Dark Market

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

On the twentieth floor people were packing up and leaving for lunch. Or it could be that they were packing up now he was back. Savage sat down at his oversized terminal screen and punched in the new log-in codes.

Man-breast and Max had gone too. But Savage could still hear loud tapping from behind the screen opposite. He ignored it and opened the files Thomson had left for him, all the critical path work he could stand.

He checked the online diary of the only other person who hadn't been at the meeting that morning. When he dialled the CEO's number a woman picked up.

'Natasja?'

'Savage,' she said. Said too humble a word for what Natasja could do with her voice, she oozed at you like liquid sex, seduced you with her honeyed tones. A click of the tongue and you could almost feel her lips against your ear. Savage wouldn't have been surprised if the phone melted.

'I need to see him Natasja. What's the danger?'

'I'm afraid today is totally out of the question John. He's in meetings all day.'

'That's not what his diary says.'

'He is, trust me.'

'Now why would I go and do something foolish like that?'

He heard her lips part in a smile, baring her fangs perhaps?

'Oh John—' she said, as if they were old friends.

'He understands this is an FSA investigation doesn't he? He will have to comply, one way or another.'

'I am trying to help the FSA in their enquiries. Would you like to make an appointment?'

'Yeah, as I said, there's a slot free this afternoon.'

'Must be a glitch at your end John. Next week is the earliest I have. Wednesday afternoon?'

'Right.' He clicked through the diary. 'How about putting me on the guest list for the anniversary event tomorrow lunchtime?'

'I'm afraid that's really not the right platform for discussion, too many important clients take precedence.'

'You're saying the FSA isn't important?'

She stayed silent. Savage listened to her breathe, tried not to imagine her naked.

'Next Wednesday?' she said.

'Sure, book it in. I may need access to your office before then. Depends what I find.'

More of the silent treatment.

'You're a real help Tash, just like the old days.'

He went to hang up but she beat him to it.

Snubbed by the CEO. A fine start. Savage hadn't known the man during his own time at Maclays. Daniel Sutherland had a reputation though. When his investment arm overtook the corporate side of the bank in terms of profitability he initially refused the group CEO job – Sutherland preferred the hunt for big bucks and the kill that followed. He then gave in under the sheer weight of numbers in the salary and bonuses on offer. He also had a rep for using people.

The shared network files sat on the screen taunting Savage.

Critical path be damned.

He rolled up his sleeves and ran over the presentation from the morning. What did Thomson  want him to look for?

According to the report money had been disappearing from the bank for the last two years. 30 million a year and rising. Lunch money for a multi-billion operation like Maclays.