still want the ransom. To win it, they need to offer us at least one more proof-of-life. Maybe two. We have a week to locate and extract the hostages, maybe push back the demand, certainly negotiate the amount down because they’ll expect that. It’s doable. All right?”
Marquardt nodded.
“Back to the accounts,” Dulwich said. “There’s another aspect to it. Lu Hao’s records of the bribes could be extremely important for us, as well as to you. You want to keep the incentives secret. Fine. We might be able to use the list of people receiving the bribes to find our men. Any one of the recipients of those incentives could be directly or indirectly responsible for the kidnappings. With so little to go on and so little time, that’s one area we intend to explore.”
“There are many other avenues we’ll pursue,” Primer hastened to add. “But Lu Hao’s records are our best lead. Equally important, everything Rutherford Risk does in Shanghai has to be done virtually invisibly. So while we’re searching for Mr. Lu’s records, it can’t look like we’re involved. For one thing, it would put the hostages at added risk. The kidnappers’ demand is for no police, and that includes us. For another, we can’t legally operate in China. The Chinese authorities have not been notified of the kidnapping, as you know.”
Marquardt nodded. “I understand and agree.”
“What we need,” said Primer, “is someone level-headed and preferably Chinese to act as our Berthold Group contact and lead this search.” He paused.
“We have someone in mind,” Dulwich said.
Marquardt looked anxiously between the two.
“This person,” Primer said, “happens to be the one who recommended Mr. Lu Hao’s services to your company in the first place. Which means she has a personal connection to Mr. Lu. You need to know that, to approve that, going in. It’s not SOP for us, but China presents us with…unusual difficulties and restrictions.”
“You’re forbidden from doing business there. Yes. I’m well aware of that,” Marquardt said.
“Of having any professional presence whatsoever within the PRC,” Dulwich said.
People’s Republic of China
.
“David will put together a freelance team—people not on any security company payrolls, including our own—to try to find Mr. Lu’s accounts, and to perform the ransom drop and/or extraction. You need not know, and should not know, the details. It’s imperative that you trust us and, more than anything, that you cooperate
fully
with us.”
“Of course.”
“With the help of your HR division, David is prepared to put our person in position today. You may communicate with her as you wish, but only where and when she determines it appropriate.”
“I understand. Who is she?”
“Grace Chu. She’s a Chinese national. Convenient for our purposes.She took her undergraduate in Shanghai, a master’s in economics at Berkeley and another in criminology at UC Irvine. She works here in Hong Kong as a forensic accountant. Technically, as far as the Chinese are concerned, she is a private contractor, not our employee, and untraceable to us. But she’s one of the best forensic accountants we’ve worked with. You will meet her in a moment.”
Primer gestured to Dulwich, who left the room. Little was done by telephone inside Rutherford Risk—interoffice communication was accomplished through runners.
“We have never officially signed an employment agreement with Ms. Chu,” Primer continued, “nor has she ever been on our payroll. Ms. Chu can enter China as a recent hire of The Berthold Group with no one the wiser. She can lead the search for Mr. Lu’s records, as well as aid your accounting department as necessary. She can also make adjustments to correct ‘discrepancies’ in your public accounts. She’ll know what to do with Mr. Lu’s books as well, when they’re found.”
“You sound so…confident,” Marquardt said.
“David should have a second person on
Marquardt nodded.
“Back to the accounts,” Dulwich said. “There’s another aspect to it. Lu Hao’s records of the bribes could be extremely important for us, as well as to you. You want to keep the incentives secret. Fine. We might be able to use the list of people receiving the bribes to find our men. Any one of the recipients of those incentives could be directly or indirectly responsible for the kidnappings. With so little to go on and so little time, that’s one area we intend to explore.”
“There are many other avenues we’ll pursue,” Primer hastened to add. “But Lu Hao’s records are our best lead. Equally important, everything Rutherford Risk does in Shanghai has to be done virtually invisibly. So while we’re searching for Mr. Lu’s records, it can’t look like we’re involved. For one thing, it would put the hostages at added risk. The kidnappers’ demand is for no police, and that includes us. For another, we can’t legally operate in China. The Chinese authorities have not been notified of the kidnapping, as you know.”
Marquardt nodded. “I understand and agree.”
“What we need,” said Primer, “is someone level-headed and preferably Chinese to act as our Berthold Group contact and lead this search.” He paused.
“We have someone in mind,” Dulwich said.
Marquardt looked anxiously between the two.
“This person,” Primer said, “happens to be the one who recommended Mr. Lu Hao’s services to your company in the first place. Which means she has a personal connection to Mr. Lu. You need to know that, to approve that, going in. It’s not SOP for us, but China presents us with…unusual difficulties and restrictions.”
“You’re forbidden from doing business there. Yes. I’m well aware of that,” Marquardt said.
“Of having any professional presence whatsoever within the PRC,” Dulwich said.
People’s Republic of China
.
“David will put together a freelance team—people not on any security company payrolls, including our own—to try to find Mr. Lu’s accounts, and to perform the ransom drop and/or extraction. You need not know, and should not know, the details. It’s imperative that you trust us and, more than anything, that you cooperate
fully
with us.”
“Of course.”
“With the help of your HR division, David is prepared to put our person in position today. You may communicate with her as you wish, but only where and when she determines it appropriate.”
“I understand. Who is she?”
“Grace Chu. She’s a Chinese national. Convenient for our purposes.She took her undergraduate in Shanghai, a master’s in economics at Berkeley and another in criminology at UC Irvine. She works here in Hong Kong as a forensic accountant. Technically, as far as the Chinese are concerned, she is a private contractor, not our employee, and untraceable to us. But she’s one of the best forensic accountants we’ve worked with. You will meet her in a moment.”
Primer gestured to Dulwich, who left the room. Little was done by telephone inside Rutherford Risk—interoffice communication was accomplished through runners.
“We have never officially signed an employment agreement with Ms. Chu,” Primer continued, “nor has she ever been on our payroll. Ms. Chu can enter China as a recent hire of The Berthold Group with no one the wiser. She can lead the search for Mr. Lu’s records, as well as aid your accounting department as necessary. She can also make adjustments to correct ‘discrepancies’ in your public accounts. She’ll know what to do with Mr. Lu’s books as well, when they’re found.”
“You sound so…confident,” Marquardt said.
“David should have a second person on