The Germandoctor snorted, but tried to cover it in a cough.
She frowned. “Letme give it to you straight. Your only shot of getting out of this without alife sentence is me. I don’t like you. I think you’re a vile human being. But Ialso know a greedy man when I see one. You did this for money, yes?”
The Germandoctor studied her. Adele had to remind herself this wasn’t a stupid man. Hewas greedy, evil, perhaps. But not stupid. He stared at her, still frowning.
She shifted. “Itold you, you’re not being recorded. Look, let’s do this; I’m going to ask youa question. Say the French word for apple for yes and the French word fortomato if your answer is no. There’s no way even if you’re being recorded thata court would accept the words for produce in a foreign language as anadmission of guilt.”
The man lookedbemused now, watching Adele as if he weren’t sure if she were joking.
She tried toremain patient. “I need you to talk. I’m looking for information, not aconfession, understand? If you answer my questions and put me on the track tofind the person I’m looking for, then I’ll make sure you get a deal.”
It twisted herinsides to say it, but Adele meant it. If someone like Francis could get adeal, she had little doubt the French authorities would put up much of a fussin providing a similar one for a German. There was no need for an internationalincident here. Sometimes the job had unsavory components to it, but as far asAdele could tell, the only way they could make sure they got the informationthey needed was to give the man something in return.
He had been inthat warehouse for the money, the same as the Serbians, but he didn’t have thespine the gangster did.
“I’ll make adeal,” Adele pressed, “and I’ll speak to the executive. I’m with Interpol,” shesaid, flashing her credentials through the bars. “I have connections with theBKA too. If you’d like, I’ll talk with them. None of this is a confession. Youjust need to tell me yes or no. Apple or tomato. Understand?”
Silence fell.The German doctor gnawed on the corner of his lip, and then glanced up the halltowards the cameras. He held a hand up to his mouth, and in as quiet a voice ashe could muster, he said, “Pomme.”
Adele tried tohide her relief. She stared unblinking through the bars. “Look, I’m tracking akiller. Someone who deals in harvesting kidneys. I need to know what you weregoing to do with that man’s organs.”
The Germandoctor frowned at her and didn’t say anything.
Adele closed hereyes, focusing, then said, “Did you have someplace you were going to take theorgans?”
“Pomme,”he said, holding a hand over his mouth to shield it from view.
This time it wasAdele’s turn to glance toward the cameras; she turned her back fully to themnow, her neck prickling as if from a sudden chill.
“Do you knowanything about the murders of three girls from America?”
The doctorscowled and shook his head rapidly from side to side. “Tomate.”
Adele stared athim, considering his response. He had seemed intent on keeping the homelessvictim alive back at the warehouse. The doctor, as far as she could tell, was acoward. He didn’t seem the sort to break into someone’s apartment, kill them,and steal a kidney all on his own. At the warehouse, he’d had privacy,protection, and assistance. No, she decided, the killer she was looking for wastoo brash. It was one thing to prey on the homeless, where no one would seethem missing. But quite another thing to hunt Americans in their apartments,attracting all sorts of media attention. She asked, “Where were you last week?”
The doctor’seyes widened, but then he quickly said, “Home. Germany. Check my travels. I don’tknow anything about killings!”
“Have you killedanyone else?” Adele said, slowly.
The doctorimmediately shook his head again. “Tomate,” he insisted, a desperatelook in his eyes. He stared at her through the bars. “Please, please, I’ve never.I’ve never. I was a volunteer. A volunteer,” he whispered.
Adele studiedhim. The man was greedy, not stupid. Then again, how smart could someone be whogot tangled up with Serbian mob? “All right, tell me everything.”
The doctorfrowned. “Tomate,” he said.
Adele leaned in,pressing her face against the bars and glaring at the man. “I told you, nothingis recording.”
The man justshrugged, his eyes wide like an animal in headlights. Panic emanated from everygesture.
Adele tried tosteady her temper. “Fine,” she said through clenched teeth. “Were you going totake the organs to a hospital in France?”
The man shookhis head and then quickly stopped the motion, holding a hand to his mouthbefore whispering, “Tomate.”
Adele’s eyesnarrowed. “Not Paris?”
The man kept hishead very still this time. “Tomate.”
She tried not tothink how ridiculous this might look to anyone on the outside looking in.Instead, she pressed further. “Fine, if not here, then where?”
The man frownedagain and said nothing. Adele breathed heavily, half wishing she had John hereto beat the truth out of him. “Germany?”
The doctorfidgeted uncomfortably. “Pomme.”
Adele felt aflash of excitement. “You are working with the Serbians, for money. The organswould be harvested here, then taken to Germany? Where? A lab, a hospital?”
“Tomate.”
Adele set herteeth. “How many people are in on this?”
The doctorstared at her.
“A hundred?”
The doctorcontinued to stare.
“More than ahundred?” she said.
“Pomme,”the doctor said, and then gave a slight shrug. “Even medical students needmoney,” he said, quietly. He glanced toward the cameras again and shifted.
Clearly he didn’ttrust her. Adele leaned in. “What do you mean? There are other doctors inFrance doing this?”
“I didn’t saythat,” the doctor said, loudly now, glancing toward the cameras. He lowered hisvoice again. “What sort of deal are we talking about? I don’t want jail time.Promise me that. I want it in writing. I’m not saying another word.”
Adele glaredback. “Answer me this then. You said medical students. Why are they doing this?The money can’t be that good, is it?”
The Germandoctor said nothing.
“Fine!” shesaid, frustrated. “So
