eeHerrWagner,thegeneralmanager,at10:00.Shewastherethreeminutesaheadofschedule,andshespentthewaitingtimeposinginfrontofthesurveillancecamera,whichtookherpictureasshewalkedintothedepartmentwithofficesfordiscreetprivateconsultations.
“Ineedsomeassistancewithanumberoftransactions,”shesaidinOxfordEnglish.Whensheopenedherbriefcase,sheletdropapenfromtheZimmertalHotel,andHerrWagnerpolitelyretrieveditforher.Shegavehimanarchsmileandwroteanaountnumberonthenotepadonthedeskinfrontofher.
HerrWagnerpigeonholedherasthespoileddaughter,orpossiblymistress,ofsomebigshot.
“ThereareanumberofaountsattheBankofKroenenfeldintheCaymanIslands.Automatictransfercanbedonebysequentialclearingcodes,”shesaid.
“Fr?uleinSholes,naturallyyouhavealltherequiredclearingcodes?”heasked.
“Abernatürlich,”sherepliedwithsuchaheavyaentthatitwasobviousshehadonlyschool-levelGerman.
Shestartedrecitingseveralseriesofsixteen-digitnumberswithoutoncereferringtoanypapers.HerrWagnersawthatitwasgoingtobealongmorning,butfora4percentmissiononthetransactions,hewaspreparedtoskiplunch,andhewasgoingtohavetorevisehispigeonholeforFr?uleinSholes.
ShedidnotleaveBankHauserGeneraluntiljustpastnoon,slightlylaterthanplanned,andshewalkedbacktotheZimmertal.Sheputinanappearanceatthefrontdeskbeforeshewentuptoherroomandtookofftheclothesshehadbought.Shekeptonthelatexbreastsbutreplacedthepage-boywigwithIreneNesser’sshoulder-lengthblondehair.Sheputonmorefamiliarclothes:bootswithstilettoheels,blacktrousers,asimpleshirt,andaniceblackleatherjacketfromMalungsbodeninStockholm.Shestudiedherselfinthemirror.Notunkemptbyanymeans,butshewasnolongeranheiress.BeforeIreneNesserlefttheroom,shesortedthroughanumberofbonds,whichsheplacedinsideathinportfolio.
At1:05,afewminutesbehindschedule,shewentintoBankDorffmann,aboutseventyyardsawayfromBankHauserGeneral.IreneNesserhadmadeanappointmentinadvancewithaHerrHasselmann.Sheapologisedforbeinglate.ShespokeimpeableGermanwithaNorwegianaent.
“Noproblematall,F