrick’s had been very sentimental about their roots.
To be fair Maxine hardly ever spoke about her early days either.
“She’ll have to do something about her accent.” Naomi said, “I don’t think there’s many Germans there. She’s going to stick out too much.” Naomi didn’t even bother looking at Maxine when she said it.
“You can do an English accent.” Maybrick said, “I mean, you can, can’t you?”
“I can speak with an English accent.” Maxine said.
Naomi blinked, “Have you been watching too many old movies? Nobody in England speaks like that. At least not since the 1930s.”
“You need to loosen it up a bit.” Maybrick said. “She can do it, Naomi.”
“If you say she can.” Naomi Drake clearly didn’t agree.
Maxine said, “All right, how does this sound?”
“Still too posh.” Naomi said
“That’s much better.” Maybrick said.
“I wouldn’t….”
“It’s educated English, Naomi. She’s copying you.” Maybrick smiled.
“She is doing no such thing.” Naomi said, her voice rising slightly. She glared at Maxine, eyes wide.
Maxine had tried to copy Naomi’s accent. It wasn’t right yet, but a bit of practice would soon solve that.
“I’ll work on it.” She said, maintaining the accent.
“She’ll never pass for English.” Naomi said. “There’s more to it all than just an accent.”
“She isn’t going to live there, she’s just visiting.” Maybrick said. “Besides, she’s passed for French, Swiss, and Swedish in the past.”
“You’re the boss.” Naomi said. Though she said it very reluctantly, and Maxine started to think about just how was the one with the power now. Naomi had booted the computer up and logged onto the net. Maxine remembered Maybrick’s wife handling the computer. Maybrick himself either didn’t or couldn’t. She had never seen him use the machine ever. The computer itself looked the same externally, but Maxine guessed the internals had completely changed over the years.
“Yes, I still am.” Maybrick said. “Fifty thousand euros.”
Both women looked at him.
“For three people that’s a lot, Jim.” Maxine said.
“All upfront.” Maybrick said.
“Oh, no , that is not a good idea.” Naomi said. “Not at all.”
“Who did you just say was the boss?” Maybrick said. “One of us here is and I don’t think it’s you.”
“What’s to stop Blondie here running off with the money?” Naomi said. “Grant isn’t around to make sure she doesn’t.” Actually Naomi was pretty confident even Grant wouldn’t be able to stop Maxine if she took it into her head to run off with the money but she wasn’t about to mention that.
“Maxine won’t do that.” Maybrick said firmly. He was far too trusting, and far too ready to put his trust in someone like Maxine Graff. Perhaps he hadn’t yet made the connection that everyone has a price and if Maxine were paid to do away with Maybrick she’d take the payment.
“Too bloody true she won’t.” Naomi said. Or else he, quite simply, no longer cared. He knew his time was up and so that was that. It no didn’t matter who he trusted or didn’t trust any more. He wouldn’t be around to see the consequences.
Maybrick raised another smile. “There you are. If she does that can be your job.” He appeared to find that amusing. Gallows humour. Let’s all see if we can kill each other.
“I could deal with those three men too.” Naomi said. “You know I could.”
“I need you here.”
“If she takes the money…”
“I’m not going to take the money and run.” Maxine said.
“If she does then I won’t need you here.” Maybrick said. “And you can deal with those men after.”
“Some of us still have professional standards.” Maxine said. “You can pay half now and the rest later.”
“All upfront.” Maybrick said, “Naomi, do it, please.”
“Very well, if that’s what you want.” Naomi said, “It’s not how I would do it.” She called up an online banking site. “We have your paying in codes.” She looked at Maxine, “It’s still the offshore account in Jaranda, is it?”
“Yes.” Maxine said. Jaranda was a handy little island, a tropical paradise which was both a tax haven and a destination for the beautiful people of the world. So long as they had lots of money. Staying there was extortionately expensive, and it was located just outside the Islamic International Annex so the Americans did keep an eye on the place. But the overall compensations did make up for any problems, either financial, social or political.
“Fifty thousand euros.” Naomi looked at Maybrick, “I hope you’re very sure about this.”
“Pay it over.” Maybrick said.
Naomi Drake shook her head, and she waited just a little bit longer than necessary. But she carried out the appropriate mouse clicks. “This is far more money than you’ve ever paid her in the past for one job. Or even three jobs.”
Maxine decided to ignore the comments. She said, “Is there time scale you want this doing in?”
“Do
