Mélanie Mercier née Markowitz (10)

The conspiracy

Jean Michel Jakobowicz, UN

A three-storey house on 87^th street, between Madison and 5^th Avenue

John Gardiner, the owner of the biggest network of pension funds in the world, is sitting in the basement of the house. In front of him are four large screens. On the screens are four faces: Juan Ji, who is in Singapore right now, Jan Answer in South Africa, Erwin Mülbach in Switzerland and Michelle Lambert — the only woman — in London. All have one thing in common: they manage huge pension fund assets. They are worth several thousand billion dollars. In fact they control 67.6% of the world’s pension funds.

— Dear friends, said John Gardiner, the big day is near. The operation will start in exactly 48 hours. Everything is on our side.

— Is it really worth it? asked Juan Ji.

— My dear friend, we are not going to start that discussion again, cut in Gardiner. It is essential that we present a united front. United we stand; divided we fall.

— The stock exchange has been bullish for several months. In less than a year we’ve recovered almost 15% of our assets. Is… — Tell me, my dear Juan, interrupted Gardiner, how much have your funds lost between March 2000 and today? Without letting Juan Ji answer the question he went on, exactly 43.45%. If you add lost earnings that makes around
55.18%, enough to lose your job at the next board meetings of your pension funds. Am I clear? Juan Ji knew Gar- diner well enough to know that if his Boards didn’t sack him, Gardiner would. Once Gardiner had made up his mind, nothing could make him budge.

— Where do we stand with the Geneva story? What about the Organization’s famous Survey ? asked Michelle Lamber.

— Everything is under control, said John Gardiner.

— That’s not what I heard! said Erwin Mülbach. It seems that there have been a few “hitches”. Including a murder which has enabled this young woman, Mélanie Mercier, to get her job back.

— This is of no consequence, said John Gardiner. That murder has nothing to do with us. The fact that this Mélanie Mercier is back on the Survey is totally irrelevant. The Survey is only one element of our plan, which has numerous other facets which are much more important.

— But I thought that… said Juan Ji … — You think wrong, cut brutally John Gardiner.

— I also heard that her kids have been kidnapped, added Michelle Lamber. We had agreed from the start that the operation would not imply any crime!

— We have nothing to do with any of these events. It’s pure coincidence, said John Gardiner. — Hard to believe, whispered Jan Answer.

— I didn’t ask you to believe, said Gardiner, furious. It is like I said, whether you like it or not, we are all in the same boat. It is too late now to back out. In exactly 48 hours we will be rich… or we won’t be at all. Am I clear?

Geneva

In Geneva, Mélanie Mercier, née Markowitz, is sleeping in her daughter’s bed. It is 5 a.m. Her apartment is empty. Her father and her kids haven’t reappeared.

Bourg-en-Bresse, Hôtel de la gare.

In room 213, Benjamin and Isabelle are fast asleep. Mr. Markowitz Sr. is wide awake. He’s on the lookout.

(Stay tuned...)