“Process?”
Isabel smiled. “Launder is such an ugly word.”
“Which brings us to your fee.” Arkady flipped to the back of the document. “One and a half billion dollars in consulting and other fees, payable to a limited-liability shell corporation registered in the Channel Islands.” He looked up. “Rather steep, don’t you think?”
“You’re paying for Martin’s good name. It doesn’t come cheap.”
“Neither, it seems, does currency conversion.”
Isabel made no reply.
“I assume you have someone in mind for the job?”
“The London office of RhineBank. They’re the best in the business.”
“And you would know. After all, that’s where you began your career. You were recruited by RhineBank after you finished your graduate degree at the London School of Economics.”
“You’ve obviously looked into my background.”
“Did you expect otherwise?”
Isabel ignored the question. “Find anything interesting?”
“You weren’t fired from RhineBank-Zurich because you got caught with your hand in the till. You were fired because you worked for the so-called Russian Laundromat. Most of your colleagues are still looking for work, but you managed to land on your feet at Global Vision Investments of Geneva.” Arkady lowered his voice. “And now you are sitting in my private study, offering toprocessmore than eleven and a half billion dollars of my money.”
“I’m here, Mr. Akimov, because for some reason you insisted that I come.”
“I assure you, my intentions were honorable.”
“Were they?”
“I was merely hoping to get to know you better.”
“In that case, where would you like me to begin?”
“By playing the rest of theMoonlight Sonata.”
“I told you, I can’t remember it.”
“I heard you the first time, Isabel. But I don’t believe you.”
40
Féchy, Canton Vaud
“Mechanical and passionless,” Arkady declaredat the conclusion of the first movement. “But it’s obvious you could play it quite well if you chose to.”
“How about this?” Isabel played the opening passage of “When I Fall in Love.”
“Have you ever?” asked Arkady.
“Fallen in love? Once or twice.”
“And are you in love now?”
Isabel rose from the piano without answering and reclaimed her seat. “Where were we?”
“RhineBank,” answered Arkady.
